World Religions › Classical faiths › Jesus of Nazareth
Crucifixion of Jesus
c. AD 30–33· Event· Judaism, Christianity & Islam
Mostly agreed by scholarsMost historians agree; some details uncertain.
Jesus' execution by Roman crucifixion in Jerusalem under the governor Pontius Pilate, around AD 30–33.
See it on the World Religions map →What it is
During Passover, the Gospels report, Jesus was arrested at night, questioned by the high priest Caiaphas and handed to Pilate, who ordered him crucified, Rome's punishment for rebels and slaves. A sign called him 'King of the Jews'. He died within hours at Golgotha, just outside the city walls, and was buried in a rock-cut tomb. Christians believe his death was a sacrifice that atones for human sin; the cross became their chief symbol, and Good Friday marks the day.
Why it matters
It is among the surest facts about Jesus; Christians see it as the heart of salvation. The false charge that Jews collectively killed Jesus fueled centuries of persecution; the Catholic Church repudiated it in 1965.
Sources and history
All four Gospels and Paul; Tacitus (c. 116) says Christus 'suffered the extreme penalty' under Pilate; a 1961 inscription from Caesarea confirms Pilate; a crucified man's nailed heel bone was found in Jerusalem in 1968.
Questions and debates
The exact year (AD 30 and 33 are favored), the precise site, and how much the Temple leadership versus Rome drove the decision are debated.
Connections (2)
▸Crucifixion of Jesus took place in JerusalemMostly agreed by scholars
The connection
Jesus was crucified at Golgotha ('place of the skull'), which the Gospels place just outside Jerusalem's walls of the time. Romans crucified people beside roads and gates as public warnings. The city was crowded with Passover pilgrims, and its tensions over Roman rule and the Temple shaped the events.
When and where
Jerusalem, around AD 30–33, during Passover. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, begun under Constantine in 326, marks the traditional site, now inside the Old City walls.
How do we know?
The Gospels agree on the city. Excavations show the traditional site was a quarry with tombs, outside the walls of Jesus' day, matching the Gospel accounts.
Questions and debates
Whether the Holy Sepulchre marks the true spot cannot be proven; a minority favor the 'Garden Tomb', proposed in the 1800s, which most archaeologists reject.
▸Crucifixion of Jesus was followed, Christians believe, by Resurrection of Jesus (Easter)Faith & scripture
The connection
Christians believe that Jesus, having died on the cross on a Friday, rose from the dead on the third day, Sunday. In their teaching the two events form one story: the crucifixion is the sacrifice, the resurrection God's vindication of it. Each year Easter Sunday follows Good Friday to mark this.
When and where
Jerusalem, around AD 30–33, during Passover; the Gospels name Mary Magdalene and other women as the first to find the tomb empty.
How do we know?
History confirms the crucifixion and that followers soon proclaimed the resurrection; the resurrection itself is held on faith.
Questions and debates
Some scholars doubt Jesus had a tomb burial, since Rome often left the crucified unburied; others cite Jewish burial law and the 1968 Jerusalem find of a buried crucified man.