Studies of The Year and Day Jesus Died by Arthur M. Ogden © 1998 Alex D. Ogden ! All rights reserved Table of Contents The Crucifixion Date – A Study of the Year Jesus Died ................................... 1 The Traditional View ................................................................ 1 Men Make Mistakes ................................................................ 1 When Was Jesus Crucified? .......................................................... 1 The 14th Nisan, 30 A. D. ............................................................. 2 Conclusion ....................................................................... 2 The Day Christ Died – A Study of the Weekday Jesus Died ................................ 3 The Reckoning of Biblical Days. ....................................................... 4 The Reckoning of Biblical Months ...................................................... 5 Activities up to Passover, 14th Nisan .................................................... 6 The Activities of Passover Day ........................................................ 8 The Evening of the New Day, Friday. .................................................. 13 Sabbath, the next Day Following Preparation. ........................................... 16 Sunday, the First Day of the Week. ................................................... 17 Testimony of Early Church Writers .................................................... 18 Arguments for Thursday Crucifixion – A Sermon Outline .............................. 20 Three Days and Three Nights. ....................................................... 20 Jesus Named Passover as Day of Death. ............................................... 21 Jews Refused Crucifixion on Feast Day. ................................................ 21 The Supper Was Before the Feast. ................................................... 21 Feast Had Not Been Eaten on Crucifixion. .............................................. 22 Jesus Was Buried on Preparation Day. ................................................ 22 NISAN in 30 A.D. – Chart Showing Jewish Month of Nisan in 30 A.D. ......................... 23 The Crucifixion Date In December, 1983, newspapers across the costly mistake! He dated the birth of Jesus four year country carried an article titles, "Scientists Say after the death of Herod the Great during whose reign They've Determined Crucifixion Date." The article, an Jesus was born.1 By making this mistake, he has Associated Press release datelined London, rendered his calendar ineffective as a tool in concerned the findings of two British scientists, Colin determining the date of Jesus' death. While this does J. Humphreys and W. G. Waddington of Oxford not mean that Jesus did not die in 33 A.D., it does University, who "have concluded with 'reasonable mean that our method of determining the date is in certainty' that Christ died on Friday, April 3, in the error. year A.D. 33." Their findings were published in a Men with good intentions often make the mistake December issue of Nature, a British science of trying to solve biblical problems by scientific magazine. methods. Such efforts reflect a tinge of unbelief. The two British scientists "based their conclusions Seeking to explain the Star of the wise men (Matt.2:2) on astronomical calculations and biblical and by some astronomical phenomenon ignores plain historical references" according to the article. The AP biblical statements and undermines the miraculous release also states, "In the second half of their article, witness God gave to His Son's birth. Explaining the the scientists turn to references in the Bible and in darkness over the face of the earth, when Jesus was the Apocrypha to the moon being 'turned to blood,' crucified (Lk.23:44), by a solar eclipse denies God saying that 'in our view the phrase...probably refers to His miraculous witness to Jesus' sonship. a lunar eclipse, in which case the crucifixion can be Unbelievers hunt for such explanations. Believers dated unambiguously.'" The two scientists claim that accept them without question. Astronomical a lunar eclipse was visible at Jerusalem during explanations are neither sought nor needed. Passover on Friday, April 3, A.D. 33. Our two British scientists have fallen prey to this The Traditional View fallacy. They have reached conclusions based in part upon "astronomical calculations.” Supposing that Many, no doubt, are pleased with these biblical references to the moon "turning to blood"... conclusions. The traditional date for Jesus' death "probably refer to a lunar eclipse," which they among Christians through the years has perceive identifies the date of Christ's death corresponded with the 33 A.D. date. We based our "unambiguously," they have deducted that Jesus died conclusions, not on astronomical calculations but, on on April 3, 33 A.D. Their method of calculation scripture. Jesus was about 30 when he began His demostrates their ignorance of biblical terminology, its ministry (Lk.3:23). His ministry lasted about 3½ years. use and application, and their failure to accept by By adding the two together and using the dating faith the biblical accounts as revealed. system of Dionysius Exiguus (6th century A.D.), we arrived at the date of 33 A.D. Upon the basis of these When Was Jesus Crucified? conclusions we have preached that the church was The exact date of Jesus' death is not absolutely established in Jerusalem on Pentecost in 33 A.D. and essential to being a believer, yet to the student of that any spiritual institution founded before that time biblical history the date of His death is most helpful. claiming to be the church of the Lord was too early to Some historical clues are given which contribute to a be the Lord's, and any founded after that time was definite decision. The Christian can know within too late to be the Lord's. Many church buildings built reason the date His Saviour died for him. by brethren have cornerstones reading, "Established in Jerusalem, 33 A.D. Established in , Luke records that John the Baptist began his 18?? A.D." These conclusions are all sound IF ministry "in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Dionysius did not make a mistake. Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea" (Lk.3:1). Tiberius began his full reign upon the death Men Make Mistakes of Augustus in 14 A.D., and Pilate ruled Judea from 2 Regardless of how scholarly or meticulous man's 26 to 36 A.D. If Luke's fifteen years are to be efforts, man is still fallible. Dionysius did make a counted from 14 A.D., then 28 or 29 A.D. would The Year and Day Jesus Died -1- by Arthur M. Ogden correctly identify the beginning of John's ministry and They reconstructed the Jewish calendar to that time subsequently that of Jesus. Many think, however, that to arrive at this date. Luke includes Tiberius' co-regency with Augustus This author, while appreciating their deduction which began in 11 A.D.3 If so, 26 A.D. must be that Jesus died on the 14th of Nisan as our Passover accepted as the proper date for the beginning of the (1 Cor.5:7), believes it impossible to reconcile their ministries of John and Jesus. deduction with John 12:1. Their findings are John relates that the Jews in rebuttal to Jesus' interesting, however, because their dates correspond statement, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I with other dating tables for that time period and will raise it up," said, "Forty and six years was this contribute to the verification of their accuracy. A temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three reconstructed dating table, which appeared in days?" (Jn.2:19,20). Their statement is significant Christianity Today, March 29, 1974, the results of a because the temple at that time was still under computer analysis, corresponds identically with the construction and was not completed until A.D. 64.4 findings of Humphreys and Waddington. These The temple work was started by Herod the Great in tables also show that the only year between 27 and the eighteenth year of his reign,5 or 19 B.C. Counting 34 A.D. that the 14th Nisan fell on Thursday was in forty-six years from 19 B.C. brings us to 27 A.D. the year 30. A.D. 27 was too early and A.D. 34 too Jesus was in Jerusalem for the observance of the late for the date of the Lord's death. The 14th Nisan first Passover of His ministry (27 A.D.) when this in 30 A.D. corresponds to April 6 according to our discussion took place (Jn.2:13). It is thought that calendar. While this does not settle the question of John records three other Passovers observed by whether Jesus died on Thursday (Nisan 14, April 6) Jesus during His ministry (Jn.5:1; 6:4; 12:1). If so, or Friday (Nisan 15, April 7), it does tell us the year of Jesus' death came in 30 A.D., three years after His His death, 30 A.D. first Passover observance. Conclusion The most widely accepted date for Jesus' crucifixion is 30 A.D. Careful students will observe Setting dates for biblical events can be a tedious that biblical historians repeatedly refer to this date. matter. Numerous things must be taken into Any calculations designed to establish the date of His consideration before reaching valid conclusions, i.e., death must take into account that Jesus came to comparative secular history and other biblical Bethany six days before Passover (Jn.12:1). accounts and principles. It is surprising, however, Passover, which identifies the day the lamb was killed how close one can come to following the many (Mk.14:1,12; Lk.22:1,7), came on the 14th day of the events of Jesus' personal ministry and those of the first month Abib or Nisan (Ex.12:6; Lev.23:5). The early church, even to the days, months and years, by 14th did not come on the same day of the week each observing the numerous clues written within the year. In the year Jesus was crucified, the 14th came revealed accounts. Careful deductions based upon six days after Jesus came to Bethany. This is these clues broaden our undemanding and expand significant because, if we count those six days from our learning experience. the first day of the week, Passover would come too – From Valley Tidings, 10-85 late in the week to fit the biblical narrative.