Golgotha

Mathew 27:33-35 And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull, They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink. And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.


The Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Subject of my next post) has been the traditional site of the Crucifixion and Resurrection since about 300 AD, but in 1883 a Britsh general, Charles Gordan, suggested a different location. General Gordan noted the rocky crag, found just outside the city wall, and thought it resembled a skull. Nearby he found a water cystern and during excavation, discovered an ancient tomb was uncovered, possibly the tomb belonging to Joseph of Arimathea, which remarkably was designed for a large,flat rolling stone to be used to seal the door.

Mathew 27:57 When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathæa, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus’ disciple: He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.


This skull-like hillside, with its nearby garden tomb, is very near the Damascus gate, and would have been in full view of a busy highway.

Mathew 27:39 And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads

Today, the hill is just yards from the main bus station of Jerusalem. Thousands of people pass by it every day, not really caring, or knowing of the sacrifice of the Son of God. Others travel from the furthest corners of the earth to see, and to feel, and to just be there, to express their gratitude to their Redeemer.

I have recently become aware of a third site, near Lions Gate which appears to look like the top of a skull, or cranium. It is a blessing to remember and contemplate the sacrifice of our Savior, and to know that he gave up His life to do the will of His Father. All of these are sacred sites, and places of worship.