Topic
Akeldama
5 passages cited, from 2 classic reference works.
These works date from 1884–1915 and are in the public domain. They reflect the Protestant scholarship of their time: their history, archaeology and dates can be out of date, and where they interpret, other traditions read the text differently. The verses are shown in the King James Version, the wording these works were written against.
The verses
The passages the works cite, those cited by more of them first.
- Acts 1:19Smith · ISBE
And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood.
- Jeremiah 18:2ISBE
Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words.
- Jeremiah 19:2ISBE
And go forth unto the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is by the entry of the east gate, and proclaim there the words that I shall tell thee,
- Matthew 27:6ISBE
And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood.
- Matthew 27:7ISBE
And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in.
In the reference works
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915) · 5 references
a-kel'-da-ma (Akeldama, or, in many manuscripts, Akeldamach; the King James Version, Aceldama): A field said in Ac 1:19 to have been bought by Judas with the "thirty pieces of silver." In Mt 27:6,7 it is narrated that the priests took the silver pieces which Judas had "cast down .... into the sanctuary" and "bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in. Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day." Doubtless it was a supposed connection between this potter's field and the potter's house (Jer 18:2) and the Valley of the Son of Hinnom (Jer 19:2) which influenced the selection of the present site which, like the Aramaic h-q-l-d-m-' (Dalman), is today known as haqq-ed-dumm, "field of blood."
Tradition, which appears to go back to the 4th century, points to a level platform on, and some distance up, the southern slope of the Wady er Rababi (Valley of Hinnom) just before it joins the Kidron Valley. Upon this spot there is a very remarkable ruin (78 ft. x 57 ft.) which for many centuries was used as a charnel house. The earth here was reputed to have the property of quickly consuming dead bodies. So great was its reputation that vast quantities of it are said to have been transported in 1215 AD to the Campo Santo at Pisa.
When this building was standing entire, the bodies were lowered into it through five openings in the roof and then left to disintegrate, so that a few years ago there were very many feet of bones all over the floor. These have now been removed. A little Southeast of this ruin is a new Greek monastery erected in recent years over the remains of a large number of cave tombs; many of the bones from "Akeldama" are now buried here.
E. W. G. Masterman
Texts: Smith's Bible Dictionary (1884); International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915), from the CrossWire SWORD modules (public domain). Verse references were parsed from the works' own markup and checked against the KJV verse list.