GILGAL

site of ancient Gilgal, courtesy, BibleWalks.com

Gilgal was the first camping-place of the Israelites in the land west of the Jordan; the place to which they could retreat during their struggles for conquest. It was also the main military camp for Joshua and his fighting men during the initial phases of the conquest. According to Joshua 5:9, the place was called “Gilgal” because it was here that the lord said to Joshua, “I have rolled away (Heb. “Gilgal”) the reproach of Egypt from off you…” After the allotment of land to the tribes of Israel, Gilgal became part of Menasheh territory, almost adjacent to the border of Benjamin and right next door to Jericho which was part of Benjamin. The Ephraimite sanctuary, so severely condemned by the Prophets, was probably to be identified with the "Gilgal" of the Joshua narrative. It was also mentioned as a place of sacrifice in I Sam. 10:8. Its name could still be found on the hill Jaljul, east of Jericho but some scholars believe that it is to be identified with Khirbet al Mafjir on the eastern border of Jericho.

Modern Gilgal was established in 1970 as a Nahal settlement and was converted to a civilian kibbutz in 1973. Gilgal has invested millions of dollars in state-of-the-art water technology to boost its production of medjool dates. The system is based on the utilization of wastewater.