CRUCIFIXION DATE OF JESUS

REVEALED AND PROVEN^ã

Aristeo Canlas Fernando, Peace Crusader

PLEASE NOTE: This webpage has been superceded by http://www.geocities.com/peacecrusader888/jesuscrucify1.htm.

BIBLICAL ACCOUNT

When Jesus was crucified, it was on a Friday, the eve of a Jewish Sabbath (Saturday). In the Bible, all four evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John gave accounts of preparation for the Sabbath that pointed to a Friday crucifixion. The following verses are quoted from the Holy Bible (King James Version):

Matthew 27:62 - “Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, …”

Mark 15:42 - “And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath,”

Luke 23:54 - “And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on.”

John 19:31 - “The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was a high day,) …”

John 19:42 - “There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews’ preparation day; for the sepulcher was nigh at hand.”

SPIRITUAL REVELATION

The Holy Spirit revealed to a group of believers that Jesus was crucified on August 17. Not only did He reveal this date but He also mentioned the year – the equivalent of 1 BC. It was in 1983 when I first heard about this revelation. I have verified this date from the Holy Spirit Himself, which He confirmed.

The following calendar of events proves that the revelation of the Holy Spirit agrees with accounts in the Bible that the crucifixion and death of Jesus occurred on a Friday (August 17, 1 BC). By 6 p.m. on that day, it was the start of the Jewish Sabbath. That particular Sabbath was an especially holy Sabbath because it fell on the first day of the month (Elul 1, 3760 AM) when the New Moon Festival was celebrated. The apostle John referred to it as a high day (John 19:31).

CALENDAR OF EVENTS AS PROOF

1. Use of proleptic Gregorian calendar

The Gregorian calendar came into use in 1582 after Pope Gregory XIII reformed the Julian calendar. The period before 1582 is referred to herein as the proleptic Gregorian calendar.

2. Use of astronomical observation

The website http://www.stellafane.com is accurate in determining the new moon and full moon dates in the Gregorian calendar. Using its moon phase calculator, August 18, 1 BC was new moon. This was the day after the revealed crucifixion date of Jesus.

3. Use of Jewish calendar

In the Jewish calendar in ancient times, the sighting of the new moon heralded the start of a Jewish month. August 18, 1 BC being new moon was the first day of the month in the Jewish calendar. That month was Elul, and the year was 3760 AM (AM means anno mundi or “in the year of the world”). The new moon date therefore was Elul 1, 3760 AM. The month before Elul was Av, a month of 30 days. The date preceding Elul 1, 3760 was Av 30, 3760 AM. Jesus was therefore crucified on Av 30, 3760 AM. This was equivalent to August 17, 1 BC, the revealed crucifixion date of Jesus.

The following day, August 18, 1 BC (equivalent to Elul 1, 3760 AM) was Saturday. The Jews used to celebrate the first day of the Jewish month as New Moon Festival. Elul 1, 3760 AM was an especially holy day because it was the observance of Sabbath and the celebration of the New Moon Festival. Apostle John called it a high day (John 19:31).

Summary of dates determined:

Proleptic Gregorian date

Day of week

Jewish date

(until sunset of Gregorian date)

Remarks

August 17, 1 BC

Friday

Av 30, 3760 AM

Crucifixion of Jesus

August 18, 1 BC

Saturday

Elul 1, 3760 AM

New moon; Jewish Sabbath and New Moon Festival

The date and day of the week of two calendars – the proleptic Gregorian calendar and the Jewish calendar -- are compared in Table 1.

Table 1. Comparison of the dates in the proleptic Gregorian calendar in year 1 BC and the Jewish calendar in year 3760 AM around the time when Jesus was crucified.

Propleptic Gregorian calendar		Part of day	Jewish calendar		Event
Date	Day of Week	Part of day	Date	Day of Week	Event
August 15	Wed	SS - MN	Av 29	Thu
August 16	Thu	MN – SR	Av 29	Thu
August 16	Thu	SR – NN	Av 29	Thu
August 16	Thu	NN – SS	Av 29	Thu
August 16	Thu	SS – MN	Av 30	Fri
August 17	Fri	MN – SR	Av 30	Fri
August 17	Fri	SR – NN	Av 30	Fri
August 17	Fri	NN – SS	Av 30	Fri	Jesus was crucified, died, and was buried
August 17	Fri	SS - MN	Elul 1	Sat	Start of Jewish Sabbath; New Moon Festival; first night in tomb
August 18	Sat	MN – SR	Elul 1	Sat	Jewish Sabbath; New Moon Festival; First night in tomb
August 18	Sat	SR – NN	Elul 1	Sat	Jewish Sabbath; New Moon Festival; First day in tomb
August 18	Sat	NN – SS	Elul 1	Sat	Jewish Sabbath; New Moon Festival; First day in tomb
August 18	Sat	SS - MN	Elul 2	Sun	Second night in tomb
August 19	Sun	MN – SR	Elul 2	Sun	Second night in tomb
August 19	Sun	SR – NN	Elul 2	Sun	Second day in tomb
August 19	Sun	NN – SS	Elul 2	Sun	Second day in tomb
August 19	Sun	SS - MN	Elul 3	Mon	Third night in tomb
August 20	Mon	MN – SR	Elul 3	Mon	Third night in tomb
August 20	Mon	SR – NN	Elul 3	Mon	Third day in tomb
August 20	Mon	NN – SS	Elul 3	Mon	Third day in tomb
August 20	Mon	SS - MN	Elul 4	Tue	Resurrection of Jesus
August 21	Tue	MN – SR	Elul 4	Tue
August 21	Tue	SR – NN	Elul 4	Tue	Discovery of empty tomb
August 21	Tue	NN – SS	Elul 4	Tue
August 21	Tue	SS - MN	Elul 5	Wed

Note: The yellow color indicates daytime, and the blue color, nighttime.

MN (12 midnight to 6 a.m.), SR (sunrise, 6 a.m. to 12 noon), NN (12 noon to 6 p.m.), SS (sunset, 6 p.m. to 12 midnight)

On Friday afternoon when Jesus died on the cross, the day in the Jewish calendar was about to end. (The Jewish day starts at 6 p.m.) The equivalent of August 17, 1 BC in the Jewish calendar was Av 30, 3760 AM, a Friday. After 6 p.m., in the Jewish calendar, it would be Sabbath and the date was Elul 1, 3760 AM. Hence, Jesus was taken down from the cross and laid in the sepulcher before 6 p.m. that Friday to avoid the body of Jesus remaining on the cross on the Sabbath day. In the proleptic Gregorian calendar, though, the date was still a Friday until midnight.

NOTABLE FINDINGS

Ø Jesus was crucified in August and not around March or April.

Ø Jesus was crucified in the Jewish month of Av and not of Nisan.

Ø Jesus was crucified after, not during, the Passover Festival. (Available in http://www.geocities.com/peacecrusader888/passover.htm by August 25, 2002).

Ø High Sabbath means a Sabbath falling on the first day of the Jewish month and celebration of the New Moon Festival. (Available in http://www.geocities.com/peacecrusader888/highsabbath.htm by September 1, 2002.)

Ø The present calendar should reckon the year from crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ. (Available in http://www.geocities.com/peacecrusader888/jesusbirth.htm by September 8, 2002.)

Ø Jesus was crucified on 1 BC and not around 30 AD.

Ø BC means Before Crucifixion (of Jesus Christ) and AD means After Death (of Jesus Christ). (Available in http://www.geocities.com/peacecrusader888/bcad.htm by September 15, 2002.)

Ø Speaking in tongues (Acts 2:1-40) happened at the Festival of Tabernacles or Sukkoth. (Available in http://www.geocities.com/peacecrusader888/speaktongue.htm by September 22, 2002.)

Ø August 17, 1 BC and the Jewish date Av 30, 3760 AM is a Friday and can be used as reference date.

There are results of these findings other than the above-mentioned. They will be uploaded as the manuscripts become available and will be announced in religious newsgroups like alt.religion.christian.

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ãAristeo Canlas Fernando 2002