The place where Jesus was crucified
They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha
(which means “the place of the skull”).
Mark 15:22
Jesus was crucified just outside the walls of Jerusalem at a place called Golgotha. This is an Aramaic word, which gruesomely means “the place of the skull” (also found in Matthew 27:33, Luke 23:33 and John 19:17). It seems that historians don’t know for sure why this place earned this nickname.
Jesus was crucified just outside the city gate (Hebrews 13:12), so it was on the edge of Jerusalem. Perhaps it was because this location was an old rock quarry or rocky hill that looked like a skull. Maybe it was because many were executed there.
I have been to the two possible sites of Golgotha, and there is an unmistakable similarity to a skull in the side of the hill where a bus station now operates. It is very close to the site of a first century tomb where many Christian pilgrims visit. A British general named Charles Gordon found this location in 1884. However, this rock formation undoubtedly has eroded over time and didn’t look the same as it did two thousand years ago. Another possible location is the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which is built over a rocky hill.
You might be wondering why, in today’s Christian world, we refer to the place of Jesus’ crucifixion as Calvary instead of Golgotha. The explanation is simple. Calvary is derived from the Latin word, and was first used in the translation by Saint Jerome. He was a fourth century scholar who produced the Latin version of the Bible called the Vulgate. The King James Version also uses the word, Calvary, as do several hymns such as “At Calvary” and “On Calvary’s Brow My Savior Died”. Many churches have Calvary in their name. I guess it sounds better than The Place of the Skull Church or Golgotha Church (though some have used this too)!
As Christians, we tend to venerate what could be the actual places where Jesus walked and died. It’s hard not to do, but it can be a form of idolatry nonetheless. It’s most important to focus on Who we worship and what He did on that site forever for our sins.
Rejoice! The record of our sins has been wiped away:
And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh,
he has made alive together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses,
having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us.
And he has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
Colossians 2:13-14