Akeldama

About Akeldama

Akeldama, which means "Field of Blood" in Aramaic, is mentioned in the New Testament as the field purchased with the thirty pieces of silver that Judas Iscariot received for betraying Jesus (Matthew 27:7-8; Act.1.18-19). It is also known as the Potter's Field.

According to Matthew's account, when Judas realized the consequences of his betrayal, he returned the money to the chief priests and elders. However, they considered it unlawful to put the money into the temple treasury, as it was "blood money." Instead, they used the money to purchase a potter's field as a burial place for foreigners (Matthew 27:7).

In Acts, the field is called Akeldama, and it is stated that Judas bought the field with the reward of his wickedness and fell headlong there, bursting open in the middle, and his intestines gushed out (Act.1.18). The field was then known as the Field of Blood because of its association with Judas' death and the blood money used to purchase it.

The location of Akeldama is traditionally identified as a site south of Jerusalem, near the junction of the Hinnom and Kidron Valleys. The area has been used as a burial ground for centuries, with numerous tombs and burial caves dating from ancient times to the present day.

The purchase of Akeldama with the money from Judas' betrayal is seen as a fulfillment of prophecy, as stated in Matthew 27:9-10, which quotes from Zechariah 11:12-13 and Jeremiah 32:6-9. The field serves as a reminder of the tragic consequences of Judas' betrayal and the ultimate redemption brought about by Jesus' sacrifice.

Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.