Aceldama or Akeldama is the Aramaic name for a place in Jerusalem associated with Judas Iscariot, one of the followers of Jesus. In Aramaic hagel dema signifies "field of blood". The name is written in Greek ?Akeldamá, and very often ?Akeldamách, to render by the letter ch the guttural sound of the final letter aleph. The earth in this area is of rich clay and was formerly used by potters. For this reason it was formerly known as the Potter's Field. The clay had a strong red colour, which may be the origin of the modern name. More recently it was used as a burial place for non-Jews. It was used for this purpose up to the first quarter of the nineteenth century. Christian tradition connects it with the death of Judas Iscariot, who is supposed to have bought it with the money he received for betraying Jesus. In this account (Acts of the Apostles 1:19) Judas fell