The day of the crucifixion

[Goinheix]

The Friday as the week day of the crucifixion is the oldest and more traditional. It is based not on tradition (transmission) from the I century, but commenced in the IV century.

It is based on the word “preparation” in Greek (paraskene) witch in Modern Greek is the name for the Friday. But in the I Century was meaning exactly “preparation” and was use for the authors of the gospels to refer to the day before a Sabbath – not only Saturday – in witch all was prepared before the Sabbath.

The Friday as crucifixion day has in favor the words of Jesus who say He will resurrect the third day. Counting the Sunday as third day, the Saturday will be the second, and the Friday being the first.

Also it is clear in the Gospels that from the crucifixion to the resurrection it was Sabbath. The Friday defenders assume that is was Saturday.

But as well of having some support on the words of Jesus, the Friday presents several problems. For starting, there is some other way of counting the third day. Not only that, but Jesus also said that he will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three night. That makes impossible a crucifixion of Friday.

And the Sabbath/Saturday issue can also be solved with two consecutive Sabbaths.

 

[Goinheix]

The Thursday as the week day of the crucifixion is the second to be proposed and probably the second on popularity or acceptance. Religious tradition is very strong.

The strongest support for the Thursday position is the words of Jesus stating that he will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. That makes necessary to reinterpret the third day. The new interpretation count the first day from Friday as Jesus is buried at sunset the Thursday. Thursday just don´t count in this interpretation of the third day resurrection.

Thursday supporters suppose two consecutives Sabbaths, one on Friday and the next in Saturday. That was a logical and smart supposition until some evidence on the Gospels was found (for me). Matthew seems to point out the two Sabbaths. The first Sabbath is ceremonial and comes after the preparation day (27:62), and the second Sabbath is the day before Sunday (28:1)

The weakness of the Thursday position, probably is the little forced reinterpretation of the third day.

 

[Goinheix]

There is also the possibility that Jesus were crucified on Wednesday. This is the newest proposal. But:

If Jesus was crucified on Wednesday, next day was High Sabbath. That is Thursday being High Sabbath. Following day is Friday and the Saturday. The big qestion is...what did stop the women to go to the sepulcre on the Friday?

According to the Wednesday theory, Jesus was placed on the sepulcre the same Wed before dark, and he was resurrected during the first hour of the first day of the week. That is owr Sat after dark.

According to that, Jesus was dead:
Wed from dead to dark
Wed/Thu from sunset to sunrise
Thu from sunrise to sunset
Thu/Fri from sunset to sunrise
Fri from sunrise to sunset
Fri/Sat from sunset to sunrise
Sat from sunrise to sunset
Sat from sunset to resurection

How to count 3 days and 3 nights?

Also how to understan "in the third day"?

 

[Goinheix]

Matthew 27:62 says “Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation”. That is a funny way to say Sabbath. Preparation is the day previous to a Sabbath; and Matthew is saying the day that follows the day before a Sabbath. Obviously it is a Sabbath, and I believe that Mathew is making an emphasis in the fact of the preparation. That is a preparation for a High Sabbath. In 28:1 Matthew place us in the day before the first day of the week and mention a Sabbath. That is interesting again. We have one day that is the day after the preparation, and one day that is previous to Sunday. It seems that Matthew is telling as about two different days, two different Sabbaths. Obviously the second Sabbath is necessarily a Saturday, and the first Sabbath must be a High Sabbath on Friday.

Is that mere conjecturing? Matthew 28:1 uses the Greek word “sabbatwn” (I use” w” for omega). The correct and exact meaning of sabbatwn is “of the Sabbaths”. That is the perfect translation, and the verse in KJV shall be read “In the end of the Sabbaths”. Matthew is clearly saying that were two and no one Sabbath.

Matthew is telling us that after the crucifixion it were two Sabbaths before the resurrection. That is Friday High Sabbath, and Saturday week Sabbath.