II. GILGAL, a celebrated place lying to the west of Jordan, where the Israelites incamped for some time after their passage over this river. A considerable City was afterwards built there, which became famous for many events, the remembrance whereof is preserved in history. Gilgal was about a league from Jordan, and at the like distance from Jericho. This name was given to it on the score of the people’s being circumcised there. After this operation, Josh. v. 2 3 4, & seq.the Lord said, This day have I taken away the reproach of Egypt from off you; literally, I have rolled away from off you, &c. for Gilgal signifies rolling. As the Ark had been a long time at Gilgal, this place became celebrated afterwards, and the people continued for a great while to go Hos. iv. 15. & xv. 12. & Amos iv. 4. v. 5.thither in pilgrimage. It is thought that Jeroboam, or at least some of the Kings of Israel, his successors, set up one of the golden Calves there, which he made, and 1 Kings xii. 29. LXX. Alexandr. Cyril. in Osee v.obliged his people to worship.
There had been Idols it seems at Gilgal so early as in the time of Ehud, Judge of Israel: for it is said, that Ehud having made his presents to the King, went away Judg. iii. 19.as far as Gilgal; that he returned from thence, and pretended to have some secret to discover to him from God, as if he had received some oracle at Gilgal. At the same place the people met to confirm the 1 Sam. xi. 14, 15.Kingdom to Saul; and, lastly, at Gilgal it was, that Saul had the misfortune to incur God’s displeasure by offering sacrifices before Samuel came; there it was that he received 1 Sam. xiii.the sentence of his rejection for a much more considerable fault, which he had committed in sparing the King of Amalek, with the best and most valuable 1 Sam. xv. Hieron. in Epiraph. Paulæ. Ep. 62. Joseph. l. 3. c. 2. de Bello.part of the spoils. St. Jerom says, that Paula went to Gilgal, and saw there the camp of the Israelites, the hill of the foreskins, and the twelve stones which Joshua had placed there.