He was, therefore, about 4 years old at the turn from BCE to CE. This is done carefully in Humphreys book [1]. It was not until the sixteenth century that the Jewish calendar was formally defined precisely. The New Testament in Matthew 27:45 records that while Jesus was on the cross there was darkness over all the land for three hours. Note that I am oversimplifying a number of calendar complications that are worked out in Humphrey's book. He can be contacted at StevenOReilly@AOL.com. (Sextus Julius Africanus,Fragment 18. Thepoint is that thedestruction of the discovered earthquake had to be catastrophic in order to destroy buildings there, which leads to the conclusion that the big one that hit Jerusalem also hit Turkey along the fault line at the same time. He asks for your prayers for his intentions. What about all the other earthquakes that have hit California in the first part of the 20th century? This eliminates most of the years in the range from AD 26 to 36, leaving primarily just AD 30 and AD 33 as candidates. So, it is possible, if not probable, that Jesus was born on 31st March, 4BCE certainly in that March anyhow. Many authors have suggested various means of resolving all the mysteries about the date of the crucifixion. Are you sure that you will enter heaven to be with God in the afterlife? This year would be AD 29 from Roman historical sources. There is a silence of historical sources with regard to this Crucifixion darkness. But in the Jewish calendar the Jews would recognize the start of the new month by watching for when the new crescent Moon appeared in the evening, which would be after the conjunction. Phlegon, born about A.D. 80, was a secular historian who lived in the second century. There are no surviving records after this date. However, Eusebius, in book 2 of Chronicle (Chronicon, quoted by Jerome), actually quotes Phlegon, with no mention of Jesus or a three hour darkness. Emma Southon: "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them". Therefore, the reason the apostles could confidently mention a three hour darkening of the sun is because it was an actual occurrencealready knownto many in their audiences either by firsthand experience or by word of mouth. 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? We believe that the event referred to by Phlegon is the same event that is recorded in the New Testament. To recap, according to Eusebius' Chronicon tables, the 2nd year of the 202nd Olympiad is equated alongside the 16th year of Tiberius. Are you positive in regards to the source? There is much that can be brought into the discussion here about the Jewish calendar and Sabbath. All Rights Reserved. Thus, if the quote is accurate, and Phlegons eclipse has not been conflated with one which occurred in 29 A.D., then Phlegon is another source who supports the Crucifixion darkness. In October, I will perform a miracle here so that all may believe. 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. In Phlegon's Olympiades we are told it happened in the 4th year of the 202nd Olympiad which is AD 33. The above said, we may venture still further in suggesting another reason for theseemingsilence. The 202nd Olympiad. Otto Keller, Rerum Naturalium Scriptores Graeci Minores, 1 (Leipzig Teurber, 1877), p. 101., 2 Julius Africanus, Extant Writings, XVIII in The AnteNicene Fathers, ed. The dramatic story recorded above is fictional but the facts presented, namely Bible prophecy, Phlegon and Thallius writings, etc., are very true. Origen tells us in his work,Against Celsus(cf Contra Celsus II, 14), that Phlegon had some knowledge of Jesus. An earthquake occurred in Bythinia and overthrew a great part of the city of Nicaea" I am more concerned in determining the year than the exact date and day of the week, but it seems you cannot really determine the year confidently without figuring out the exact day and day of the week. As several of the early Fathers quoted Phlegon, there seems no reason to doubt his word. 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. However, history provides a sufficient answer as to why such documentary evidence has not survived on these topics of great interest. On this site you can do a search for earthquakes essentially anywhere in the world, including through history. I will follow the work of Cambridge professor Colin Humphreys based on his book, "The Mystery of the Last Supper," published in 2011 [1]. So the daylight part of a day (or any part thereof) is an onah and the evening is an onah and the entire dark period of the night is also an onah. /*