AKLDAMA – ONE EXAMPLE OF THE GEORGIAN-JEWISH LEXICAL ENCOUNTER

Abstract

In Georgian archaeological terminology, the word akldama refers to a specific type of burial site—namely, a grave either embedded in the earth or located beneath a church floor, constructed in the shape of a house and serving as a collective tomb. The term akldama entered the Georgian language during the Christian era and derives from the Aramaic compound ḥăqel dĕmā, which translates literally as “Field of Blood.” This term references the Gospel episode in which Judas returned the thirty pieces of silver—the price of betraying Christ—to the chief priests, who then used the money to purchase a potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners. This site was henceforth known as Akeldama, or the “Field of Blood” (Matt. 27:3–8).

A question arises: who were the “foreigners” for whom the Jewish high priests designated the field bought with the silver paid to Judas?

This interpretation suggests a cemetery for those who had been executed or killed. But why specifically a cemetery? To understand this, one must consult a map of Christian monuments in Jerusalem. It becomes clear that  , beyond the Gate of the Springs and near the royal gardens, in the Valley of the Sons of Hinnom. According to the Old Testament, this place was called Tophet (tōphet, ṭapht, ḥăqel gēʾ ʾennom), a name which, in later periods, came to denote hell itself (Gehenna).

As for the choice to purchase a field specifically from a potter, beyond the fact that a “Potter’s Field” is marked near Akeldama on maps of the Jerusalem vicinity—as a clay deposit suitable for ceramic production—the metaphorical significance is also transparent: the potter represents a divine figure who fashions both humankind and the cosmos from clay.

In the worldview of ancient peoples, the afterlife was often conceived as a field—an estate, meadow, or pasture—and naturally, the same word was used to denote burial sites. But why does the name for such a burial site include the notion of “blood”? The idea of familial cemeteries has been present since early antiquity and was recognized among the peoples of the ancient world, including Georgian tribes. This is clearly confirmed by archaeological evidence, such as the collective familial barrow-graves (e.g., at Tqviavi) and stone-built family crypts (e.g., at Kiketi and Tamarisi) dating to the Early Bronze Age.

Moreover, in the languages of the ancient world, the term “blood” often intersected with both medical and kinship-related semantic fields. Christian Jews perceived themselves as a community united by blood—redeemed by the true blood of Christ—and thus, the concept of a communal burial ground would have held special significance. The notion that a faith-based community could be understood as a blood-bound one is likewise affirmed in the Old Testament. The practice of collective burial as an expression of religious unity (for instance, burial alongside a saint as a form of communion with holiness) is not a New Testament innovation but a conscious continuation of long-standing tradition.

As for the term Akeldama, or “Field of Blood,” it is likely a calque coined in Aramaic during or even before the Old Testament period, signifying a familial, communal, or tribal burial ground. It conveys the specific meaning of a resting place for those united by blood in Christ. While the word Akeldama appears unchanged in all translations of the New Testament, Georgian is the only language in which this term evolved into a lexeme with an established place in the lexicon.

Georgian lexicography distinguishes between two forms: Akeldama—the biblical “Field of Blood,” and akldama—a burial site, grave, or resting place. This distinction suggests that the word likely entered the Georgian language through the influence of an Aramaic-speaking diaspora settled in Kartli. It is also plausible that akldama was used to refer to a familial or communal cemetery.

To summarize this discussion of the term akldama: the word derives from the Aramaic compound ḥăqel dĕmā, consisting of ḥăqel (“field”) and dĕmā (“blood”). Literally, it translates as “Field of Blood” and conveys the meaning “resting place of those united by blood.” The Gospel interpretation of the term leans toward the understanding of it as a “resting place of faith-based unity,” associating it with Christian-era burial traditions.

The lexical status and semantic range of the Georgian word akldama allow us to interpret it as denoting a communal or familial burial ground—a resting place for those united by blood. Since the word’s entry into Georgian is presumed to predate the official translation of the Gospels from Greek and is associated with an Aramaic-speaking population in Kartli, it can be confidently stated that the term originally carried the meaning of a burial site for those bound by both genetic and spiritual kinship—a unity in the blood of Christ.

Keywords: Familial cemetery; burial ground of blood-bound unity; Aramaic-speaking diaspora in Kartli; toponymy of biblical Jerusalem.