The Dates of Jesus' Crucifixion, Resurrection, and
Ascension: Conclusions of Three Documents
Conclusion of The Earliest and Latest Possible Year of Jesus' Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension, Based on New Testament and Historical Data: Jesus' crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension happened between A.D. 30 and A.D. 36.
Conclusion of The Day of the Jewish Month and the Day of the Week of Jesus' Crucifixion, Based on New Testament and Historical Data: Jesus was crucified on the 14th day of the Jewish month of Nisan. The day of the week was either Wednesday or Thursday.
Combined Conclusion of the Above Two Documents
The table below shows the only possible days that the 14th day of the Jewish
month of Nisan fell on a Wednesday or Thursday between A.D. 30 and A.D.
36. Although it cannot be determined with absolute certainty how the
first century Jews defined the month of Nisan, the month of Nisan as defined on
the left half of the table is the lunar month whose 14th day falls on or after
the spring equinox (March 21-22), and on the right half of the table as the
lunar month that began on or after the spring equinox. The method used on
the left half of the table agrees with the Jewish calendar-making method
published by the 4th century Jewish sage Hillel II,
as well as the method the 4th century church used to define the date of
Passover. The method used on the right half of the table is the
Babylonian method for determing the Babylonian month
of Nisanu, from which the name of the Jewish month of
Nisan was derived.
The values in the table are based on calculations performed with Redshift 3 Astronomy software. The uncertainty in some dates, which is
indicated, exists because in those cases it is difficult to tell which date the
new moon, which defines the beginning of the lunar month, became visible in the
evening after sunset. In those cases, both dates are given. Dates
in the fifth century B.C. were calculated for
|
Year |
Passover, based on modern Jewish calendar rules (1st 14th day of a lunar month on or after the spring equinox) |
The Jewish month of Nisan, assuming it is the lunar month containing Passover as defined to the left |
The Babylonian month of Nisanu according to Parker and Dubberstein's tables, defined as the lunar month that begins after the spring equinox |
Passover, based on the possibility that the first-century- and-earlier Jewish month of Nisan always equaled the Babylonian month of Nisanu |
|
446 B.C. |
4/8 |
same as right |
3/26-4/24 (3/24 sun/moon conjunction @
approx. 05:45 |
same as far left |
|
445 B.C. |
3/27 or 3/28 |
[3/14-4/11] or [3/15-4/12] (3/13 sun/moon conjunction @
approx. 00:55 |
4/13-5/11 (4/11 sun/moon conjunction @
approx. 06:38 |
4/26 |
|
444 B.C. |
4/15 or 4/16 |
same as right |
[4/2-4/30] or [4/3-5/1] (3/31 sun/moon conjunction @
approx. 23:47 |
same as far left |
|
30 A.D. |
Th, 4/6 or Fr, 4/7 |
same as right |
[3/24-4/21] or [3/25-4/22] (3/22 sun/moon conjunction @
approx.13:08 |
same as far left |
|
31 A.D. |
Mo, 3/26 or Tu, 3/27 |
[3/13-4/10] or [3/14-4/11] (3/11 sun/moon conjunction @
approx.18:58 |
4/12-5/11 (4/10 sun/moon conjunction @
approx.09:47 |
We, 4/25 |
|
32 A.D. |
Su, 4/13 or Mo, 4/14 |
same as right |
[3/31-4/28] or [4/1-4/29] (3/29 sun/moon conjunction @
approx.16:24 |
same as far left |
|
33 A.D. |
Fr, 4/3 |
3/21-4/18 (3/19 sun/moon conjunction @
approx.08:05 |
4/19-5/18 (4/17 sun/moon conjunction @
approx.17:31 |
Sa, 5/2 |
|
34 A.D. |
Tu, 3/23 or We, 3/24 |
[3/10-4/7] or [3/11-4/8] (3/9 sun/moon conjunction @
approx.00:49 |
4/9-5/7 (4/7 sun/moon conjunction @
approx.07:31 |
Th, 4/22 |
|
35 A.D. |
Mo, 4/11 or Tu, 4/12 |
same as right |
[3/29-4/26] or [3/30-4/27] (3/28 sun/moon conjunction @
approx.02:15 |
same as far left |
|
36 A.D. |
Sa, 3/31 |
3/18-4/16 (3/16 sun/moon conjunction @ approx.11:44
|
[4/16-5/14] or [4/17-5/15] (4/15 sun/moon conjunction @
approx.01:13 |
Su, 4/29 or Mo, 4/30 |
Based on the above table and New Testament data, the possible dates of Jesus crucifixion are Thursday 4/6/30 or Wednesday 3/24/34. However, it is also possible that due to either false observations of the new moon or cloud cover that obscured visibility of the new moon, that Wednesday 3/28/31, Thursday 4/2/33, and Wednesday 4/13/35 are additional candidates. If the Dead Sea Scrolls calendar was the only other calendar in effect in the first century, then the Wednesday crucifixion dates are the most probable. Jesus and his disciples observed, at the Last Supper, a Passover meal a day earlier than the Passover that the Pharisees and Sadducees observed. Jesus and his disciples were apparently using a different calendar than that of the Pharisees and Sadducees. On the Dead Sea Scrolls calendar, Passover was always on a Tuesday. If Jesus was using that calendar, then he celebrated His Passover on a Tuesday, and was killed on a Wednesday. Also, if three complete 24-hour days passed before the resurrection, then the crucifixion could have only been on a Wednesday.
Conclusion of The Dates of Jesus' Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension, Calculated Based on Daniel's Prophecy of 70 'Weeks'
Daniel's prophecy further narrows the dates of Jesus' crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension to either A.D. 31 or A.D. 32.
Since Passover in A.D. 32 fell on either a Sunday or Monday, plus or minus a day to allow for the possibility of false observations or cloud cover, A.D. 32 is not a candidate. The only possible crucifixion date, based on the reasoning in the above article, is Wednesday, 3/28/31. Wednesday is a candidate for Passover of A.D. 31 if cloud cover delayed the designation of the new moon for Nisan of that year.
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