Scripture doesn't say I'm wrong. Rabbinic tradition doesn't say I'm wrong. Scholarly literature doesn't say I'm wrong. Only you say I'm wrong, because you don't know what you're talking about.
Beginning with the first of the several facts given in the Synoptics, two of them tell us that the day of the Last Supper was the very first day of unleavened bread, which is the 14th day of the month of Nisan.
[1] This should not be conflated with any other day of the Passover holiday, as I have heard some attempt to argue. Matthew and Mark both explicitly use the superlative πρώτῃ, meaning the first-most day, or very first day.
[2]
Nor should this be confused with the first day of the
Feast of Unleavened Bread.
[3] Although interrelated, the time of unleavened bread, and the
feast of unleavened bread, are two separate things. The feast is a seven-day holiday beginning on the 15th of Nisan, while the first-most day of unleavened bread, when leaven had to be destroyed and unleavened bread had to be eaten, was the 14th of Nisan.
[4]
“In the first
month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even.”
[5]
All leaven had to be disposed of on the 14th before the sacrifice of the Passover. It was prohibited beginning at the sixth hour of the day—about noon—on the 14th of Nisan, when it was all burned.
[6] In accordance with the scriptures, the more pious, according to the Talmud, began searching for leaven as early as sundown on the 13th of Nisan (considered the twilight of the 14th), which was the first of three general searches made in preparation for the holiday. The second search occurred early on the morning of the 14th day, and the final search was at the time when all leaven had to be removed from the home.
[7] At the sixth hour of the day (about noon) on the 14th, just before the daily sacrifices (which began shortly thereafter), they burned all leaven. As the scripture states, “Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leaven.”
[8] It was not to be eaten, or even possessed, from that point forward, until the evening of the 21st.
[9]
Relative to these facts, the 14th is, without question, the first day of unleavened bread, as Exodus 12:15 implies, saying that although “Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread,” it is, “even the first day” that “ye shall put away leaven out of your houses [...].”
[10] Rabbinical and historical literature both agree with this point of view, based on the same scriptural criteria.
[11]
“The School of R. Ishmael taught: ‘We find that the fourteenth is called the first, as it is said, ‘on the first, on the fourteenth day of the month,’’” (Exod. 12:18) and further on, “Raba said, ‘[It is deduced] from here: ‘Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread’: [that means,] thou shalt not kill the Passover sacrifice while leavened bread is still in existence.’”
[12]
These statements not only align with the Gospels on the matter, but use the same colloquial nomenclature.
In consideration of these very basic biblical and extra biblical facts, the first day, or even more precisely the very first day, of unleavened bread is the 14th day of Nisan, making the day of the Last Supper one and the same according to the Synoptic representation.
The second significant piece of evidence comes from Mark and Luke, who not only tell us that the day of the Last Supper was the first day of unleavened bread, but that it was the day when they killed the Passover, or per Luke, when the Passover must be killed.
[13] This is about as straightforward as it gets when it comes to pinpointing a specific day, even more so than the previous point. From Exodus, we read:
"[…] In the tenth
day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of
their fathers, a lamb for an house […] And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening."
[14]
The Passover lamb was slain on the 14th day of Nisan. Scripture is quite clear on that point, and scholars, so far as I have read, agree with this view almost unanimously, regardless of their persuasions, whether they be for the Synoptics or John. It might also be shown that the Passover lamb was slain on the 14th day of Nisan at evening, at the going down of the sun, which rabbinical teachings specify as any time after high noon when the sun starts moving towards the western horizon.
[15] To be more specific, the Passover sacrifice was slain about 3:00 in the afternoon following the continual daily offering, unless the Eve of the Passover (the 14th) happened to fall on a Friday. In which case, all the day’s sacrifices were moved back an hour, and it was slain about 2:00 in the afternoon so it could be done before the Sabbath set in. We read in the Talmud:
"The continual (daily) offering was slaughtered half an hour after the eighth hour, and sacrificed half an hour after the ninth hour; but on the day before Passover, whether that day happened to be a week-day or a Sabbath, it was slaughtered half an hour after the seventh hour, and sacrificed half an hour after the eighth hour. When the day before the Passover happened to be a Friday, it was slaughtered half an hour after the sixth hour, sacrificed half an hour after the seventh hour, and the Passover sacrifice celebrated (immediately) afterwards." (bPesah. 58a; cf bYoma 28b)
"The duty of the tamid properly [begins] from when the evening shadows begin to fall. What is the reason? Because Scripture saith, “between the evenings”, [meaning] from the time that the sun commences to decline in the west. Therefore on other days of the year, when there are vows and freewill-offerings, in connection with which the Divine Law states, [and he shall burn] upon it the fat of the peace-offerings [he-shelamim], and a Master said, “upon it” complete [shalem] all the sacrifices, we therefore postpone it two hours and sacrifice it at eight and a half hours. [But] on the eve of Passover, when there is the Passover offering after it, we advance it one hour and sacrifice it at seven and a half hours. When the eve of Passover falls on the eve of the Sabbath, so that there is the roasting too [to be done], for it does not override the Sabbath, we let it stand on its own law, [viz.,] at six and a half hours."
[16]
"And [the controversy of] these Tannaim is like [the controversy of] the other Tannaim in the following Baraitha: There thou shalt sacrifice the passover-offering at even, at the going down of the sun, at the season that thou camest forth out of Egypt. R. Eliezer says: 'At even', you sacrifice; 'at sunset', you eat; and 'at the season that thou camest out of Egypt', you must burn [the remainder]. R. Joshua says: 'At even', you 'sacrifice; 'at sunset', you eat; and how long do you continue to eat? Till 'the season that thou camest out of Egypt'" (bBer. 9a)
So as it concerns the second point given by the Synoptics, “when they killed the Passover,” or, “when the Passover must be killed,” they refer to none other than the 14th day of Nisan. On the particular day of the Last Supper in question, assuming a Thursday for the time being according to the more popular viewpoint on the day of the crucifixion, the lamb would have been slain about the ninth hour, or 3:00 in the afternoon, as Josephus also testifies.
[17]
Following these two very significant pieces of evidence that can be conclusively dated, the rest is incidental by comparison, but no less direct and conspicuous of the date in question. The circumstances and dialog add the icing to the cake. The disciples came to Jesus asking him where he wanted them to prepare for him to eat the Passover, and in response to their inquiry, Jesus sent two of the disciples, John and Peter, to procure a room where he would “keep the Passover,” and where he would “eat the Passover,” and to actually “prepare” them “the Passover,” that they “may eat.”
[18] Had we not known that it was the first day of unleavened bread, and the day the Passover was slain, we would still have been able to deduce that it was the day of the Passover by the disciples’ questions, Jesus’ directives, and the disciples’ subsequent actions, seeing that they did as he commanded and made ready the Passover (not, according to the text, a “Passover-like meal,” as some have suggested) so Jesus and the rest of the disciples could come that very evening at the appointed time and eat.
Furthermore, Peter and John wouldn’t have been “making ready the Passover” that they “may eat” in the place where Jesus would “keep the Passover” with his disciples if it wasn’t the Passover. Legally speaking, the Passover could not be sacrificed early. It was slain on the 14th of the month. Peter and John couldn’t have procured the Passover for the meal if the sacrifices had not yet begun, and if they couldn’t slaughter and roast the Passover, they couldn’t very well have made ready the Passover as it says they did. Again, it was clearly the 14th.
And just to put one errant notion to bed while we’re on this specific point . . . The idea that they were calculating the Passover according to some other dating system is nonsense. They were in Jerusalem. The Beth Din announced the start of the month. The sacrifices had to be done in the temple if they were in Jerusalem. Jesus was quite particular in stating that it was the duty of the people to do as instructed by those who sit in Moses’ seat. To do otherwise was sinful. Jews who lived far off sometimes celebrated festivals on different days due to the time involved in communication, but the Passover was one of three festivals where they were all required to come to Jerusalem. Even Jesus and the disciples clearly began making their way towards Jerusalem near at approach of the coming festival.
Now, if you have something worthwhile to offer, offer it. The scripture is clear. Rabbinic tradition is clear. Scholarly literature is clear. I'm right. You're not. Your theology and what you want to believe does not trump the direct statements of historical fact written in the Gospels. Jesus ate the Passover. It's a fact. And that, by default, puts the crucifixion on the 15th, even if that doesn't agree with your theological philosophy.
[1]. Matt. 26:17; Mk. 14:12; Ex. 12:18; Ex. 23:18, 34:25; bPesah. 11b, 12b, 4b. Luke merely says “the day” of unleavened bread, paired with “when the Passover must be killed,” demonstrating that he intends the same day as the other two by virtue of the Passover sacrifice (Lk. 22:7).
[2]. Matt. 26:17; Mk. 14:12; Ex. 12:18; Ex. 23:18, 34:25; bPesah. 11b, 12b, 4b. Matthew and Mark both say with the superlative πρώτῃ that it is the very first day of unleavened bread.
[3] The Feast of Unleavened Bread was a separate holiday following the Passover, though the “Passover” and the “Feast of Unleavened Bread” were in many cases synonymous with each other, and even used to reference each other (the Feast of Unleavened Bread in some cases is referred to as the Passover, and vice versa). In the case of Matthew 26:17, “the first
day of the
feast of unleavened bread” does not actually include the words “day” or “feast” in the original text, which is why some versions like the King James italicize them. The New American Standard gives a better reading; “the first
day of unleavened bread …,” which provides the necessary “day” for easier reading, but omits the presumptuous “feast” that changes the meaning and date of the day being represented in the passage. The feast begins on the 15th (Exodus 23:6). The first day of unleavened bread is the 14th.
[4] Exod. 12:18.
[5] Exod. 12:18.
[6] bPesah. 11b, 12b, 4b.
[7] bPesah. 2b.
[8] Exod. 34:25.
[9] Exod. 12:18, 34:25; Deut. 16:6; bPesah. 5a.
[10] Exod. 34:25, cf. Exod. 12:3, 6, 15, 18; Deut. 16:6; b.Pesah. 5a, 58a; cf. b.Yoma 28b; Joseph
BJ 6.423.
[11] b.Pesah. 5a.
[12] b.Pesah. 5a.
[13] Mark 14:12, cf. Matthew 26:17-20; Luke 22:7-8, 13-15.
[14] Exod. 12:3, 6
[15] Exodus 12:6, Deuteronomy 16:1-6
[16] bPesah. 58a.
[17] Joseph
BJ 6.423.
[18] Matthew 26:17, Mark 14:12, Matthew 26:18, Mark 14:14, Luke 22:8
