Many have given their opinion on where Yeshua was crucified. They range from Mount Scopus to the north of the Temple Mount, to the Church of the Sepulchre to the west of the Temple Mount, to the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem which is northwest of the Temple Mount, to various other locations in and around Jerusalem. Many are popular tourist destinations today.
Mount Scopus to the north is where the Roman military facilities were built. The Roman Legions camped there as it gave a clear view of all things below and it was an easy place from which to mount an invasion into Jerusalem. The Church of the (Satanic) Sepulchre is west of the Temple Mount behind the location of the Temple, as is the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem, both of which claim to be the site of Yeshua’s burial. The Garden of Gethsemane is directly east of the temple mount and at the base of he Mount of Olives.
Roman Crucifixion Factors
There were four determining factors regarding where a person was to be crucified, in order of precedence.
- 1. They were to be crucified at the scene of the crime.
- 2. They were to be crucified at the place where the person was arrested.
- 3. They were to be crucified at the place of the high ground.
- 4. They were to be crucified at the place of a busy crossroads so everyone would see.
Yeshua Factors
- 1. The Scene of Yeshua’s Crime: He was proclaimed a king by the crowds on the Mount of Olives before he descended from the mount into Jerusalem (Luke 19:37-38, Luke 23:2).
- 2. The Place of Yeshua’s Arrest: Yeshua was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane at the base of the Mount of Olives (Luke 23:2, Matthew 27:37, John 18:1-26).
- 3. The High Ground: Mount Moriah’s altitude, where the Temple Mount stands is 2428 feet. Mount Zion’s altitude is 2510 feet. The Mount of Olive’s altitude is 2710 feet. Therefore, the Mount of Olives is the high ground.
- 4. The Busy Crossroads: The Mount of Olives was the place of a busy crossroads. The north/south road from Bethany and Bethpage crossed at the top of the mount. The east/west bridge from the Temple Mount to the Mount of Olives met the north/south road at this point (Mark 11:1-4).
Other Factors
Luke 23:44-45 — “And it was now about the sixth hour, and a darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, the sun’s light failing: and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst.”
Luke 23:47-49 — “And all the multitudes that came together to this sight, when they beheld the things that were done, returned smiting their breasts. And all his acquaintances, and the women that followed with him from Galilee, stood afar off, seeing these things.”
It is only from the Mount of Olives that one could look into the Temple and see the Veil in front of the Holy of Holies being rent! Remember, only the inside of the Temple was lit at that time by the light of the Menorah, as the entire area around Jerusalem was darkened (Luke 23:44-45).
Mathew 27:59 — “And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulcher, and departed.”
The Mount of Olives is where atonement was made and the Red Heifer was sacrificed. Yeshua fulfills the role of the Red Heifer and makes atonement for us (Numbers 19:1-10). The bridge to the Mount of Olives is also the road one would use to take the scapegoat out into the wilderness. Yeshua also fulfils the role of the scapegoat (Leviticus 16:8-10). The Pesach Lamb was placed on the altar facing the Holy of Holies. Only from the Mount of Olives could Yeshua, our Pesach Lamb be facing the Holy of Holies.
John 19:41-42 — “Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new tomb wherein was never man yet laid. So because it was Preparation Day for the Jews, and because the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.”
The Mount of Olives is also a traditional place of burial for thousands of Jews. Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, and King David’s son, Absalom are all said to be buried there. No doubt Joseph of Arimathea’s new tomb was in this location as well (Matthew 27:57-60, Mark 15:42-46, Luke 23:50-53)!
Conclusions
The Mount of Olives is the place of the crime, the place of arrest, the high ground, and the place where the busy crossroads met. According to Josephus, the Romans crucified all of the Jewish criminals on the Mount of Olives. Only from the Mount of Olives can one see the Veil being rent. Therefore, it is on the Mount of Olives that the cross was placed, not in some other locations.
The Church of the (Satanic) Sepulchre is behind the temple mount to the west — no view of the Veil from there! Likewise, the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem is behind the Temple Mount to the northwest — no view of the Veil from there! The Roman campgrounds on Mount Scopus are to the north — no view of the Veil from there either! These locations may be favorite tourist attractions, but all are false witnesses to the scriptures and Yeshua’s crucifixion. If, or when, you go to Israel, don’t waste your time at either the Church of the (Satanic) Sepulchre nor the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem . The stories told at both locations depicting them as the burial place of Yeshua do not accord with the scriptures.
Final Thought
Prophecy as foretold by the Hebrew prophets continues to unfold in an escalating pattern. The stage is nearly completely set. The great and terrible Day of Yahweh, Joseph’s Trouble, hastens forth and will not delay. Time is short – Yeshua Ha’Mashiach is coming soon – get busy reaching the lost.
Rapture Party 