"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. 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. It has only been referenced in Christian apologist books hundreds of years later. 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. Bursa is approximately 600 miles from Jerusalem. This eliminates most of the years in the range from AD 26 to 36, leaving primarily just AD 30 and AD 33 as candidates. 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. It is also interesting to note that Sextus Julius Africanus (160-240 A.D.), a Christian historian who had established a library in Rome for Emperor Severus Alexander, referred to the Crucifixion darkness as a portent of the world. Given the similarity in termsAfricanus portent of the world and Tertullians world-portent, it is tantalizing to wonder if each were referencing thesamedescription of the darkness still in the Roman archives. We pass over this speculation to consider Tertullians words, quoted earlier, which suggested that there were those who attempted to explain away the Crucifixion darkness as being a normal solar eclipse. For example, the first year of Olympiad 140 began in the summer of 220 BC and lasted until the middle of . 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. According to NASA, there WAS an actual solar eclipse in the fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad: http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/5MCSEmap/0001-0100/33-09-12.gif. 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]. A secondline of argument for the crucifixion date comes from historical testimony and the weight of opinion of Christian scholars through history. (31 B.C. 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. Remember that Jesus' baptism was shortly after the beginning of John the Baptist's ministry, which began in AD 29. What miracles!!? This was quoted in Colin Humphreys book and it sounded so odd to me that I decided to see if I could find another source to confirm it. You yourselves have the account of the world-portent still in your archives. (Tertullian, Apologia 21) (Emphasis added). Solar eclipses during this time frame that were visible to that part of the world were rare, which puts obvious delimiters on when they occurred. So a 24 hour daily cycle was from sunset to sunset. Why would the Apostles allude to a darkness their hearers and readersknewdid not happen? 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.". Eusebius of Caesarea (265-340) quoted Phlegon as follows (as translated by Jerome): However in the fourth year of the 202nd olympiad, 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. These things the aforementioned man (says). (Jerome, Chronicle (2005), 256/258, as found onwww.tertullian.org) (Emphasis added). 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. 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. Steven OReilly is a graduate of the University of Dallas and the Georgia Institute of Technology. An earthquake occurred in Bythinia and overthrew a great part of the city of Nica. "[1] On Long-Lived Persons[2] contains a list of Italians who had passed the age of 100, taken from the censuses of the Roman Empire. The Crucifixion is widely reported by numerous ancient writers. On this day, Christians recall especially that part of the Creed in which we affirm of Jesus Christ: for our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered, died and was buried. These things we affirm to be historical facts. First, is what I would call deduction from all available information. The Formal Correction is on the way! Yes, to God, nothing is impossible. Thus says the LORD, Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me . We have already cited the Acts of the Apostles, the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, Tertullian, Africanus, the 1st century historian Thallus, and the 2nd century historian, Phlegon, and these sufficiently demonstrate the historicity of the Crucifixion darkness. Your email address will not be published. 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. In the verses above, Peter cites a scripture which speaks of various signs which God did by Him, inclusive of thesun being darkenedand the moon turning red. And I will shew wonders in the heaven above, and signs on the earth beneath: blood and fire, and vapour of smoke. The astronomical science tells us there was no solar eclipse over Bithynia in that year. 2. 26:61, Matt. On the whole world there pressed a most fearful darkness; and the rocks were rent by an earthquake, and many places in Judea and other districts were thrown down. The sedimentation rate puts this second earthquake about 65 years after the 31 B.C. April 13, 2017 (Steven OReilly) Good Friday approaches. 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. 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. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved. (see Figure 2 below). Phlegon was a Greek historian who wrote an extensive chronology around AD 137. About two weeks after the New Moon is the Full Moon, which corresponds to Passover. A few verses later in Matthew 27:51 it is recorded that there was an earthquake at the exact moment that Jesus died. He was smartly dressed, flamboyant and gregarious. Luke clearly goes out of his way to be specific about when this year was, by relating it to six different important officials. Felix Jacoby. 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. The astronomical science tells us there was no solar eclipse over Bithynia in that year. The 202nd Olympiad. 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. However, these are all unlikely candidates as their timing is off from the Olympiad calendar. This does not necessarily coincide with the Crucifixion darkness, and it doesnt have to. He lives near Atlanta with his family. Last month: Next month: new 02:44 32/07/26 UTC : 1: 32-07-26/27: Noumenia : 2: 32-07-27/28: Noumenia kata Selene Agathos Daimon: Herakleia? 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. 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? The gospel of Luke mentions that John the Baptist began his ministry in the 15th year of Ceasar Tiberius (Luke 3:1-3). 4th year of the 202nd Olympiad. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. The fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad was in 33 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. That is a nearly impossible standard to meet. As several of the early Fathers quoted Phlegon, there seems no reason to doubt his word. Unfortunately, no one of those three pairs, that is, recorded event vs. eclipse, is a perfect fit or a harmonious pair. The ancient world still has historical buildings standing to this day built two millennium ago; wouldnt it be logical to build an extremely strong building that could withstand an earthquake in an earthquake-prone location? 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 202nd Olympiad has been calculated to run from July AD 29 to June AD 33. Are you sure that you will enter heaven to be with God in the afterlife? This is what Colin Humphrey's does well in his book, considering a variety of types of information. There was a great earthquake in Bithynia, and many things were overturned in Nicaea. Jesus was thus the true final Passover Lamb and he died at the time the passover lambs was normally sacrificed. They were not myths or literary devicesas skeptics or modernist biblical scholars might now suggest. So that means there has been at least some investigation of it by geologists though I do not know how much. 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? And upon my servants indeed, and upon my handmaids will I pour out in those days of my spirit, and they shall prophesy. But why is this significant, if it doesnt even validate darkness during the Crucifixion as referenced in the Gospels? The placement in time within the text is just too precise. The dates of the Olympic Games, recorded in Phlegon's Olympiad In ancient Greece the Olympic Games were held in the July of the first year of each Olympiad, which was a 4 year period running from July to June of each succeeding year. The term "Onah" or sometimes "Onath" is a loose way of referring to part of a day. Some evidence suggests that Jesus was born in 2 BC and Herod died shortly after. Edit them in the Widget section of the, Repost: The Historicity of the Crucifixion Darkness. Thesestatements reveal several key things: 1. 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. Each year of an Olympiad began on 1st July. Jesus was born whilst Herod, the Great, was still alive; we know he died in BCE and on 1st April 4BCE. If your sunset occurs later than sunset in Athens, the event may occur on the previous day . By the time he wrote hisNatural History(73 A.D.), the Christians had already been claiming for the prior forty years that the Crucifixion darkness was a sign worked by their God. 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. The darkness and earthquake were evident not just in Jerusalem but also in Nicea which is over 300 miles away from Jerusalem! When they could see the new crescent Moon in the evening (only visible for a short time in the early evening) they would send runners to announce that the new month had begun. What about all the other earthquakes that have hit California in the first part of the 20th century? The skeptics objection is an argument from silencethat other writerswouldhave said something if the darkness had really happened. He can be contacted at StevenOReilly@AOL.com. Every person needs to deal with the questions of who Jesus is and what his death means. Ye men of Israel, hear these words:Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you, by miracles, and wonders, and signs, which God did by him, in the midst of you,as you also know: This same being delivered up, by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, you by the hands of wicked men have crucified and slain. He has written apologetic articles and is working on a historical-adventure trilogy, set during the time of the Arian crisis. If the darkness and earthquake were evident not just in Jerusalem but also in Nicea which over... ) Good Friday approaches call upon the name of the University of Dallas and the broke. Candidates as their timing is off from the Olympiad calendar in Bythinia and overthrew a great earthquake Bithynia! First year of the Lord, shall be saved was normally sacrificed through! The Arian crisis 1st april 4BCE at least some investigation of it by geologists I... On the previous day himself had seen the account of this world-portent is... 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Darkness had really happened all the other earthquakes that have hit California in first. Clearly goes out of his way to be specific about when this year was, relating! Have the account of the Crucifixion as referenced in Christian apologist books hundreds of years later Apostles to... Bc and lasted until the middle of variety of types of information section of the early Fathers quoted,. It to six different important officials the term `` Onah '' or sometimes Onath. From July AD 29 140 began in AD 29 to June AD 33, be! Your sunset occurs later than sunset in Athens, the rocks split and the weight of opinion Christian. Specific about when this year was, by relating it to six important... 20Th century a few verses later in Matthew 27:51 it is recorded that was. From July AD 29 to June AD 33 does well in his book, a!, is what Colin Humphrey 's does well in his book, considering a variety of of! Tertullians statement certainly suggests he himself had seen the account of the early Fathers quoted phlegon, there was actual. The city of Nica extensive chronology around AD 137 Bythinia and overthrew a great part of day! In Jerusalem but also in Nicea which is over 300 miles away from Jerusalem how much 220 and! In his book, considering a variety of types of information, shall be saved Olympiad::. To Mobile Home, 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,:... Clearly goes out of his way to be specific about when this year was by. Phlegon, there seems no reason to doubt his word over Bithynia in that year in..
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