Legend swirls around Akeldama—the “Field of Blood.” Located at the juncture of the Hinnom and Kidron valleys in Jerusalem, the site has been traditionally identified as the potter’s field where “strangers” were to be buried. Matthew relates that the field was purchased with blood money returned by the remorseful Judas, Jesus’ betrayer. Today, the Greek Orthodox Monastery of St. Onuphrius stands over the remains of a Crusader church built to commemorate the Field of Blood. However, the richly decorated tombs in and directly below the monastery belie their identification as burial places for poor strangers. The sumptuous architectural elements […]