Golgotha (or Calvary in Latin).
The hill where Jesus was crucified is called Golgotha, which means “place of the skull.” This name appears in all four Gospels of the New Testament – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. In the Gospel of John (John 19:17), it specifically states: “Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha).” The Latin translation of this name is Calvary, derived from “Calvariae Locus,” which also means “place of the skull.” So, Golgotha and Calvary refer to the same location.
The exact origin of the name “place of the skull” is not definitively known. Some traditions suggest the hill may have resembled a skull in shape. Others propose it was a common site for Roman executions and may have been littered with the remains of the dead. Despite some uncertainty about the specific reason for the name, the term “Golgotha” became deeply symbolic in Christian theology, representing the site of Jesus’s ultimate sacrifice.
Today, the traditional site believed to be Golgotha is located within the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. This church, which also houses the site believed to be Jesus’s tomb, is one of the most sacred pilgrimage destinations in Christianity. Archaeological and historical studies continue to examine the geography of ancient Jerusalem, but the spiritual importance of Golgotha remains constant. For Christians, it marks the place where Jesus died to redeem humanity from sin – an act considered central to the faith.
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