Gilgal (Israeli settlement)

Gilgal (Hebrew: גִּלְגָּל) is an Israeli settlement organized as a kibbutz in the West Bank.[2] Located in the Jordan Valley around 16 kilometres north of Jericho with an area of 1,400 dunams, it falls under the jurisdiction of Bik'at HaYarden Regional Council.[3] In 2022 it had a population of 229.

Gilgal
Gilgal is located in the Central West Bank
Gilgal
Gilgal
Coordinates: 31°59′59″N 35°26′40″E / 31.99972°N 35.44444°E / 31.99972; 35.44444
DistrictJudea and Samaria Area
CouncilBik'at HaYarden
RegionWest Bank
AffiliationKibbutz Movement
Founded1970
Founded byNahal
Population
 (2022)[1]
229

The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law, but the Israeli government disputes this.[4]

History

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Gilgal was established in 1970 as a Nahal settlement, and was named for the ancient biblical site of Gilgal.[5] It was converted to a civilian kibbutz in 1973.[6]

According to ARIJ, in order to construct Gilgal, Israel confiscated land in 1970 from two Palestinian villages: 858 dunams from Fasayil,[7] and 268 dunams from Al-Auja.[8]

Economy

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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.[9]

Climate

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Climate data for Gilgal (–255m)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 28.0
(82.4)
33.5
(92.3)
40.5
(104.9)
44.7
(112.5)
46.5
(115.7)
47.5
(117.5)
48.1
(118.6)
49.0
(120.2)
45.7
(114.3)
44.2
(111.6)
37.9
(100.2)
32.5
(90.5)
49.0
(120.2)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 20.1
(68.2)
21.6
(70.9)
25.6
(78.1)
30.3
(86.5)
35.6
(96.1)
38.7
(101.7)
40.4
(104.7)
40.0
(104.0)
37.7
(99.9)
33.8
(92.8)
27.7
(81.9)
22.1
(71.8)
31.1
(88.1)
Daily mean °C (°F) 14.5
(58.1)
15.5
(59.9)
18.7
(65.7)
22.8
(73.0)
27.3
(81.1)
30.5
(86.9)
32.4
(90.3)
32.5
(90.5)
30.5
(86.9)
26.9
(80.4)
21.1
(70.0)
16.4
(61.5)
24.1
(75.4)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 8.9
(48.0)
9.4
(48.9)
11.8
(53.2)
15.3
(59.5)
19.1
(66.4)
22.3
(72.1)
24.5
(76.1)
25.0
(77.0)
23.2
(73.8)
19.9
(67.8)
14.4
(57.9)
10.6
(51.1)
17.0
(62.7)
Record low °C (°F) 0.3
(32.5)
0.0
(32.0)
2.5
(36.5)
3.0
(37.4)
11.2
(52.2)
15.2
(59.4)
20.0
(68.0)
19.5
(67.1)
14.0
(57.2)
12.1
(53.8)
4.6
(40.3)
0.2
(32.4)
0.0
(32.0)
Source: Israel Meteorological Service[10]

See also

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  • Gilgal I, early Neolithic site (11,400–11,200 BP) near the kibbutz, with earliest findings of fig tree cultivation in the world
  • Judean date palm

References

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  1. ^ "Regional Statistics". Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  2. ^ "'We're Building'". Time. 8 June 1987.
  3. ^ Settlements Archived 26 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine Bik'at HaYarden Regional Council
  4. ^ "The Geneva Convention". BBC News. 10 December 2009. Retrieved 27 November 2010.
  5. ^ Carta's Official Guide to Israel and Complete Gazetteer to all Sites in the Holy Land. (3rd edition 1993) Jerusalem, Carta, p.167, ISBN 965-220-186-3 (English)
  6. ^ Crown-Tamir, Hela (2000). "Gil'gal" in How to Walk in the Footsteps of Jesus and the Prophets: A Scripture Reference Guide for Biblical Sites in Israel and Jordan, Gefen Publishing House Ltd, Jerusalem.
  7. ^ Fasayil Village Profile p. 17, ARIJ
  8. ^ Al 'Auja Town Profile p. 19, ARIJ
  9. ^ Medjool Dates From Israel Wastewater Proving Favorite of Foodies Bloomberg
  10. ^ "Averages and Records for several places in Israel" (PDF). Israel Meteorological Service. January 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 January 2016.