. Is this a powerful confirmation of the events described in the New Testament? Passover occurred on either Nisan 14 or 15 about two weeks after the New Moon. The 4th year of the 202nd Olympiad is from July 32 to June 33 CE, which confirms the date of 3 April 33 CE. !, The audience was rowdy now. The above said, the skeptics objection appears strongest when they allege thatPliny the Elder an ancient Roman writer who penned a natural historywould surely have have mentioned the Crucifixion darkness. 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. 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. It is believed to be an 8.2-magnitude earthquake. [3]. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. Note that the path of this eclipse was over present-day Russia. Thus, in their mindset, Jesus could say "three days and three nights" and the Jews would not have understood that this had to be a full 72 hours. And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst. (Luke 23:44-45 ). 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! We know that Jesus was crucified in the Spring, at the time of the Passover. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and manifest day of the Lord come. The last known Olympic celebration was held in the year 261 CE ( Common Era, also known as "AD" from the Latin Anno Domini which means In the Year of the Lord in English). 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. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. For example, the first year of Olympiad 140 began in the summer of 220 BC and lasted until the middle of . 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. Please note, I do not believe that this eclipse is connected with the crucifixion. Those who heard Peter preach in Rome would have previously known about this darkness in several ways, including: (1) having witnessed it firsthand in Rome if it had been a universal darkness; (2) hearing of it from travelers to Rome; and or (3) through letters or official reports received from the provinces, the latter of which were kept in the Roman archives. Rome had a Jewish community, and it is probable that word of the darkness would have reached and been known within it. What about all the other earthquakes that have hit California in the first part of the 20th century? Last Olympiad: Next Olympiad: 1st year: Begins 29-07-01/02: Hekatombaion 29 Metageitnion 29 Boedromion 30 Puanepsion 29 Maimakterion 30 Poseideon . 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. And calculation makes out that the period of 70 weeks, as noted in Daniel, is completed at this time." The Date by Deduction An unknown, massive astronomical body passing through the solar system or on long period orbit, transiting between the earth and sun? Christ still changes lives like he did in the first century. However, unlike the New Testament, of which there are 25,366 early copies, many of these ancient writer's manuscripts are fragmented. On this basis the Fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad would commence in July A.D.32 and finish in June A.D.33. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. 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. However, this is scientifically impossible. Now let us consider how he might have categorized the Crucifixion darkness. This needs to be updated they just found evidence if quake from 26 to 36ad. 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. Modern context of the calendar of ancient Olympics would put the 4th year of the 202nd Olympiad at July 32-33AD. In order to make it, the skeptic must demonstrate that the other surviving ancient sources we do havecertainlywould have mentioned the darkness if it had happenedandthat there is no sufficient reason why these sources excluded it. 2. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This is a text widget. The answer is a resounding yes.Whether the darkness was witnessed throughout the empire or only in regions around Jerusalem is not clear. A solar eclipse supposedly occurred during a full moon. 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. Even more fascinating is the mention of an earthquake. The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Those issues do not change the conclusion for various reasons. (LogOut/ 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. Required fields are marked *. "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. 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. It is improbable that he would have created such an event from his own imagination. 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 Wadi Zeelim, located above the southwestern shore of the modern Dead Sea exists an outcrop of laminated Dead Sea sediment. The gospel of Luke mentions that John the Baptist began his ministry in the 15th year of Ceasar Tiberius (Luke 3:1-3). Thesestatements reveal several key things: 1. 4th year of the 202nd Olympiad. His chief work was the Olympiads, an historical compendium in sixteen books, from the 1st down to the 229th Olympiad (776 BC to AD 137), of which several chapters are preserved in Eusebius' Chronicle, Photius, and George Syncellus. This one too is during the 202ndOlympiad, although in the first year, not the fourth. 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. Then the other speaker, also a minister, stepped forward. 3: 32-07-28/29: Athene : 4: 32- . (Jerome) [4]. Therefore, he relied on transcribed information; either written or oral. 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. Next, let us consider the argument with regard to theGospel of Mark. 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. The sun was darkened during Christs death from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm. The facts were recorded in a historical account of Tiberius. Early Christian writers, such as Origen, Africanus and Eusebius, also cited a 2nd century writer, Phlegon, as having written of the Crucifixion darkness. I speak of the midday or Crucifixion darkness which the gospel accounts assert fell over the earth between noon and 3 pm. He dabbed the sweat from his pallid face and intoned Are you at peace with God? Another writer, a Christian historian named Sextus Julius Africanus, also commented about Phlegon's writings which connect the above event to the the crucifixion: "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. One such quotation is 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. 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. Nisan was the month the Passover was celebrated, a very important time for the Jews commemorating their deliverance out of slavery in Egypt. "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. The 202nd Olympiad has been calculated to run from July AD 29 to June AD 33. He can be contacted at StevenOReilly@AOL.com. 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. Each recounts a fantastical or paranormal event. The darkness and earthquake were evident not just in Jerusalem but also in Nicea which is over 300 miles away from Jerusalem! . This is writing from an early Christian apologist named Jerome. . And with regard to the eclipse in the time of Tiberius Caesar, in whose reign Jesus appears to have been crucified, and the great earthquakes which then took place . At some time during that twelve months occurred the darkness over Asia in which lay Bithynia and Nicea to which Phlegon refers. 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. 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.). This earthquake would have been massive to be felt in Israel and Turkey at the same timethink of the catastrophe! On the subject of unusually long eclipses of the sun, Pliny states the following: Eclipses of the sun also take place which are portentous and unusually long,such asoccurred when Csar the Dictator was slain, and in the war against Antony, the sun remained dim for almost a whole year(Pliny the Elder,Natural History,II, 30) [Italics added]. (The Olympics began in 776 B.C., and by counting every fourth year you come to the 202 nd Olympiad, and the fourth year of same is 33 A.D.) Most The first quote below is unique to Origen. 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. 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. Certainly, other ancient writers, most notably Pliny the Elder (23 79 AD), would have written of a three hour darkness had it really happened. 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," From this brief statement, the skeptic wants to declare victory and go home. One of the strengths of Humphrey's book is the way it clarifies calendar issues and the way the Jews counted months, days, and nights. 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. 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. 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? Is there historical evidence for the darkness & earthquake at the crucifixion? So that means there has been at least some investigation of it by geologists though I do not know how much. It even mentions buildings collapsing in Nicea, which would be over 1,000 miles Northwest from Jerusalem by land. 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. This information would be every unlikely to have been added at a later time due to its specificity in time. Every person needs to deal with the questions of who Jesus is and what his death means. You yourselves have the account of the world-portent still in your archives. (Tertullian, Apologia 21) (Emphasis added). This is the first of the gospels, written some time between38 and 45 A.D. We only have fragments left to us of this monumental work and quotations of it from other writers. The third quote is from Julius Africanus and the last is from Jerome. This is done carefully in Humphreys book [1]. Unfortunately, no one of those three pairs, that is, recorded event vs. eclipse, is a perfect fit or a harmonious pair. However, these are all unlikely candidates as their timing is off from the Olympiad calendar. To recap, according to Eusebius' Chronicon tables, the 2nd year of the 202nd Olympiad is equated alongside the 16th year of Tiberius. (LogOut/ There are some uncertainties in the Olympiad numbering system but it seems from various sources the fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad would be either AD 32 or AD 33. The darkness during the crucifixion. Last month: Next month: new 18:49 33/01/19 UTC : 1: 33-01-20/21: Noumenia kata Selene : 2: 33-01-21/22: Agathos Daimon : 3: 33-01-22/23: Athene : 4: 33- . Why would the Apostles allude to a darkness their hearers and readersknewdid not happen? Within each olympiad, time was reckoned by referring to its 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th year. Dont believe me? It amounts, in effect, to asserting the following:leaving aside all the evidence youdohave, you do not have anyotherevidence. Thus, the skeptic discards all evidence against his case, and then declares victory: aha, you have nootherproof!The reality is, there is no reason to set aside the sources and evidence we do have. Historical Testimony 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. Africanus refutes the attempt of Thallus to explain away this darkness as being a regular solar eclipse. The evidence also shows it likely to have been a magnitude 5.5. "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. Pontius Pilate (Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House, 1968), p. 366. Los Angeles is approximately 380 miles from San Francisco, by comparison. So, it is possible, if not probable, that Jesus was born on 31st March, 4BCE certainly in that March anyhow. Though it is almost impossible to deny that this strange event truly happened, on the same day our Lord died on the Cross, I strived for years to find a natural astronomical explanation about it but in vain. VI, p. 130, as cited in Gary R. Habermas, The Historical Jesus: Ancient Evidence for the Life of Christ, (Joplin, MO: College Press Publishing Company), 1996., 3 Habermas, Gary. One problem with AD 30 being the crucifixion is that it does not allow enough time for Jesus ministry. Roman historical sources confirm that Jesus Christ lived on Earth and died by crucifixion. The Crucifixion is widely reported by numerous ancient writers. It was recorded by a Pagan author who had no desire to promote Christianity yet he confirmed the Bible record! Phlegon of Tralles was a first century secular Greek historian born not long after the Crucifixion. Some evidence suggests that Jesus was born in 2 BC and Herod died shortly after. The young minister was painfully uncomfortable standing in front of a largely secular group of college students. Therefore the year of the crucifixion is A.D 33. It is important to readThallus comments to completely understand the issue. His boyish face was flush and confident now. And upon my servants indeed, and upon my handmaids will I pour out in those days of my spirit, and they shall prophesy. Properly working out the Jewish calendar shows this to work for AD 33 (see C. Humphreys). Some of the students had come just to harass the speakers. 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. 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. [1] There are two books credited to his name:Chronicles and the Olympiads. 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. Z's Blog - What Does The Prayer Really Say. 4th year of the 202nd Olympiad. Also, word of it would have spread from Jerusalem to Jewish communities in Rome and throughout the empire. A few verses later in Matthew 27:51 it is recorded that there was an earthquake at the exact moment that Jesus died. This darkness Thallus, in the third book of his History, calls, as appears to me without reason, an eclipse of the sun. Clearly, Peter and his hearers had seen the sun darken. Since Marks written gospel contains an account of the Crucifixion darkness, it follows that Peter included this event in his oral preaching. 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?