Calvary vs Golgotha


Matt 27:33, Mark 15:22, and John 19:17 say Jesus was killed at Golgotha, whilw Luke 23:33 says it was Calvary. Some apologists disputably allege Golgotha is the Hebrew rendering while Calvary is Latin.

Source. Encyclopedia of Biblical Errancy p. 96 by C Dennis McKinsey


This one took me 4 minutes to research and to figure it out.

Firstly the word "Calvary" is used in the KJV of the bible and not in more modern versions.

(Luke 23:33 KJV) And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary (kranion), there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.

Calvary is a translation (in the KJV) of the Greek word kranion meaning skull and Calvary is derived from the latin word for skull Calvaria. Now if we look at the other Gospel authors they say the following.

(Mat 27:33 NIV) They came to a place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull (kranion)).

Mark 15:22 They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull (kranion)).

John 19:17 Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (kranion)(which in Aramaic is called Golgotha).

So Golgotha is the Aramaic word for skull, which all three authors have translated into Greek (kranion) as they were writing in Greek. Calvary is the Latin name for skull which only the KJV uses. But hardly a bible difficulty, except for C Dennis McKinsey that is.


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