Read more . The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and manifest day of the Lord come. Bursa is approximately 600 miles from Jerusalem. Why would the Apostles allude to a darkness their hearers and readersknewdid not happen? Thus, a solar eclipse, which happens when the moon passes between the earth and sun cannot be a valid explanation for the Crucifixion darkness. Jesus ministry described in the gospels requires either 2 or 3 years, considering the number of times the Passover events occur in the gospels. Why preach something that was manifestly untrue? 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. 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]. Colin Humphreys estimates that Jesus' ministry began in 30 A.D. https://creation.com/darkness-at-the-crucifixion-metaphor-or-real-history, http://www.icr.org/article/greatest-earthquakes-bible/, http://www.nbcnews.com/id/47555983/ns/technology_and_science-science/t/quake-reveals-day-jesus-crucifixion-researchers-believe/#.Wiu9sUqWaUk, http://www.wall.org/~aron/blog/darkness-at-noon/. And accurate. Phlegon provides powerful confirmation, identifying the year and the exact time of day. Each recounts a fantastical or paranormal event. I will address that below as well. Please note, I do not believe that this eclipse is connected with the crucifixion. 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 Rome,Peter spokeas he had to the Jews of Jerusalem (cf Acts 2:14-24)to an audience that hadpriorknowledge of the three hour darkness. I would not always agree with him on some interpretational points but he does well in analyzing the crucifixion date question. Each year of an Olympiad began on 1st July. 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. Jerusalem is another place where we might have expected there to be records of the events of Matthew 27, and to hope that individual residents of Jerusalemcontemporaneous to the eventsmight have commented on these wondrous happenings in personal records, etc. . The diagram below will help to clarify this. [3]. However, such an explanation for the Crucifixion darkness is absurd because solar eclipses are counted in minutes, not hours. This research again confirms Phlegons writing. As explained, we believe that the darkness referred to by Phlegon is the same darkness referred to in Matthew 27:45. The mention of three nights in this verse has prompted some to propose the crucifixion was on a Wednesday or a Thursday. 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. 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. 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. A non-profit, 501(c)3 corporation. TheActs of the Apostlesrecords the very first public preaching of Peter and the Apostles, which took place less than eight weeks after the Crucifixion. 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. The Historical Jesus. On this basis the Fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad would commence in July A.D.32 and finish in June A.D.33. GO TO creationanswers.net 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. The question is: should we accept the historicity of this Crucifixion darkness? Ancient writers sometimes describe their Olympiads as lasting five years but do so by counting inclusively; in fact each comprised a four year period. 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. Certainly, other ancient writers, most notably Pliny the Elder (23 79 AD), would have written of a three hour darkness had it really happened. To recap, according to Eusebius' Chronicon tables, the 2nd year of the 202nd Olympiad is equated alongside the 16th year of Tiberius. Remember then, especially on Good Friday between the hours of noon and 3 pm, that the Crucifixion darkness is a real, historical eventand pray for those who deny it. 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. And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst. (Luke 23:44-45 ). this objectionis something of a fallacious argument. 2. Such is the difficulty of the argument from silence. Therefore the year of the crucifixion is A.D 33. However, if the crucifixion were on a Wednesday or Thursday this does not seem to fit the proper timing in the Jewish Passover week. 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. It is an important event to all Christians. And upon my servants indeed, and upon my handmaids will I pour out in those days of my spirit, and they shall prophesy. "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." This blatantly religious appeal seemed odd and out of place. I will also point out that the Roman historian Thallius also recorded these events. Pliny then proceeds and gives only two examples. There are a variety of opinions on this question. Archeological study of artifacts or buried structures is helpful but archeologists would often consider an ancient written source to be more important than an artifact because you need to know something to give the artifact a context. And I will shew wonders in the heaven above, and signs on the earth beneath: blood and fire, and vapour of smoke. 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. Eusebius' records of the Olympics were considered authoritative but were lost, though they are translated and preserved some in the writings of others. 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. 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). 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. It does however, place Phlegons writing, transposed hundreds of years later by Christian writers, as a scientifically-accurate writing. It has only been referenced in Christian apologist books hundreds of years later. If your sunset occurs later than sunset in Athens, the event may occur on the previous day . The written testimony from outside the Bible confirms some of the main events, people, and places mentioned in the New Testament. And calculation makes out that the period of 70 weeks, as noted in Daniel, is completed at this time." 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). This earthquake would have been massive to be felt in Israel and Turkey at the same timethink of the catastrophe! There is only one period of darkness lasting for three hours in the history of the world. This sediment outcrop is a distinctive one-foot thick mixed layer of sediment that is tied strongly to the Qumran earthquakes onshore ground ruptures of 31 B.C. 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. 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. Thus geological data seem to confirm the 33 AD date. 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. Or has it been changed and contaminated by ambitious Christian defenders? "[4], Phlegon may have been recording an eclipse that happened in November, 29 AD, the 1st year of the 202nd Olympiad.[5]. First, is what I would call deduction from all available information. The terms "day" and "night" sort of overlapped in their way of thinking. There are no surviving records after this date. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. An earthquake occurred in Bythinia and overthrew a great part of the city of Nica. Remember that Jesus' baptism was shortly after the beginning of John the Baptist's ministry, which began in AD 29. There is a silence of historical sources with regard to this Crucifixion darkness. At His own free-will, He with a word dismissed from Him His spirit, anticipating the executioners work. Yet there has not been a good consensus among scholars about the exact date of the crucifixion. The earthquake and RARE darkness for three hours couldn't be ignored by secular writers. Long eclipses areportentous time. he should be holden by it Athens the! Blood, before the great and manifest day of the argument from silence began on July., 501 ( c ) 3 corporation connected with the crucifixion is A.D 33 by it before great! 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