Gilgal Refaim

Gilgal Refaim (from Hebrew - גלגל רפאים, Arabic - Rujm al-Hiri) is a stone circle and ancient megalithic monument in the Golan Heights in Israel, some 16 kilometres east of the eastern coast of the Sea of Galilee, in the middle of a large plateau covered with hundreds of Dolmens. Nearby is an ancient settlement dating from the early bronze age. The word Hebrew most likely means to cross over, referring to the Semitic people crossing over the Euphrates River. ... Arabic can mean: From or related to Arabia From or related to the Arabs The Arabic language; see also Arabic grammar The Arabic alphabet, used for expressing the languages of Arabic, Persian, Malay ( Jawi), Kurdish, Panjabi, Pashto, Sindhi and Urdu, among others. ... Megalithic tomb, Mane Braz, Brittany A megalith is a large stone which has been used to construct a structure or monument either alone or with other stones. ... Sites on the Golan in blue are Israeli settlement communities. ... km redirects here. ... The Sea of Galilee with the Jordan River flowing out of it to the south and into the Dead Sea Kineret redirects here; for the Amgen drug having this tradename, see Anakinra The Sea of Galilee is Israels largest freshwater lake, approximately 53 kilometers (33 miles) in circumference, about... It has been suggested that Portal dolmen be merged into this article or section. ... The Bronze Age is a period in a civilizations development when the most advanced metalworking (at least in systematic and widespread use) consisted of techniques for smelting copper and tin from naturally occurring outcroppings of ore, and then alloying those metals in order to cast bronze. ...

The complex is comprised of more than 42,000 Basalt rocks, arranged in circles. In the center is a mound 5-6 metres tall, from which protrude several layers of stone walls. Some of the walls form complete circles, and others incomplete. The outermost wall has a circumference of close to half a kilometre, and a diameter of more than 150 metres. The site was probably built during the Copper Age, and is estimated to be about 5,000 years old. There are several hypotheses about the site's purpose, ranging from a calendar, to a tomb or site of worship. Basalt Basalt is a common gray to black volcanic rock. ... The metre, or meter (US), is a measure of length. ... The circumference is the distance around a closed curve. ... Diameter is an AAA (authentication, authorization and accounting) protocol for applications such as network access or IP mobility. ... The Chalcolithic (Greek khalkos + lithos copper stone) period, also known as the Eneolithic (Aeneolithic) or Copper Age period, is a phase in the development of human culture in which the use of early metal tools appeared alongside the use of stone tools. ... A page from the Hindu calendar 1871-72. ...

Origins of the name

In Hebrew the site is called "Gilgal Refaim", or "Galgal Refaim" ("Wheel of Refaim"), because, according to the Tanakh, the ancient people of the Bashan - modern Golan, were a race of giants, called "Rephaites". The term "Gilgal" or "Galgal" means "wheel", and is due to the site's circular shape. The word Hebrew most likely means to cross over, referring to the Semitic people crossing over the Euphrates River. ... TaNaKh [תנ״ך] (also Tanach, IPA: or ), is an acronym that identifies the Hebrew Bible. ... Bashan (meaning light soil) is a biblical place first mentioned in Genesis 14:5, where it is said that Chedorlaomer and his confederates smote the Rephaim in Ashteroth, where Og the king of Bashan had his residence. ...

In Arabic the site in known as "Rujm al-Hiri", meaning "Mound of the Wild Cat". The origins of this name are unknown. Arabic can mean: From or related to Arabia From or related to the Arabs The Arabic language; see also Arabic grammar The Arabic alphabet, used for expressing the languages of Arabic, Persian, Malay ( Jawi), Kurdish, Panjabi, Pashto, Sindhi and Urdu, among others. ...

Structure and Description

Due to the site's dimensions, and its location in a large plateau, devoid of hills of mountains, the site can be viewed in full only from an aerial perspective. Some call it "Israel's Stonehenge" due to the similarities between the two sites. Stonehenge in 2004 For other meanings of Stonehenge, see: Stonehenge (disambiguation) Stonehenge is a Neolithic and Bronze Age megalithic monument located near Amesbury in the English county of Wiltshire, about 8 miles (13 km) north of Salisbury. ...

From above one can see a large circle of Basalt rocks, containing smaller, concentric, circles, some complete, others incomplete. The circles are connected by smaller stone walls. In the center - a mound, Dolmen, 20 metres in diameter, and approximately 5 metres in height. The Basalt rocks are commonplace in the Golan Heights, due to their Volcanic past. It has been suggested that Portal dolmen be merged into this article or section. ... Volcano 1. ...

The central Dolmen is built from relatively smaller rocks. Connecting to it are four main stone walls - the first one, shaped as a semicircle, is 50m in diameter, and 1.5m wide. The wall is connected to a second one, an almost complete circle, 90m in diameter. The third wall is a full circle, 110m in diameter, and 2.6m wide. The fourth is the largest and outermost, 150m in diameter, and 3.2m wide.

History and Purpose

During the time the Golan was under Syrian control the site was not considered especially important, and was only mentioned in old Syrian Army maps. The area's residents, of course, have known it for millennia, but scientific research of it only commenced during the late 1960s, after the site came under Israel control following the Six Day War. After initial research the site was mostly abandoned, and the first professional archaeological excavations of it only began in the 1980s, when it became the focus of interest for scientists and researchers, following the work of Professors Moshe Kochavi and Yoni Mizrachi. The President of Syria is commander in chief of the Syrian armed forces, comprising some 400,000 troops upon mobilization. ... The 1967 Arab-Israeli War, also known as the Six-Day War or June War, was fought between Israel and its Arab neighbors Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. ... Archaeology or sometimes in American English archeology (from the Greek words αρχαίος = ancient and λόγος = word/speech) is the study of human cultures through the recovery, documentation and analysis of material remains, including architecture, artefacts, biofacts, human remains, and landscapes. ...

Due to the site's age and its deteriorated state, having been weathered by the elements, its purpose remains unclear. However, one fact is accepted among all researchers - at some point in history the site served as a place of worship and tribal gatherings. In the site's center, inside the Dolman, researchers found an ancient tomb, filled with jewelry and other expensive objects. The tomb was dated to the end of the second millennium BCE. The structure itself predates the tomb, and thus the people who buried the individual there are not the site's original builders.

Main Hypotheses Concerning the Site's Puprose

• Burial Site, for leaders or other important individuals. Supporting this theory was the tomb in the Dolman. However, no human remains were found, only objects pointing to its function as a tomb. Also, even if it were a tomb, that was not the site's original function, as the tomb is a 1,000 years newer than the site itself.
• Worship - According to this hypothesis, supported by a large part of the researchers, the site was used for special ceremonies during the longest and shortest days of the year. It seems, that on the year 3000 BCE, on the longest day, the first rays of the sun shone through the opening in the north-east gate, which is 20 by 29 metres. However, they did not shine in a perfect angle. It is assumed this is because the builders of those days didn't have sufficiently accurate architectural tools. The resident probably used the site to worship Tammuz and Ishtar, the gods of fertility, to thank them for the good harvest during the year. After the erection of the tomb in the center, the rays' path was blocked.

• Calendar - Some believe the site was used an as ancient calendar. Although the site could not be used to calculate an exact date, it was sufficient for the people's needs. At the times of the two equinoxes, the sun's rays would pass between two rocks, 2m in height, 5m in width, at the eastern edge of the compound. This way, they could know when the first rains would come, and determine the right time to sow or reap their crops.

• Astronomical Observations - Perhaps the site was used for astronomical observations of the constellations, probably for religious calculations. Researchers found the site was built with dimensions and scales common for other period structures, and partly based on the stars' positions. However, they could not explain a large part of the structure, including the smaller walls connecting the circles.

After the civilization who built the site grew and evolved, it seems to have lost its importance, and had little use beside a military observation post, or a pen for livestock. The 3rd millennium BC spans the Early to Middle Bronze Age. ... Tammuz or Tamuz Arabic تمّوز Tammūz; Hebrew תַּמּוּז, Standard Hebrew Tammuz, Tiberian Hebrew Tammûz; Akkadian Duʾzu, Dūzu; Sumerian Dumuzi was the name of a Babylonian deity. ... Ishtar (Arabic: عشتار) is the Assyrian counterpart to the Sumerian Inanna and to the cognate northwest Semitic goddess Astarte. ... A page from the Hindu calendar 1871-72. ... An equinox is one of two opposite points on the celestial sphere where the celestial equator and ecliptic intersect. ... A giant Hubble mosaic of the Crab Nebula. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Various religious symbols Religion is a system of social coherence based on a common group of beliefs or attitudes concerning an object, person, unseen being, or system of thought considered to be supernatural, sacred, divine or highest truth, and the moral codes, practices, values, institutions, and rituals associated with such...

Naturally, due to the "mystery" of the site's use and building method, and the similarities to other sites throughout the world (such as Stonehenge in Britain, and others across Europe), several more outlandish explanations were suggested, most impossible to prove scientifically: World map showing Europe Political map (neighbouring countries in Asia and Africa also shown) Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth. ...

• Giants - Since the Tanakh says a race of giants lived in the area, some believe it was built by giants, for giants, or is a tomb for giants. Some even think it is the burial place for the biblical Goliath. Also, some claim Og, king of the Bashan was buried there.

• Aliens, or supernatural powers - Like other sites in the world, some think the site was created by Aliens, or a higher power of some sort.

David faces Goliath in single combat. ... According to several books of the Old Testament, Og (pronounced , , or ; meaning gigantic) was an ancient Amorite king of Bashan who, along with his sons and army, was slain by Moses and his men at the battle of Edrei (probably modern day Dara, Syria). ... Bashan (meaning light soil) is a biblical place first mentioned in Genesis 14:5, where it is said that Chedorlaomer and his confederates smote the Rephaim in Ashteroth, where Og the king of Bashan had his residence. ... The Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, currently used by the SETI project in the search for extraterrestrial life Extraterrestrial life is life that may exist and originate outside the planet Earth, the only place in the universe currently known by humans to support life. ...

Gilgal Refa'im Today

The site is currently inside an IDF training ground, but it can be visited freely in the Weekend, when there is no risk of military activity in the area. to be merged with IDF (disambiguation) IDF may stand for: intermediate distribution frame (in telephony) Iceland Defense Force Irish Defence Forces Israel Defense Forces The AIDC F-CK Indigenous Defence Fighter This page disambiguates a three-character combination which might be any or all of an abbreviation, an acronym, an...

As a result of New Age movements, advocating a return to nature, and the "natural religions", every year a group of "New Agers" gathers at the site on the Summer Solstice, and on the Equinox, to view the first rays of the sun shine though the rocks. New Age describes a broad movement characterized by alternative approaches to traditional Western culture. ... Illumination of Earth by the sun on the northern hemisphere summer solstice The summer solstice is an astronomical term regarding the position of the sun in relation to the celestial equator. ...

See also

• Stonehenge
• Rephaite

Stonehenge in 2004 For other meanings of Stonehenge, see: Stonehenge (disambiguation) Stonehenge is a Neolithic and Bronze Age megalithic monument located near Amesbury in the English county of Wiltshire, about 8 miles (13 km) north of Salisbury. ...

External links

• Research on the monument
• Photos