{"id":43172,"date":"2024-01-19T03:06:14","date_gmt":"2024-01-19T00:06:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/?p=43172"},"modified":"2025-04-23T22:02:06","modified_gmt":"2025-04-23T19:02:06","slug":"whats-the-difference-between-calvary-and-golgotha","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/en\/2024\/01\/19\/whats-the-difference-between-calvary-and-golgotha\/","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s the Difference Between Calvary and Golgotha?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Question:<\/strong> Where does the word Calvary<\/em> appear in the Bible, and how is it different from Golgotha<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Answer:<\/strong> In the Swahili Bible, the word Calvary<\/em> does not appear. Instead, we find the word Golgotha<\/em>, especially in John 19:17 (NIV)<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cCarrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha).\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

John 19:18 (NIV)<\/strong> continues:<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cThere they crucified him, and with him two others\u2014one on each side and Jesus in the middle.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

What Does Golgotha<\/em> Mean?<\/h3>\n

Golgotha<\/em> is an Aramaic word that means \u201cskull\u201d<\/em>. The Gospel writers refer to this place as \u201cthe place of the skull\u201d<\/em>, possibly because the hill had the shape of a human skull or was associated with death and execution.<\/p>\n

The term appears in three Gospels:<\/p>\n

\n

Matthew 27:33 (NIV):<\/strong> \u201cThey came to a place called Golgotha (which means \u2018the place of the skull\u2019).\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

Mark 15:22 (NIV):<\/strong> \u201cThey brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means \u2018the place of the skull\u2019).\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

John 19:17 (NIV):<\/strong> (as quoted above)<\/p>\n

So, What Is Calvary<\/em>?<\/h3>\n

Calvary<\/em> is simply the Latin translation of Golgotha<\/em>. It comes from the Latin word Calvaria<\/em>, which also means \u201cskull.\u201d<\/em> The word Calvary<\/em> appears only once in some English Bible translations, such as the King James Version (KJV)<\/strong> in Luke 23:33<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cAnd when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him\u2026\u201d<\/em>
(Luke 23:33, KJV<\/em>)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

In modern translations like the NIV<\/strong>, the word used is \u201cthe place called the Skull\u201d<\/em>:<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cWhen they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there\u2026\u201d<\/em>
(Luke 23:33, NIV<\/em>)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Theological Significance<\/h3>\n

The place where Jesus was crucified\u2014whether referred to as Golgotha<\/em> or Calvary<\/em>\u2014is central to the Christian faith. It is here that:<\/p>\n

\n