Golgotha, also known as Calvary, is the site outside Jerusalem where Jesus Christ was crucified. The name “Golgotha” means “Place of a Skull,” and it is mentioned in all four Gospels as the location of the crucifixion.
Matthew 27:33 says:
“And when they had come to a place called Golgotha, that is to say, Place of a Skull…”
The exact reason for the name is not specified, but it may have referred to the shape of the hill or to its association with death. It was located outside the city walls, fulfilling the requirement that sacrifices for sin be offered outside the camp (Hebrews 13:12).
At Golgotha, Jesus was nailed to a cross between two criminals. The events that took place there included:
The dividing of His garments (Matthew 27:35)
The mockery by onlookers and religious leaders (Luke 23:35–39)
His prayer of forgiveness (Luke 23:34)
The darkness that covered the land from noon to 3 p.m. (Mark 15:33)
His final words and death (John 19:30)
The crucifixion at Golgotha is central to the gospel. It was there that Jesus bore the sins of the world and fulfilled the prophecies of the suffering Messiah. Isaiah 53:5 finds its fulfillment:
“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities…”
Golgotha was not just a place of execution, but the location of the greatest act of redemption in history. Through His death there, Jesus provided atonement for sin and opened the way to eternal life.