When Did Jesus Die?

Christ Covenant Church

Determining the window of possible dates:

1. Jesus was condemned to death by the Roman governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate.

1.1. (Mat 27:26; Mar 15:15; Luk 23:23-24; Joh 19:14-16)

1.2. “Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus.” – Tacitus (Annals)

1.3. Josephus (Antiquities, Wars) indicates that Pilate reigned in Judea from 26 to 36 AD.

1.4. Jesus’ death could not, therefore, have taken place before 26 AD nor after 36 AD. [A 10-year window]

2. Jesus was crucified before Paul became a Christian.

2.1. While in Corinth, the Jews brought Paul before the proconsul of Achaia, Gallio (Act 18:8-13). Roman records (e.g., the Delphi or Gallio Inscription) indicate that Gallio served as proconsul from 51-52 AD.

2.2. Paul’s arrival in Corinth was just after Emperor Claudius had expelled the Jews from Rome (Act 18:2). Per the ancient historian Orossius, this took place in the ninth year of Claudius’ reign – or 49 AD.

2.3. Prior to this Paul was delivering aid to Jerusalem in response to Agabus’ prophecy of a coming famine (Act 11:27-30). Per Josephus, the famine was affecting Jerusalem during the time of Queen Helena’s pilgrimage (46-47 AD).

2.4. According to Paul, this trip was 14 years after his conversion (Gal 2:1 “after an interval of fourteen years [after conversion – 1:11-17] I went up again [having visited once already 11 years prior – or three years after conversion – 1:18]).

2.5. Paul’s conversion was, therefore, between 33 and 32 AD. As such, the latest possible date for Jesus’ death is 33 AD.

[A 7-year window]

3. Jesus died on Friday, the day of preparation for a Sabbath-Passover.

3.1. Per the Law, the Passover (i.e., sacrifice and eating of the paschal lamb) had to be celebrated in the month of Nisan – the first month of the Jewish calendar (Est 3:7), at moonrise on the 14th day - which signaled the beginning of the 15th day (Exo 12:2-8; Lev 23:5-6; Num 28:16-17; Deu 16:6). In God’s eyes, days extend from moonrise to moonrise versus sunrise to sunrise (Gen 1:5 “there was evening and there was morning, one day” [Note the order]). If Passover fell on a Sabbath (a Sabbath-Passover or “high day” – Joh 19:31[1]), then both the sacrifice and preparation of the meal (cooking the lambs and unleavened bread, etc.) had to take place the day before (Friday day – the 14th of Nisan) – or in the hours before moonrise and the beginning of the Sabbath (Friday evening, the 15th of Nisan), since no work could be done on the Sabbath. This day was called the “day or preparation.”

3.2. All four gospels make clear that Jesus died on the “day of preparation” (Friday day, the 14th of Nisan), during one of these unique Sabbath-Passover celebrations (Mat 27:50 w/62; Mar 15:37 w/42-43; Luk 24:44-46 w/50-54; Joh 19:31-33)[2].

3.3. Jesus died, therefore, at the same time as the Passover lambs were slain (on the day of preparation). Hence the reason: 1) for Paul’s words in (1Co 5:7 “Christ our Passover [lamb]…has been sacrificed”), 2) the Passover meal celebrated by Jesus and disciples (the Last Supper/Lord’s Table) did not include a lamb. Jesus was replacing them as the eschatological Passover “lamb of God” (Joh 1:36). Hence why also, their Passover meal needed to be celebrated on Thursday evening before the actual Sabbath-Passover meal (i.e., on Friday evening[3]). By then, Jesus would be dead. The benefits of consuming Him through the bread and wine the night before made moot any need for further OC Passover observance or meals. Jesus’ supper/table had become the new – or NC, Passover. 3) Paul can also speak of Jesus’ resurrection as our “first fruits” (1Co 15:20) – no doubt an allusion to the offering of first fruits which happened on the 16th of Nisan, a Sunday during a Sabbath-Passover.

3.4. Astronomical calculations indicate only two Sabbath-Passover dates within the 7-year window: 30 and 33 AD[4]

***The million dollar question: Which year is the correct one?***

Considering where the additional evidence points:

4. The 46th year of Herod’s Temple project points to one date.

4.1. During Jesus’ first Passover, He is confronted regarding the time it took Herod to expand the temple (Joh 2:13-20 “forty six years”).

4.2. According to Josephus (Antiquities), Herod began his rule of Judea in 37 BC and his work on the Temple in his eighteenth year - or 19 BC. Accounting for the transition between BC and AD (there is no “0” BC/AD, it goes from 1BC to 1AD), as well as inclusive reckoning (counting, 1-2 = 1 yr, 2-3 = 2 yrs) the 46th year of Herod’s Temple project and Jesus’ first Passover, occurred in 28 AD.

4.3. Given that Jesus’ public ministry lasted for three Passovers (Joh 2:13, 23; Joh 6:4; Joh 11:55, 12:1[5]) the dates of all three would be as follows: the first in the spring of 28 AD, the second in the spring of 29 AD and the third, the Passover of His death, the spring of 30 AD. [6]

5. The 15th year of Tiberius’ reign cannot contradict the date established for Herod’s Temple project.

5.1. Jesus’ public ministry began shortly after that of John the Baptist given: 1) this was among the main reasons for John’s ministry of baptism: to identify – or make official Jesus’ public ministry as Messiah (Joh 1:19-34). 2) what Mark identifies as the beginning of Jesus’ ministry (Mar 1:1-9) “the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ” = Mark’s unique focus is the public ministry of Jesus only. Hence no mention of His birth or genealogy. He instead begins where the “gospel” (or public) ministry of Jesus began, at His baptism by John. Scholars agree that this event took place shortly after the ministry of John began. Hence the reason for Mark’s reference “in those days” - i.e., in the days when John was baptizing “in the Jordan river.”

5.2. According to Luke, John’s ministry started “in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pilate was governor of Judea” (Luk 3:1).

5.3. Those holding to the later date of AD 33 for Jesus’ death claim that Tiberius’ reign as Caesar began in 14 AD. Their evidence is Roman coins which communicate this as the starting date of His reign.

5.4. If however 14 AD is correct, Jesus’ baptism didn’t take place until 29 AD, a date too late based on the previous calculations regarding Herod’s Temple project and Jesus’ first Passover (28 AD) which comes after – not before, His baptism (Joh 1: Baptism, Joh 2: 1st Passover).

5.5. Considering however, the information provided by ancient historians Tacitus (Annals) and Suetonius (Augustus; Tiberius), the inscription found on an ancient Roman calendar (Fasti Praenestini), and the writings of a soldier who served under Tiberius (Velleius Paterculus), we learn that Tiberius’ reign actually began in 12 AD when he was made co-regent (co-Caesar) with his step-father, Augustus.[7]

5.6. Calculating according to this date and inclusive reckoning (counting “1-2 = 1, 2-3 = 2”), yields 27 AD as the beginning of John and Jesus’ public ministry (or baptism) which not only fits within the time that “Pilate was governor of Judea” (26-36 AD), but also the chronology of Jesus’ first Passover (again, 28 AD).

5.7. Important note regarding Luke’s reference: It can be safely assumed that Luke would’ve had little regard for (or even thought of) determining Tiberius’ reign based on the technicality of when he functioned as the sole Caesar (which is what was being communicated on Roman coins) since his original audience would’ve been far more practical in their assessment, counting the years in office based on time of active duty in that role.

6. If Jesus died in that year, then the forty years before Jerusalem’s destruction becomes historically significant.

6.1. God often chooses a period of forty to bring a task, test, trial to completion or maturity. Its intention is to communicate that what has been done is sufficient to accomplishing the goal. In terms of years, 40 is the number of years:

1) God left those apostate in Israel to wander adrift in the wilderness until the day they and their false religion were destroyed (Num 14:33-34, 32:13; Jos 5:6; Psa 95:10-11; Act 7:42, 13:18; Heb 3:9, 17).

2) God used to establish David’s kingdom in peace by destroying His enemies (“the Lord put them under the soles of his feet”-1Ki 2:11 w/5:3).

3) God gave those not apostate in Israel to turn to Him by placing their trust and obedience in Him and His Law (Deu 8:2-3).

6.2. If 40 years was indeed the time between Jesus’ ascension back to heaven and first His return in 70 AD (in judgment of OC Israel and the destruction of her Temple), then it is very possible that God was communicating the same three-fold goal or intention: 1) to place Jesus’ enemies under His feet (Act 2:34), 2) to leave those apostate in Israel adrift in the wilderness of their apostasy until the day they and their false religion were destroyed (Mat 23:37-39), 3) to give those no apostate in Israel time to turn to God by placing their trust and obedience in Jesus and His Law (Rom 1:16 w/Rev 14:1-8).

6.3. Given the historical significance of these two events (Jesus’ death and the destruction of the Temple), what are the chances that the time in between also carries such historical significance (i.e., was exactly 40 yrs in length)?

7. The Talmud records the miracle of the crimson cord ceasing in that year.

7.1. At some point in Judaism’s past, a new tradition began with respect to the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement; Lev 16:1-34). Along with his prescribed duties, the High Priest also began tying a crimson cord to the door of the Temple. If the cord miraculously turned white, the people could be assured that God had accepted their sacrifice and their sins were forgiven. Per the Talmud, this miracle was experienced every year until 30 AD. For the forty years before the destruction of the Temple (70 AD), the cord remained crimson signaling that God was no longer accepting their sacrifice or forgiving their sins through the slaughtered animals.

7.2. “Our rabbis have taught: During the last forty years before the destruction of the Temple the lot [‘For the Lord’] did not come up in the right hand; nor did the crimson-colored strap become white…” (Tractate Yoma 39b, Soncino Talmud)

7.3. ‘‘Originally they used to fasten the thread of scarlet on the door of the [Temple] court on the outside. If it turned white the people used to rejoice, and if it did not turn white they were sad… For forty years before the destruction of the Temple the thread of scarlet never turned white but it remained red.” (Tractate Rosh Hashanah 31b, Soncino Talmud)

7.4. Though – like the former point, it can only serve as secondary evidence, the powerful message communicated by this event lends further credence to 30 AD date as the correct date of the crucifixion.

CLOSING CONTEMPLATION: (Ecc 11:2) “Divide your portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what misfortune may occur on the earth.”

[1] In Judaism this is known as Yom Tov or a festival Sabbath.

[2] The Babylonian Talmud records that Jesus' death was on the eve of Passover, i.e. on 14 Nisan, “Yeshu [Jesus] was hanged…he was hanged on the eve of the Passover.” (Mishnah, Sanhedrin 43a).

[3] This understanding of the Last supper/Lord’s Table clears up what may seem a contradiction between the Synoptics and John regarding the timing of this event (e.g., compare Luk 22:15 “On the first day of Unleavened Bread” [Thursday eve/beginning of Friday/Day of preparation – the 14th of Nisan] and Joh 13:1 “before the Feast of the Passover” [Friday eve/beginning of Saturday/Sabbath-Passover – the 15th of Nisan].

[4] Calculations and table per Humphreys and Waddington. As support for the 33 AD date, Humphreys and Waddington show that this is the only date where we find a naturally occurring eclipse. Given Matthew’s mention of an eclipse at the time of Jesus’ death (Mat 27:45), they believe this confirms the 33 AD date. However, there are two problems with using this as support for the 33 AD date: 1) Per astronomical calculations, the eclipse would not have been visible or very subtle. According to Bradley E. Schaefer, “The eclipsed moon (of 33 AD) would not have been visible at the time of moonrise and because the umbral portion of the eclipse finished minutes later, any naked-eye effects on the appearance of the moon would have been relatively subtle and probably not detectable even to an experienced observer. I find that any ‘blood colour’ associated with the eclipse would not be visible to the unaided eye. However, the rising eclipsed moon would have an amber colour from atmospheric absorption, just like any other time when the moon is low on the horizon. In summary, at no time during the eclipse would even a serious and experienced observer in Jerusalem have realized that and eclipse was occurring…Hence, the 3 April AD 33 eclipsed moon would have appeared amber when it was rising, exactly like any other rising moon.” (Lunar visibility and the crucifixion). 2) the eclipse at Jesus’ death is communicated as supernatural rather than a naturally occurring event. In this light consider the principle established by (Num 16:29).

[5] John 5:1 mentions a “feast of the Jews.” Scholars such as F.F. Bruce agree that this is not a Passover feast, but rather (based on the teaching surrounding it) the fall festival of Rosh Hashanah, or the Feast of Trumpets (the Jewish New Year).

[6] Scholars believe that the time from Jesus’ baptism into public ministry (Joh 1) and His cleansing of the Temple at Passover (Joh 2) to be less than one year.

[7] Tacitus, Suetonius and Velleius use language that strongly suggest that Tiberius did indeed function with the authority of a Caesar equal to his stepfather Augustus. “[Tiberius] was adopted as a son, as a colleague in empire and a partner in the tribunation power." (Tacitus, Annals 1:3); "After two years he (Tiberius) returned to the city from Germany and celebrated the triumph …The consuls caused a law to be passed soon after this that he should govern the provinces jointly with Augustus and hold the census with him..." (Augustus 97:1; Tiberius 20-21); “After he [Tiberius] had broken the force of the enemy by his expeditions on sea and land …at the request of his father [Augustus] that he should have in all the provinces and armies a power equal to his own, the senate and Roman people so decreed. For indeed it was incongruous that the provinces which were being defended by him should not be under his jurisdiction, and that he who was foremost in bearing aid should not be considered an equal in the honour...” (Velleius Paterculus, 2.1.1.)