American Tract Society Dictionary -
Calvary or Golgotha, the latter being the Hebrew term, place of a skull, the place where our Savior was crucified, near by Jerusalem, Joh 19:20, but outside of its walls, Mat 27:37 Mark 15:22 Heb 13:12. In the same place was a private garden, and a tomb in which the body of Christ lay until the resurrection, John 19:41, John 19:42. The expression, "Mount Calvary, " has no evidence to support it beyond what is implied in the name Golgotha which might well be given to a slight elevation shaped like the top of a skull, and the probability that such a place would be chosen for the crucifixion. It is very doubtful whether the true localities of Calvary and the tomb are those covered by the present "Church of the Holy Sepulchre, " a vast structure north of mount Zion and within the modern city, built on the site which was fixed under the empress Helena, A. D. 335, by tradition and a pretended miracle. Some biblical geographers adhere to this location; but Robinson and many others strongly oppose it, on the ground of the weakness of the tradition, and the difficulty of supposing that this place lay outside of the ancient walls. See JERUSALEM. Dr. Fisk, while visiting the spot under the natural desire to identify the scene of the crucifixion; that the rock shown column he saw, half concealed by iron-work, might have been that to which our Lord was bound when scourged; that the small fragment of rude stone seen by the light of a small taper, through a kind of iron filigree, might have been the place of our Lord's burial and resurrection: but when he saw the neat juxtaposition of all these things, and knew that in order to provide for the structure of the church the site had to be cut down and leveled; when he reflected that on the very spot a heathen temple had stood, till removed by the empress Helena, to make room for this church; and, moreover, when he considered the superstitious purpose all these things were to serve, and the spirit of that church which thus paraded these objects of curiosity, he could not bring himself to feel they were what they professed to be.
Let us be thankful that though the exact scene of Christ's death is now unknown, there can be no doubt as to the fact. "He died, and was buried, and the third day rose again, according to the Scriptures." Then the old ritual passed away, Satan was despoiled, man was redeemed, God reconciled, and heaven opened to all believers.
