Why does Golgotha mean “place of the skull” (Matthew 27:33)?

Answer

As Matthew recounts Jesus’ crucifixion, he describes that “they came to a place called Golgotha (which means ‘the place of the skull’)” «And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull, », (Matthew 27:33). Matthew doesn’t directly answer the question of why Golgotha means “place of the skull,” but he uses the term Golgotha, which was “the Aramaic name of a hill near Jerusalem where executions took place” (Louw, J. P., and Nida, E. A., Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains, United Bible Societies, 1996, p. 834). Luke references the crucifixion site as “the place called The Skull” «And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. », (Luke 23:33), or more literally, “the place called Kranion”—the general Greek term for “skull.” What Matthew writes in Aramaic, Luke recounts in Greek, as both languages were commonly used among the people in Israel in that day.

Luke, like Matthew, offers no direct explanation why the name of the location means “place of the skull,” but his use of the Greek kranion, along with Matthew’s use of Golgotha, might be indicative of a location that somewhat resembled a skull and was named for its appearance, or the term could simply reference a place of death, as it appears this was a common crucifixion site for criminals.

John also makes note of the location where Jesus was crucified, adding that “they took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha. There they crucified Him” (John 19:17-18a, NASB). John initially uses the Greek term “kranion” and then explains that in Hebrew, the name was Golgotha. Although John mentions both terms, he does not explain why Golgotha means “place of the skull.”

Mark offers a straightforward explanation for why Golgotha means “place of the skull.” He writes, “they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull” «And they bring him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull. », (Mark 15:22, NASB). From Mark’s account, we can infer that the place was simply named Golgotha and the association with the skull was a translation. However, this still does not explain why the name Golgotha was chosen initially. Since the exact location is unknown, it is impossible to verify today whether the terrain resembled a skull. Additionally, there is no historical evidence explaining why this specific location was known as the place of the skull.

It is interesting to note that in later Latin translations, the term “calva” was used to translate the Greek and Aramaic words for “skull” into Latin. As a result, the term Calvary has become a commonly recognized name for the place where Jesus was crucified. Both Golgotha and Calvary are now part of popular Christian vocabulary, with Golgotha appearing to have been more widely used in the early church (as seen in the ancient Coptic hymn “Golgotha”). The term Calvary is typically preferred in contemporary usage, such as in Jennie Evelyn Hussey’s 1921 hymn “Lead Me to Calvary.”

Although the Scriptures do not explicitly explain why Golgotha was called the “place of the skull,” the imagery evoked by that name creates a somber atmosphere as we reflect on the fact that our Savior died there, bearing the burden of our sins. This imagery serves as a poignant reminder of the sacrifice made for our redemption.

He conquered death by rising from the dead victoriously and being able to grant us eternal life.