Are you sure that you will enter heaven to be with God in the afterlife? Dont Panic! Thus, his statement taken in whole does not exclude that there may have been other unusually long eclipses of the sun of which he was awareperhapsmanymorebut regarding which he did not elaborate. Jesus ministry described in the gospels requires either 2 or 3 years, considering the number of times the Passover events occur in the gospels. There was a great earthquake in Bithynia, and many things were overturned in Nicaea.' Annular (ring) eclipse. Thus, a solar eclipse, which happens when the moon passes between the earth and sun cannot be a valid explanation for the Crucifixion darkness. On the Circumstances Connected with Our Saviours Passion and His Life-Giving Resurrection, The Wheels of the Formal Correction turn slowly, but grind exceedingly fine. When the Moon "lines up" with the Sun it is referred to by astronomers as being at conjunction (which is the New Moon). Rome had a Jewish community, and it is probable that word of the darkness would have reached and been known within it. Why preach something that was manifestly untrue? The Crucifixion darknesswould have been observable to many hundreds of thousands of peopleif not millions. And just for fun, who could possibly falsely place this earthquake during the time of Tiberius Caesar and roughly the time period of the 202nd Olympiad (and I fully grasp the weight of the word roughly)? 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]. 26:61, Matt. 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). The first quote below is unique to Origen. 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. Jesus was thus the true final Passover Lamb and he died at the time the passover lambs was normally sacrificed. Your email address will not be published. The earthquake and RARE darkness for three hours couldn't be ignored by secular writers. 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. This example underlines the point that Matthew did not have a similar need to defend the truth of the three hour darkness, precisely because it was a well known, accepted and indisputablefact. However, Eusebius, in book 2 of Chronicle (Chronicon, quoted by Jerome), actually quotes Phlegon, with no mention of Jesus or a three hour darkness. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved. 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," Seeing as Phlegon was born approximately in the second century, it is extremely unlikely he spoke with an eyewitness of either eclipse. Therefore, it is possible Phlegons source witnessed the Crucifixion darkness from there at the same hoursuggesting the darkness and earthquakes reached far beyond the region around Jerusalem. The audience began to show its disdain. No, but again, it doesnt have to either. There too, nobody could give a plausible explanation. . A solar eclipse supposedly occurred during a full moon. This is a clear Bible prophecy foretelling that God would cause the punishment for our sins to fall upon Jesus. But it is a challenging issue to unravel. In Rome,Peter spokeas he had to the Jews of Jerusalem (cf Acts 2:14-24)to an audience that hadpriorknowledge of the three hour darkness. Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over the whole earth, until the ninth hour. (Matthew 27: 45), And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole earth until the ninth hour. 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. Euse-bius, in his records of the year A.D. , quotes at length from Phlegon, who says that, in the fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad, there was a great and remarkable eclipse of the sun, above any that had happened before. An earthquake occurred in Bythinia and overthrew a great part of the city of Nica. Of all these verses, only Matt. Bugnolan Conclave in surprise move, elects Bergoglio! It was not until the sixteenth century that the Jewish calendar was formally defined precisely. Please note, I do not believe that this eclipse is connected with the crucifixion. For example the first Olympiad happened in 776 and the second occurred in 772 BC. Thus, if the quote is accurate, and Phlegon's eclipse has . "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." 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. Jesus Christ's crucifixion is one of the most important events in the history of the world. 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. So how should we understand the statement about Jesus being dead three days and three nights? What constitutes good historical evidence? Furthermore, the greatest number of Christian scholars through history have held to AD 33 as the year of the crucifixion, though they may have had various views on the exact date and day of week on which it happened. Now before the accusations fly about me ascribing random astronomical events to this writing, consider this: these are the only two solar eclipses that occur within the time frame reference by Phlegon, and from 20-40AD there are only 3 other eclipses that could even possibly have been seen by Rome or the Persian Gulf; one in 20AD and the other two occur after 36AD. 12:40 mention three nights. We know that Jesus was crucified in the Spring, at the time of the Passover. 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 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. Barton, Bill, This webpage quotes John Lightfoot explaining the "onah" concept. Little is known about Phlegon, but he made reference to Christ. Thus, the Christian apologist Tertullian (155-240 A.D) could still say to the Romans in the late second century A.D. with regard to the Crucifixion darkness: And yet, nailed upon the cross, He exhibited many notable signs, by which His death was distinguished from all others. There is only one period of darkness lasting for three hours in the history of the world. GO TO creationanswers.net The Romans, for example, are known to have have kept archives which included data on eclipses of the moon and sun. 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.). The source from Jerome above is interesting in that it dates the unusual darkening of the sky by the Olympiad numbering system. An earthquake occurred in Bythinia and overthrew a great part of the city of Nicaea" Thank You Father :). 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. In reply. 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?. The darkness during the crucifixion. And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst. (Luke 23:44-45 ). Why would the Apostles allude to a darkness their hearers and readersknewdid not happen? There are few historical records that are actually from the time of Christ but there are some records from historians from the second century AD. This needs to be updated they just found evidence if quake from 26 to 36ad. Elsewhere in this same work, Origen wrote in relation to the Crucifixion darkness: And with regard to the eclipse in the time ofTiberius Csar, in whose reign Jesus appears to have been crucified, and the great earthquakes which then took place, Phlegon too, I think, has written in the thirteenth or fourteenth book of his Chronicles (Contra Celsus II, 33). "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. Tradition informs us that Marks gospel derives directly from Peters oral preaching in Rome (seehere). AD 33 is a generally accepted year of His crucifixion. We have already seen there is strong reason to believe a record of the Crucifixion darkness was held in the Roman archives. Using the above information we can work out that the period of darkness occurred in 33 AD. Remember then, especially on Good Friday between the hours of noon and 3 pm, that the Crucifixion darkness is a real, historical eventand pray for those who deny it. First, is what I would call deduction from all available information. Africanus disputed an attempt by Thallus (a first century historian) to specifically explain the Crucifixion darkness in this way. Thus, upon closer examination, theforce of the skeptics objection inevitably dissolves away into nothingness as we examine the works of other ancient writers who the skeptic would cite as asilentwitness for their case. And accurate. The audience was quieter now and gave the speakers the respectful hearing that they deserved. . Origen, Against Celsus, Book 2.33, Phlegon mentioned the eclipse which took place during the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ, and no other (eclipse); it is clear that he did not know from his sources about any (similar) eclipse in previous times . 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. The fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad I believe would include some of the same year as the 203rd Olympiad but the new Olympiad did not start till the Olympics event took place in the Summer. 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/. The Crucifixion darkness could certainly have been one of these excluded eclipses. However, whether there was or was not a Crucifixion darkness, it can not be proven from Pliny. The earthquake on the other hand was a natural process miraculously timed to occur at the crucifixion. To home he may gobut, it must be with his tail between his legs. and this is shown by the historical account of Tiberius Caesar. Philopon, De. . (Mark 15: 33), And it was almost the sixth hour; and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. Im fairly confident of the historical source, Your email address will not be published. Contact Dr Richard Kent and recommendations, Bible Prophecy Concerning The Crucifixion, The Blood Covenant In Relation To The Crucifixion, Recording of The Crucifixion by Contemporary Historians, The Three Hour Period Of Darkness Is Confirmed By Many Historians, The Ad 33 Date Of The Crucifixion According To Phlegon, A Secular Greek Historian, The Ad 33 Date Of The Crucifixion From Bible Prophecy, Caiaphas Prophesied About The Crucifixion, In Gethsemane Jesus Sweated Blood, The Disciples Slept, And Judas Betrayed Jesus Christ, Judas Iscariot Betrayed Jesus Christ For Thirty Pieces Of Silver, The Timing Of The Night Before The Crucifixion, Jesus Christ Stood In Our Place At The Six Trials, Jesus Was Condemned To Death For "blasphemy", The Crowd Choose Barabbas Rather Than Jesus. Then the other speaker, also a minister, stepped forward. I will go into more detail about this process below. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. The next piece of the puzzle is to determine if Jesus indeed was crucified on a Friday. (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 Modern science validates the sources Phlegon used for compiling his writings and also validates the transcribers who referenced the material several hundred years later. I will follow the work of Cambridge professor Colin Humphreys based on his book, "The Mystery of the Last Supper," published in 2011 [1]. It even mentions buildings collapsing in Nicea, which would be over 1,000 miles Northwest from Jerusalem by land. Pontius Pilate (Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House, 1968), p. 366. 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. 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. Other works ascribed to Phlegon in the Suda are a description of Sicily, a work on the Roman festivals in three books, and a topography of Rome: Origen of Alexandria (182-254 AD), in Against Celsus (Book II, Chap. mund. To God nothing is impossible. We do however have important sections of Phelgon's work, which are critical in dating the Crucifixion. However, if the crucifixion were on a Wednesday or Thursday this does not seem to fit the proper timing in the Jewish Passover week. [3]. Steven OReilly is a graduate of the University of Dallas and the Georgia Institute of Technology. In his book Chronicle of the Olympiad he records a miracle mentioned in the New Testament. The skeptics objection is an argument from silencethat other writerswouldhave said something if the darkness had really happened. This research again confirms Phlegons writing. This does not necessarily coincide with the Crucifixion darkness, and it doesnt have to. Information we can work out that the period of darkness occurred in 772 BC earthquake the... May gobut, it doesnt have to either ad 33 is a graduate the. More detail about this process below our sins to fall upon Jesus could give a plausible explanation foretelling God. 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