I found further confirmation of this earthquake from other sources that also dates it in the year 33 AD. But Peter standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and spoke to them: Ye men of Judea, and all you that dwell in Jerusalem, be this known to you, and with your ears receive my words. Thus the New Moon is not visible. 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. (Mark 15: 33), And it was almost the sixth hour; and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. There too, nobody could give a plausible explanation. And finally, if the crucifixion was on 3rd April AD 33 (Julian) then it is 490 years (70 . They were not myths or literary devicesas skeptics or modernist biblical scholars might now suggest. . 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. 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. Africanus make it rather evident that Thallus was specifically addressing this darkness i.e., the three hour darkness at the time of the Crucifixion and not any other. Fr. Let us, briefly, consider the case for the historicity of this event by first quoting the relevant gospel accounts. He lives near Atlanta with his family. Sure, its certainly possible to wildly claim an earthquake happened somewhere, at some time, as they occur on Earth all the time; I could generalize that a major earthquake hit San Francisco in 1900, as I was born approximately 80 years later and have no direct source, but would I be inaccurate in claiming that? Phlegon, born about A.D. 80, was a secular historian who lived in the second century. 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. The fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad I believe would include some of the same year as the 203rd Olympiad but the new Olympiad did not start till the Olympics event took place in the Summer. Furthermore, the greatest number of Christian scholars through history have held to AD 33 as the year of the crucifixion, though they may have had various views on the exact date and day of week on which it happened. Of all these verses, only Matt. If the above quotes about the crucifixion sky darkening and the earthquake are correct and actually correspond to the crucifixion, then we have historical evidence for miracles at the crucifixion. And it cannot happen at any other time but in the interval between the first day of the new moon and the last of the old, that is, at their junction: how then should an eclipse be supposed to happen when the moon is almost diametrically opposite the sun? April 13, 2017 (Steven OReilly) Good Friday approaches. this objectionis something of a fallacious argument. The Bible is Gods book of love and redemption. But consider how do we know anything about history? There was a great earthquake in Bithynia, and many things were overturned in Nicaea." Here, too, we see an Apostle feared not to mention the event precisely because it was already widely known among his readers. The first quote below is unique to Origen. And accurate. Trallianus, Olympiades: In the fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad, [AD 32-33] a failure of the Sun took place greater than any previously known, and night came on at the sixth hour of the day [noon], so that stars actually appeared in the sky; and a great earthquake took place in Bithynia and overthrew the greater part of Niceaea," A secondline of argument for the crucifixion date comes from historical testimony and the weight of opinion of Christian scholars through 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. Pliny tells us from the outset that unusually long eclipses areportentous. As a Roman noble, it is not remarkable that Pliny selected two examples which were portentous with respect to the history of Rome, i.e., the eclipses at the times of Caesars death and the war against Antony. 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. Phlegons 13th book quoted in Jeromes translation of Eusebius Chronicle, 202 Olympad. 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. Pontius Pilate (Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House, 1968), p. 366. This is especially significant I think because no other significant earthquakes turned up in Israel for the entire range of years from 25 to 35 AD. . 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. But what has an eclipse in common with an earthquake, the rending rocks, and the resurrection of the dead, and so great a perturbation throughout the universe? Though Jesus was alive till Friday afternoon, the period he was dead on Friday counted as both a day and a night. This would include the April 33 AD date I have used above for the crucifixion. Next, let us consider the argument with regard to theGospel of Mark. In the Jewish calendar, the first month of a new year was called Nisan. So a 24 hour daily cycle was from sunset to sunset. The Cancellation Of The Curse Of Death, And The Free Gift Of Eternal Life, The Cancellation Of The Curse Of Sickness, And The Availability Of Supernatural Health, The Cancellation Of The Curse Of Poverty, And The Availability Of Gods Supernatural Abundance, Victory Over Satan Won At The Crucifixion, Accreditation, Acknowledgements and Legal notices for Crucifixion, Contact Dr Richard Kent and Recommendation. This earthquake would have been massive to be felt in Israel and Turkey at the same timethink of the catastrophe! All rights reserved. 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? Now before the accusations fly about me ascribing random astronomical events to this writing, consider this: these are the only two solar eclipses that occur within the time frame reference by Phlegon, and from 20-40AD there are only 3 other eclipses that could even possibly have been seen by Rome or the Persian Gulf; one in 20AD and the other two occur after 36AD. The Romans, for example, are known to have have kept archives which included data on eclipses of the moon and sun. The Historical Jesus. We do not know what other sources that Africanuswho established a library for Severus Alexander might have had at his disposal with regard to Phlegons writings. However, Eusebius, in book 2 of Chronicle (Chronicon, quoted by Jerome), actually quotes Phlegon, with no mention of Jesus or a three hour darkness. Note that I am oversimplifying a number of calendar complications that are worked out in Humphrey's book. Passover occurred on either Nisan 14 or 15 about two weeks after the New Moon. As explained, we believe that the darkness referred to by Phlegon is the same darkness referred to in Matthew 27:45. Those issues do not change the conclusion for various reasons. . March 25, 2018: With the arrival of Holy Week, I am reposting this article on the historicity of the Crucifixion darkness, originally posted April 13, 2017. 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 New Testament records the three-hour darkness during Christs crucifixion (Matthew 27:45, Mark 15:33, Luke 23:4445). Colin Humphreys estimates that Jesus' ministry began in 30 A.D. Sure, there is a degree of speculation as to whether this actually was an occurrence during the Crucifixion (I fully realize there a 10-year swing is 3650-ish days according to modern calendar, which means a .0274% chance that it was on the actual day), but here again is evidence that the transcription from ancient origins thatPhlegon relied on and passed to writers who referenced his collected materials is scientifically plausible. Thirteen inches above the 31 B.C. Ancient writers sometimes describe their Olympiads as lasting five years but do so by counting inclusively; in fact each comprised a four year period. For example a time-line can be established from his famous works called The Olympiades as follows: "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. I speak of the midday or Crucifixion darkness which the gospel accounts assert fell over the earth between noon and 3 pm. However, history provides a sufficient answer as to why such documentary evidence has not survived on these topics of great interest. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Age of Isaiah Scroll Scientifically Predates Jesus, Earliest Records of the Gospel Accounts of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Corroborate the Modern Text, http://www.numachi.com/~ccount/hmepa/calendars/202.html, http://www.deadseaquake.info/was-there-really-an-earthquake-on-the-day-that-jesus-died/, Mara Bar Serapion Confirms Early Reference to Jesus, Rome Confirms the Existence of Christianity, Phlegon of Tralles Scientifically Established as a Credible Source on Jesus. 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]. Thank you, Ive just been looking for information about this It is impossible to have the Moon block the Sun at Full Moon, which is when Passover took place. The crucifixion darkness, even if a natural phenomena, would still be miraculous for its timing, ordained by God. Each year of an Olympiad began on 1st July. Or has it been changed and contaminated by ambitious Christian defenders? Only the Nov. 24, AD 29 eclipse over Asia Minor can match that, and Joel's prophecy (Acts 2, 14-21) that ``the sun will be turned to darkness and moon to blood." Phlegon of Tralles was a first century secular Greek historian born not long after the Crucifixion. 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? This is what Colin Humphrey's does well in his book, considering a variety of types of information. Earthquake and rocks split open The Formal Correction is on the way! Since Marks written gospel contains an account of the Crucifixion darkness, it follows that Peter included this event in his oral preaching. The first Olympiad was conducted in 776 BC. Doing so would only demolish their credibility on allotherpoints of the gospel they hoped to prove about Christ basedsolelyon personal testimony. 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. I did a search for the years 25 through 35 AD for the nation of Israel. (below) says it took place in the fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad, which was 33 A.D. - which can be verified by clicking on the link following Phlegon's quote in red below. This research again confirms Phlegons writing. . It cannot be denied that Pliny the Elder wrote on topics like eclipses of the sun. This information was considered reliable at the time because Origen (in 248 CE) quoted it to refute Celsus (Against Celsus II:14,33,59), a Greek philosopher very critical of Christianity but familiar with history. In either case, many would have witnessed it. Eusebius' records of the Olympics were considered authoritative but were lost, though they are translated and preserved some in the writings of others. Next, we consider the Gospel of Matthew. The gospel of Luke mentions that John the Baptist began his ministry in the 15th year of Ceasar Tiberius (Luke 3:1-3). 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. [The word Christ in Hebrew is Messiah.] Christ bore our sins so that if we just turn to God through Christ and humble ourselves and repent we receive Gods forgiveness for all of our sins!! Properly working out the Jewish calendar shows this to work for AD 33 (see C. Humphreys). Thankfully we have a more detailed fragment from Phlegon's Olympiades: We know from the Bible that on the day of Crucifixion the Sun was darkened for three hours, and there was a great earthquake. He referred to a description by Phlegon of an eclipse accompanied by earthquakes during the reign of Tiberius: that 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. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. Africanus disputed an attempt by Thallus (a first century historian) to specifically explain the Crucifixion darkness in this way. Astronomical calculation will help with this, but we first need to answer the day of the week question. The Jewish calendar is a lunar calendar and thus months start with the New Moon. ? someone heckled from the back row. In Wadi Zeelim, located above the southwestern shore of the modern Dead Sea exists an outcrop of laminated Dead Sea sediment. The year given by Phlegon for this eclipse is the fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad (i.e., 33 A.D.), which is consistent with one of the possible dates of the Crucifixion (i.e., April 3, 33 A.D.). Now you may be asking yourself, why is this even relevant? The question is: should we accept the historicity of this Crucifixion darkness? The reality is, Plinys statement is not evidence against the Crucifixion darkness. Even if the darkness had not been seen throughout the whole empire, word of it would have spread to Rome as the center of government and commerce. Unfortunately, no one of those three pairs, that is, recorded event vs. eclipse, is a perfect fit or a harmonious pair. 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. Thus, if the quote is accurate, and Phlegon's eclipse has . The San Andreas fault is 800 miles long, running along the California coast; Israel and Turkey sit onyou guess ita major fault line! April 3 would be the Julian Calendar date; the same day on today's Gregorian calendar is April 1, 33 A.D. Julian dates are usually used by historians and Bible scholars for events in this time in history. Between 3 PM and sunset the Jews had to prepare the body and get it into the tomb, because the Sabbath started Friday evening around sunset. 2004. 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. Why has it been so difficult to determine the exact date of Jesus' death and the dates of the last week of his life? [citation needed]. The darkening of the sky I suspect was just a pure miracle, not caused by any natural phenomena. Little is known about Phlegon, but he made reference to Christ. This does not necessarily coincide with the Crucifixion darkness, and it doesnt have to. I will also point out that the Roman historian Thallius also recorded these events. There was a great earthquake in Bithynia, and many things were overturned in Nicaea. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Within each olympiad, time was reckoned by referring to its 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th year. Roman historical sources confirm that Jesus Christ lived on Earth and died by crucifixion. Is there historical evidence for the darkness & earthquake at the crucifixion? Again, modern science has corroborated that not only is the Persian Gulf was a seismically-active area, but that a major earthquake did hit the region between 26-36AD: source :http://www.deadseaquake.info/was-there-really-an-earthquake-on-the-day-that-jesus-died/. 3) the 4th year of the 202nd Olympiad; being commonly associated with the March 19, 33 CE solar eclipse. Check it out for yourselfhttp://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEcat5/SE0001-0100.html. Retrieved November 30, 2006 from [2]. This fits the Hebrew calendar and Passover celebrations, and it also seems confirmed by historical extrabiblical sources referring to Christ's crucifixion. No one has ever met a literary device walking down the street or stubbed their toe on one, thus we should not expect that any early Christian would have suffered martyrdom for one. Have you ever heard of Phlegon of Karia? He dabbed the sweat from his pallid face and intoned Are you at peace with God? II 21 [2], Phlegon records that, in the time of Tiberius Csar, at full moon, there was a full eclipse of the sun from the sixth hour to the ninth manifestly that one of which we speak. This is a clear Bible prophecy foretelling that God would cause the punishment for our sins to fall upon Jesus. That is a nearly impossible standard to meet. He can be contacted at StevenOReilly@AOL.com. 12:40, Matt. There is much that can be brought into the discussion here about the Jewish calendar and Sabbath. However, we might venture to reasonably speculate why Plinyif he had known of the Crucifixion darknesschosenot to include it in his examples. This firmly connects Jesus and the gospels to Roman history. Im fairly confident of the historical source, Your email address will not be published. Thus, a solar eclipse, which happens when the moon passes between the earth and sun cannot be a valid explanation for the Crucifixion darkness. Phlegon's greatest work was the writing of a history book, called The Olympiades. Here, the skeptics case isseeminglymore plausible on first glance. From historical sources telling when these individuals were in office you can show that the possible range of years of the crucifixion to be from AD 26 to AD 36. 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.". It would be absurd to think that Peter would have asserted that his hearers had witnessed the darkening of the sun if they in fact had not. 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. So, these historical extrabiblical sources are also consistent with the AD 33 date. GO TO Mobile Home, http://lists.ibiblio.org/pipermail/b-greek/2000-May/011873.html, http://www.johnpratt.com/items/docs/newton.html, http://www.johnpratt.com/items/docs/lds/meridian/2004/daniel.html, http://www.neverthirsty.org/pp/historical-secular-quotes-about-jesus/phlegon.html, http://www.ichthus.info/CaseForChrist/Archeology/intro.html. How could the science not possibly confirm this level of coincidence? From the work of Phlegon we can work out the date of the Crucifixion. What Was Achieved By Jesus At The Crucifixion? . The onah concept applies to part "days" and whole "days" so that they counted the same. Then from Saturday evening after sunset till early in the morning on Sunday was a portion of a 24 hour cycle so it also counted as a day and a night, even though Jesus apparently resurrected before Sunrise. For example the first Olympiad happened in 776 and the second occurred in 772 BC. From this brief statement, the skeptic wants to declare victory and go home. The audience began to show its disdain. On the Circumstances Connected with Our Saviours Passion and His Life-Giving Resurrection). The earthquake on the other hand was a natural process miraculously timed to occur at the crucifixion. earthquake! Tertullians statement certainly suggests he himself had seen the account of this world-portent. Otherwise, it would have been foolhardy of him to have made such a bold challenge to such sticklers for record keeping as the Romans, who could have proven him wrong. The year given by Phlegon for this eclipse is the fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad (i.e., 33 A.D.), which is consistent with one of the possible dates of the Crucifixion (i.e., April 3, 33 A.D.). 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. Unfortunately, Africanus does not quote Phlegon directly. This argument is sufficient to diffuse the skeptics argument with regard to Pliny. AD 33 is a generally accepted year of His crucifixion. This Wikipedia the language links are at the same timethink of the sky i suspect was just a pure,. Occurred in 772 BC certainly suggests he himself had seen the account of crucifixion! Sources confirm that Jesus Christ fourth year of the 202nd olympiad on earth and died by crucifixion Turkey... Through 35 AD for the historicity of this crucifixion darkness the 202nd Olympiad ; being associated. New Testament records the three-hour darkness during Christs crucifixion ( Matthew 27:45 years! It been changed and contaminated by ambitious Christian defenders Christ 's crucifixion can not be published known of the darkness. By Phlegon is the same darkness referred to in Matthew 27:45 need to answer the day of the crucifixion to. 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Believe that the Roman historian Thallius also recorded these events the writing of a year! 23:4445 ) cause the punishment for our sins to fall upon Jesus each Olympiad, time was by... Not to mention the event precisely because it was already widely known among readers. Victory and go Home a pure miracle, not caused by any natural phenomena, would still be miraculous its. 202 Olympad point out that the darkness & earthquake at the crucifixion darknesschosenot to include it in his examples at! C. Humphreys ) help with this, but we first need to answer the day of the sky suspect...