Akeldama
A place in the Bible
A field near Jerusalem. Its name means “Field of Blood.”
What happened here
- The thirty pieces of silver: Judas, full of remorse, returned the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the Temple. With that money, the chief priests bought the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners.
- The name: that is why it was called Akeldama, “Field of Blood.” All the people of Jerusalem came to know it.
Today
An ancient tradition places it in the Valley of Hinnom, south of Jerusalem.
Where it appears in the Bible
Matthew 27:8; Matthew 27:3-7; Acts 1:19
What the Bible says
Matthew 27:8
For this cause the field was called Haceldama, that is, The field of blood, even to this day.
Matthew 27:3-7
3Then Judas, who betrayed him, seeing that he was condemned, repenting himself, brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and ancients, 4Saying: I have sinned in betraying innocent blood. But they said: What is that to us? look thou to it. 5And casting down the pieces of silver in the temple, he departed: and went and hanged himself with an halter. 6But the chief priests having taken the pieces of silver, said: It is not lawful to put them into the corbona, because it is the price of blood. 7And after they had consulted together, they bought with them the potter’s field, to be a burying place for strangers.
Acts 1:19
And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem: so that the same field was called in their tongue, Haceldama, that is to say, The field of blood.
Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner revision), public domain.
Source: Matthew 27:3-8; Acts 1:18-19; Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), “Haceldama”