What Is Calvary — In Biblical Context
Calvary is the Latin name for the place where Jesus was crucified — also called Golgotha, meaning 'the place of a skull.'
Calvary is the Latin name for the place where Jesus was crucified — also called Golgotha, meaning 'the place of a 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 (KJV)
The Biblical Context
Calvary comes from the Latin Calvaria, a translation of the Aramaic Golgotha and the Hebrew Gulgolet, all meaning 'skull.' The Gospels describe it as a place near Jerusalem, outside the city walls, where criminals were executed. The precise location is debated — some identify it with a skull-shaped hill north of the city, others with a site south of the temple. What matters is what happened there. On a Roman cross, between two thieves, the Son of God bore the sin of the world. 'And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him' (Luke 23:33). Calvary is the hinge of history — the place where justice and mercy kissed, where the wrath of God was satisfied, and where redemption was accomplished. No other place on earth holds such significance.
Where It Sits in Scripture
The core passage for this question, Luke 23:33, sits inside Luke 23. To grasp the full meaning, read the surrounding paragraph — the verses before set up the thought, the verses after carry it forward.
"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."
Supporting Passages
"And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha: Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst."
"Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate."
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Golgotha (Calvary) in the Bible
The hill outside Jerusalem where Jesus was crucified for the sins of the world.
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