We have already seen there is strong reason to believe a record of the Crucifixion darkness was held in the Roman archives. 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. 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. Jesus was born whilst Herod, the Great, was still alive; we know he died in BCE and on 1st April 4BCE. The difficulty in this is that it mentions three nights as well as three days. Now you may be asking yourself, why is this even relevant? Phlegon would have had no way to misreport an actual earthquake that hit in the region, because the region has the history to confirm the account passed to him. Moon phase and solar year events are shown on the day in Athens. And accurate. The Bible is Gods book of love and redemption. This is the first of the gospels, written some time between38 and 45 A.D. The above said, we may venture still further in suggesting another reason for theseemingsilence. The Biblical Astronomer, 8(84). However, Eusebius, in book 2 of Chronicle (Chronicon, quoted by Jerome), actually quotes Phlegon, with no mention of Jesus or a three hour darkness. Indeed Phlegon, who is an excellent calculator of olympiads, also writes about this, in his 13th book writing thus: "However in the fourth year of the 202nd olympiad [32 CE], an eclipse of the sun happened, greater and more excellent than any that had happened before it; at the sixth hour [around noon] day turned into dark night, so that the . I believe Colin Humphreys is probably correct that the date of the crucifixion of Christ was Friday April 3, A.D. 33. 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/. Here, the skeptics case isseeminglymore plausible on first glance. However, the sixth hour in Bithynia is also at the same time as the sixth hour in Jerusalem. The New Testament in Matthew 27:45 records that while Jesus was on the cross there was darkness over all the land for three hours. The next piece of the puzzle is to determine if Jesus indeed was crucified on a Friday. Well, for starters, it places a high degree of scientific precision for a writing that could considered to be hearsay or speculative because of its inference from another source. However, this is scientifically impossible. He made a famous statement to explain how days were counted for certain ceremonial purposes. 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. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and manifest day of the Lord come. The Romans, for example, are known to have have kept archives which included data on eclipses of the moon and sun. Pontius Pilate (Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House, 1968), p. 366. 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. Retrieved November 30, 2006 from [2]. Are you positive in regards to the source? Donations to this ministry aretax-deductible. Since Marks written gospel contains an account of the Crucifixion darkness, it follows that Peter included this event in his oral preaching. The Bible is indeed confirmed by science, archaeology and history. He was dying as the newborn infant was being brought back from Egypt by his parents. Jesus was thus the true final Passover Lamb and he died at the time the passover lambs was normally sacrificed. Here, too, we see an Apostle feared not to mention the event precisely because it was already widely known among his readers. It cannot be denied that Pliny the Elder wrote on topics like eclipses of the sun. Even more fascinating is the mention of an earthquake. The Olympiades can be used as a useful means of establishing a time-line. Only one earthquake in this span of years came up in the results, in 33 AD The database showed two published geological sources regarding this earthquake. 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). Edit them in the Widget section of the, Repost: The Historicity of the Crucifixion Darkness. The Historical Jesus, pp. Certainly, other ancient writers, most notably Pliny the Elder (23 79 AD), would have written of a three hour darkness had it really happened. This earthquake did not center near Jerusalem exactly but it was strong enough to be very noticable in effects at Jerusalem if it did damage in Nicea. Within each olympiad, time was reckoned by referring to its 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th year. It is improbable that he would have created such an event from his own imagination. On the subject of unusually long eclipses of the sun, Pliny states the following: Eclipses of the sun also take place which are portentous and unusually long,such asoccurred when Csar the Dictator was slain, and in the war against Antony, the sun remained dim for almost a whole year(Pliny the Elder,Natural History,II, 30) [Italics added]. Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription. So, it is possible, if not probable, that Jesus was born on 31st March, 4BCE certainly in that March anyhow. Of all these verses, only Matt. 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. This is what Colin Humphrey's does well in his book, considering a variety of types of information. If your sunset occurs later than sunset in Athens, the event may occur on the previous day . And calculation makes out that the period of 70 weeks, as noted in Daniel, is completed at this time." Colin Humphreys estimates that Jesus' ministry began in 30 A.D. The year given by Phlegon for this eclipse is the fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad (i.e., 33 A.D.), which is consistent with one of the possible dates of the Crucifixion (i.e., April 3, 33 A.D.). XIV), wrote that Phlegon, in his Chronicles, mentions Jesus: "Now Phlegon, in the thirteenth or fourteenth book, I think, of his Chronicles, not only ascribed to Jesus a knowledge of future events (although falling into confusion about some things which refer to Peter, as if they referred to Jesus), but also testified that the result corresponded to His predictions." While the actual words used by Thallus no longer survive, the response of Africanus (below) give us a sense of what he must have said: As to His (i.e., Jesus Christ) works severally, and His cures effected upon body and soul, and the mysteries of His doctrine, and the resurrection from the dead, these have been most authoritatively set forth by His disciples and apostles before us. Thus, if the quote is accurate, and Phlegon's eclipse has . 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). When the Moon "lines up" with the Sun it is referred to by astronomers as being at conjunction (which is the New Moon). 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. The maximum duration for a total solar eclipse is seven minutes, not three hours, and at the latitude of Jerusalem the maximum duration is even less. Pliny then proceeds and gives only two examples. 4th year of the 202nd Olympiad. (The Olympics began in 776 B.C., and by counting every fourth year you come to the 202 nd Olympiad, and the fourth year of same is 33 A.D.) Most Now consider if this were either all fake or unauthentic; Christian historians have used this writing to cite as an extra-biblical account of the Gospel accounts and opponents have used the writing to discredit the theory as contrived. He wrote that during the fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad there was a period of unexplained darkness and there was an earthquake that collapsed buildings in Nicea in northern Asia Minor. It would be interesting to model the varying sizes, speeds, and distances required from the earth to account for the period of darkness on that hypothesis. Jerome (4th century) is quoting Phlegon's 13th book which is a translation of a historical chronicle on the 202nd Olympiad by Eusebius. 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]. We also know from the New Testament that at that time Caiaphas was the Jewish High Priest (Caiaphas is mentioned in Jewish writings) and Pilate was the Roman governor of Judea. Each recounts a fantastical or paranormal event. This research again confirms Phlegons writing. The speaker continued The 53rd chapter of Isaiah, written over 700 years before the birth of Christ, describes the most important aspect of the ministry of Jesus Christ!! This would include the April 33 AD date I have used above for the crucifixion. Another writer, a Christian historian named Sextus Julius Africanus, also commented about Phlegon's writings which connect the above event to the the crucifixion: "Phlegon records that, in the time of Tiberius Csar, at full moon, there was a full eclipse of the sun from the sixth hour to the ninth - manifestly that one of which we speak. Last month: Next month: new 11:37 32/06/26 UTC : 1: 32-06-27/28: Noumenia kata Selene : 2: 32-06-28/29: Agathos Daimon : 3: 32-06-29/30: Athene : 4: 32- . An unknown, massive astronomical body passing through the solar system or on long period orbit, transiting between the earth and sun? Adding these figures up, we find that Jesus began proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of heaven when he was 33 years old. There are some uncertainties in the Olympiad numbering system but it seems from various sources the fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad would be either AD 32 or AD 33. It amounts, in effect, to asserting the following:leaving aside all the evidence youdohave, you do not have anyotherevidence. Thus, the skeptic discards all evidence against his case, and then declares victory: aha, you have nootherproof!The reality is, there is no reason to set aside the sources and evidence we do have. From this brief statement, the skeptic wants to declare victory and go home. II 21 [2], Phlegon records that, in the time of Tiberius Csar, at full moon, there was a full eclipse of the sun from the sixth hour to the ninth manifestly that one of which we speak. Now, if the darkness was disputable, we might have expected Matthew to have gone into greater detail about it, perhaps as he did in relation to his account of the guards at the tomb of Jesus. I did a search for the years 25 through 35 AD for the nation of Israel. Phlegon, born about A.D. 80, was a secular historian who lived in the second century. Ten Years Ago: Benedict confirms I am no longer the Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church, Benedicts Last Audience: Ten Years After, Roma Locuta Est Considers: Benepapism and the Munus vs. Ministerium (EpisodeVI), Is the Culture of Death creating the Remnant? . This one too is during the 202ndOlympiad, although in the first year, not the fourth. "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. Astronomical calculation will help with this, but we first need to answer the day of the week question. "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 sixth 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. Even with the loss of the original writing, if the transposition of the original to the copy were to be altered, there would be significant doubt as to when the event occurred, or if, it even occurred. Unfortunately for the skepticand a sign of his desperation as wellthe argument from silence is, perhaps, one of the most difficult types of arguments to make. Some events regarding the life of Christ and the life of Paul the Apostle, which are mentioned in the New Testament can be dated. He was athletically built and his firm, steady voice brought the audience to a hush. Next, let us consider the argument with regard to theGospel of Mark. (LogOut/ (Julius Africanus, Chronography, 18.1) [4]. The astronomical science tells us there was no solar eclipse over Bithynia in that year. Z's Blog - What Does The Prayer Really Say. sfnp error: no target: CITEREFRobertsDonaldsonCoxe1896 (, Learn how and when to remove this template message, https://www.tertullian.org/fathers/jerome_chronicle_03_part2.htm, http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEsearch/SEsearchmap.php?Ecl=00291124, Fragments of Phlegon on the passion phenomena, William Smith, "Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology" (1870) v. 3, page 336, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Phlegon_of_Tralles&oldid=1125623921, Articles needing additional references from April 2019, All articles needing additional references, Articles containing Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2022, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from May 2013, Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica with Wikisource reference, Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the 1911 Encyclopdia Britannica, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 5 December 2022, at 00:29. 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. I am not convinced by this even though I believe in the darkness over the land when Jesus was crucified. So, these historical extrabiblical sources are also consistent with the AD 33 date. 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. GO TO creationanswers.net On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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. There are also complicated issues about various calendar systems in use at the time of Christ that create confusion. If we know the day of the week that the crucifixion took place on, this can be used to rule out a number of the possible years (in the range from AD 26 to AD 36). In fact, PlinysNatural Historyincludes a chapter entitled Of Unusual Long Eclipses of the Sun. Therefore, it seems atfirst glancethatthe skeptic is on to something when he points out that a three hour long darkness is nowhere to be found in this chapter. Suffice it to say that the Jewish Sabbath was on Saturday and remember that the Jews considered a 24 hour day cycle to begin at sunset in the evening. At New Moon, the Moon is positioned between the Sun and the Earth with the dark side of the Moon facing the Earth. The audience was quieter now and gave the speakers the respectful hearing that they deserved. 3: 32-07-28/29: Athene : 4: 32- . One of the strengths of Humphrey's book is the way it clarifies calendar issues and the way the Jews counted months, days, and nights. 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