Many proposals have been made for the purpose of Rogem Hiri:  “a ceremonial center, a defense enclosure, a central storage facility, a large burial complex, a center for astronomical observations and a calendrical device.” (12)   It is unlikely the location was used as a defense enclosure, for there is no evidence of wars at the site or of any sustained inhabitance.  Indeed, the chambers formed by the rings and radial walls usually do not contain an entrance and no stairs have been found to make inhabiting the site a practical possibility.  With the exception of a tiny cell (13) superficially constructed against one ring at a date later than the initial phase of the site, there is no evidence of any long term or large-scale storage activity.  The other two possibilities of cultic or astronomical functions cannot be so easily dismissed and should be examined in more detail.
     For several reasons it can be postulated that Rogem Hiri, is located in what appears to be a sacred location.  Surrounding the site is a field of dolmans, and since these are a “respectful distance” (14) from Rogem Hiri it is logical to suppose that the rings predate the dolmans.  Burial grounds are often known to have been constructed in places considered holy.  Mount Hermon, the second highest mountain between Turkey and Yemen, is located directly north of the complex, and Mount Tabor is also visible from the site.  These two mountains may have been connected in antiquity, as can be construed from Psalms 89:12 which states, “Tabor and Hermon sing for joy at your [god’s] name.” (15)  The mountain motif is usually associated in the Ancient Near East with the concept of sacred space (16), so Rogem Hiri’s alignment with a prominent mountain supports the proposition that cultic significance was engineered into the site’s construction and location.  Since the sheer size of Rogem Hiri invites one not to focus on the immediate area but to consider it a part of the landscape at large, it is not inappropriate to emphasize these surrounding geographic characteristics.

Dolman Photo (36)

The main argument against the concept of Rogem Hiri as a cultic site is the lack of cultic artifacts: no altars, offering vessels, bones denoting sacrifices, or figurines have been unearthed.  Such articles usually frequent ritual sites in high concentrations (17).
     Ritual areas in the ancient Near East often performed more practical functions beyond religious observance, such a serving as a central storage unit or as an economic center (18) . No large temple cities developed in this area because the basaltic soil was not suitable for yielding large crops (19).  However, it was appropriate for grazing country, and thus, throughout history, the residents of the region have primarily been pastoral peoples.  Such societies needed a central meeting place where separate groups could intermittently congregate and conduct various kinds of business, and a monumental edifice was a good location for these transactions (20).  For the locations of the country where agriculture could be practiced, the growing season was almost exactly six months long (21), with all the rain falling within those months.  With this concentrated rainfall, peoples had to collect the water which fell in the limited interval to sustain them and their herds throughout the remainder of the year.  Reservoirs were constructed for this purpose.  In such a climate, the ability to predict seasonal changes would have been a great boon, and Rogem Hiri may have served that practical purpose.