According to the Bible, Yeshua (Jesus' Hebrew name) was crucified outside the walls of Jerusalem near a place called Golgotha, or the 'Place of the Skull' (Mark 15:22). Jewish law did not permit crucifixions and burials inside the city because dead bodies were considered unclean. As a result, Jewish burial plots and cemeteries were always located outside the city walls.
Some archaeologists believe they have found Yeshua’s crucifixion site just outside the old walls of Jerusalem at Golgotha. It is situated next to a bus stop, near the tomb where Yeshua was laid to rest. The actual crucifixion site was buried under many feet of soil, with holes in the rock where crosses might have been erected and niches in the rock wall behind where signs could have been placed. The central cross-hole had an earthquake crack beside it. The Bible mentions that an earthquake occurred during the crucifixion, causing rocks to split: “And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.” (Mathew 27:51). What do you think? Have archaeologists found the site of Yeshua’s crucifixion?
Interesting discovery!
Did you know that archaeologists claim to have found the Ark of the Covenant below Golgotha? About twenty feet below Golgotha, outside the walls of ancient Jerusalem, there is an earthquake crack directly beneath where Yeshua’s cross would have stood. This crack extends down through the rock to the resting place of the Mercy Seat atop the Ark of the Covenant.
If this is true, Yeshua’s blood would have flowed through the crack after His death and after His side was pierced by a soldier’s spear. In the former Temple service, the High Priest sprinkled the blood of the sacrifice on the Mercy Seat. Yeshua, as the great High Priest, was the only one who could physically sprinkle his blood on the Mercy Seat.
The Ark of the Covenant, along with other sacred objects from the first Temple in Jerusalem, was hidden just before the Babylonians attacked the city, about 600 years before Yeshua’s crucifixion. These most sacred objects were protected in a chamber, and the entrance was sealed and hidden. There are many tunnels beneath Jerusalem even now. What do you think? Have archaeologists found the Ark of the Covenant?
