The place where Jesus was crucified, meaning "Place of a Skull."
Golgotha
Named in 4 verses across 4 books, first in Matthew 27:33.
ΓολγοθᾶGolgotha
κρανίονSkull
Also called Skull.
The name means “a heap of skulls; something skull-shaped.” Hitchcock's Bible Names, 1869
About Golgotha Written by AI
Golgotha, which means "Place of a Skull" in Aramaic, was the location outside the walls of Jerusalem where Jesus Christ was crucified. All four Gospels mention Golgotha as the site of the crucifixion (Matthew 27:33; Mrk.15.22; Luke 23:33; Jhn.19.17). The exact reason for the name is not specified in the Bible, but it may refer to the physical appearance of the site, resembling a skull, or it could be associated with a place of execution. The Gospel accounts describe how Jesus, after being sentenced to death by Pontius Pilate, was led to Golgotha, where he was crucified along with two criminals. The location of Golgotha was outside the city walls, as was customary for executions in ancient times. It is also mentioned that the site was near a garden and a tomb, which belonged to Joseph of Arimathea, where Jesus' body was later laid (Jhn.19.41-42). The crucifixion at Golgotha is the central event in the Christian faith, as it represents Jesus' sacrificial death for the sins of humanity, leading to his resurrection and the offer of salvation to all who believe in him.
Drafted by an AI model for STEPBible's TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Check it against the verses below.
Easton's Bible Dictionary, 1897
The common name of the spot where Jesus was crucified. It is interpreted by the evangelists as meaning “the place of a skull” (Matt. 27:33; Mark 15:22; John 19:17). This name represents in Greek letters the Aramaic word Gulgaltha, which is the Hebrew Gulgoleth (Num. 1:2; 1 Chr. 23:3, 24; 2 Kings 9:35), meaning “a skull.” It is identical with the word Calvary (q.v.). It was a little knoll rounded like a bare skull. It is obvious from the evangelists that it was some well-known spot outside the gate (comp. Heb. 13:12), and near the city (Luke 23:26), containing a “garden” (John 19:41), and on a thoroughfare leading into the country. Hence it is an untenable idea that it is embraced within the present “Church of the Holy Sepulchre.” The hillock above Jeremiah’s Grotto, to the north of the city, is in all probability the true site of Calvary. The skull-like appearance of the rock in the southern precipice of the hillock is very remarkable.
M. G. Easton, Illustrated Bible Dictionary, third edition (1897), public domain, from CrossWire. Shown as written; its Scripture quotes are from older translations.
31.777, 35.235 See it on a map
Where the Bible names it
- Matthew 27:33
And when they came to a place called Golgotha, which means The Place of the Skull,
- Mark 15:22
They brought Jesus to a place called Golgotha, which means The Place of the Skull.
- Luke 23:33
When they came to the place called The Skull, they crucified Him there, along with the criminals, one on His right and the other on His left.
- John 19:17
Carrying His own cross, He went out to The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha.
From STEPBible's TIPNR, Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0): names, family, references and the AI written article. Verse text is the BSB.