What question did this study set out to answer?

The aim is to re-evaluate the sacred geography of 1st-century Jerusalem, identifying Golgotha's true location.

March 22, 2026Open Access

Convergence of the Sacred Axis in Jerusalem: An Alternative Hypothesis on the Location of Golgotha at the Foundation Rock

Key Points

The aim is to re-evaluate the sacred geography of 1st-century Jerusalem, identifying Golgotha's true location.
Analysis of historical and archaeological data related to 1st-century Jerusalem.
Examination of the alignment of significant religious and archaeological sites.
Re-assessment of the topographical features at the Dome of the Rock.
Identified the Dome of the Rock as the potential site for Golgotha.
Unified key milestones in sacred history along a vertical axis.
Proposed that the Temple of Herod was located further south than traditionally believed.

Abstract

This paper proposes a re-evaluation of the sacred topography of 1st-century AD Jerusalem. The central hypothesis argues that the Temple of Herod was displaced toward the south, specifically the City of David, which would identify thepromontory of the current Dome of the Rock as the true site of Golgotha. This model unifies four theological and archaeological milestones in a single vertical axis: the Tomb of Adam (in the lower cave), the Altar of Abraham (on the surface of the rock), the Crucifixion of Christ (Golgotha), and the proximity of a sepulchral garden on the eastern slope of the Kidron Valley.

Convergence of the Sacred Axis in Jerusalem: An Alternative Hypothesis on the Location of Golgotha at the Foundation Rock

Key Points

Abstract

Cite This Study