RT Article T1 Biblical Gilgal: A Common Place Name or a Cult Site near Jericho? JF Tel Aviv VO 51 IS 1 SP 59 OP 72 A1 Naʾaman, Nadav LA English YR 2024 UL https://ixtheo.de/Record/1888279419 AB An analysis of the biblical references mentioning the place name Gilgal indicates that they all denote a single site—namely, the cult site located east of Jericho. References to Gilgal that seemingly allude to other sites resulted either from scribal errors or from scholarly misinterpretation of the biblical text. Moreover, gilgal as a noun for a kind of settlement never appears in the Bible. Hence, the plural form gilgals sometimes used by archaeologists to designate elliptical or round sites enclosed by a massive or narrow stone wall are misleading and should best be abandoned. On the contrary, Gilgal was the exclusive name of a major Israelite cult centre located near the main road that passed from Jericho to Transjordan. The cult site operated in the pre-monarchical and monarchical periods, but ceased to function in the late monarchical period, possibly during the reign of King Josiah. K1 Ascent of Adummim K1 Jordan Valley K1 Tribal borders K1 Bethel K1 Geliloth K1 Gilgal DO 10.1080/03344355.2024.2327800