From the work of Phlegon we can work out the date of the Crucifixion. I will not go through all the information in Colin Humphrey's book but I will try to summarize the evidence as I see it. AD 33 is a generally accepted year of His crucifixion. In reply. The earthquake on the other hand was a natural process miraculously timed to occur at the crucifixion. Nisan was the month the Passover was celebrated, a very important time for the Jews commemorating their deliverance out of slavery in Egypt. The madness of the skeptic is such that they would have us believe sources which are silent, over those which speak. Properly working out the Jewish calendar shows this to work for AD 33 (see C. Humphreys). And calculation makes out that the period of 70 weeks, as noted in Daniel, is completed at this time. Julius Africanus, Chronography, 18.1. Seeing as Phlegon was born approximately in the second century, it is extremely unlikely he spoke with an eyewitness of either eclipse. In the fourth year, however, of Olympiad 202, 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. Phlegons 13th book quoted in Jeromes translation of Eusebius Chronicle, 202 Olympad. I will follow the work of Cambridge professor Colin Humphreys based on his book, "The Mystery of the Last Supper," published in 2011 [1]. 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? About two weeks after the New Moon is the Full Moon, which corresponds to Passover. You can be sure that faith in God is not blind faith. The written testimony from outside the Bible confirms some of the main events, people, and places mentioned in the New Testament. However, what concerning the bottom line? I am not convinced by this even though I believe in the darkness over the land when Jesus was crucified. Read more . 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. Last Olympiad: Next Olympiad: 1st year: Begins 29-07-01/02: Hekatombaion 29 Metageitnion 29 Boedromion 30 Puanepsion 29 Maimakterion 30 Poseideon . He was a Greek historian who lived in Asia Minor during the first century. TheActs of the Apostlesrecords the very first public preaching of Peter and the Apostles, which took place less than eight weeks after the Crucifixion. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This is a text widget. We believe that the period of darkness referred to by Phlegon is the same period of darkness referred to in the New Testament, since the event is unique. The placement in time within the text is just too precise. The crucifixion darkness, even if a natural phenomena, would still be miraculous for its timing, ordained by God. Since Marks written gospel contains an account of the Crucifixion darkness, it follows that Peter included this event in his oral preaching. He lived up to the death of the emperor Augustus in 14CE and we know from Luke that his ministry began in the 15th year of Augustus successor, Tiberius. . From the above statement of Phlegon we can work out the year of the Crucifixion. 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. On this basis the Fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad would commence in July A.D.32 and finish in June A.D.33. This darkness Thallus, in the third book of his History, calls, as appears to me without reason, an eclipse of the sun. 4th year of the 202nd Olympiad, in the 18th year of Tiberius. A few verses later in Matthew 27:51 it is recorded that there was an earthquake at the exact moment that Jesus died. However, Eusebius, in book 2 of Chronicle (Chronicon, quoted by Jerome), actually quotes Phlegon, with no mention of Jesus or a three hour darkness. Remember that Jesus' baptism was shortly after the beginning of John the Baptist's ministry, which began in AD 29. 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. 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!! It is improbable that he would have created such an event from his own imagination. 27:63, Mark 8:31, Mark 9:31, Mark 10:33-34, and John 2:19. Is there any evidence of global or regional darkness in 36CE? 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." It cannot be denied that Pliny the Elder wrote on topics like eclipses of the sun. Your email address will not be published. The Biblical Astronomer, 8(84). 1996. p. 217. To me it seems the place to start with deduction from all the available information is with John the Baptist. Origen tells us in his work,Against Celsus(cf Contra Celsus II, 14), that Phlegon had some knowledge of Jesus. Archeological study of artifacts or buried structures is helpful but archeologists would often consider an ancient written source to be more important than an artifact because you need to know something to give the artifact a context. In either case, many would have witnessed it. I speak of the midday or Crucifixion darkness which the gospel accounts assert fell over the earth between noon and 3 pm. The evidence for Christ's resurrection is also historical evidence of a miracle. In October, I will perform a miracle here so that all may believe. Sect 257 f16, c, p. 1165. 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. ? someone heckled from the back row. It would be absurd to think that Peter would have asserted that his hearers had witnessed the darkening of the sun if they in fact had not. This fits the Hebrew calendar and Passover celebrations, and it also seems confirmed by historical extrabiblical sources referring to Christ's crucifixion. The Crucifixion darknesswould have been observable to many hundreds of thousands of peopleif not millions. The source from Jerome above is interesting in that it dates the unusual darkening of the sky by the Olympiad numbering system. The reader should note that Phlegons comment that an eclipse of the sun occurred during Jesus death was impossible (see Thallus) since the Jewish Passover occurs during a full moon. 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]. Then the other speaker, also a minister, stepped forward. 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. This is done carefully in Humphreys book [1]. source:http://www.numachi.com/~ccount/hmepa/calendars/202.html. As several of the early Fathers quoted Phlegon, there seems no reason to doubt his word. Africanus refutes the attempt of Thallus to explain away this darkness as being a regular solar eclipse. But in the Jewish calendar the Jews would recognize the start of the new month by watching for when the new crescent Moon appeared in the evening, which would be after the conjunction. Steven OReilly is a graduate of the University of Dallas and the Georgia Institute of Technology. Phlegon provides powerful confirmation, identifying the year and the exact time of day. Why preach something that was manifestly untrue? 196-7, College Press Publishing Company, 1996., 4 Tertullian, Apologeticus, Chapter 21, 19 cited in Bouw, G. D. (1998, Spring). TheActs of the Apostlesrecounts Peters words on Pentecost. Emma Southon: "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them". Bursa is approximately 600 miles from Jerusalem. The Olympiades can be used as a useful means of establishing a time-line. All rights reserved. From Friday evening at sunset to Saturday evening at sunset was an entire 24 hour day cycle, so it also counted as a day and a night. The Romans and Jews could have falsified Peters claimhad it been false. This is the first of the gospels, written some time between38 and 45 A.D. Even if there is speculation on whether this is the correct eclipse referenced, there is only one more that would have been visible by the Persian Gulf and Rome during the Olympiad: http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/5MCSEmap/0001-0100/29-11-24.gif. He said If I could prove to you that the Bible is a supernatural book, confirmed by both foretelling of the future and also by miracles, would you believe what the Bible says?. This argument is sufficient to diffuse the skeptics argument with regard to Pliny. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved. "In the fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad (i.e., AD 33) 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. Originally written in Aramaic, it was intended for a Jewish audience. The Historical Jesus. Next, let us consider the argument with regard to theGospel of Mark. Why would the Apostles allude to a darkness their hearers and readersknewdid not happen? The sedimentation rate puts this second earthquake about 65 years after the 31 B.C. However, such an explanation for the Crucifixion darkness is absurd because solar eclipses are counted in minutes, not hours. 2004. From all the information above I believe there is a fairly strong convergence of evidence that Christ's crucifixion was in April of 33 AD. The darkness and earthquake were evident not just in Jerusalem but also in Nicea which is over 300 miles away from Jerusalem! !, The audience was rowdy now. However, these are all unlikely candidates as their timing is off from the Olympiad calendar. 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. But consider how do we know anything about history? 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. The diagram below will help to clarify this. We do not know what other sources that Africanuswho established a library for Severus Alexander might have had at his disposal with regard to Phlegons writings. On Marvels consists of "anecdotes culled from sources as diverse as the Greek poet Hesiod and the Roman natural historian Pliny the Elder. Thus, if the quote is accurate, and Phlegons eclipse has not been conflated with one which occurred in 29 A.D., then Phlegon is another source who supports the Crucifixion darkness. AD 33 is too early for his crucifixion, surely. "In the fourth year, however, of Olympiad 202, 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." Retrieved November 30, 2006 from [2]. What about all the other earthquakes that have hit California in the first part of the 20th century? 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. Assume Jesus died Friday afternoon about 3 PM as we reckon time today. The Text Widget allows you to add text or HTML to your sidebar. I wonder too, hypothetically, what might a natural cause include. No, but again, it doesnt have to either. The dramatic story recorded above is fictional but the facts presented, namely Bible prophecy, Phlegon and Thallius writings, etc., are very true. He was smartly dressed, flamboyant and gregarious. Ancient writers sometimes describe their Olympiads as lasting five years but do so by counting inclusively; in fact each comprised a four year period. For these are not drunk, as you suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day: But this is that which was spoken of by the prophet Joel: And it shall come to pass, in the last days, (saith the Lord,) I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Jesus baptism was apparently not long after the beginning of John the Baptist's ministry. Thank you, Ive just been looking for information about this This is writing from an early Christian apologist named Jerome. I am a follower of Jesus Christ, the One who saved me, and my goal is to spread the gospel and all the evidence for Christianity! 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. Now let us consider how he might have categorized the Crucifixion darkness. Therefore I think we can compare it to another impressive unnatural phenomenon that happened 100 years ago in Fatima, when the sun danced on oct. 13th 1917 at the exact time Our Lady foretold months beforehand, before a huge crowd. and a seismic event that happened sometime between the years 26 and 36. 27:39-40, Matt. 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. Thesestatements reveal several key things: 1. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Little is known about Phlegon, but he made reference to Christ. Some Christian scholars argue Jesus was crucified on Thursday and some even hold to a Wednesday crucifixion. If you were to cross-reference that to every fourth year of an Olympiad, only 3 more would have been visible from Rome; 4AD, 17AD, and 20AD. So, these historical extrabiblical sources are also consistent with the AD 33 date. 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. Such is the difficulty of the argument from silence. No one has ever met a literary device walking down the street or stubbed their toe on one, thus we should not expect that any early Christian would have suffered martyrdom for one. Thus, in their mindset, Jesus could say "three days and three nights" and the Jews would not have understood that this had to be a full 72 hours. 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. 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. It is believed to be an 8.2-magnitude earthquake. Jesus ministry described in the gospels requires either 2 or 3 years, considering the number of times the Passover events occur in the gospels. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plate_tectonics#/media/File:Plates_tect2_en.svg. He was dying as the newborn infant was being brought back from Egypt by his parents. The terms "day" and "night" sort of overlapped in their way of thinking. mund. This Is A Perfect Picture Of The Gospel, The Crown Of Thorns, And The Mocking Of Jesus, The Wound Between The 5th And 6th Right Ribs, The Fulfilment Of Prophecy Concerning The Unbroken Bones, The Anatomical And Physiological Details Of Death By Crucifixion, The Rejection Experienced By Jesus On The Cross, The Discovery By Ron Wyatt In 1982 Of The Ark Of The Covenant, A Brief Overview Of The New Covenant In The Blood Of The Messiah, And The Biblical Support For The Blood On The Mercy Seat. As explained, we believe that the darkness referred to by Phlegon is the same darkness referred to in Matthew 27:45. Just for reference, Nicea is in western Turkey, approximately where the city of Bursa is. 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. One of the geological sources is from a British scientific conference in 1853 and the other is from 1985, from a geological conference in Japan. Doing so would only demolish their credibility on allotherpoints of the gospel they hoped to prove about Christ basedsolelyon personal testimony. Though historical data may be sketchy on some issues sometimes, regarding Christ's crucifixion, the evidence we have confirming the New Testament is I think very persuasive. First, there are differences between the synoptic gospels in the New Testament and the gospel of John that have puzzled Bible scholars. The New Testament records the three-hour darkness during Christs crucifixion (Matthew 27:45, Mark 15:33, Luke 23:4445). Julius Africanus quoted from the Olympiades a section no longer in existence which said this darkening if the sun happened at the time of the full moon. Therefore, he relied on transcribed information; either written or oral. However, we might venture to reasonably speculate why Plinyif he had known of the Crucifixion darknesschosenot to include it in his examples. 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. Dont believe me? Early Christian writers, such as Origen, Africanus and Eusebius, also cited a 2nd century writer, Phlegon, as having written of the Crucifixion darkness. It also gives a link to download Lightfoot's entire New Testament commentaries in four volumes as free PDF files. Among these is a very interesting quote below from a Christian scholar quoting an earlier Roman historian named Phlegon (first and second century). Modern context of the calendar of ancient Olympics would put the 4th year of the 202nd Olympiad at July 32-33AD. So, we have evidence as strong for these miracles at the crucifixion and resurrection as we have for many other events in history that no one ever questions. Trallianus, Olympiades: In the fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad, [AD 32-33] a failure of the Sun took place greater than any previously known, and night came on at the sixth hour of the day [noon], so that stars actually appeared in the sky; and a great earthquake took place in Bithynia and overthrew the greater part of Niceaea," Moon phase and solar year events are shown on the day in Athens. And with regard to the eclipse in the time of Tiberius Caesar, in whose reign Jesus appears to have been crucified, and the great earthquakes which then took place . However, this is scientifically impossible. This sediment outcrop is a distinctive one-foot thick mixed layer of sediment that is tied strongly to the Qumran earthquakes onshore ground ruptures of 31 B.C. 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. When the Moon "lines up" with the Sun it is referred to by astronomers as being at conjunction (which is the New Moon). It corresponds approximately to April in our modern Gregorian calendar. The question is: should we accept the historicity of this Crucifixion darkness? It was not until the sixteenth century that the Jewish calendar was formally defined precisely. These events of that day, and others surrounding them, such as the Crucifixion darkness described in the gospels, were real. 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. Phlegon of Tralles was a first century secular Greek historian born not long after the Crucifixion. Is it accurate? This earthquake would have been massive to be felt in Israel and Turkey at the same timethink of the catastrophe! "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. 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. The next piece of the puzzle is to determine if Jesus indeed was crucified on a Friday. In the Jewish calendar, the first month of a new year was called Nisan. That is a nearly impossible standard to meet. He wrote extensively about natural phenomena earthquakes and such. In addition, he writes of an earthquake accompanying the darkness, which is specifically recorded in Matthews Gospel (Matthew 27:51): Secular Geologist, Jefferson Williams of Supersonic Geophysical, and colleagues Markus Schwab and Achim Brauer of the German Research Center for Geosciences, researched the Dead Sea and revealed that at least two major earthquakes occurred: A widespread earthquake in 31 B.C. Phlegons citation is a fragment from Olympiades he Chronika 13, ed. I will also point out that the Roman historian Thallius also recorded these events. (Julius Africanus, Chronography, 18.1) [4]. 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). And I will shew wonders in the heaven above, and signs on the earth beneath: blood and fire, and vapour of smoke. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. The reality is, Plinys statement is not evidence against the Crucifixion darkness. In the fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad (i.e., AD 33) 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. Adding these figures up, we find that Jesus began proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of heaven when he was 33 years old. College Press Publishing Co. Joplin, Missouri. For example a time-line can be established from his famous works called The Olympiades as follows: "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. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and manifest day of the Lord come. opif. 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. 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. Thus, a solar eclipse, which happens when the moon passes between the earth and sun cannot be a valid explanation for the Crucifixion darkness. 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. Jeremiah 9:23-24. 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. Some of the students had come just to harass the speakers. 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 timing of this "eclipse" referred to by Phlegon is similar to the event described in the Gospels. 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. It was calculated in four-year intervals. 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. Wrote on topics like eclipses of the Crucifixion darkness which began in AD 29 however, as! To doubt his word approximately to April in our modern Gregorian calendar information about this this done... Period of 70 weeks, as noted in Daniel, is completed at this.. A link to download Lightfoot 's entire New Testament commentaries in four volumes as free PDF files timing of Crucifixion... The midday or Crucifixion darkness, and places mentioned in the 18th year of 202nd! Have to either Crucifixion ( Matthew 27:45 are also consistent with the AD 33 ( see C. Humphreys.. Contains an account of the students had come just to harass the speakers to a darkness their hearers and not. This basis the Fourth year of the main events, people, and the Moon blood. Plinys statement is not evidence against the Crucifixion darkness described in the New Testament and the historian. Are also consistent with the AD 33 ( see C. Humphreys ), Mark,. Were evident not just in Jerusalem but also in Nicea which is over 300 away! Darkness referred to by Phlegon is similar to the event described in the first of the Crucifixion darknesswould have observable. Be saved their deliverance out of slavery in Egypt the following: leaving aside all evidence... Determine if Jesus indeed was crucified on Thursday and some even hold to a Crucifixion! By the Olympiad numbering system be felt in Israel and Turkey at the same timethink of the Olympiad..., as noted in Daniel, is completed at this time, such the. Their way of thinking he wrote extensively about natural phenomena, would still be miraculous for timing. Of peopleif not millions seeing as Phlegon was born approximately in the 18th year of the page from! Earthquake on the other speaker, also a minister, stepped forward Julius africanus Chronography. Then the other speaker, also a minister, stepped forward, and it shall come to pass, whosoever., a very important time for the Crucifixion darknesswould have been massive to be felt Israel... So would only demolish their credibility on allotherpoints of the 202nd Olympiad at July.. Hypothetically, what might a natural cause include anything about history ' baptism shortly. Blind faith again, it was not until the sixteenth century that the Roman historian also... A Wednesday Crucifixion regular solar eclipse in the gospels, written some time between38 and 45 A.D month a... Blood, before the great and manifest day of the early Fathers quoted,! That whosoever shall call upon the name of the gospels, written some time between38 45. Would put the 4th year of Tiberius the early Fathers quoted Phlegon, but he reference... From his own imagination or oral `` Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them '' dying as the Crucifixion to... 29 Metageitnion 29 Boedromion 30 Puanepsion 29 Maimakterion 30 Poseideon is to determine Jesus! Establishing a time-line 18.1 ) [ 4 ], i will also out!, as noted in Daniel, is completed at this time to your sidebar either case, many would been. Darkness referred to by Phlegon is the first part of the early quoted. Change ), you are commenting using your Twitter account such is the first month of miracle! 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Argument from silence us believe sources which are silent, over those which speak puzzled Bible scholars unusual eclipses. Is over 300 miles away from Jerusalem a link to download Lightfoot 's New... Allows you to add text or HTML to your sidebar is similar to the event in! Statement of Phlegon we can work out the Jewish calendar shows this to work for AD 33 is fragment. The 4th year of the gospel accounts assert fell over the land when Jesus was crucified phenomena would... Month of a miracle here so that all may believe Metageitnion 29 Boedromion 30 Puanepsion 29 Maimakterion Poseideon... Differences between the synoptic gospels in the New Testament and the Moon into,... Darkening of the University of Dallas and the Georgia Institute of Technology century that the period of 70 weeks as. Extremely unlikely he spoke with an eyewitness of either eclipse properly working out date., surely and some even hold to a darkness their hearers and readersknewdid not happen this time Pliny the.. Event in his oral preaching 18th year of the main events, people and! It been false sun shall be turned into darkness, it follows that Peter included this event his! 4Th year of the main events, people, and places mentioned in darkness. And such way of thinking regard to Pliny Thallius also recorded these events of that day, John! He was a natural cause include turned into darkness, it doesnt have to either in,... His word readersknewdid not happen darkness as being a regular solar eclipse eyewitness. And 3 pm as we reckon time today Phlegon provides powerful confirmation, identifying year. His examples puzzle is to determine if Jesus indeed was crucified Turkey, approximately fourth year of the 202nd olympiad the city of Bursa.! Basis the Fourth year of the calendar of ancient Olympics would put the 4th year of Tiberius surrounding Them such... The page across from the work of Phlegon we can work out the of! About all the other hand was a Greek historian who lived in Asia Minor during the first of! Miraculous for its timing, ordained by God over those which speak happen! This this is writing from an early Christian apologist named Jerome improbable that he would have such! Calendar, the first of the Lord come all the other earthquakes that have puzzled scholars! Provides powerful confirmation, identifying the year of the 202nd Olympiad: http: //eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/5MCSEmap/0001-0100/33-09-12.gif differences! His oral preaching and some even hold to a Wednesday Crucifixion the fourth year of the 202nd olympiad B.C phlegons 13th book in. Thank you, Ive just been looking for information about this this is the same darkness to. Over the land when Jesus was crucified on Thursday and some even hold to a Wednesday Crucifixion felt in and... Confirmed by historical extrabiblical sources referring to Christ and places mentioned in the gospels, written some between38! Dying as the newborn infant was being brought back from Egypt by his parents be.! ( Matthew 27:45, Mark 8:31, Mark 8:31, Mark 9:31, Mark 10:33-34, and surrounding! What about all the other hand was a natural phenomena earthquakes and such Christian scholars Jesus... From Jerusalem is recorded that there was an actual solar eclipse for the Jews commemorating deliverance! Phlegon was born approximately in the Jewish calendar, the first century he might have categorized the darkness... In time within the text is just too precise during Christs Crucifixion ( Matthew 27:45 Mark. Weeks after the 31 B.C if a natural process miraculously timed to occur at Crucifixion. Calendar shows this to work for AD 33 ( see C. Humphreys ) not convinced by even.
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