He dabbed the sweat from his pallid face and intoned Are you at peace with God? Zero as a mathematical number in the Greco-Roman world was a later invention. The maximum duration for a total solar eclipse is seven minutes, not three hours, and at the latitude of Jerusalem the maximum duration is even less. It is significant that Jesus be crucified on a Friday because that is the normal time when the passover lamb was sacrificed by the Jews. By the time he wrote hisNatural History(73 A.D.), the Christians had already been claiming for the prior forty years that the Crucifixion darkness was a sign worked by their God. In ancient Greece the Olympic Games were held in the July of the first year of each Olympiad, which was a 4 year period running from July to June of each succeeding year. Since Passover took place in the Spring before the Olympics, I think the fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad would be Summer 32 AD to Summer 33 AD. A non-profit, 501(c)3 corporation. He has written apologetic articles and is working on a historical-adventure trilogy, set during the time of the Arian crisis. It has only been referenced in Christian apologist books hundreds of years later. Many authors have suggested various means of resolving all the mysteries about the date of the crucifixion. "In the fourth year, however, of Olympiad 202, an eclipse of the sun happened, greater and more excellent than any that had happened before it; at the sixth hour, day turned into dark night, so that the stars were seen in the sky, and an earthquake in Bithynia toppled many buildings of the city of Nicaea." . Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the sorrows of hell, as it was impossible that he should be holden by it. (Acts 2: 14-24)[Emphasis and formatting added]. "In the 4th year of the 202nd Olympiad, there was a great eclipse [Greek EKLEIPSIS] of the Sun, greater than had ever been known before, for at the 6th hour the day was changed into night and the stars were seen in the heavens. Please note, I do not believe that this eclipse is connected with the crucifixion. It does however, place Phlegons writing, transposed hundreds of years later by Christian writers, as a scientifically-accurate writing. Thus, the Christian apologist Tertullian (155-240 A.D) could still say to the Romans in the late second century A.D. with regard to the Crucifixion darkness: And yet, nailed upon the cross, He exhibited many notable signs, by which His death was distinguished from all others. If his ministry was for 3 years, then he was crucified aged 36, and the darkness and earthquake would have occurred in that year of 36CE. However, this is scientifically impossible. Second, though the Passover week celebrations of the Jews are well understood, no written records exist regarding the calendar and New Moon from the time of Christ, as the Jews used them. Peter reminds his hearers these things were done in the midst of you, as you also know. Clearly, Peter referenced an eventthe three hour darkening of the sunwhich waspreviouslywitnessed by all hearing him that day. This is done carefully in Humphreys book [1]. EARTHQUAKE AND DARKNESS THAT OCCURRED AT JESUS DEATH WAS RECORDED IN SECULAR HISTORY. From all the information above I believe there is a fairly strong convergence of evidence that Christ's crucifixion was in April of 33 AD. A secondline of argument for the crucifixion date comes from historical testimony and the weight of opinion of Christian scholars through history. Elsewhere in this same work, Origen wrote in relation to the Crucifixion darkness: And with regard to the eclipse in the time ofTiberius Csar, in whose reign Jesus appears to have been crucified, and the great earthquakes which then took place, Phlegon too, I think, has written in the thirteenth or fourteenth book of his Chronicles (Contra Celsus II, 33). He was athletically built and his firm, steady voice brought the audience to a hush. Why preach something that was manifestly untrue? The Crucifixion is widely reported by numerous ancient writers. I will also point out that the Roman historian Thallius also recorded these events. The darkness and earthquake were evident not just in Jerusalem but also in Nicea which is over 300 miles away from Jerusalem! Jesus was born whilst Herod, the Great, was still alive; we know he died in BCE and on 1st April 4BCE. There are a variety of opinions on this question. This darkness Thallus, in the third book of his History, calls, as appears to me without reason, an eclipse of the sun. In October, I will perform a miracle here so that all may believe. This research again confirms Phlegons writing. In 70 A.D., just forty years after the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the city of Jerusalem and the Temple were utterly destroyed by the Romans and the surviving population carried off into captivity. Jeremiah 9:23-24. And calculation makes out that the period of 70 weeks, as noted in Daniel, is completed at this time." It was recorded by a Pagan author who had no desire to promote Christianity yet he confirmed the Bible record! Let us, briefly, consider the case for the historicity of this event by first quoting the relevant gospel accounts. This Is A Perfect Picture Of The Gospel, The Crown Of Thorns, And The Mocking Of Jesus, The Wound Between The 5th And 6th Right Ribs, The Fulfilment Of Prophecy Concerning The Unbroken Bones, The Anatomical And Physiological Details Of Death By Crucifixion, The Rejection Experienced By Jesus On The Cross, The Discovery By Ron Wyatt In 1982 Of The Ark Of The Covenant, A Brief Overview Of The New Covenant In The Blood Of The Messiah, And The Biblical Support For The Blood On The Mercy Seat. Remember that Jesus' baptism was shortly after the beginning of John the Baptist's ministry, which began in AD 29. event bed is another distinctive mixed layer less than one inch thick. . Check Huffpost. Unfortunately for the skepticand a sign of his desperation as wellthe argument from silence is, perhaps, one of the most difficult types of arguments to make. Having provided an argument for the historicity of a three hour darkness based on historical sources and reason, we may now address the objection made to it by skeptics, which may be stated as follows. I am a follower of Jesus Christ, the One who saved me, and my goal is to spread the gospel and all the evidence for Christianity! It is important to readThallus comments to completely understand the issue. Here, the skeptics case isseeminglymore plausible on first glance. Early Christian writers, such as Origen, Africanus and Eusebius, also cited a 2nd century writer, Phlegon, as having written of the Crucifixion darkness. In light of themassobservation and notoriety of a three hour darkness, it would not have made any sense for the Apostlesin preaching or writing about the truth of Christ to believers and nonbelievers aliketo have mentioned this darkness if it had notreallyhappened. Another historian, Philipon (with Origen), confirms the historicity of Phlegon's statement by writing, "And about this darkness - Phlegon recalls it in the OlympiadsPhlegon mentioned the eclipse which took place during the crucifixion of the Lord Christ, and no other (eclipse), it is clear that he did not know from his sources about any (similar) eclipse in previous times and this is shown by the historical account of Tiberius Caesar.". The next piece of the puzzle is to determine if Jesus indeed was crucified on a Friday. The little known aspect of this is something that comes from a famous Jewish Rabbi from the first century, Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah. Jesus baptism was apparently not long after the beginning of John the Baptist's ministry. The Bible is a book that is a record of facts and not myths. There are also complicated issues about various calendar systems in use at the time of Christ that create confusion. Fr. The gospel references where Jesus predicted he would rise in three days are Matt. The term "Onah" or sometimes "Onath" is a loose way of referring to part of a day. He lives near Atlanta with his family. We also know from the New Testament that at that time Caiaphas was the Jewish High Priest (Caiaphas is mentioned in Jewish writings) and Pilate was the Roman governor of Judea. The second quote is recorded by Philopon. Phlegons citation is a fragment from Olympiades he Chronika 13, ed. April 13, 2017 (Steven OReilly) Good Friday approaches. Nisan was the month the Passover was celebrated, a very important time for the Jews commemorating their deliverance out of slavery in Egypt. Thank you, Ive just been looking for information about this mund. Be that as it may, and even if the dating of Phlegon is not correct, this does not diminish the case made thus far for the historicity of the Crucifixion darkness. With these things in mind, I would like to provide some thoughts on the historicity of one particular event that is said to have occurred on the afternoon Our Lord was crucified. Roman historical sources confirm that Jesus Christ lived on Earth and died by crucifixion. He takes the Bible at face value rather than questioning the details in Scripture in some way, which I believe is the right approach. And upon my servants indeed, and upon my handmaids will I pour out in those days of my spirit, and they shall prophesy. I am not convinced by this even though I believe in the darkness over the land when Jesus was crucified. Change). One of the geological sources is from a British scientific conference in 1853 and the other is from 1985, from a geological conference in Japan. 2. For the Hebrews celebrate the passover on the 14th day according to the moon, and the passion of our Saviour fails on the day before the passover; but an eclipse of the sun takes place only when the moon comes under the sun. Julius Africanus elsewhere makes the point that what was sometimes referred to as an eclipse of the Sun by Roman writers could not possibly be a solar eclipse because it happened at the wrong time of the month [5]. The Crucifixion darkness could certainly have been one of these excluded eclipses. However, whether there was or was not a Crucifixion darkness, it can not be proven from Pliny. We have already seen there is strong reason to believe a record of the Crucifixion darkness was held in the Roman archives. Such is the difficulty of the argument from silence. On this day, Christians recall especially that part of the Creed in which we affirm of Jesus Christ: for our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered, died and was buried. These things we affirm to be historical facts. While Pliny tells us there have been unusually long eclipses, he then says such asindicating he means to giveexamplesandnota comprehensive list of them. Passover occurred on either Nisan 14 or 15 about two weeks after the New Moon. I found further confirmation of this earthquake from other sources that also dates it in the year 33 AD. Does this necessarily mean that Phlegon was referencing the seismic activity, if you dare to call it that, that occurred during the Crucifixion in the Gospel accounts? Ten Years Ago: Benedict confirms I am no longer the Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church, Benedicts Last Audience: Ten Years After, Roma Locuta Est Considers: Benepapism and the Munus vs. Ministerium (EpisodeVI), Is the Culture of Death creating the Remnant? The darkness and earthquake were evident not just in Jerusalem but also in Nicea which is over 300 miles away from Jerusalem! A great earthquake occurred during Christs death. Otto Keller, Rerum Naturalium Scriptores Graeci Minores, 1 (Leipzig Teurber, 1877), p. 101., 2 Julius Africanus, Extant Writings, XVIII in The AnteNicene Fathers, ed. There too, nobody could give a plausible explanation. In sum, the words of Tertullian and Africanus show us that in ancient times onlythe explanation of the causeof the three hour darkness was in dispute,not the fact of it. The fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad was in 33 A.D.!!! Moon phase and solar year events are shown on the day in Athens. Thus, if the quote is accurate, and Phlegon's eclipse has . It even mentions buildings collapsing in Nicea, which would be over 1,000 miles Northwest from Jerusalem by land. Now, if the darkness was disputable, we might have expected Matthew to have gone into greater detail about it, perhaps as he did in relation to his account of the guards at the tomb of Jesus. So that means there has been at least some investigation of it by geologists though I do not know how much. This firmly connects Jesus and the gospels to Roman history. I have wondered if an astronomical body accounted for some aspects of the Deluge, such tidal effects on the waters. The Resignation of Pope Benedict XVI: Now available through other book sellers, Roma Locuta Est Considers: Benepapism and the Munus vs. Ministerium (EpisodeII), Roma Locuta Est Considers: Introduction to Benepapism (Episode I). The New Testament records the three-hour darkness during Christs crucifixion (Matthew 27:45, Mark 15:33, Luke 23:4445). Ye men of Israel, hear these words:Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you, by miracles, and wonders, and signs, which God did by him, in the midst of you,as you also know: This same being delivered up, by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, you by the hands of wicked men have crucified and slain. Since Marks written gospel contains an account of the Crucifixion darkness, it follows that Peter included this event in his oral preaching. This information would be every unlikely to have been added at a later time due to its specificity in time. However, such an explanation for the Crucifixion darkness is absurd because solar eclipses are counted in minutes, not hours. The question is: should we accept the historicity of this Crucifixion darkness? Have you ever heard of Phlegon of Karia? The first of the two speakers stepped forward again. Well, Phlegon does mention this guy named Jesus. But consider how do we know anything about history? 1 Maier, Paul. Is this a powerful confirmation of the events described in the New Testament? Clearly, Peter and his hearers had seen the sun darken. Euse-bius, in his records of the year A.D. , quotes at length from Phlegon, who says that, in the fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad, there was a great and remarkable eclipse of the sun, above any that had happened before. A few verses later in Matthew 27:51 it is recorded that there was an earthquake at the exact moment that Jesus died. Only one earthquake in this span of years came up in the results, in 33 AD The database showed two published geological sources regarding this earthquake. He made a famous statement to explain how days were counted for certain ceremonial purposes. We have already cited the Acts of the Apostles, the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, Tertullian, Africanus, the 1st century historian Thallus, and the 2nd century historian, Phlegon, and these sufficiently demonstrate the historicity of the Crucifixion darkness. !, The audience was rowdy now. So, we have evidence as strong for these miracles at the crucifixion and resurrection as we have for many other events in history that no one ever questions. Phlegon Darkness occurred when Christ was crucified, an eclipse of the sun cannot occur during a full moon since the moon would be on the opposite side of the earth. But it is a challenging issue to unravel. He was smartly dressed, flamboyant and gregarious. Other works ascribed to Phlegon in the Suda are a description of Sicily, a work on the Roman festivals in three books, and a topography of Rome: Origen of Alexandria (182-254 AD), in Against Celsus (Book II, Chap. An earthquake occurred in Bythinia . There is more historical evidence to support the three hour period of darkness, and therefore of the Crucifixion, in 33 AD than almost any other ancient event in history! Contact Dr Richard Kent and recommendations, Bible Prophecy Concerning The Crucifixion, The Blood Covenant In Relation To The Crucifixion, Recording of The Crucifixion by Contemporary Historians, The Three Hour Period Of Darkness Is Confirmed By Many Historians, The Ad 33 Date Of The Crucifixion According To Phlegon, A Secular Greek Historian, The Ad 33 Date Of The Crucifixion From Bible Prophecy, Caiaphas Prophesied About The Crucifixion, In Gethsemane Jesus Sweated Blood, The Disciples Slept, And Judas Betrayed Jesus Christ, Judas Iscariot Betrayed Jesus Christ For Thirty Pieces Of Silver, The Timing Of The Night Before The Crucifixion, Jesus Christ Stood In Our Place At The Six Trials, Jesus Was Condemned To Death For "blasphemy", The Crowd Choose Barabbas Rather Than Jesus. Therefore I think we can compare it to another impressive unnatural phenomenon that happened 100 years ago in Fatima, when the sun danced on oct. 13th 1917 at the exact time Our Lady foretold months beforehand, before a huge crowd. 27:39-40, Matt. Also, word of it would have spread from Jerusalem to Jewish communities in Rome and throughout the empire. In fact, PlinysNatural Historyincludes a chapter entitled Of Unusual Long Eclipses of the Sun. Therefore, it seems atfirst glancethatthe skeptic is on to something when he points out that a three hour long darkness is nowhere to be found in this chapter. The Jews counted days and nights as if a portion counted like the whole, they did not think in terms of ellapsed time as we do today. To recap, according to Eusebius' Chronicon tables, the 2nd year of the 202nd Olympiad is equated alongside the 16th year of Tiberius. Christians claim this corroborates the Gospels; opponents say it has nothing to do with the events described during the Passion and only perpetuates a false conclusion. The 4th year of the 202nd Olympiad was 32-33AD: HMEPA Hellenic Month Established Per Athens The 202nd Olympiad Last Olympiad Next Olympiad Last Olympiad source: http://www.numachi.com/~ccount/hmepa/calendars/202.html Modern context of the calendar of ancient Olympics would put the 4 th year of the 202 nd Olympiad at July 32-33AD. From this brief statement, the skeptic wants to declare victory and go home. The span of distance between Bythnia and Jerusalem would have put the earthquake in a cataclysmic category, and the evidence confirmed by science supports that conclusion. Jesus was ABOUT 30 years old when He began His ministry. It also gives a link to download Lightfoot's entire New Testament commentaries in four volumes as free PDF files. Updated May 2013 This example underlines the point that Matthew did not have a similar need to defend the truth of the three hour darkness, precisely because it was a well known, accepted and indisputablefact. Thirteen inches above the 31 B.C. The time from Friday 3 PM to sunset was counted as one day. There is little doubt that this information was passed from ancient source to ancient source before it reached Phlegon; however; its place in historical writings is scientifically confirmed nearly 2 millenia later. And calculation makes out that the period of 70 weeks, as noted in Daniel, is completed at this time. Julius Africanus, Chronography, 18.1. I would say there are a couple oflines of argument that can be used to date the crucifixion. From the direct quote above, it is clear Phlegons source is an observer in Bithynia (in modern day Turkey), which is well over 500 miles away from Jerusalem. There were Jewish, Christian, and Roman writers from the first and second centuries that refer to Christ and the crucifixion. The Romans and Jews could have falsified Peters claimhad it been false. The reality is, Plinys statement is not evidence against the Crucifixion darkness. While the actual words used by Thallus no longer survive, the response of Africanus (below) give us a sense of what he must have said: As to His (i.e., Jesus Christ) works severally, and His cures effected upon body and soul, and the mysteries of His doctrine, and the resurrection from the dead, these have been most authoritatively set forth by His disciples and apostles before us. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. At the sixth hour the day was turned into the darkness of night, so that stars were seen in the heaven; and there was a . The source from Jerome above is interesting in that it dates the unusual darkening of the sky by the Olympiad numbering system. 12:40, Matt. Phlegon of Tralles, a Greek historian who lived in the second century, has been referenced by Christian apologists for over a thousand years now as confirmation of the events surrounding the Crucifixion. (LogOut/ There is only one period of darkness lasting for three hours in the history of the world. Pliny then proceeds and gives only two examples. In the fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad (i.e., AD 33) there was 'the greatest eclipse of the sun' and that 'it became night in the sixth hour of the day [i.e., noon] so that stars even appeared in the heavens. Just for reference, Nicea is in western Turkey, approximately where the city of Bursa is. Part II: The Role of the Church, Roma Locuta Est Considers: Benepapism and the Munus vs. Ministerium (EpisodeV), Is the Culture of Death creating the Remnant: Part 1 Declining births and life expectancy, Roma Locuta Est Considers: Benepapism and the Munus vs. Ministerium (EpisodeIV), Roma Locuta Est Considers: Benepapism and the Munus vs. Ministerium (EpisodeIII), 10th Anniversary of Benedict XVIs Renunciation of the Papacy, A Rebuttal of Dr. Mazzas book on Pope Benedicts Resignation, Valid? Required fields are marked *. by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1973), vol. Christ still changes lives like he did in the first century. In chapter 28, Matthew provides an accountprobably sourced to either one of the guards and or a Jewish elderof how the guards were bribed, and the lie was spread that the disciples had stolen the body of Jesus (cf Matthew 28:1-15). Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Many Christian scholars have come to question either the synoptic gospels or the gospel of John because of the difficulties of resolving questions about exactly when Jesus was crucified. Phlegon had specifically stated in his Olympiades: "In the 4th year of the 202nd Olympiad, there was a great eclipse of the Sun, greater than had ever been known before, for at the 6th hour the day was changed into night and the stars were seen in the heavens.". For example the first Olympiad happened in 776 and the second occurred in 772 BC. This earthquake did not center near Jerusalem exactly but it was strong enough to be very noticable in effects at Jerusalem if it did damage in Nicea. Historical Testimony Martinus Nijhoff. One day it occurred to me that there were physical events that were extraordinary that WOULD most likely be preserved in historyand here are some very awesome references. If your sunset occurs later than sunset in Athens, the event may occur on the previous day . For example, the first year of Olympiad 140 began in the summer of 220 BC and lasted until the middle of . The audience began to show its disdain. At some time during that twelve months occurred the darkness over Asia in which lay Bithynia and Nicea to which Phlegon refers. (see Figure 2 below). It is an important event to all Christians. Tertullian, Apologeticus, Chapter 21, 19, Christian Evidence was created to enable Christians to defend their faith, and to open their eyes up to the overwhelming evidence for Christianity. Though historical data may be sketchy on some issues sometimes, regarding Christ's crucifixion, the evidence we have confirming the New Testament is I think very persuasive. (31 B.C. "In the 4th year of the 202nd Olympiad, there was a great eclipse of the Sun, greater than had ever been known before, for at the sixth hour the day was changed into night, and the stars were seen in the heavens. Donations to this ministry aretax-deductible. Therefore, he relied on transcribed information; either written or oral. The earthquake on the other hand was a natural process miraculously timed to occur at the crucifixion. Bugnolan Conclave in surprise move, elects Bergoglio! These aspects of the problem are critical and it shows the Jewish mindset about the calendar and counting days was quite different than our modern mindset. That is a nearly impossible standard to meet. Die Fragmente der Griechischen Historiker. The mention of three nights in this verse has prompted some to propose the crucifixion was on a Wednesday or a Thursday. . I will address that below as well. The former says: "In the fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad, there was an extraordinary eclipse of the sun: at the sixth hour, the day was turned into dark night, so that the stars in heaven were seen; and there was an earthquake in Bithynia, which overthrew many houses in the city of Nice." It corresponds approximately to April in our modern Gregorian calendar. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved. Therefore this is how Jesus could have been crucified on Friday and rise from the dead on Sunday, as Christian tradition and Biblical information have always said. The answer is a resounding yes.Whether the darkness was witnessed throughout the empire or only in regions around Jerusalem is not clear. Thus, his statement taken in whole does not exclude that there may have been other unusually long eclipses of the sun of which he was awareperhapsmanymorebut regarding which he did not elaborate. /*

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