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I am aware that most Christians disagree which year Jesus died. Heck, they not only disagree on which day he died but which year he was born. They also disagree with each other about long his ministry was.
People have used astronomical calculations to arrive at certain new moon dates and full moon dates in an attempt to arrive at a year Jesus died. Historically, we know that Pilate was the governor of Judah from 26 CE to 36 so that narrows it down somewhat. We also have two conflicting dates in which to reckon Tiberius Caesar's 15th year. Whatever that year may be, we know John the Baptist began his ministry that year. Whatever part of Tiberius' 15th year may be we do not know with certainty. John could have begun his ministry in the first part of Tiberius' 15th year, the middle, or the end of Tiberius' year. We don't know for sure how long into John's ministry Jesus came along to be baptized. If John began his ministry during the latter half of Tiberius' 15th year, then it is possible that Jesus began his ministry during Tiberius' 16th year. Then came 40 days in the wilderness followed by the beginning of Jesus' ministry. We know from the book of Luke that Jesus was "about" 30 years old when he was baptized by John. Since the first two chapters in Luke reveal John and Jesus were almost the same age (six months apart) we can pretty well guess Jesus began his ministry sometime during the 16th year of Tiberius's reign.
Depending on which year was correctly called Tiberius' 15th year reign, Jesus could have begun his ministry sometime between 27 and 29 CE. What year he was born I cannot determine with certainty but the bottom line is he was "about" 30 when he was baptized. Now, how long did his ministry last? Some claim one year, others two years and some 3 1/2 years. These estimates attempt to take a guess at how many Passovers Jesus celebrated in his ministry. I know of one who believes Jesus' ministry lasted five years and his crucifixion occurred in 34 CE.
However, there is a problem. We can now, in our modern time, correctly calculate new moon dates back to Jesus' time and can guess which day was the first month of the Jewish year, the month of Passover. The Jews have calculated in advance every new moon for the next thousand years and have calculated new moons going back in time for thousands of years. The calculations are highly accurate and even calculate for leap years, about seven every 19 years, However, in Jesus's day, they did not use calculations. They did not begin on the new moon, but on the observance of the thin crescent of the moon in the western sky a day or two after the actual new moon. It was done when trained observers would spot the crescent and report it to the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem. In Jesus's day a month could have 29 or 30 days, no more. Therefore, if the crescent still wasn't spotted at the end of the 30th day, the next month would begin whether the crescent was spotted or not.
Another thing is modern Jewish calculations calculate leap years automatically. In Jesus's day when the barley harvest would not be ready by Nisan 15 the Jews would add a leap month and call it Adar II. My question is, how do we determine the year Jesus died if we know he died on a Friday, Nisan 14 and was raised from the dead Sunday, Nisan 16? Some calculations place Jesus's death on a Wednesday, Nisan 14 in 34 CE. That would be Wednesday, March 24 under the extant Roman Calendar. That would mean the sighting of the new moon would be near sunset of March 10, Julian Calendar . The first day of Nisan 1 would thus, by that reckoning, be on the daytime portion of March 11. But since the new moon that preceded the spring equinox in 34 CE fell early, how do we know that the new month that just preceded the equinox was not declared a leap month? Wouldn't March 24 be too early for the barley harvest? If not, then March 10 at sunset would be declared Nisan 1. But if it wasn't, then March 10 would be the first day of Adar II in 34 CE. There are some who declare a month (Adar II) would be inserted into the calendar if the molad occurred before the spring equinox and others claim it was also the case if the barley wasn't ready to ripen a leap month would be added in the spring.
When though, was the crescent moon first spotted that year? On Tuesday March 9 there was a new moon about 6AM Israel time. The Jews would scan the western sky as the sun set that afternoon, trying to spot the new moon crescent. If they were successful and spotted the crescent that evening they would report to the Sanhedrin that the crescent had been spotted and thus that day (sunset to sunset) would be reckoned as Nisan 1. That means Tuesday, March 23 would be the day of the crucifixion (Nisan 14). However, this would disprove the Wednesday crucifixion so the new moon crescent would have been spotted on the setting of the sun on Wednesday, March 10 and the beginning of Nisan 1 would commence.
The reason I am using 34 AD as an example and not other more, plausible dates, is I have a certain author I am responding to after I have read his arguments for a 34 AD crucifixion which he places on Wednesday, March 24. I believe that March 24 would be too early because in those days the first day of the first month would be determined by things such as was the barley ripening and the proxmity to the spring equinox. In today's fixed Jewish Calendar, the beginning of the months and the holidays are calculated by math and they no longer rely on observation or the ripening of the barley harvest. The Hebrew calculation calendar can be off by a few days and by as much as a year in the case if the first month of the spring was calculated to begin when it should have been a leap month inserted.
Here is a link to the Rosetta Calendar. You can search for Julian Calendar dates, Gregorian Calendar dates, and even the Jewish dates at Jesus time. But the Rosetta Calendar warns you that the Hebrew Calendar could be off by as little as two days and by as much as a month. That's because the Jewish dates have been computed mathematically backwards in time using the Jewish method of calculating their calendar. In Jesus day, the calendar did not go by these dates. Remember that the months began by observation, not calculation. And the decision to add an extra month was not done by calculation as it is today but by whether it was too early in the year for the barley to ripen. Don't forget if the barley wouldn't ripen until April, an extra month would be added at that time.
Thanks for reading.
People have used astronomical calculations to arrive at certain new moon dates and full moon dates in an attempt to arrive at a year Jesus died. Historically, we know that Pilate was the governor of Judah from 26 CE to 36 so that narrows it down somewhat. We also have two conflicting dates in which to reckon Tiberius Caesar's 15th year. Whatever that year may be, we know John the Baptist began his ministry that year. Whatever part of Tiberius' 15th year may be we do not know with certainty. John could have begun his ministry in the first part of Tiberius' 15th year, the middle, or the end of Tiberius' year. We don't know for sure how long into John's ministry Jesus came along to be baptized. If John began his ministry during the latter half of Tiberius' 15th year, then it is possible that Jesus began his ministry during Tiberius' 16th year. Then came 40 days in the wilderness followed by the beginning of Jesus' ministry. We know from the book of Luke that Jesus was "about" 30 years old when he was baptized by John. Since the first two chapters in Luke reveal John and Jesus were almost the same age (six months apart) we can pretty well guess Jesus began his ministry sometime during the 16th year of Tiberius's reign.
Depending on which year was correctly called Tiberius' 15th year reign, Jesus could have begun his ministry sometime between 27 and 29 CE. What year he was born I cannot determine with certainty but the bottom line is he was "about" 30 when he was baptized. Now, how long did his ministry last? Some claim one year, others two years and some 3 1/2 years. These estimates attempt to take a guess at how many Passovers Jesus celebrated in his ministry. I know of one who believes Jesus' ministry lasted five years and his crucifixion occurred in 34 CE.
However, there is a problem. We can now, in our modern time, correctly calculate new moon dates back to Jesus' time and can guess which day was the first month of the Jewish year, the month of Passover. The Jews have calculated in advance every new moon for the next thousand years and have calculated new moons going back in time for thousands of years. The calculations are highly accurate and even calculate for leap years, about seven every 19 years, However, in Jesus's day, they did not use calculations. They did not begin on the new moon, but on the observance of the thin crescent of the moon in the western sky a day or two after the actual new moon. It was done when trained observers would spot the crescent and report it to the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem. In Jesus's day a month could have 29 or 30 days, no more. Therefore, if the crescent still wasn't spotted at the end of the 30th day, the next month would begin whether the crescent was spotted or not.
Another thing is modern Jewish calculations calculate leap years automatically. In Jesus's day when the barley harvest would not be ready by Nisan 15 the Jews would add a leap month and call it Adar II. My question is, how do we determine the year Jesus died if we know he died on a Friday, Nisan 14 and was raised from the dead Sunday, Nisan 16? Some calculations place Jesus's death on a Wednesday, Nisan 14 in 34 CE. That would be Wednesday, March 24 under the extant Roman Calendar. That would mean the sighting of the new moon would be near sunset of March 10, Julian Calendar . The first day of Nisan 1 would thus, by that reckoning, be on the daytime portion of March 11. But since the new moon that preceded the spring equinox in 34 CE fell early, how do we know that the new month that just preceded the equinox was not declared a leap month? Wouldn't March 24 be too early for the barley harvest? If not, then March 10 at sunset would be declared Nisan 1. But if it wasn't, then March 10 would be the first day of Adar II in 34 CE. There are some who declare a month (Adar II) would be inserted into the calendar if the molad occurred before the spring equinox and others claim it was also the case if the barley wasn't ready to ripen a leap month would be added in the spring.
When though, was the crescent moon first spotted that year? On Tuesday March 9 there was a new moon about 6AM Israel time. The Jews would scan the western sky as the sun set that afternoon, trying to spot the new moon crescent. If they were successful and spotted the crescent that evening they would report to the Sanhedrin that the crescent had been spotted and thus that day (sunset to sunset) would be reckoned as Nisan 1. That means Tuesday, March 23 would be the day of the crucifixion (Nisan 14). However, this would disprove the Wednesday crucifixion so the new moon crescent would have been spotted on the setting of the sun on Wednesday, March 10 and the beginning of Nisan 1 would commence.
The reason I am using 34 AD as an example and not other more, plausible dates, is I have a certain author I am responding to after I have read his arguments for a 34 AD crucifixion which he places on Wednesday, March 24. I believe that March 24 would be too early because in those days the first day of the first month would be determined by things such as was the barley ripening and the proxmity to the spring equinox. In today's fixed Jewish Calendar, the beginning of the months and the holidays are calculated by math and they no longer rely on observation or the ripening of the barley harvest. The Hebrew calculation calendar can be off by a few days and by as much as a year in the case if the first month of the spring was calculated to begin when it should have been a leap month inserted.
Here is a link to the Rosetta Calendar. You can search for Julian Calendar dates, Gregorian Calendar dates, and even the Jewish dates at Jesus time. But the Rosetta Calendar warns you that the Hebrew Calendar could be off by as little as two days and by as much as a month. That's because the Jewish dates have been computed mathematically backwards in time using the Jewish method of calculating their calendar. In Jesus day, the calendar did not go by these dates. Remember that the months began by observation, not calculation. And the decision to add an extra month was not done by calculation as it is today but by whether it was too early in the year for the barley to ripen. Don't forget if the barley wouldn't ripen until April, an extra month would be added at that time.
Rosetta Calendar
A calendar conversion service that lets you convert dates among these calendars: Gregorian, Julian, Hebrew (Jewish) and Julian date.
www.rosettacalendar.com
Thanks for reading.
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