The crucifixion of Jesus Christ is one of the most significant events in human history. All four gospels in the New Testament provide details about Jesus’s crucifixion, including the location. Based on the biblical accounts, Jesus was crucified just outside the walls of Jerusalem on a hill called Golgotha or Calvary.
The Gospel of John provides the most detailed information about the location. John 19:17 states, “And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha.” Golgotha is an Aramaic word meaning “skull place.” The Latin word for skull is calvaria, from which the English word Calvary is derived. Therefore, in the gospels, the place where Jesus was crucified is referred to as both Golgotha and Calvary.
The Gospel of Matthew also confirms this location. Matthew 27:33 states, “And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull.” The other gospels simply refer to it as “the place of the skull” (Mark 15:22, Luke 23:33).
While the exact coordinates are unknown, the biblical accounts provide some clues about the general area. All the gospels state that Jesus was crucified just outside the walls of Jerusalem (John 19:20, Hebrews 13:12). Golgotha was located along a major road leading into the city (Mark 15:29). It was also near a garden tomb where Jesus was later buried (John 19:41–42). Based on these details, the traditional site identified as Calvary is just northwest of the Old City walls of Jerusalem.
Today, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Christian Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City stands over the accepted site of Golgotha. This church was built in 335 AD by the Roman Emperor Constantine and his mother Helena. According to tradition, Helena traveled to Jerusalem to search for relics of Jesus’s life. She identified a pagan temple built over the site of the crucifixion which Constantine then demolished. The church was constructed in its place to memorialize the location.
However, some scholars question whether the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is the actual site. The temple markings used by Helena are uncertain. Additionally, the proximity to the city wall does not match the biblical description since the current Old City walls were built later. Nonetheless, the church is considered the traditional Calvary site and attracts millions of pilgrims each year.
While the exact location of Golgotha is disputed, the biblical accounts clearly describe it as a hill just outside Jerusalem’s city walls. For early Christians, the precise coordinates mattered less than remembering the significance of what happened there. Jesus willingly gave up His life on Calvary to pay the penalty for the sins of the world. As the writer of Hebrews declares, “So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood” (Hebrews 13:12). The location emphasizes how Jesus suffered and died on our behalf outside of the city, excluded from the community He came to save.
Though Golgotha was once a place of death and Roman execution, Christians now see it as a symbol of hope, redemption, and new life through Christ’s resurrection. Jesus conquered the grave, proving He was indeed the Son of God. His crucifixion for the sins of humanity was not the end but only the beginning of God’s gracious plan of salvation offered to all who believe. The exact spot remains uncertain, but the meaning of Calvary still resonates today for Christians all around the world.
The Synoptic Gospels on Golgotha
The Synoptic Gospels—Matthew, Mark, and Luke—provide similar accounts about the location of Jesus’s crucifixion. All three simply identify it as a place called Golgotha or “the place of the skull” just outside Jerusalem’s city walls.
Matthew 27:33 states, “And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull.” The parallel passage in Mark 15:22 reads, “And they bring him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull.” Luke 23:33 also refers to the “place called The Skull.”
Though the Synoptics do not elaborate, their unified testimony establishes Golgotha as the site of Christ’s crucifixion. The Aramaic name hints that it was likely a hill resembling a skull in topography. Their accounts also specify it was just outside the city walls, which places it west of Jerusalem in the general vicinity of today’s Old City walls.
While lacking in geographical details, the emphasis of the Synoptic Gospels is on recording the narrative events of Jesus’s arrest, trial, death, and resurrection. The exact location was less important than what happened there. Together, they provide historical evidence and apostolic testimony that Jesus was crucified at Golgotha.
The Gospel of John on Golgotha
The Gospel of John provides the most information about Golgotha’s location. John 19:17 describes that Jesus, “bearing his cross went out to a place called the place of the skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha.” This identifies Golgotha as the site of the crucifixion.
In John 19:18, it notes that two others were crucified with Jesus, “one on either side, and Jesus between them.” John 19:20 states, “So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha.” This reiterates the location and Aramaic name.
After Jesus dies, John 19:41-42 describes his burial in a garden tomb nearby: “Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.” The close proximity of Golgotha to this tomb suggests they were just outside the city.
John’s testimony provides the strongest evidence that Golgotha was the actual site of Jesus’s crucifixion. As an eyewitness, John gives specific details about the location that point to a skull-like hill just outside the city walls near a garden tomb. John would have relied on his firsthand experience to accurately record the events.
Hebrews and the Location of Golgotha
The book of Hebrews provides one additional clue about the location. In Hebrews 13:12, it states that “Jesus also suffered outside the gate” when He was crucified at Golgotha. This confirms that Golgotha was outside the city gates of Jerusalem, lining up precisely with the gospel accounts.
Under Mosaic law, sin offerings for atonement were to be sacrificed outside the Israelite camp or temple (Exodus 29:14, Leviticus 4:12, Hebrews 13:11). As the ultimate atoning sacrifice for sin, it was fitting that Jesus was crucified outside Jerusalem’s gates. The location underscored how His death provided atonement for sins once and for all.
Though brief, this reference in Hebrews supports the scriptural consensus that Golgotha was just outside Jerusalem’s city walls, north of the temple mount. Jesus was crucified outside the city He came to save, bearing the sins of the world.
Extrabiblical Sources on Golgotha’s Location
A few ancient extrabiblical sources provide additional historical information about the location of Golgotha. While not on the same authoritative level as Scripture, these sources generally corroborate and expand upon the biblical accounts.
In the late first century, the Roman historian Josephus described Golgotha as an area where criminals were stoned to death and their bodies displayed. This aligns with it being a known place of Roman executions.
The third-century historian Eusebius and early church father Origen both describe Golgotha as a hill north of the city. Eusebius mentions Mount Moriah was separated from Golgotha by a valley. This also fits the geographical topology around Jerusalem.
Later tradition claims Helena, mother of Constantine, traveled to Jerusalem around 326 AD to locate relics from Jesus’s life. She supposedly identified Hadrian’s pagan temple built over Golgotha in 135 AD and had it destroyed to construct the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
While fascinating, these extrabiblical sources come centuries later and provide speculative details. The scriptural accounts offer the most authoritative evidence about the location of Golgotha just outside Jerusalem’s walls.
The Place of the Skull – Top Theories
Scholars have proposed several theories about why the crucifixion site was called the “place of the skull” in Aramaic:
- It was a place where skulls of criminals were left on display by the Romans.
- The hill may have had a skull-like shape or rock formation in its topography.
- It could refer to Adam’s skull being buried there according to ancient tradition.
- It represented death and contrasted Christ’s resurrection from the dead.
While interesting speculation, the Bible does not explicitly explain the meaning. The Aramaic name was likely descriptive of the place itself, perhaps referring to its use or topography. Regardless, Golgotha underscores Jesus’s sacrificial death outside Jerusalem for the sins of the world.
The Traditional Site of Golgotha
For centuries, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem’s Old City has been accepted as the traditional site of Golgotha and Jesus’s crucifixion. Several factors point to its authenticity:
- It was identified by Constantine and Helena in the 4th century who built a church there.
- The hill matches the skull-like topology implied by Golgotha.
- An ancient tomb believed to be Joseph of Arimathea’s is housed there.
- Pilgrims have recognized it since the 4th century.
However, some scholars raise objections to the site:
- The current Old City walls date from the 16th century, not Jesus’s time.
- It may have been inside 3rd-century Jerusalem walls, not outside as described.
- Helena’s methods for identifying it are uncertain.
- Alternative sites have been proposed, like Gordon’s Calvary near the Garden Tomb.
Despite questions, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre remains the long-standing traditional location accepted by most Christians today. Its precise identification is ultimately secondary to what happened there in God’s redemptive plan.
Significance of Golgotha for Christians Today
For Christians, Golgotha holds deep spiritual meaning, regardless of its exact coordinates. Here are some key reasons Calvary remains vitally important today:
- Fulfillment of prophecy – Christ’s crucifixion fulfilled Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah’s sacrificial death (Psalm 22, Isaiah 53).
- Payment for sin – Jesus paid the penalty for mankind’s sin once for all by giving up His life on the cross (Romans 6:10, Hebrews 9:28).
- God’s love demonstrated – Christ’s willing death on the cross showed God’s infinite love, grace, and mercy (John 3:16, Romans 5:8).
- Access to salvation – Jesus’s atoning sacrifice provides the only way of salvation and reconciliation with God for all who believe (Acts 4:12, Ephesians 2:8-9).
- Victory over death – The crucifixion was followed by Christ’s resurrection, proving He conquered death forever (1 Corinthians 15:54-57).
The precise location where Christ died for the sins of the world matters less than recognizing that He willingly gave His life there for us. Golgotha symbolizes God’s incredible love and the only hope of eternal life found in Jesus alone.
Other Crucifixion Sites in Church History
While Golgotha in Jerusalem remains the original and most accepted site of Jesus’s crucifixion, several other places emerged in church history as alternative crucifixion locations:
- Santo Toribio Church, Spain – Tradition claims the largest piece of Christ’s cross is preserved here.
- Santa Croce Basilica, Rome – Contains relics purporting to be thorns from the Crown of Thorns.
- Évry Cathedral, France – Relics said to be drops of Christ’s blood from the crucifixion are housed here.
- Mount Nebo, Jordan – Some early traditions identified this mountain as the crucifixion site.
- Mont Colzim, France – Legends connect this mount to Golgotha based on geological similarities.
While fascinating, none of these alternative sites have strong biblical, historical, or archaeological evidence to support their authenticity. Most Christians still accept the original Jerusalem location as the true place of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection.
Objections to the Gospel Accounts
Despite the biblical and historical evidence, some raise objections to the gospel accounts of Golgotha’s location:
- The gospels were not written until decades later, raising doubts about historical reliability.
- Perceived contradictions between the gospel accounts undermine their testimony.
- The exact spot cannot be verified archaeologically.
- Alternative crucifixion sites exist in church tradition.
- The traditional site does not match the biblical description perfectly.
In response, Christians affirm the inerrancy of Scripture and the gospels as historiographically reliable accounts of Jesus’s life. Minor differences between accounts reflect different perspectives but do not negate their testimony. While no archaeological evidence remains, Jewish burials were temporary, so none would be expected. Finally, alternative proposals lack original sourcing compared to the Jerusalem site.
Despite some unanswered questions, Christians can have confidence that Golgotha as described in the gospels matches closely with the skull-shaped hill just outside Jerusalem’s Old City now encased within the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. But most importantly, Scripture is clear this was undoubtedly the place of Christ’s sacrificial death for sinners.
Questions About Golgotha
Here are answers to some common questions about Golgotha and the crucifixion site:
Why does it matter where Jesus was crucified?
The location matters because it verifies the historical reality of the crucifixion as recorded in the gospels. It also shows how Jesus was crucified outside the city, taking the sin of the world upon Himself. However, the spiritual meaning of Christ’s sacrifice remains central regardless of its precise spot.
How do we know Golgotha was a real place?
All four gospels unambiguously describe Golgotha or the “place of the skull” as the site of Jesus’s crucifixion just outside ancient Jerusalem. The consistent New Testament testimony provides strong evidence that Golgotha was a genuine geographical location.
Where was Golgotha located in relation to the Temple Mount?
Based on the gospel accounts, Golgotha was likely north of the Temple Mount just outside the city walls. It would have been visible from the temple area and along a main road leading into Jerusalem.
What archaeological evidence exists for Golgotha’s location?
No archaeological evidence remains from the original crucifixion site. However, the Skull Hill and ancient tomb at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre match the typography and descriptions given in the gospels.
Is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre really built over Golgotha?
While disputed, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre stands over the most widely accepted site of Golgotha. Many Christians accept it based on church history and tradition tracing back to Constantine in the 4th century.
Ultimately, the precise identification matters less than recognizing Christ willingly gave His life there to redeem sinful humanity. Golgotha symbolizes the central hope of the Christian faith found in the crucified and risen Savior.
