Gilgal

[3] According to Joshua 4:19, Gilgal is a location "on the eastern border of Jericho" where the Israelites encamped immediately after crossing the Jordan River.

"[5] Some scholars speculate that the circle of 12 stones was the (unnamed) religious sanctuary that was condemned in Amos 4:4 and 5:5 and Hosea 4:15.

[12] Again it is possible for this to be yet another "circle of standing stones" [13] (or the same one as mentioned in relation to Elijah and Elisha, as Bethel is on the circuit with Gilgal, and other assumed locations show Gilgal to be far further away than the other two locations), and it is significant that it is treated as a holy place by the biblical text, rather than as a heathen one.

Since "Gilgal" means a "circle of standing stones", it is quite plausible for there to have been more than one place named Gilgal, and although there are dissenting opinions, it is commonly held to be a different place from the one involved with Joshua; it has been identified with the village Jaljulia, about 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) north of Bethel.

Gilgal structures have been found only in the Jordan River valley, and in the Samarian mountains on the edge of the desert.

They are located on the lower slopes of a hill, have a footprint-shaped stone outline, and were used for occasional assembly rather than permanent dwelling.

The use of low slopes is in contrast to Canaanite practice, which placed sanctuaries "on every lofty hill" (2 Kings 17:10).

[18] Edward Robinson first drew the connection to Gilgal to Jiljilyya in 1838,[19][20] as did van de Velde[21] and Victor Guérin in 1870.

[22] In 1882, SWP noted: "The name suggests its identity with Gilgal, a town in the mountains near Bethel.