Yonatan: Settlement History and Megaliths

Yonatan in the Golan Heights combines a settlement history with specific dates and a memorial in the town center; the megalithic monument Gilgal Rafaim is also near the moshav. If you’re looking for a hotel in Yonatan, these distinct themes can help you understand the town and its surroundings.

Settlement history: two important dates

The companions of a fallen soldier founded a Nahal settlement group in the Golan Heights in 1975 and named it after him. In 1978, its permanent settlement site was established in Yonatan. The two years mark different steps: 1975, the group’s founding and naming; 1978, its permanent site. This makes it possible to place the development of the moshav in context without conflating the group’s founding with its settlement.

A memorial in the center

The spiral-shaped community club is located in the center of Yonatan. Beside a well-kept garden, an inscription in metal letters stands in the entrance area. It reproduces a verse from David’s lament: “How the mighty have fallen in battle; Jonathan, slain on your heights” (2 Samuel 1:25). The verse contains the name of the fallen soldier after whom the settlement group was named. The building’s form, garden, and inscription represent different aspects of the memorial: its spiral architecture, well-kept outdoor area, and the words at the entrance.

Gilgal Rafaim near Yonatan

Gilgal Rafaim, also known in Arabic as Rogem al-Hiri, lies near Moshav Yonatan. The ancient megalithic monument in the Golan Heights consists of more than 42,000 basalt stones arranged in concentric circles. The extensive plain in the surrounding area is dotted with hundreds of dolmens. This offers two ways to explore the archaeological site: the stone circles and basalt material describe the structure of the monument, while the dolmens characterize the broader landscape. Gilgal Rafaim and Rogem al-Hiri are two names for the same place. When planning your trip, you can distinguish the nearby monument from Yonatan’s own features.

Directions via Route 808

Moshav Yonatan is beside Route 808, between the Daliyot and HaMapalim junctions. The road number and the names of the two junctions provide a specific reference point for locating Yonatan and planning your trip.

Archaeological sites in the Northern District

In the broader Northern District travel region, Tel Hazor and Tel Megiddo offer distinct archaeological highlights. At Tel Hazor National Park, the visit focuses on the Upper City. Tel Hazor’s features include Solomon’s Gate, with six chambers and two towers dating to the 10th century BCE. The excavated shaft is 45 meters deep; in the water system, steps three meters wide are cut into the walls of the vertical shaft. The underground water-collection system represents sophisticated engineering adapted to the geography for water storage.

The Late Bronze Age palace at Tel Hazor is considered the most elaborate in Israel and one of the most significant in the Levant. The Canaanite palace was used by the kings of Hazor in the 14th and 13th centuries BCE. The fortifications are also considered the finest example of their kind in the area extending from southern Turkey to the northern Negev.

Tel Megiddo is a biblical tell with significant remains of a city associated with biblical accounts. Its Early Bronze Age temple complex is exceptional for the number of its temples, the continuity of cult activity, and the documented ritual practices. The orthogonal Iron Age city plan has few parallels in the Levant. These regional themes complement Yonatan’s own settlement history with further historical and archaeological perspectives in the Northern District.

Discover more destinations: Isfiya, Hashmona'im, Hazon, Chadera, Ein Gev, Ma'ayan Baruch, Shomera, Rishon LeZion

See the broader travel guide: Israel.