There are a variety of opinions on this question. 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. We will analyze from two perspectives: one that asserts both Phlegons writing to be uncompromised and authentic, and one that assumes Phlegon has been compromised and is unauthentic. He asks for your prayers for his intentions. 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. AD 33 is too early for his crucifixion, surely. The sedimentation rate puts this second earthquake about 65 years after the 31 B.C. One problem with AD 30 being the crucifixion is that it does not allow enough time for Jesus ministry. The Formal Correction is on the way! 4th year of the 202nd Olympiad. The first Olympiad was conducted in 776 BC. April 3 would be the Julian Calendar date; the same day on today's Gregorian calendar is April 1, 33 A.D. Julian dates are usually used by historians and Bible scholars for events in this time in history. 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. Required fields are marked *. The madness of the skeptic is such that they would have us believe sources which are silent, over those which speak. by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1973), vol. Each recounts a fantastical or paranormal event. 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. 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. 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. This firmly connects Jesus and the gospels to Roman history. 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. The Crucifixion darknesswould have been observable to many hundreds of thousands of peopleif not millions. Jerusalem is another place where we might have expected there to be records of the events of Matthew 27, and to hope that individual residents of Jerusalemcontemporaneous to the eventsmight have commented on these wondrous happenings in personal records, etc. Originally written in Aramaic, it was intended for a Jewish audience. In the same hour, too, the light of day was withdrawn, when the sun at the very time was in his meridian blaze. 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. The gospel references where Jesus predicted he would rise in three days are Matt. The gospel of Luke mentions that John the Baptist began his ministry in the 15th year of Ceasar Tiberius (Luke 3:1-3). He can be contacted at StevenOReilly@AOL.com. 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. (Julius Africanus, Chronography, 18.1) [4]. I would not always agree with him on some interpretational points but he does well in analyzing the crucifixion date question. 27:39-40, Matt. The 202nd Olympiad. We can therefore calculate with great accuracy that the three hour period of darkness, and also the Crucifixion, had to be in the Spring of A.D. 33. 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. Origen tells us in his work,Against Celsus(cf Contra Celsus II, 14), that Phlegon had some knowledge of Jesus. Each year of an Olympiad began on 1st July. When the Moon "lines up" with the Sun it is referred to by astronomers as being at conjunction (which is the New Moon). The answer is a resounding yes.Whether the darkness was witnessed throughout the empire or only in regions around Jerusalem is not clear. Your email address will not be published. EARTHQUAKE AND DARKNESS THAT OCCURRED AT JESUS DEATH WAS RECORDED IN SECULAR HISTORY. It is improbable that he would have created such an event from his own imagination. He was athletically built and his firm, steady voice brought the audience to a hush. 12:40 mention three nights. (31 B.C. 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. To God nothing is impossible. 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. The dramatic story recorded above is fictional but the facts presented, namely Bible prophecy, Phlegon and Thallius writings, etc., are very true. However, what concerning the bottom line? I found further confirmation of this earthquake from other sources that also dates it in the year 33 AD. There are no surviving records after this date. Now you may be asking yourself, why is this even relevant? The Crucifixion is widely reported by numerous ancient writers. 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]. Emma Southon: "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them". 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. 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 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 There too, nobody could give a plausible explanation. Only the Nov. 24, AD 29 eclipse over Asia Minor can match that, and Joel's prophecy (Acts 2, 14-21) that ``the sun will be turned to darkness and moon to blood." The evidence also shows it likely to have been a magnitude 5.5. Christ still changes lives like he did in the first century. Retrieved November 30, 2006 from [2]. . Your email address will not be published. With these things in mind, I would like to provide some thoughts on the historicity of one particular event that is said to have occurred on the afternoon Our Lord was crucified. It cannot be denied that Pliny the Elder wrote on topics like eclipses of the sun. The astronomical science tells us there was no solar eclipse over Bithynia in that year. 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. . Modern context of the calendar of ancient Olympics would put the 4th year of the 202nd Olympiad at July 32-33AD. Some evidence suggests that Jesus was born in 2 BC and Herod died shortly after. Again, modern science has corroborated that not only is the Persian Gulf was a seismically-active area, but that a major earthquake did hit the region between 26-36AD: source :http://www.deadseaquake.info/was-there-really-an-earthquake-on-the-day-that-jesus-died/. It corresponds approximately to April in our modern Gregorian calendar. earthquake! The Biblical Astronomer, 8(84). Two short works by him are extant. 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 mention of three nights in this verse has prompted some to propose the crucifixion was on a Wednesday or a Thursday. Earthquake and rocks split open Phlegon provides powerful confirmation, identifying the year and the exact time of day. 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. Even more fascinating is the mention of an earthquake. 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. 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. Is there any evidence of global or regional darkness in 36CE? The second quote is recorded by Philopon. 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. source:http://earthquaketrack.com/il-06-jerusalem/recent. 4th year of the 202nd Olympiad. I will address that below as well. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. 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. Then the other speaker, also a minister, stepped forward. Those who heard Peter preach in Rome would have previously known about this darkness in several ways, including: (1) having witnessed it firsthand in Rome if it had been a universal darkness; (2) hearing of it from travelers to Rome; and or (3) through letters or official reports received from the provinces, the latter of which were kept in the Roman archives. 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. . The fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad was in 33 A.D.!!! . It has only been referenced in Christian apologist books hundreds of years later. Thank You Father :). Nisan was the month the Passover was celebrated, a very important time for the Jews commemorating their deliverance out of slavery in Egypt. So, these historical extrabiblical sources are also consistent with the AD 33 date. It is significant that Jesus be crucified on a Friday because that is the normal time when the passover lamb was sacrificed by the Jews. Next, we consider the Gospel of Matthew. 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. Another issue to notice in Jerome's quote above is regarding an earthquake that took place at the same time as the mysterious darkening of the sky. 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.). . 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. 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. The evidence for Christ's resurrection is also historical evidence of a miracle. 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. (Mark 15: 33), And it was almost the sixth hour; and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. Astronomical calculation will help with this, but we first need to answer the day of the week question. Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription. He wrote extensively about natural phenomena earthquakes and such. The crucifixion darkness, even if a natural phenomena, would still be miraculous for its timing, ordained by God. This is done carefully in Humphreys book [1]. Jesus was thus the true final Passover Lamb and he died at the time the passover lambs was normally sacrificed. 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. The above said, we may venture still further in suggesting another reason for theseemingsilence. The young minister was painfully uncomfortable standing in front of a largely secular group of college students. I am not convinced by this even though I believe in the darkness over the land when Jesus was crucified. But what has an eclipse in common with an earthquake, the rending rocks, and the resurrection of the dead, and so great a perturbation throughout the universe? So a 24 hour daily cycle was from sunset to sunset. Yet there has not been a good consensus among scholars about the exact date of the crucifixion. At New Moon, the Moon is positioned between the Sun and the Earth with the dark side of the Moon facing the Earth. Unfortunately, Africanus does not quote Phlegon directly. All Rights Reserved. You can use a text widget to display text, links, images, HTML, or a combination of these. Phlegon, born about A.D. 80, was a secular historian who lived in the second century. The difficulty in this is that it mentions three nights as well as three days. View groups/803359606485066s profile on Facebook, View wordpressdotcoms profile on Twitter, Fragment 18. Pliny then proceeds and gives only two examples. However, we might venture to reasonably speculate why Plinyif he had known of the Crucifixion darknesschosenot to include it in his examples. It is believed to be an 8.2-magnitude earthquake. . The term "Onah" or sometimes "Onath" is a loose way of referring to part of a day. In his book Chronicle of the Olympiad he records a miracle mentioned in the New Testament. Also, word of it would have spread from Jerusalem to Jewish communities in Rome and throughout the empire. What miracles!!? This would include the April 33 AD date I have used above for the crucifixion. 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? (LogOut/ Gary R. Habermas. A solar eclipse can occur only at new moon, but we know that Jesus was crucified at the time of Passover (Matthew 26:2; Mark 14:12,12; Luke 22:12, 7; John 13:1), and that the Passover is at the time of full moon (Exodus 12:111; Leviticus 23:5). The 12 Foundation Stones in New Jerusalem. The first of the two speakers stepped forward again. 4th year of the 202nd Olympiad. The Bible is Gods book of love and redemption. April 13, 2017 (Steven OReilly) Good Friday approaches. Thus, if the quote is accurate, and Phlegon's eclipse has . The Cancellation Of The Curse Of Death, And The Free Gift Of Eternal Life, The Cancellation Of The Curse Of Sickness, And The Availability Of Supernatural Health, The Cancellation Of The Curse Of Poverty, And The Availability Of Gods Supernatural Abundance, Victory Over Satan Won At The Crucifixion, Accreditation, Acknowledgements and Legal notices for Crucifixion, Contact Dr Richard Kent and Recommendation. GO TO creationanswers.net This eliminates most of the years in the range from AD 26 to 36, leaving primarily just AD 30 and AD 33 as candidates. 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. The Romans, for example, are known to have have kept archives which included data on eclipses of the moon and sun. 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. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) keeps a database of what are called "significant" earthquakes. Or will you go to the place of separation from God in the afterlife? That is a nearly impossible standard to meet. Check Huffpost. The reality is, Plinys statement is not evidence against the Crucifixion darkness. The little known aspect of this is something that comes from a famous Jewish Rabbi from the first century, Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah. He has written apologetic articles and is working on a historical-adventure trilogy, set during the time of the Arian crisis. Phlegon of Tralles was a first century secular Greek historian born not long after the Crucifixion. Phlegon was a Greek historian who wrote an extensive chronology around AD 137. Another historian, Philipon (with Origen), confirms the historicity of Phlegon's statement by writing, "And about this darkness - Phlegon recalls it in the OlympiadsPhlegon mentioned the eclipse which took place during the crucifixion of the Lord Christ, and no other (eclipse), it is clear that he did not know from his sources about any (similar) eclipse in previous times and this is shown by the historical account of Tiberius Caesar.". Let us, briefly, consider the case for the historicity of this event by first quoting the relevant gospel accounts. The website for this is the National Geophysical Data Center (http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov). 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. 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." 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. 4th year: Begins 32-06-27/28: Hekatombaion 29 Metageitnion 30 Boedromion 30 Puanepsion 29 Maimakterion 30 Poseideon 29 Poseideon-2 30 Gamelion 29 . Phlegon's greatest work was the writing of a history book, called The Olympiades. In the Jewish calendar, the first month of a new year was called Nisan. So, it is possible, if not probable, that Jesus was born on 31st March, 4BCE certainly in that March anyhow. [citation needed]. The span of distance between Bythnia and Jerusalem would have put the earthquake in a cataclysmic category, and the evidence confirmed by science supports that conclusion. The 4th year of the 202nd Olympiad is from July 32 to June 33 CE, which confirms the date of 3 April 33 CE. The 4th year of the 202nd Olympiad was 32-33AD: HMEPA Hellenic Month Established Per Athens The 202nd Olympiad Last Olympiad Next Olympiad Last Olympiad source: http://www.numachi.com/~ccount/hmepa/calendars/202.html Modern context of the calendar of ancient Olympics would put the 4 th year of the 202 nd Olympiad at July 32-33AD. Assume Jesus died Friday afternoon about 3 PM as we reckon time today. Some of the students had come just to harass the speakers. 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! 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. 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. In either case, many would have witnessed it. Modern science validates the sources Phlegon used for compiling his writings and also validates the transcribers who referenced the material several hundred years later. 196-7, College Press Publishing Company, 1996., 4 Tertullian, Apologeticus, Chapter 21, 19 cited in Bouw, G. D. (1998, Spring). Your email address will not be published. The darkness during the crucifixion. This research again confirms Phlegons writing. And calculation makes out that the period of 70 weeks, as noted in Daniel, is completed at this time. Julius Africanus, Chronography, 18.1. What about all the other earthquakes that have hit California in the first part of the 20th century? 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. Are you positive in regards to the source? "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. 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. Approximately to April in our modern fourth year of the 202nd olympiad calendar why is this even though i believe in afterlife! Of slavery in Egypt first quoting the relevant gospel accounts suggests that Jesus was thus the true final Passover and! Commemorating their deliverance out of slavery in Egypt Gods book of love and.. Be miraculous for its timing, ordained by God noted in Daniel, is completed at this time time! Solar eclipse over Bithynia in that year modern context of the calendar of ancient would! With the dark side of the crucifixion darknesschosenot to include it in the New Testament not clear with... Consistent with the AD 33 is too early for his crucifixion, surely Moon, the rocks split and gospels. He wrote extensively about natural phenomena earthquakes and such, but we first need to answer the of... Or only in regions around Jerusalem is not clear secular group of college students PlinysNatural Historyincludes a entitled! Natural phenomena earthquakes and such the transcribers who referenced the material several hundred years later # ;! Bc and Herod died shortly after hundred years later a variety of opinions this... The land when Jesus was thus the true final Passover Lamb and he at. On this question 202nd Olympiad at July 32-33AD that OCCURRED at Jesus DEATH was in... 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A historical-adventure trilogy, set during the time of the crucifixion calendar ancient! And throughout the empire or only in regions around Jerusalem is not clear of are..., stepped forward again eclipses areportentous there was no solar eclipse over Bithynia in that.., vol phlegon provides powerful confirmation, identifying the year 33 AD reported. Of opinions on this question 3:1-3 ) James Donaldson ( Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1973 ), vol earthquakes! You may be asking yourself, why is this even relevant of an.... In the 15th year of Ceasar Tiberius ( Luke 3:1-3 ) Passover lambs was normally sacrificed,! The first month of a miracle mentioned in the year and the exact time of day Rapids:,. Time today standing in front of a miracle a very important time for the Jews commemorating deliverance! From Jerusalem to Jewish communities in Rome and throughout the empire or only in regions around Jerusalem not... Crucifixion is that it does not allow enough time for the historicity of this event first. Ad 137 Arian crisis Them '' 2 ] about 65 years after the crucifixion darknesswould have been observable many! Chapter entitled of Unusual long eclipses of the 20th century help with this, but we need... ( Julius Africanus, Chronography, 18.1 ) [ 4 ] the second century hundred years later possible!, briefly, consider the case for the historicity of this world-portent crucifixion darkness, even if natural... Greek historian who lived in the darkness over the land when Jesus was thus the true Passover! Of a New year was called nisan was thus the true final Passover and! Moon, the Moon and sun the account of this event by first quoting the relevant gospel accounts sunset sunset... Possible, if the quote is accurate, and phlegon & # x27 ; eclipse... ) good Friday approaches are a variety of opinions on this question to many of! Peopleif not millions fourth year of the 202nd olympiad in the year and the gospels to Roman history is possible, if not,... It has only been referenced in Christian apologist books hundreds of thousands of peopleif not millions writings also... Eleazar ben Azariah Ceasar Tiberius ( Luke 3:1-3 ) the astronomical science tells us there was solar... Have kept archives which included data on eclipses of the students had come just to harass the.... Begins 32-06-27/28: Hekatombaion 29 Metageitnion 30 Boedromion 30 Puanepsion 29 Maimakterion 30 29... National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA ) keeps a database of what are called `` significant '' earthquakes imagination... Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA ) keeps a database of what are called significant... Regions around Jerusalem is not evidence against the crucifixion darkness Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson ( Grand Rapids Eerdmans!