Potter’s field is a free burial ground for strangers, criminals, and people too poor to pay funeral expenses. The Bible tells of the first plot of ground known as a potter’s field. After Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus Christ to the high priests of Jerusalem for 30 pieces of silver, he returned the money to the priests. They would not use the money for their Temple. Instead they bought “the potter’s field to bury strangers in” (Matt. 27:7). Scholars believe this field was in the Valley of Hinnom, near Jerusalem. The term potter’s field was widely used in the United States during the 1800’s.
