Have you heard of Israel’s Stonehenge?

 

The Holy Land is filled with wonders. Incredible historic sites, beautiful valleys, stunning mountains, and of course temples and churches that date back to the days of Christ. It is an amazing land to explore and study.

But, even knowing that Israel is a place of mystery and splendor, you might not be ready for Galgal Refa'im. Almost known as Israel’s Stonehenge. 

Translating to "the wheel of ghosts,” Galgal Refa'im is one of Israel’s greatest mysteries. A massive circular design of more than 42,000 basalt rocks arranged in a circular pattern situated seemingly in the middle of nowhere. 16 kilometers from the Sea of Galilee, Galgal Refa'im feels like something from another world. Its intricate ringed patterns and what seems to be a 20ft long chamber in the center of the structure hints at some sort of ritual use, but of what kind and by who remains a total mystery.

Don't feel bad if you haven't heard of Galgal Refa'im. Unlike other impressive mysterious archeological sites like Stonehenge in England and Chichen Itza in Mexico, Galgal Refa'im only attracts a paltry number of tourists a year and is poorly known in comparison. Some of this might be due to its unique design. Despite being more than 500 feet wide from end to end, the tall rock structure means the majesty of the location can only be appreciated from an aerial view. Makes you wonder how the people who designed it figured it out doesn't it?

So what exactly is it? Nobody is sure, but there are plenty of theories out there.

Given the circular nature of the arrangement and its skyward presentation, some speculate that it was a type of ancient calendar. The arrangement of South and North entrances align during the equinox and there are some notches on the walls that indicate some kind of tracking. Another theory is that it was a kind of primitive star tracker, a way to note astronomical events, constellations, and stars. 

Still, there are other, more morbid theories. One of which is that it was a burial site for important figures. While there is what appears to be a burial chamber in the center of the site, as of yet, no human remains have been found, casting some doubt on that idea. A related theory posits that the site was used as a mass grave, a place to lay out bodies and offer them to scavenger birds as a kind of ritualized "sky-burial”

Creepy. "Wheel of ghosts” indeed.

We may never know the exact history behind Galgal Refa'im. Who built it, why they built it, what it was used for, when it was abandoned – these are all questions that might never be answered. That's not the point. 

What Galgal Refa'im reminds me of is how ancient and mysterious the Holy Land truly is. How much culture, history, and knowledge is still yet to be discovered in those sacred grounds. Just when you think you know everything there is about the place, Israel will throw you another curve ball. We must never stop appreciating and learning from it.