Potter's field
A potter's field, paupers' grave or common grave is a place for the burial of unknown, unclaimed or indigent people. "Potter's field" is of Biblical origin, referring to Akeldama (meaning "field of blood" in Aramaic), stated to have been purchased after Judas Iscariot's suicide by the high priests of Jerusalem with the coins that had been paid to Judas for his identification of Jesus. The priests are stated to have acquired it for the burial of strangers, criminals, and the poor, the coins paid to Judas being considered blood money. Prior to Akeldama's  use as a burial ground, it had been a site where potters collected high-quality, deeply red clay for the production of ceramics, thus the name potters' field. Origin. The term "potter's field" comes from – in the New Testament of the Bible, in which Jewish priests take 30 pieces of silver returned by a remorseful Judas: The site referred to in these verses is traditionally known as Akeldama, in the valley of Hinnom, which was a source of potters' clay. After the clay was removed, such a site would be left unusable for agriculture, being full of trenches and  holes, thus becoming a graveyard for those who could not be buried in an orthodox cemetery. The author of Matthew was drawing on earlier Biblical references to potters' fields. The passage continues, with verses 9 and 10: This is based on a quotation from Zechariah (). However, Matthew attributes the quote to Jeremiah. The author of Matthew may have been mistaken. There are two other possible reasons for the reference. First, Jeremiah also speaks of buying a field, in . That field is a symbol of hope, not despair as mentioned in Matthew, and the price is 17 pieces of silver. The  author of Matthew could have combined the words of Zechariah and Jeremiah, while only citing the "major" prophet. Secondly, "Jeremiah" was sometimes used to refer to the Books of the Prophets "in toto" as "The Law" is sometimes used to refer to Moses' five books – Genesis through Deuteronomy, the Pentateuch. Craig Blomberg suggests that the use of the blood money to buy a burial ground for foreigners in may hint at the idea that "Jesus' death makes salvation possible for all the peoples of the world, including the Gentiles." Other scholars do not read the verse as referring to Gentiles , but rather to Jews who are not native to Jerusalem.