STANDTOJESUS – Where was Jesus crucified? – Jesus was crucified at a place called Golgotha, which means “place of the skull” in Aramaic. The Gospels describe Golgotha as being located outside the city walls of Jerusalem (Matthew 27:33, Mark 15:22, Luke 23:33, John 19:17).
The precise location of Golgotha is a matter of debate, but the traditional site is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City of Jerusalem. This site has been venerated as the place of Jesus’ crucifixion and burial since at least the fourth century AD.
There are several other sites that have been proposed as the location of Golgotha, but the Church of the Holy Sepulchre remains the most widely accepted site.
Evidence for the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
The main evidence for the Church of the Holy Sepulchre as the site of Golgotha is the early Christian tradition. Eusebius of Caesarea, a church historian writing in the early fourth century AD, identified the site of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre as Golgotha. Eusebius also recorded that the Roman emperor Constantine the Great built a church on the site in the early fourth century AD.
In addition to the early Christian tradition, there is some archaeological evidence to support the identification of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre as Golgotha. In the 19th century, archaeologists discovered a tomb dating back to the first century AD in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This tomb is known as the Tomb of the Garden, and it is believed to be the tomb where Jesus was buried.
Other Proposed Sites
There are several other sites that have been proposed as the location of Golgotha, including:
- Gordon’s Calvary: This site is located just north of the Old City of Jerusalem. It is named after Charles Gordon, a British officer who excavated the site in the 19th century. Gordon’s Calvary is supported by some archaeological evidence, including the discovery of a first-century AD tomb.
- Skull Hill: This site is located southwest of the Old City of Jerusalem. It is traditionally identified as the place where Jesus was crucified because of its skull-like shape. However, there is no archaeological evidence to support this identification.
- Garden Tomb: This site is located north of the Old City of Jerusalem. It is a garden with a tomb that is believed to be the tomb where Jesus was buried. However, there is no archaeological evidence to support this identification.
The precise location of Golgotha is a matter of debate, but the traditional site is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City of Jerusalem. There is some archaeological evidence to support this identification, but there are also other sites that have been proposed as the location of Golgotha.
