Aceldama, the Field of Blood (Acts 1:19)

2024-02-28

Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in. Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day. (Matthew 27:3-8)

Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out. And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood. (Acts 1:18-19)

The Field of Blood was purchased with the money paid to Judas in the arrest of Jesus. The chief priests and the elders, when Judas returned the money, tried to distance themselves from the whole episode. Innocent blood, Judas? That’s on you! But they also really saw it as innocent blood, which is why they did not want to put the silver into their treasury. They bought the field to bury strangers, i.e., “unclean” Gentiles. Even these men had conscience that the whole process of arresting and killing Jesus was wrong and a sham.

So, who bought the field? The priests used the money to buy the field, but it was Judas’ money. He “earned” it by his treachery.

So, how did Judas die? He hung himself, but he also fell headlong and burst open. Well, that is exactly the order. He hung himself, probably over a cliff (quite logical to make his hanging a success), and at some point, the rope broke, and his body fell down and burst open. Scavenger birds possibly helped in the bursting open.

This was all a part of what the prophets had foretold.