Introduction
The earthly ministry of Yeshua concluded in a series of events that, in their broadest details, are most familiar to every Christian. The portrayal begins at evening of the last Passover meal 2, and moves to the night in the Garden of Gethsemane where also he is betrayed by Yehuda. It unfolds as he is condemned before the Priests and Rulers, and the following day he stands before Pilate the Roman governor. It concludes in his execution by the Romans, his burial, the prophesied three days and three nights that he was in the grave, and with his resurrection.
For a long time, many centuries indeed, it has been taught that these events started on Friday (Good Friday, as it is called) and concluded on Sunday; thus, the Christian disposition to worship on Sunday and to celebrate Easter. The problem with this commonly accepted view is that in several critical points it cannot be reconciled to historical facts. As we shall see, the gospel writers, more conspicuously in the Greek than in translation, recorded numerous details which are in conflict with this idea. These details form an intricate mosaic of calendar and culture, of the life and times of people, and of events that are all inextricably woven into the deeply Hebraic perspective and frame of reference of a covenant nation.Turning for a moment to those texts, we ask, why is it that Yeshua and his disciples are noted as observing Passover a day earlier than the Jewish leaders and the rest of the people? Alternatively, if it were possible by some means to explain that they did observe Passover at the same time as Mashiach, then that places the moment of Yeshua's arrest into the unsettling status of being on a Sabbath day. Of course, this is problematic because the Pharisees had made their doctrine perfectly clear that a Sabbath day is to be uniformly and strictly observed. 3 How could it be that the women have sufficient time to perform the laborious task of preparing oils to anoint his body during the dark hours following the Saturday Shabbat and before dawn on Sunday morning? The process of extracting essential oils or ointments from spices would have taken a minimum of eight hours. 4 Are there in fact three days and three nights in the grave between Friday afternoon and Sunday sunrise? This is not so. There are with the most flexible of definitions at most three days and two nights.
Many hypotheses have been developed over the years to overcome these objections. Regrettably, most of these proposed scenarios have only solved certain problems, while producing other, equally disconcerting, difficulties.Nevertheless, a correct date must exist: one that, if all the events are placed into a proper timeline, would result in all of the following conditions to be met.
1. Characteristics of the Proper Date
- It will fulfil completely the Prophecy of Jonah 1:17 5
- It will commence on the proper Biblical calendar date for Passover, which is 14 Aviv, as defined by the commandment of Elohim. 6
- The reconstructed date will be supported by sound astronomical reckoning.
- It will affirm that Yeshua followed the Torah precisely as it is written.
- It will reconcile a known peculiarity of the New Testament, namely that the Passover meal Yeshua shared with the twelve and others is observed on a different day than that of the religious authorities.
- It will correlate with all the events as recounted in the four gospels.
To determine this date has been the quest of many great minds throughout the centuries. We know Isaac Newton did considerable work on this, and him we credit in part for our finding. What we have done would not be possible without his work in using the laws of astronomy and physics to reconstruct the first century calendar with precise dates for Passover in a range of years that he considered most likely. This enables us to establish with confidence the day of the week on which Passover occurred. 7Others have attempted to ascertain the date as well, but thus far no one has been able to go back into time and identify exactly the calendar dates on which these events took place, meeting all these requirements.
Doctrine typically follows theological premise, and the impact of a presumed Friday crucifixion upon our culture is both indisputable andpervasive. The principal difficulty we see with the efforts of those intending to solve this problem in the past is this presumption, coupled with only a superficial degree of understanding of Hebraic culture together with its Biblical calendar and annual cycle of appointed times. We see this as being primarily due to this erroneous, yet prevalent theological premise: that the basis of the Christian faith is viewed through mainly Hellenistic, or Greek-centric thought, and consequently operates independently of the Hebraic. This unfortunate disseverance is not difficult to explain when we consider that Hebraic thought is relegated to the “Old” Testament, whereas the part which is designated as “New” 8, being all written in Greek, suggests to us that western culture should now prevail because the former is passed away.
By contrast, we have approached the problem assuming none of these inherited traditions, but have instead taken the gospel accounts at face value, or literally, and reconstructed the event chronology from them. We have also been careful to maintain faithful harmony with the Hebrew scriptures, in fulfilment of which these events glean their very purpose. In this communication, we give a clear representation that fits all the eyewitness and historical accounts and, at the same time, possesses an elegant simplicity of detail. We respectfully present the correct date in history and show the timeline of events that meets all the aforementioned conditions.
2. The Biblical Calendar and the Hebraic Reckoning of Time
In order to fully appreciate the dynamics of these recorded events, one must comprehend an entirely different method of perceiving and measuring time. As westerners, owing to the universal acceptance of the Gregorian calendar, we are accustomed to its seamless, silent and transparent operation as it systematically counts each moment and each day that passes. By it, we are able to plan many months, or even years ahead and know that the days we are thinking of will fall right into place with no further involvement on our part. In effect, the calendar runs on a sort of “auto-pilot”. And, this happens because it was designed to be that way.
By way of contrast, the Biblical calendar, being based on lunar cycles instead of solar years that are pre-determined, works exclusively by observation of lunar phase 9, and lacks this “auto-pilot” feature. The difference is far-reaching. The characteristic that puts nearly a universe of difference between them is that it relies upon direct human observation to advance the months. This means that, on the Biblical calendar, the month does not advance until there is an observation of the lunar phase as it changes from darkness during the new moon to the smallest reflected light at the beginning of its next cycle. Of course, there was imposed a limit of 30 days per month, so that the month would by default advance if the count reached 30. (The actual lunar month is 29.53 days on the average.) Another characteristic of the Biblical calendar is that it contained a mechanism to realign to the solar year because there are fewer days on the lunar calendar than the earth's orbit around the sun. On the Biblical calendar, the year end was during the springtime. This way, an observation of the fields could be made to determine if the crop maturity corresponded properly to the month. 10 If not, an additional month was appended to the year. This would be the month called Adar II 11.
As a result, there is a particular variability to ascertaining any historical Passover date because, although the astronomically calculated dates for the month in which Passover takes place are known, what is not known is the condition of the barley crop in the fields, localised to this proximity, and the possibility exists that the real the date of Passover did not take place on the astronomical date, but rather 29-30 days later, in the next lunar cycle, due to the added month of Adar II. For certain years, this would happen and result in a relatively late Passover date. We have accounted for this uncertainty.
3. Sanhedrin Oversight of Calendar
By the Second Temple period, it had become the practice of the Sanhedrin and the Jewish leaders to oversee the monthly formality of observing the moon's phase change, then to record it and to administrate its announcement. In his calculations, Newton makes note of this historical practice. 12 According to a strictly Biblical interpretation, the start of the month begins upon initial observation. However, there were circumstances under which the leaders deemed it expedient to disregard what was visible of the new lunar phase, and to delay the start of the month until the following day. They reasoned that even though someone could physically see it, if it were near the threshold of perception or if in their judgement it was faint enough that perhaps the average person did not see it, or weather factors impeded visibility, then they believed it was at their discretion to delay the month by a day. The important thing to note is that they maintained control over whether the announcement was immediate or delayed by a day.
Calculating The Date
In this section, we analyse various indicators of date and season of year given in the four gospels, and correlate with known dates in history to arrive at the best possible candidate year in which the last Passover took place.
1. Determining the Start of Yeshua’s Ministry
A. Deductive Proof
The year Yeshua’s ministry began can be objectively determined; however, it requires a bit of deduction to do this, and there are factors which obfuscate the otherwise simple process of arithmetic that one would like to employ. While we are told clearly by Luke's gospel the year of the beginning of Yochanan's 13 ministry, the exact month remains unspecified. Further complicating this is that the counting of years depends upon which calendar system one uses. We shall examine both of these in detail and show how the correct year can be deduced.
The Year Yochanan’s Ministry Began
“Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; ... Now when all the people were baptised, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptised, and praying, the heaven was opened, And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:1,2,21,22; KJV)
Here we have several dating clues, all of which can be objectively determined. To deduce the year in which Yeshua’s ministry started, we will apply the historical dates mentioned in this passage, in consideration of the separate calendars (Hebrew and Julian) that are known to have been utilised during this period, to calculate the theoretical upper and lower range of dates in which Yochanan’s ministry would have begun.
Historians place the starting date of the reign of Tiberias Caesar at 19 August, AD 14, as he was successor to Augustus Caesar. Although this ascertains the first year of his reign, what constitutes the second, and successive years depends upon one’s frame of reference in calculating the passage of time. Western minds calculate years based on anniversary dates; therefore, calculating the 15th year of Tiberius would produce a range of dates between August, AD 28 and August, AD 29 (see Table 1, page 9). In contrast, by Hebraic thinking, years are based strictly upon the Biblical calendar, measured from the month of Aviv (or, in modern nomenclature, Nisan), which occurs in the Spring of the year. Therefore, calculating the 15th year of Tiberius would produce a range of dates between Aviv, AD 28 and Aviv, AD 29. (On this calendar, a partial year is still called a year.)
Accounting for both of these calendar systems, we have now determined that Yochanan’s ministry must have begun between the Spring of AD 28 (1 Aviv) and, at the latest, 19 August, AD 29. At this point, to validate our claim, we compare our dates to the known periods of the historical figures mentioned in Luke 3:1. The reign of Herod (4 BC to AD 39), Philip (4 BC to AD 34) and Lysanias (AD 14-29) 14 all correlate to our range of dates, and both Roman and Jewish history place Caiaphas 15 as high priest during this period (AD 18-37).
The Season Yochanan’s Ministry Began
As stated earlier, we are not told explicitly the beginning month of Yochanan’s ministry. However, there is sufficient mention of points in time, together with certain events of known duration given in John’s gospel, that enables us to determine when these events took place. In the first chapter, verses 19-28, John presents Yochanan’s ministry and his testimony concerning Yeshua. It can be established from the other three gospels that this took place after Yeshua’s return from the 40 days in the wilderness, following his baptism. 16The next day (1:29) he sees Yeshua coming toward him and says “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”. The next day (1:35), he sees Yeshua again and repeats the declaration, “Behold the Lamb of God!” The next day (1:43), Yeshua purposes to go into Galilee. On the third day (2:1), there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee. After this (2:12), he went to Capernaum and stayed there “not many days”. Then, in the subsequent verse (2:13) we read, “the Passover of the Jews was near, and Yeshua went up to Jerusalem”. The account of these days is consecutive. Hence, it is clear that the ministry of Yochanan began in the early Spring. 17 Indeed, the proximity of the beginning of his ministry to the baptism of Yeshua is corroborated by the other three gospels. 18
The conclusion to all these facts is thus: Yochanan started his ministry at least 40 days prior to Passover. This rules out the lower boundary of our date range, 1 Aviv, AD 28, because that is only 13 days before Passover, not allowing enough time for Yeshua's baptism and testing in the wilderness. Therefore the only eligible point in time for the start of Yochanan's ministry is the period immediately before Passover of the following year, in the early Spring of year 29.
Table 1. Calculation of the Year of the First Passover of Yeshua’s Ministry
|
Hebraic Reckoning (Rosh haShana based) |
Western Reckoning (Anniversary based) |
1st year of Tiberias’ Reign |
August, AD 14 – 1 Aviv, AD 15 |
August, AD 14 – August, AD 15 |
2nd year of Tiberias’ Reign |
1 Aviv, AD 15 – 1 Aviv, AD 16 |
August, AD 15 – August, AD 16 |
15th year of Tiberias’ Reign (start of Ministry of Yochanan ben Zecharyah) |
1 Aviv, AD 28 – 1 Aviv, AD 29 |
August, AD 28 – August, AD 29 |
First Passover of Yeshua’s Ministry |
(confirmed) 14 Aviv, AD 29 (ruled out) 14 Aviv, AD 28 |
April, AD 29 (14 Aviv) |
The First Passover of Yeshua’s Ministry
Concerning this chronology, it is an elementary point among theological authorities, and one with which we concur, that Yeshua started his ministry immediately after having returned from the temptation in the wilderness. The events of John 1:29–2:12 follow one another in close succession and reach their climax as Yeshua travels up to Jerusalem for the Passover (John 2:13). The events which unfold there give vibrant testimony to the ministry of Mashiach. He overturns the tables of the moneychangers, displaying his zeal for the Beit ha Mikdash 19, which John interprets as fulfilment of the Messianic prophecy of Psalm 69:9 (John 2:14–17). He teaches Nicodemus there the hallowed words, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3, KJV), and he follows his teaching with many signs and wonders (John 2:23). We conclude, therefore, by means of this narrativethat the Passover of John 2:13 is the Passover in which Yeshua commences his ministry, 14 Aviv, AD 29.
B. Empirical Proof
There exists an independent confirmation, chronicled in the gospel of John, that fixes the starting point of Yeshua’s ministry. During this first recorded Passover of Yeshua’s ministry, the Jewish leaders question him, saying, “Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?” (John 2:20, KJV). They were referring to the Beit ha Mikdash, known also as the Second, or Herod’s Temple. Historical records place the beginning of construction of this Temple in the year 19 BC. Given that the 46th year from 19 BC is the year 28 (there is no year zero); it follows that, only in the year 29 could it be said that the temple was forty-six years in the making.
Our deductive proof eliminated the year 28, and, if this had been the Passover of AD 30, these leaders would have needed to say that the temple was forty and seven years in construction.Therefore, the start of Yeshua’s ministry is precisely identified as the Passover of AD 29.
2. The Length of Yeshua’s Ministry
John’s gospel clearly indicates three Passovers within the time span of Yeshua’s ministry. Having taken care to indicate these, an omission of a third or subsequent Passover scarcely seems possible. Therefore, a literal interpretation establishes a ministry duration of two years, beginning with Passover of the year 29, including an interim Passover of year 30, and concluding with the final Passover of year 31.
3. On What Day Did the Passover Occur in AD 31 ?
Now that we have reckoned 14 Aviv, AD 31 as the third and final Passover of Yeshua’s ministry, we must prove that the day of the week entirely accords with the material events of the gospels, and remains true to the Biblical calendar of appointed times (high feast days) as prescribed by the Mosaic Law, or Torah. In reference to which precise date this Passover took place, modern astronomy provides us the necessary tools to reconstruct it. This is because the lunar cycles on which the Biblical calendar is based are known and predictable, and it is a fundamental tenant of science that the natural laws governing the moon's orbit and its phases are unchanging.
One of the most notable astronomers and scientists to address this problem was Isaac Newton, who is credited with the invention of the scientific laws of motion and gravity, the branch of mathematics known as calculus, and the reflecting telescope; as well as having authored many important books and articles concerning physics and science. Drawing upon these extraordinary talents, he made mathematical calculations to reconstruct the lunar phases, adjusting for astronomical and human factors affecting the actual sightings of them, and also taking into account the Hebraic definition of a day, to determine the Roman calendar dates on which the Biblically-defined Passover would have occurred each year. These are given in the Table below, which indicates Tuesday, March 27 as the scientifically-calculated date of 14 Aviv (Passover) for the year 31.
In order to ascertain the actual date for Passover of AD 31, all that remains is to determine whether or not the thirteenth month of Adar II was added to the end of the previous year before the announcement of 1 Aviv. If Adar II was not appended this year, then March 27 is the actual date. Alternatively, if it was appended, then Passover occurred 29-30 days later. What follows is an unambiguous elimination of that possibility.
Table 2. Newtonian Calculation of the Julian Calendar Dates of 14 Aviv for Years 31 – 36 20
Year AD |
According to Biblical Commandment |
Postponement Date due to Rabbinical Accommodation |
31 |
Tuesday, March 27 |
Wednesday, March 28 |
32 |
Sunday, April 13 |
Monday, April 14 |
33 |
Friday, April 3 |
N/A |
34 |
Wednesday, March 24 (or, assuming Adar II) Thursday, April 22 |
Friday, April 23 |
35 |
Tuesday, April 12 |
Wed, April 13 |
36 |
Saturday, March 31 |
N/A |
During the year of Yeshua’s crucifixion, a significant indicator is related by the gospel of Mark that places the Passover relatively early in the Spring, meaning that no additional month was added. The fig tree is described in Mark 11:13 as having leaves only, but no figs, because the time of the figs was not yet. In Israel, green figs appear on the trees about the second week of April. Therefore, it is determined that in the year 31 the Passover fell prior to mid-April, much too soon to accommodate an Adar II month, confirming the scientifically-calculated date of March 27.
In summary, we have demonstrated that the chronological indicators in the gospel accounts and the historical, astronomical data establish Tuesday, 27 March, AD 31 as the date of the last Passover of Yeshua ha Mashiach.
Testing the Date
To test the date, we analyse all the details recorded in the Gospel accounts, proceeding in view of the cultural framework in which they occurred, and note the important rôle played by the interaction and conflict of two distinct standards for following the Biblical calendar.
1. Postponement Accommodation
As we related in the section entitled “Sanhedrin Oversight of Calendar”, there were certain circumstances under which the Jewish leaders chose to delay the announcement of the new month by one or more days. Of particular interest to our study are the special Sabbath days associated with both Passover and Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles). The mechanics of these postponements are complex, but in their simplest terms, if the first day of Tishri, the seventh month, fell on the first, fourth, or sixth day of the week, it was necessary to delay one day because falling on those days produced a month that contained double Sabbaths. 21 This was seen as an inconvenience, presumably arising from their imposing strict rules for Sabbath observance and, again,the leaders believed they had the right to prevent this from occurring. Likewise, this accommodation also necessitated delaying by a full day the official announcement of 1 Aviv, even if the sighting of the lunar phase clearly corresponded to the day prior. The practice of delaying a day to avoid double Sabbaths was known as Postponement Accommodation. 22
Newton fully accounts for these Rabbinical adjustments. His calculations show that the year in question, AD 31, was in fact a year in which these Accommodation Rules did alter the date of Passover, making it one day later than that which was determined by sighting of the moon. This explains why Yeshua and his disciples, all of whom would have upheld the purity of following the actual sightings of nature as preferable to the arbitrary dictates of the Sanhedrin, 23 and who, it is sure, would have known how to observe the first of the month Biblically, 24 ate their Passover with Yeshua a full day sooner than the leaders and the rest of the people.
2. Passover and Chag ha Matzot
To appreciate the dynamics of these events, one must understand the Passover. Passover, together with its accompanying observation, Chag ha Matzot(Feast of Unleavened Bread) is an eight day event in total. Four days prior to the observance, a lamb is selected to be eaten by the extended family and is kept until the day of slaughter. 25 If we turn our attention to what was taking place at the moment Yochanan said, “Behold the Lamb of God”, we see he is prophesying concerning the ministry of Messiah in terms that were pertinent to the upcoming eight-day festival, because during that time all would have been thinking about the lamb to be selected and the upcoming Passover.
The day of the preparation (14 Aviv) is spent in anticipation of the Passover event, which draws families together for a festive meal that starts in the late afternoon.26 A unique blend of gala yet sober reflection surrounds the celebration as the invitation to the Passover meal is extended to relatives, friends and, according to tradition, the poor and needy. During this meal, an informal program is followed which is known as the הגדה (Haggadah), meaning ‘the recounting’. It is a re-telling of the Exodus from Egypt and slavery, a remarkably Messianic experience for those who have had the happy occasion of participating in one. At a high point during the Haggadah, some moments before the meal is served, it is proclaimed, אבדים היינו לפרה במצרים (avadim hayinu le paroh ba mitzrayim), “Slaves we were for Pharaoh in Egypt, but Adonai by his strength and mighty power delivered us”. We have included this discussion as further elucidation of the vital rôle that Passover played in the ministry of Messiah.
3. The Sabbaths of Passover
After the Passover meal has concluded (after dark), the observance of the Chag ha Matzot 27begins. As stated above, the Torah defines an additional type of Shabbat aside from the normal end-of-week Shabbat. During the seven-day Chag ha Matzot, the Torah indicates that the first day (after the Passover meal) is a Shabbat. 28 And, exactly six days later another Shabbat occurs. 29 The Sabbaths associated with the seven-day Chag ha Matzot can occur on any day of the week.
There are two points to note concerning this. First, the occurrence of a mid-week Shabbat was a principle reason for the Postponement Accommodation, i.e., to prevent two Sabbaths from occurring consecutively, one corresponding toChag ha Matzot, the other being the normal end-of-week Shabbat. 30 Secondly, the Shabbat mentioned as the reason for bringing the bodies down from the cross was actually a Shabbat associated with Chag ha Matzot, not an end-of-week Shabbat.
At this point, we have sufficient understanding of historical calendar irregularities and the relevant local customs and practices to reconstruct the chronology of these events, beginning at the day of preparation for Passover (14 Aviv) and concluding with the resurrection. This chronology maintains perfect harmony with all the gospel accounts. (Please refer also to Figures 1 and 2, page 20)
4. Reconstruction of the Chronology of Events, Passover of AD 31
14 Aviv (Tuesday, March 27) ~ The Daylight Hours
Event |
Comments |
References |
Disciples Prepare the Passover |
The disciples make the announcement to Yeshua that the time for Passover had arrived, although we see later that it was not the day that the rest of the nation was observing it. This year, by sighting, the day of Passover was March 27, but due to Rabbinical Accommodation it had been delayed to March 28 for the religious leaders and all who followed them. In sum, we have a postponement year, delaying Passover one day, but the disciples are using the real dates. This explains why there are literally two different Passover and Chag ha Matzot observances taking place concurrently. |
Matt 26:17–19; Mark 14:12–16; Luke 22:7–13 |
14-15 Aviv (Tuesday-Wednesday, March 27-28) ~ Evening to Night-time Hours
Event |
Comments |
References |
Passover – Yeshua & Disciples
|
Yeshua, his disciples and guests commence the Passover seder (meal) beginning at evening on the 14th, as specified in Torah. Further affirming that this meal is in fact a Passover, and not some ordinary meal, is the presence of several specific intimations to elements of a Passover hagadah. During the hagadah, the head of the household breaks the matzah 31, speaks the blessings and distributes it to all present. This is exactly the picture we are given in the gospel accounts. The sharing of the cup of (traditionally red) wine takes place four distinct times during the meal. At the seder's conclusion there is a recitation or singing of the Hallel (psalms of praise, Psalm 113-118). Despite centuries of tradition that has mischaracterised this meal as a ‘last supper’, i.e. holy communion, Yeshua plainly states that it is a Passover in his words, “... I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer”(Luke 22:15, KJV) |
Matt 26:20–30;Mark 14:17–26;Luke 22:14–38 |
Appearance before Chief Priests |
We find in these passages the first, albeit indirect, indication that there is an actual difference between the calendar that Yeshua and the disciples are following and that of the Jewish rulers and general population. Yeshua is brought before the chief priests, where the scribes and elders are assembled. Additionally, there are false witnesses that testify against him, other onlookers, and officers and servant girls, who are apparently on duty. If it is, in fact, the case that all these people are observing Passover this night, they would instead be home with their families; and the Jewish officers and servant girls would certainly not be on duty. This is because of the Shabbat of 15 Aviv, which commenced at sundown. It is also not possible that the Sadducees and Pharisees would conduct a trial on this day in violation of Shabbat. Therefore, we conclude that they are not observing Passover this night in favour of the next night, that being according to the Postponement Accommodation rules. |
Matt 26:57–75; Mark 14:53–72; Luke 22:54–65; John 18:13–27 |
15 Aviv (Wednesday, March 28) ~ The Daylight Hours
Event |
Comments |
References |
Trial Before the Romans
|
In John’s gospel we are told that the priests and leaders declined to enter the Praetorium to avoid being defiled, so that they could eat the Passover at evening. (18:28). Although we have shown ample evidence already that they will observe their Passover exactly one day (24 hours) after Yeshua did, this is given to us as plain indication that Wednesday, 28 March was their Passover. Finally, to remove any remaining uncertainty, we are told that this day is the preparation day of the Delayed Rabbinic Passover. (John 19:14) |
Matt 27:1–32; Mark 15:1–21; Luke 22:66–23:32; John 18:28–19:15 |
Crucifixion, Death, & Burial |
Yeshua dies at the ninth hour (about 3 pm), and Yosef of Arimathea buries Yeshua in the evening. In the Greek original, the word here is οψιος (opsios), meaning late in the day, or between 3 and 6 pm. This, coupled with the fact that there was an urgency to get the bodies removed from the crosses because it was the preparation, means that Yeshua was in the grave well before sundown. Applying the informal definition of יום (yom, meaning day)32, as used by the prophet Yonah, this constitutes day one in the grave. Mark (15:42), Luke (23:54), and John (19:14, 31, 42) tell us that for those other than Yeshua and his disciples it was the preparation day before the Shabbat, meaning it was the day of preparing the Passover, before the Shabbat of day one of Chag ha Matzot. Also, John tells us (19:31) that this upcoming Shabbat was a major or high Shabbat, a reference to the fact that it was not a weekly Shabbat, but the Shabbat corresponding to the Feast. Mark tells us that Miryam ha Magdalit (Mary Magdalene) and Miryam the mother of Ya’akov (Mary the mother of Joses) lingered at the tomb, while the others had all departed. Interpreting this, it is clear that while the others were diligently hurrying to be home for Passover by late afternoon, these women had already observed their Passover with Yeshua the prior evening. Their Shabbat was now in progress. Having no responsibility to be at any place special, they were free to remain and mourn. |
Matt 27:33–61; Mark 15:22–47; Luke 23:33–23:55; John 19:16–19:42 |
|
Day One in the Grave |
|
16 Aviv (Wednesday-Thursday, March 28-29) ~ Night-time Hours
Event Comments References Night One in the Grave
16 Aviv (Thursday, March 29) ~ The Daylight Hours
Event |
Comments |
References |
Jewish Rulers petition for a Guard
|
The events of this day are quiet, because it is the observed Shabbat, according to the delayed calendar. However, on this Sabbath day the Jewish rulers do schedule a private meeting with Pilate and petition him for a guard, as it says, “until the third day”. This tells us they knew that Yeshua had said he would manifest to them the sign of the Prophet Yonah – three days and three nights in the grave. Notice that they could not have made this request of the governor on the prior evening because, according to their rules, which were stricter than the Torah itself, by going in to approach him they would have become tameh (unclean) and thus not be permitted to eat the Passover. After Yeshua’s burial the previous day, “Then [the women] returned...”. Although this is not a Shabbat for the disciples, it is for the remainder of the community who are following the delayed calendar, so the women are unable to obtain spices to prepare the oils to anoint Yeshua’s body. |
Matt 27:62–66
Luke 23:56a |
|
Day Two in the Grave |
|
17 Aviv (Thursday - Friday, March 29-30) ~ Night-time Hours
Event Comments References Night Two in the Grave
17 Aviv (Friday, March 30) ~ The Daylight Hours
Event |
Comments |
References |
The Women Disciples Prepare the Oils to Anoint the Body |
“When the Sabbath was past, [the women] bought spices, so that they might come and anoint him.” “... and [the women] prepared spices and ointments ...” The detailed timing of these events is of paramount importance: As stated above, the women had to wait until the end of the delayed Shabbat to purchase the spices needed to prepare the ointments and perfumes (essential oils) to anoint the body. This day, until sunset when the weekly Shabbat begins, they go about that arduous task. According to the traditional view of a Friday crucifixion, followed by the weekly Shabbat, and then by a Sunday resurrection, there is no time for this buying and preparing of spices to have occurred. We know that before they left the tomb the evening of his burial, the others were already hurrying home for their Passover (because they were following the delayed calendar). Therefore, the shops would have already been closed by that time. If the resurrection happened the morning after this Shabbat (i.e., the first day of the week after a Friday crucifixion), it would not have been possible that the procuring and preparation of these could have been carried out as Mark and Luke recount. |
Mark 16:1 Luke 23:56b |
|
Day Three in the Grave |
|
18 Aviv (Friday - Saturday, March 30-31) ~ Night-time Hours
Event Comments References Women Rest We know the women managed to finish their labour before sunset because it says, “...and on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.” The Shabbat begins at sunset and they rest from their physical labours (e.g., preparation of spices). Luke 23:56b Night Three in the Grave
18 Aviv (Saturday, March 30) ~ The Daylight Hours
Event |
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Women come to Anoint the Body Resurrection
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It is a popular misconception that because it was the Shabbat, the women were not permitted to use the spices they had prepared. However, the Torah makes no such prohibition. In addition, even the perennially strict Jewish sages permitted it for, according to the Mishna, it was permissible for them to do this on Shabbat. 33 “While yet evening of the Shabbat, as it grew light toward the oneness of the Shabbat 34, Miryam ha Magdalit and the other Miryam came to see the tomb.” (Matt 28:1, SHMA, literal from Greek) “And exceedingly early to the oneness of the Shabbat, they came to the grave at the rising of the sun.” (Mark 16:2, SHMA, literal from Greek) “When not yet the oneness of the Shabbat, in the depths of earliness, they came to the tomb carrying the spices which they had prepared.” (Luke 24:1, SHMA, literal from Greek) “When not yet the oneness of the Shabbat, Miryam ha Magdalit came in the darkness of the morning to the tomb...” (John 20:1, SHMA, literal from Greek) The literal reading of these verses tells us three important things that are distinct from what is commonly taught. Yeshua rose from the grave on the morning of Shabbat; not the first day of the week. Also, he rose before the sunrise, negating the basis for sun adoration that has been associated with this event for centuries. (We refer in particular to sunrise services and the unmandated change of day of rest from the seventh day to the first day 35.) Finally, the pre-dawn resurrection results in a complete fulfilment of Yonah 1:7, which could not be accomplished if it had occurred during any other time period. |
Matt 28:1–7; Mark16:2–8 Luke24:1–12 John 20:1–18 |
Yeshua appears to disciples |
“Being then late the self-same day, the oneness of Shabbat, and the doors having been locked, ... Yeshua came and stood in the midst and said, ‘Peace to you’.” (John 20:19, SHMA, literal from Greek) The verse reiterates that the day of the resurrection is indeed Shabbat. The representation here is that, although it is later in the afternoon, it is still during the daylight portion of the day, and therefore the ‘oneness of the Shabbat’.34 |
John20:19 |
Concluding Remarks
We have at every point during this report been meticulous in reference to both data and logic, in such a way as to minimise the distractions brought about by uncertainty and ambiguity, in order bring to bear the full impact of this finding upon the mind of the reader. We did not set forth from the beginning to prove that the Sabbath day was and is in fact the day in which Messiah resurrected. It began, rather, as a quest for understanding and knowledge borne out of simple curiosity, combined with a probing desire to know the inspiration of the pages of these gospel accounts. We reasoned that the date should be discernible, and that with prayer, humble petition for divine aid, as well as sufficient inclusion of the proper Hebraic context into the solution, that this long standing uncertainty, and almost mystery, could be solved. We leave the reader with the responsibility to determine for himself or herself what are the proper conclusions to be drawn from this finding.
We could naturally point out, as has been the object of our study for years, that the Feast days, as they are called in English, will be in full operation during the days that have been prophesied to be ahead of us. Isaiah chapter 66 indicates that the calendar will once again measure new moons. Zechariah 14 tells us that the nations go, as once did Yeshua, up to Jerusalem, and this time to celebrate the Feast of Sukkot (Tabernacles) with the Lord. So we see this as a summoning of our attention to God's celestial calendar, in the sense of his plan for all time. To us it is clear, and beyond any doubt, that He has chosen this generation to be the one in which this date and time are revealed. It is with great awe and a distinct sense of Divine Providence that we submit this report.
Postlude
In these two sections entitled Does Sabbath Mean Week?, and, Yom Echad and the Importance of Day and Night, we review the doctrinal implications of our findings and introduce some of the questions that arise from the fact that most Bible translations plainly state the resurrection took place on the first day of the week, Sunday.
Does Shabbat Mean Week?
It is of incalculable importance that we should examine the elemental conflict produced by this report with the most cardinal doctrine retained by nearly every denomination on earth and taught as essential truth nearly every place on the globe. How, you may wonder, could this report be reliable if my Bible tells me that the resurrection occurred on the first day of the week? We have been observing Sunday for centuries, nearly two millennia in fact, and it is abundantly clear that Christians have from the earliest of times revered this first day of the week, all in special recognition of that glorious moment in time: the resurrection.
If this reflects what you feel, then you are certainly not alone, and to an extent we can sympathise. Or, said another way, we can understand why you could feel a sense of discomfort or uneasiness with the findings of this report. We can, however reverse the question, just as legitimately. We know that all Bibles nowadays are just translations. Suppose we ask, “how could the translation of these verses be correct if they are in conflict with all the other facts concerning this narrative, and also internally inconsistent with the calendar and appointed times of Elohim?” It changes things, doesn't it? Now we need to present to you the following facts concerning the ‘first day of the week’.
The Koine Greek words that have been translated, in nearly every language, including even modern Greek, to mean ‘first day of the week’ are actually words that say, literally, ‘one’ of the ‘Sabbath’. Indeed, the word day is inserted, for there is no word in the texts that correlates to it; this is noted in italics by the translators of the KJV. It is true that a legacy has been handed down for generations which teaches that these words form the sense, ‘first day of the week’. However, as we attempted to trace this contended meaning back to its original, historical foundation, we were astonished to learn that there was, in fact, a complete dearth of external evidence to support the semantic construction, ‘first day of the week’. The absence of proof and the failure to give citations were to us troublesome, to say the least, as we marvelled that each and every instance of the claim was unaccompanied by reference to a dictionary or any other objective source. In effect, we saw nothing that could definitively confirm this meaning and place the legacy teaching out of the category of pure hearsay.
In the context of definitive and lexicographical sources, we must point out that biblical lexicons are merely a compilation of translational motifs. In that sense, all a biblical lexicon does is simply aggregate how translators expressed certain terms; it does not carry with it the authoritative objectivity of a dictionary. By way of illustration, and one bearing eminent importance, Strong’s lexicon lists the word, another, as a translation of the Hebrew word Shabbat, because it is used as an aid to comprehension in the translation of Isaiah 66:23 (one Sabbath to another, instead of the literal Hebrew “as often as Sabbath is in it’s Sabbath”). Therefore, it is axiomatic that connotative devices employed by translators cannot be extrapolated to general usage, nor can they be relied upon as if they were authentic definitions. Otherwise, that would make completely absurd meanings to be binding on these terms (such as “give me another banana’’ could become “give me Shabbat banana”). This is without question a matter that takes one rapidly to utter confusion. Consequently, one must resist the temptation to declare unqualifiedly that words have “certain meanings” merely because translators said that is what they mean. This is why it is actually a form of circular argumentation if one refers to Strong's or any other biblical lexicon as a “proof” of the meaning of the Greek word σάββατον (Sabbaton), which is a transliteration of the Hebrew שבת (Shabbat). Regrettably, it can be shown by these examples that the usage of a lexicon in the pulpit to expound a passage is, by definition, fallacious. This is because translation is, at the end of the day, an art form subject to the same limitations of hue and shade as the painter whose brush assays to convey a visual panorama. Things are not perfect in translation, and we can therefore not rely on the translators' sentiments which appear in Biblical lexicons to provide us objective definitions.
Accordingly, we sought to find external evidence to prove the Greek word Sabbaton ‘means’ week. To have been accurately translated as week presupposes that, during this period, a type of colloquialism was used to refer to week. We reasoned, then, that if the word Sabbatonhad become a generalised designation for week, it would be available in a classical Greek dictionary; or, failing that, we should be able to document its usage as such in other contemporaneous Greek literature. The findings, however, were shocking. What will come as a surprise to most modern readers is that even the concept of week, as a seven-day period of time, is almost indiscernible within ancient Greek writings. This is because the delineation of time into periods of seven days is entirely Hebraic and consequently foreign to the Greek culture we were researching, explaining the concept’s absence from generalised use.
The Perseus Project 36 at Tufts University enables the search of thousands of Greek texts from the ages. In these, the word Sabbaton is used only in the New Testament itself and in the works of the Jewish historian, Josephus, including his reference collection entitled Antiquities of the Jews.