- Nov 29, 2017
- 1,214
- 1,361
- Country
- New Zealand
- Faith
- Christian
- Marital Status
- Married
In times past, scholars realized the answer lay in finding the phases of the moon. Inquiries were made to national observatories and astronomical societies, but information had to be eked out, a question at a time. Today however, highly accurate lunar software is available to layman and specialist alike. So, it should be easy to find Passover dates in any given year, because Passover always arrived late on the 14th day of the first moon of each year.
However, here is where the problems begin:
So, although lunar cycles are very reliable, they are not much good if we do not know the year or the day of the month. Moreover, modern calculation of ‘new moon’ isn’t the same as those observed in ancient time. Modern astronomers equate the first day of the month with the day following ‘lunar conjunction,’ that is, the middle of the dark moon period when the moon and sun are in conjunction with each other.
Originally ‘new moon’ referred to the crescent on the first night it became visible, typically one or two days after conjunction. In 1st century Judea, if the crescent moon appeared during the night, it could be seen about 18 hours after conjunction. However, if it developed during daylight hours, the observer had to wait till nightfall to see it. That might have stretched to two days. Then, when he saw the faint lunar sliver, he ran to the priest and reported his sighting. (He would have been an authorised person such as a shepherd, who got paid a few shekels for his service) Then the priest would declare the 'new moon' and the 1st day of the month would be deemed to have started at beginning of the same night that it was reported.
In the case of our modern Jewish calendar, it still uses the first visible crescent rather than lunar conjunction to start the month. However, it is no longer identified by a physical sighting. Rather, it is mathematically estimated, and offset from the conjunction. With these problems hindering a simple fixing of Jesus’ last Passover date; I have worked out a chart that shows the alternative possibilities between AD 29 and AD 34. My method was to find the lunar conjunction preceding Nisan, and then step through each hour until a likely sighting could have been made. Having determined 'new moon,' the days were then stepped through the month until Passover.
Please print out the chart for a close look. The brown cross icons are the only possible dates. Lets discuss.
However, here is where the problems begin:
First. How can we date the Passover of Christ’s crucifixion if we don’t know the year? What we do know is that Pilate governed Judea from AD 26 to AD 36, so it must have been somewhere in-between.
Second. Was Jesus crucified on the 14th day when the Passover lambs were being slaughtered, or was it on the following day, the 15th after the meal had been eaten?
Third. Which day of the week did Jesus die? Tradition says it was Friday, but Wednesday or Thursday seems to better fit his three days and three nights in the grave?
Second. Was Jesus crucified on the 14th day when the Passover lambs were being slaughtered, or was it on the following day, the 15th after the meal had been eaten?
Third. Which day of the week did Jesus die? Tradition says it was Friday, but Wednesday or Thursday seems to better fit his three days and three nights in the grave?
So, although lunar cycles are very reliable, they are not much good if we do not know the year or the day of the month. Moreover, modern calculation of ‘new moon’ isn’t the same as those observed in ancient time. Modern astronomers equate the first day of the month with the day following ‘lunar conjunction,’ that is, the middle of the dark moon period when the moon and sun are in conjunction with each other.
Originally ‘new moon’ referred to the crescent on the first night it became visible, typically one or two days after conjunction. In 1st century Judea, if the crescent moon appeared during the night, it could be seen about 18 hours after conjunction. However, if it developed during daylight hours, the observer had to wait till nightfall to see it. That might have stretched to two days. Then, when he saw the faint lunar sliver, he ran to the priest and reported his sighting. (He would have been an authorised person such as a shepherd, who got paid a few shekels for his service) Then the priest would declare the 'new moon' and the 1st day of the month would be deemed to have started at beginning of the same night that it was reported.
In the case of our modern Jewish calendar, it still uses the first visible crescent rather than lunar conjunction to start the month. However, it is no longer identified by a physical sighting. Rather, it is mathematically estimated, and offset from the conjunction. With these problems hindering a simple fixing of Jesus’ last Passover date; I have worked out a chart that shows the alternative possibilities between AD 29 and AD 34. My method was to find the lunar conjunction preceding Nisan, and then step through each hour until a likely sighting could have been made. Having determined 'new moon,' the days were then stepped through the month until Passover.
Please print out the chart for a close look. The brown cross icons are the only possible dates. Lets discuss.