City of Gilgal

City destroyed at the crucifixion

City of Gilgal

The city of Gilgal, as recounted in the Book of Mormon, met a catastrophic end during the seismic upheavals that marked the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. It is briefly mentioned as one of the cities that were destroyed as a divine judgment upon its inhabitants. According to the scripture, the entire city and its people were caused to be sunk and buried in the depths of the earth due to their wickedness (3 Nephi 9:6). The specifics of its location, its inhabitants, and the details of its culture and society are not delineated in the text, leaving Gilgal largely shrouded in mystery. The record merely acknowledges its existence and its ultimate fate during a period of great destruction and sorrow. The potential connection of the city’s name to a Nephite military leader, Gilgal, killed along with his ten thousand troops in the final battle between the Nephites and Lamanites (Mormon 6:14), remains speculative as the text does not explicitly link the two. Thus, the city of Gilgal stands as a testament to the broader narrative of divine retribution that befell many Nephite cities at the time of the Savior’s death.

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