The Date and Time of Jesus’ Crucifixion
An hypothesis of Dr Galen Currah (2016)
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Hypothesis

Jesus was crucified about 9 AM, Thursday, April 2nd, 33 CE, dying about six hours later.
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Bible quotations taken from English Standard Version (2001)
Material adapted from Jack W. Langford (2013); Sten Odenwald (1997); U.S. Naval Observatory; Josephus’ Antiquities; Tacitus; The Talmud.
Music by Natrix

Contents

● Presuppositions
● The calendar of Passover week
● The Day of Jesus’ Crucifixion
● The Hour of Jesus’ Crucifixion
● The Year of Jesus’ Crucifixion
● Conclusion

Presuppositions

● Hebrew days start at nightfall and continue till the following sundown.
● All date references in the four canonical gospels must be consulted.
● By the first century C.E., the Feast of Unleavened bread started a day early and continued for eight days.
● The evening meal of all eight days was called a Passover.
● Passover Day was a High Sabbath, regardless of the day of week on which it occurred.
● Τhere were two Preparation Days, one for the High Sabbath, and another for the weekly Sabbath.
● The Gospels count hours by the Roman system, from about 6 in the morning.

A calendar of Passover week

9th Nisan. 6th day before Passover. Friday-Saturday.
10th Nisan. 5th day before Passover. Saturday-Sunday.
● Selection of Passover lambs.
11th Nisan. 4th day before Passover. Sunday-Monday.
12th Nisan. 3rd day before Passover. Monday-Tuesday.
13th Nisan. 2nd day before Passover. Tuesday-Wednesday.
14th Nisan. Wednesday-Thursday.
Passover Preparation Day.
First day of eight days of Unleavened Bread
● Passover lambs sacrificed (in the daytime)
● First Passover meal eaten (in the evening)
15th Nisan. Thursday-Friday.
● Passover Day, a High Sabbath.
● Preparation Day for the weekly Sabbath
● First day of eight days of Unleavened Bread
● Second Passover meal eaten.
16th Nisan. Friday-Saturday.
● Weekly Sabbath.
● Third Passover meal eaten.
17th Nisan. Saturday-Sunday.
● First day of the week.
● Fourth Passover meal eaten.
18th Nisan. Sunday-Monday.
● Fifth Passover meal eaten.
19th of Nisan. Monday-Tuesday.
● Sixth Passover meal eaten.
20th of Nisan. Tuesday-Wednesday.
● Seventh Passover meal eaten.
21st of Nisan. Wednesday-Thursday.
● Final Passover meal eaten.

The Day and Date of Jesus’ Crucifixion

9th of Nisan. Friday-Saturday. John 12:1
10th of Nisan. Saturday-Sunday. John 12:2, 12
11th of Nisan. Sunday-Monday. Mark 11:11-15
12th of Nisan. Monday-Tuesday. Mark 11:19-20; Matthew 26:2, 5
13th of Nisan. Tuesday-Wednesday. Mark 14:3; John 13:1; Mark 14:12

14th of Nisan. Wednesday-Thursday. Mark 14:16-17; Luke 22:7; John 19:31
JESUS IS CRUCIFIED. John 19:31; Luke 23:54

15th of Nisan. Thursday-Friday. Luke 23:55; Matthew 27:62
16th Nisan. Friday-Saturday. Luke 23:56
17th Nisan. Saturday-Sunday. Mark 16:1; John 20:1
JESUS IS RISEN! Luke 24:21

The Hour of Jesus’ Crucifixion

● The 3rd hour: 9 in the morning. Mark 15:24-25
● The 6th hour: 12 Noon. Mark 15:33
● The 9th hour: 3 in the afternoon. Mark 15:34-37

The Year of Jesus’ Crucifixion

● During the procuratorship of Pontius Pilate, between 26 and 36 C.E. Acts 4:27-28
● During the reign Tiberius Caesar, after 29 C.E. Luke 3:1-2
● Following the ministry of John the Baptist, from 30 C.E. Mark 1:14-15
● Following three Passovers, after 31 or 32 C.E. John 2:13; 6:4; 11:55
● When there was a lunar eclipse, in 33 C.E. Acts 2:18-20
● Fulfilling the prophecy of Daniel, 483 years after edict of Artaxerxes I issued in 458 B.C.E. Daniel 9:24-26

Conclusion

● The dates and events recounted in the four canonical Gospels provide a coherent, detailed crucifixion account,
that proves consistent with historical Passover practices.
● Jesus was apparently crucified on Thursday, April 2, the 14th of Nisan, a day before Passover, in 33 C.E.
● Jesus was crucified about 9 AM, dying at about 3 PM., at the time that Passover lambs were sacrificed.
● Jesus lay in his tomb three days and three nights.
● The crucifixion of Jesus was a historical event, reported by reliable eye-witnesses.