226
GOLGOTHA
GOLGOTHA
boards and bars is about 1860 square cubits, that of the furniture only 54 cubits. This imjilies tliat
the gold-plating was only jAnth of an in. thick. Such would be nuite imiiossibly tender for a skin on heavy weights, such as the boards (which
weighed at lea.st 4 cwt. each), unless it were very firmly attached ; otherwise, if a nailed sheatliing, it would be soon torn by moving. The gilding, therefore, on suoli a scale as is stated, would need to be by the usual Egyptian method of sticking rather thick gold-foil linnly on to the wooden basis. The ark and altars may have been more thickly plated, as their area was but a small portion of the whole.
The very practical nature of these statements of quantities has an important bearing on the his- torical character of the account, which we do not enter on here.
The making of wire is expressly described as done by cutting sheet gold into narrow threads (Ex SO*) ; and such wire for embroidery must have drawn somewhat more from the amount of the gold stated above.
One mention in Kings deserves notice. The shields of gold which were carried bj* the roj-al bodyguard (1 K H'"-") weighed 3 manehs each (1 K 10"). This is about 16 cubic in., and if the shields were about 2 ft. in diameter they would be but j'ijth of an in. thick ; they were therefore not entirely of gold, but had a back of bronze or wood. Such work is rather implied by the expres- sion 'gold fitted upon the carved work' of the temple doors (1 K 6*')- It appears to have been repoussie work of gold, with a wooden backing to support it and maintain the shape, helped by an intermediate coat of stucco or plaster as in Egyptian work. W. M. Flinders Petrie.
GOLGOTHA (VoKyodi, from Heb. n^i^j 'skull,' Aram, kb^j^"?)- — l'^^ Hebrew name of the place where the crucifixion took place, K/ja^/ioi/ and Calvaria being the Greek and Latin equivalents. Calvary is mentioned only in AV of Lk 23'', being replaced by ' the skull ' in the KV.
Mt 27SS AV * A place called Golgotha, that ia to say, a place of a skull.' „ RV ' A place called Golgotha, that is to say, the place of a skull.' Mk 1B2» AV, RV 'The place Golgotha, which Is, being in- terpreted, The place of a skull.' Lk 2333 AV "The jilace which is called Calvarv.'
„ RV ' The place which is called The skull.' Jn IV-"^ AV • A place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew, Gol^^otha.' i» RV'The place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew, Golgotha.'
Three evangelists agree in calling the spot the place 'of a skull,' while St. Luke calls the place ' The skull.' This ditierence may appear to allow of two explanations as to tlie name of the locality.
(1) It may have been the place of public execu- tion, where bodies were allowed to be devoured by birds and beasts, etc. (Gn 40", 2 K 9", Herod, iii. 12), and thus have acquired this name. It was probably distinct from tlie place of stoning, because at this time the Jewish Sanhedrin, though it could conaemn, could not put to death (Ant. IX. i. 1), without the intervention of the Roman governor (Jn 18" 'The Jews therefore said unto him. It is not lawful for us to put any man to death '). Our Lord was crucified under Pilate for sedition against Cajsar, owing to the clamour of the Jews, in order to avoid a tumult (Mt 27^). This method of pnnishment for this oli'ence among the .lews was common at this time (Ant. xvii. x. 10, BJ II. xiv. 9). On account of the Jewish law (Dt 21-^), the corpses of Jewish criminals executed by cruci- fixion were allowed burial (Mt 27°*, Jn 19*) ; and this was omitted only under very e.xceptional circumstances, as when the Idumx-ans, called in
by the Zealots during the civil war at Jerusalem previous to the destruction of the city by the Romans, ' cast away their dead bodies without burial, although the Jews used to take so much care of the burial of men, that they took down those that were condemned and crucified, and buried them before the going down of the sun ' (BJ IV. V. 2).
(2) The name may have been derived from the appearance of the place itself, from its round and skull-like contour, tlie Hebrew word Golgotha being applied to the skull from its rounded form. There is no indication, however, in the Bible that Golgotha was a knoll or hUlock, and the expression ' Mount Calvary ' appears to have come into use after the 5th cent. The Itiner. Uicros. speaks of it as ' Monticulus Golgatha.' RuHnus has the ex- pression ' Golgothana rupes ' (Hut. Ecc. ix. 6), and Bernhard again has ' Mons Calvarije.' At that time the usage appears to have become fixed, and is found in works of all later pilgrims and writers (Robinson, BRF^ i. p. 376).
The place of execution, both with the Romans and the Jews, was without the city or camp (Plant. Mil. Glor. ii. 4. 6 ; Dt 17», 1 K 21", Ac 7°^, He 13'^ Lv 24'-', Nu 15"'), and accordingly 'the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city ' (Jn 19™). The use of the definite article ' the place of a skull,' ' the place which is called The skull,' indicates that it was a known spot, prob- ably the ordinary place for crucili.xion of male- factors. Golgotha was in a conspicuous position, as it is related that multitudes ' came together to this sight,' and it could be seen by those 'who stood afar oH' (Mk 15«, Lk 2,'5«') ; and it was near a highway leading from the country, where people were passing to and fro (Mt 27*", Mk lo-'-'', Lk 23-°). It was also near a garden and tombs (?) : ' Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden ; and in the warden a new tomb, wherein was never man yet laid'; and tlie tomb was ' nigh at hand ' (Jn 19^^) ; it was Joseph's 'own new tomb,' the tomb of a rich man of Arimath;ca (Mt 27™).