Bible Dictionary
SKULL
The skull is the rounded bony structure of the head. In the New Testament, Golgotha means “place of a skull,” the place where Jesus was crucified.
Definition
The skull is the rounded bony structure of the head. The biblical word expresses the globular shape of the human skull and is related to the name Golgotha.
Biblical Usage
The word is used in accounts involving a skull and, in the New Testament, in the expression “the place of a skull,” Golgotha, where Jesus was crucified.
Historical Background
The Hebrew word is also translated “head” or “poll” in other passages. Its Aramaic-Greek form is Golgotha.
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>skul (gulgoleth; kranion): The Hebrew word, which is well known to Bible readers in its Aramaic-Greek form "Golgotha," expresses the more or less globular shape of the human skull, being derived from a root meaning "to roll." It is often translated in English Versions of the Bible by "head," "poll," etc. In the meaning "skull" it is found twice (Jud 9:53; 2Ki 9:35). In the New Testament the word is found only in connection with GOLGOTHA (which see), "the place of a skull" (Mt 27:33; Mr 15:22; Joh 19:17), or "the skull" (Lu 23:33).</p>