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Gilgal - location profile

Location and Setting

• Several towns are named Gilgal in Scripture. Gilgal near the Jordan, however, is the most important historically.
• The exact location of Gilgal is not known, but apparently it lay in the flat plain of the Jordan about two miles northeast of Jericho.

Historical and Biblical Significance

• When Joshua led the nation through the Jordan, representatives of the twelve tribes carried twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan riverbed. They piled them up at Gilgal as a memorial of God’s miracle in allowing Israel to cross through the river on dry ground (Josh 4:20-24).
• The males of Israel were circumcised at Gilgal because they had not practiced this ritual during the forty years in the wilderness (Josh 5:7).
• At Gilgal, the Israelites observed the Passover for the first time since leaving Egypt (Josh 5:10).
• The day after that Passover, the Israelites ate produce from the land as the supply of manna ceased (Josh 5:11,12).
• Gilgal became Joshua’s base after Israel entered the Land. It was from there that they attacked Jericho and later launched the central campaign against the cities of the hill country. From Gilgal, Israel’s men climbed from twelve hundred feet below sea level to an elevation of three thousand feet to the Central Benjamite Plain.
• Representatives from Gibeon, the largest city of the Central Benjamite Plain area, came to Gilgal to deceive Joshua into making a covenant that Israel would defend their city if attacked (Josh 9:6).
• Gilgal was one of the cities, together with Bethel and Mizpah, Samuel visited annually to judge the people (1 Sam 7:16).
• Saul was confirmed as the first king of Israel at Gilgal after he rescued the city of Jabesh-gilead from the Ammonites (1 Sam 11:14,15).
• Saul used Gilgal as a base camp for his attack against the Amalekites. Samuel rebuked Saul for taking the spoils of this battle, which was contrary to God’s command. The prophet told him that, because of his disobedience, the kingdom of Israel would be taken from him (1 Sam 15:21-33).

Bibliography

1. Alden, R.L. "Gilgal" The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible. Ed. Merrill C. Tenney. 5 vols. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1976.