Updated r.4.2.

7/31/2019

Vol. III Supplement, No.6 for IRENT

Passion Week Chronology

[See also a compassion file <Walk through the Scripture #5 - Time, Calendar
and Chronology>.]

This is one of the supplements to IRENT, a new translation of the New

Testament. The basic text of IRENT is open to the public and available free to
all for you to challenge and be challenged. Since 2004, the text is continually
updated, replaced, and uploaded at http://tiny.cc/bostonreaders until time
runs out.

Please send your e-mail for comments, critiques, corrections, or questions to

ounbbx@gmail.com as well as for a request to access to other related files.

Alas, time and tomorrow do not wait for us!

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 IRENT Vol. III. Supplement:
No. 1 (Words, Words and Words)
No. 2 (Text, Translation and Translations)
No. 3A (Name, God, and Person)
No. 3B (Man, Anthropology and Religion)
No. 3C (People and Persons)
No. 4 (Place, Things, and Numbers)
No. 5 (Time, Calendar and Chronology)
No. 6 (Passion Week Chronology)

WALK THROUGH THE SCRIPTURE

No. 6 Passion Week Chronology

[See the files in Collection #6A (Passion Week Chronology),

and #6B (Trial – Time and Duration) for this Supplement.]

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 Passion Week Chronology

Contents

Summary of the Passover week timeline

Conclusion of the Passover chronology
Introduction
Passover Week Chronology and Timeline
A. Summary of Calendar Issues
B. Preliminary considerations on crucifixion scenarios
C. Events from Arrival to Burial
D. Timelines of the Passion – Passover Week
E. Event-by-event in the Passion Week
F. Liturgical Holy Week vs. Passion Week
Passion Week chronology – confusion, conflict and contentions
Biblical Lunar Calendar for the Passion Week
Basic Vocabulary and Terminology
Appendices
References

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 On 'Passover'
What we need is basic vocabulary and knowledge of various calendar systems. Without
them, it is impossible to follow the timeline and chronology of the Passover because all the
claims and arguments are actually the source of confusion, contradictions, and contentions.
See 'Passover' in the file <Walk Through the Scripture #5 – Time, Calendar and Chronology>.

Despite the biblical confession 'Mashiah is our Passover', the significance of 'Passover' is
almost lost by Christians and most of them are not aware that the crucifixion was on the day
of Passover and the Passover [memorial] is not kept in their church liturgy, eclipsed by
'Easter celebration' and 'Eucharist', simply shoved off as 'Good Friday'. They are not sure
how the Last Supper and the crucifixion are related to the Passover day; and not clear about
what is meant by the word 'Passover' as it appears in the NT text in the different context.

1. What is 'Passover'? [Heb. pesach]a

The word is used in OT & NT in several different ways and should not be confused.
It was from the Passover event in the Exodus history and was instituted as Passover
memorial service, not a feast to celebrate.

2. Exodus on Abib 15, the day after Passover Event:

[Abib 14 (sabbath eve) they had Passover meal in the evening and Passover vigil during night.
They prepared for coming out on daytime of Abib 15th (7th day of the lunar week = sabbath (for
daytime period) – collecting from Egyptians objects of silver and gold, clothing – Exo 12:35]

Deu 16:1 Observeb the month of Abib [in your mind],

and keep the Passover [memorial] c to YHWH your Elohim;
for in the month of Abib,
YHWH your Elohim had you [Moses, taking your people]
comed out of Egypt by the night-time [of Abib 15] e
a
Ref. www.truthsearch.org/knowpassover.html
b Deu 16:1 observe ░░ /don't forget; /Set aside - CSB; [shamar H8140 (469x)]
c Deu 16:2 keep the Passover [memorial] ░░ /observe the Passover (LXX poieō to pascha cf. Mt 26:18) / [H6213

asah (2628x) – do, make, keep]

d Deu 16:1 had you come out ░░ [H3318 yatsa go, come out] /brought you out – most;
e Deu 16:1 by the night-time ░░ [i.e. by the night-time (layelah H3915) they had moved out. Not 'moved out in the

night'. The phrase 'by night' is ambiguous by itself.] /by night – most; /xxx: at night – CJB, NIrV, GW; /xxx: on a night
- GNB; /xxx: one night – CEV; /xxx: during the night – ISV;
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 …
Deu 16:3 You are not to eat any leavened bread along with it;
for seven days you are to eat [Num 28:17; Lev 23:6; cf. Exo 12:8]
along with it, unleavened bread, the bread of affliction,
because it was in haste that you came out of the land of Egypt,
Thus, you will remember the day of your having come out of the land of Egypt
all the days of your life.

Exo 12:17; 12:41; 12:51; 13:3-4

Exo 12:17 Thus, yoů are to keep the Matzah Festival, for on this very day I had yoůr people in
groups come out of the land of Egypt. Therefore, keep this day throughout yoůr generations as a
statute for the ages to come.

Exo 12.41 And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years -- on that very
same DAY -- it came to pass that all the armies of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt.
Exo 12.51 So it came to pass, on that very same DAY, that the Lord brought the children of
Israel out of the land of Egypt according to their armies.
Exo 13.3-4 And Moses said to the people: 'Remember this DAY, in which you went out of
Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the Lord brought you out of this
place. No leavened bread shall be eaten. On this DAY you are going out, in the month Abib.

3. When the word 'Passover' appears, esp. in NT, the context should tell what it is
meant:
(1) the Passover memoriala – ('keep the Passover memorial'b - Abib 14)
Passover sacrifice killed (Abib 14 afternoon)
Passover meal (Abib 14 evening) [not same as Seder on Nisan 15]
(2) the Passover Festival (= the Matzah Festival) to celebrate – 7 days from
Abib 15).

a
memorial ░░ /[H2146 kikkaron – remembrance] https://yrm.org/10-proofs-passover-memorial-not-high-
day/Exo 12:14a "This day [of Adonai's passing over] is to you for a memorial -- /for a memorial - KJV; /x:
(a day ~) to commemorate - NIV; /a memorial – NASB; /a memorial (day) - ESV;
b
'keep the Passover memorial' ░░ [H6213 asah + H6453 p̄ e·saḥ] Exo 12:48. See below 'keep the Passover
Festival' in Mt 26:18.
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 4. What is 'Passover sacrifice'?
• 'passover sacrifice' Exo 12:27 [‘sacrifice’ – H2077 zebah 162x ]
• 'kill passover sacrifice' Exo 12:21; 2Ch 35:1 ░░ [H7819 shachat (81x) 'kill'
/>> 'slay', 'slaughter' ' to sacrifice'] [when? – 'between the two setting-times'
i.e. afternoon, Abib 14]
Rm 8:36 lamb for slaughter (← Psa 44:22) (Cf. Isa 53:7);
The word 'Passover' is often used as a metonym for Passover sacrifice (Heb. Korban
Pesakh). E.g. 'Passover sacrifice is killed — 1Co 5:7 etc. 'Passover lamb' is implied but
the phrase itself does not appear in the Bible.
Exo 8:25 to sacrifice ░░ [H2076 zabach v. (134x)] /x: slaughter offerings; Heb 7:1 slaughter
(enemy)░░ [S2871 kopē n. (1x)]

Exo 12:27 'Passover sacrifice to YHWH' [‘a sacrifice’ – H2077 zebah 162x] – a year-old
unblemished male lamb [H7716 seh Exo 12:5; 2Ch 35:7], either of sheep [H3532 kebes]
or of goat [H5795 ez – QQ why is it 'female' in the dictionary?] Cf. a-year old male lamb
for burnt-offering or ewe lamb for sin-offering. [Num 6:14].

Deu 16:6 But at the place whichever that YHWH your Elohim will choose to have
his name established;
there alone you shall sacrifice for the Passover by the eveninga [bā·‘ā·reḇ] of the going
down of the sunb at the set-timec of your coming out of Egypt.

(Cf. Deu 16:4 'flesh as offered as sacrifice in the evening' [bā·‘e·reḇ]. It is not for the
Passover sacrifice, but for the meal of the Matzah Festival.)

a Deu 16:6 by the evening ░░ [bā·‘ā·reḇ; (6x) = Num 19:10b //19:19b. Cf. 'in the evening' – Lev 6:20 (grain offering);
Exo 12:18 (2x - eat); 1Kg 17:6 (food brought); Ezk 24:18 (spoke).] [See below for Deu 16:4 for bā·‘e·reḇ (16+1x) 'in
the evening']
b Deu 16:6 ░░ [Deu 23:11; 24:13] /xx: when the sun comes in – Fox;
c Deu 16:6 set-time ░░ [H4510 moed]; /appointed time – Fox; /

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 [unrelated] Deu 16:4 And no leaven should be seen with you for seven days
anywhere in the land you dwell, neither should any of the flesh, which you offer
as sacrificea in the eveningb, stay all night of the first day until the morning.

a Deu 16:4 offer as sacrifice ░░ [H2076 zabach (134x); 'offer sacrifice']; /xx: slaughter/kill (the sacrifice);
[not killing for Passover sacrifice, but for meals of Matzah Festival];
b Deu 16:4 in the evening ░░ /– HCSB, NWT; [bā·‘e·reḇ (16 +1x) > H6153 –– Exo 12:18 (eating); Lev 23:32

(sabbath rest); Deu 16:4 (eating); Josh 5:10 (keeping Passover); - unrelated to Festival - Gen 19:1; 30:16; Exo
16:8, 13; Judg 19:16; 1Kg 22:35; 2Ch 13:11 (3x); Esth 2:14; Psa 30:5; Ezk 33:22; Zep 2:7] /x: at even – KJV; /x:
on the evening – NIV, NASB; /> by the setting-time; /xxx: in the evening – most; /xx: at even – KJV, ASV; /xxx:
at evening – WEB, Webster, /xxx: at the setting-time – Fox; [/in the afternoon, when the sun descends, – Scherman,
Nosson, The Chumash, the Stone Edition 1993 cited in http://themessianicfeast.com/wp-
content/uploads/2015/01/TMF_Between-the-Evenings.pdf] [copy in the folder <ereb and 'between the two
setting times' + Quail Question> in the zip file <IRENT Vol. III - Supplement (Collections #5A - time
+ calendar)>.] ← http://themessianicfeast.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/

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5. 'Keeping the Passover'
to keep the Passover memorial (Mt 26:18) poieō to pascha –

Cf. to celebrate a festival/feast [S1858 heortazō (> heortē) – (NT hapax) celebrate a
feast/festival; /x: keep; /x: observe – Danker p. 136]

Cf. 'Christian Passover' – oxymoron. 'keeping Passover by Christians' – w/ problem of confused

calendar. By "Keeping early 14th passover", it is with Nisan 14 (sunset-to-sunset), not Abib 14.

6. When is 'Passover'?
• Passover Day to keep the memorial = Abib 14 in the biblical calendar
(with sunrise-to-sunrise day). [Nisan date in the rabbinic Jewish calendar
is 12 hours ahead (with sunset-to-sunset calendar day) of Abib date.]
• Passover Festival to celebrate = Nisan 15 to 21 in the rabbinic Jewish
calendar (7-day Festival of Pesach I to VII); Cf. 8 days in Diaspora
Judaism
• Note: Passover [memorial] is on the eve of Passover Festival; not to be
confused with the phrase 'eve of the Passover [memorial] day' (Jn 19:14 –
the day Pilate sentenced Yeshua with the Crucifixion to be on the
following day.).

Jos 5:10 So the Israelites camped in Gilgal

and kept the Passover [memorial]
in the evening of the fourteenth day of the month
on the plains of Jericho.
Jos 5:11 They ate some of the produce of the land
the day after the Passover,
including unleavened bread and roasted grain
— on that very day. [Abib 15]
Jos 5:12 The manna stopped appearing
the day they ate some of the produce of the land.
There was no longer manna for the Israelites;
they ate the produce of the land of Canaan that year.

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 Ref. Tom Anthony (2015),
Crucified on Passover – The Significance of the Day Christ was Crucified.

Parallels Between the Passover and the Crucifixion

Passover [event] Crucifixion [event] of Yeshua

Unblemished male lambs The unblemished Lamb of Elohim
were sacrificed. was sacrificed.

The Hebrews who applied the lambs' blood on
the doorposts of their homes were identified as
the Lord's people and were protected against
His judgment.
The people who were not the chosen people of
YHWH (the Egyptians) received calamitous
judgment for their own sin.
For the Hebrew people, the day of Passover
brought forth the immediate end to generations
of slavery
For the Hebrew people, the day of Passover
resulted in a new and better way of living.
For the Hebrew people, the day of Passover
started them on a journey that would lead them
to the Promised Land
From Table 5.1 pp. 77-78
[Purple font is for change from the original.]
Those who apply the blood of Yeshua, by believing
in Him, become the children of God and receive
protection from God's eternal judgment.
Those who do not recognize and honor Elohim and
do not apply the precious blood of Yeshua in their
own hearts will not escape God's eternal
judgement.
For the believers in Yeshua, His death brought an
immediate end to their bondage and slavery to sin.
For the believers in Yeshua, their hope in His
atoning death results is a new mind and life.
For the believers in Yeshua, His atoning death
starts them on a journey that will lead is to the
promised land beyond this world!

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 Table 9.1 (p. 124) Three Days of Blessings and Transition for Israel
(each day occurred on the 15th day of the first month)
Event Scripture Ref. Blessing New Home
Jacob's family Exo 12:40-41 Deliverance from famine. Egypt
settles in Egypt Gen 46-47 Yaakob and Yosef reunited.
Passover Exo 12 Freedom from slavery in Egypt Wilderness
– Exodus from Egypt
Enjoying fruit of Joshua 5:11 Living in the Promised Land Promised Land
the Promised Land

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 Conclusion of the Passover Week Chronology.
In CE 30, the Crucifixion day of Abib 14 = the Passover [memorial] day = in the biblical
calendar falls on Apr. 5 Wed in Gregorian calendar, not on Thursday, nor on Friday (Cf.
Apr. 7 in CE 33).
Note: Most crucifixion day scenarios incredibly put the events of Abib 12 and 13 altogether into
Abib 14 (in the usual scheme of Thursday evening to Friday in Friday crucifixion scenario)!! They
are perplexed by 'sixth hour' (Jn 19:14) and they interpret to make it contradict the Synoptic
accounts (Mk 15:25 – 'third hour') of His crucifixion time. [See under 'significance of Jn 19:14'
elsewhere in this paper.]
Summary of the Passover Week timeline (Abib 12th – 16th)
Before [coming of] the Passover Festival (Jn 13:1);
Abib 12 • evening – "Last Supper" [not "the Passover meal"]
• midnight – Arrest at Gethsemane.

His Trial
Abib 13
• sentencing in 6th hour (≈ noon)@ – Eve of the Passover [day] (Jn 19:14).

Preparation [day]* for High Sabbath (Jn 19:31) = sabbath eve

Abib 14 • = Day of His Crucifixion [from 'third hour' Mk 15:25]
Passover Day • Darkness from 6th to 9th hour (Mt 27:45 //Mk 15:33 //Lk 23:44) (≈ noon to 3 p.m.)
[Wed] [Apr 5] • Death - the ninth hour' (≈ 3 p.m. Mt 27:46 //Mk 15:34)
• afternoon – lambs to be slaughtered;
• evening – The Passover meal (for Yehudim). Yeshua being entombed.
High Sabbath of the Festival of the Matzah
Abib 15
= 7th day of the lunar week (unrelated to Saturday of the planetary week).

Wave Sheaf offering (Feast of Firstfruits).

Abib 16 Resurrection at the dawning:
• The women set out to the tomb early morning
[Fri] [Apr 7]
• The Risen Master to the women
• Risen Master to the women and the disciples (with Thomas absent).

@ [on the day before the Crucifixion! Not 6 a.m. allegedly by a Roman time reckoning]

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 Summary of the Passover Week timeline (Abib 14th – 16th)
† † 
Passover [High] Sabbath 1st day
Crucifixion <In the tomb> <Resurrection>
Abib 14 15 16
30 CE Wed (Apr 5) Thu (Apr 6) Fri (Apr 7)
@ Fri (Apr 7) Sat (Apr 8) Sun (Apr 9)

Nisan 14 15 16 17

Holy Week Good Fri Sat Easter Sun

Apr 19 Apr 20 Apr 21
Nisan 14 Pesach I Pesach II
Fri (Apr 19) Sat (Apr 20) Sun (Apr 21)
2019 CE
Abib 14 (Passover) Abib 15 Abib 16
Thu (Apr 18) Fri (Apr 19) Sat (Apr 20)
@ [after Friday crucifixion 30CE scenario] In the tomb – 2 nights and 1 day.
2019 Abib 1 – Apr 5 (Fri). Cf. Nisan 1 – Apr 6 (Sat)
Date Events 30 CE 33 CE$
Abib 13 Trial + sentencing
Abib 14 Wed Fri
(Crucifixion + death + entombed)
1st day (Apr 5) (Apr 3)
Abib 15 (Sabbath) Roman guard posted Thu Sat
2nd day
The Women set out to the tomb - Dawn
Abib 16
Resen Lord to the women - in the morning Fri Sun
*third day
Day of Wave Sheaf.
*In reference to the Crucifixion – after death: (1Co 15:4; not in G-Jn)
"on the third day" tē tritē hēmera Mt 16:21; 17:23; 20:19 //Lk 9:22; 18:33; 24:7. (24:47)
[Cf. "three days later",. meta treis hēmeras Mk 8:31; 9:31; 10:34.]
$ 33CE – wrong year for the Crucifixion.

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 Introduction

The Purpose of this paper: To know what Passover is and to get into what
issues are for chronology and timeline of the Passover Week.

If there is any 'perplexity' in the Passion Week timeline, it is because almost all genuine
or wannabe scholars in following the timeline simply pick up our solar calendar
(Gregorian calendar, or 'Common Era Calendar' which is a much neutral term) and mix
with the rabbinic Jewish calendar with reckoning sunset-to-sunset day. The 'resolution'
eluded so far: Until one gets hold of the true luni-solar Biblical calendar, the confusion,
contradiction, and contentions will not disappear, leaving us divisions, disagreement,
and deception – whether one is a Sabbatarian ('sabbath-keeper') or not.

This paper in a nutshell

Here are the essential points:
(1) The word 'day' in the Bible is that which begins from sunrise, either
for a day (as daylight period); not to be confused with the notion of
calendar day.
(2) The biblical 7th day of the lunar week (=) may fall on any of 7-
named days of the Gregorian planetary week. 'Sabbath' in the Bible is
lunar sabbath; it has nothing to do with 'Saturday' of solar sabbath in
the rabbinic Judaism!
(3) Provision of sabbath rest is for the daytime only, not for 24 hours;
the night is a natural period of rest time as God has provided.

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 'Passover' and Passover Festival
[Exo 12:1-14a, 23] Historically, Passover event with overnight Passover vigil.
[Deu 16:1; Num 33:3] YHWH had them brought out of Egypta by the night-time (of Abib 15).
(1) 'Passover' is a memorial (Exo 12:14a, 24-26; H2146 zikkaron) to keep, not a 'feast'
or 'festival' to celebrate. [Passover regulation: Exo 12:8-11; Lev 23:4; Num 9:1-14; 28:16-25;
Deu 16:1-8; 2Ch 35:17]
(2) On the Passover day [Abib 14], b
(a) Passover sacrifice in the afternoon;
(b) Passover meal in the eveningc;
(3) Passover Festival (Lk 2:41; Jn 13:1) = Festival of the Matzah (Lk 22:1), 7-day long,
Abib 15-21.

The Passover is a memorial service = Passover Sacrifice AND Passover Memorial meal
– both on Abib 14. It is on the sabbath eve of the Festival of the Matzah (Abib 15).
Cf. The Jewish Passover is not with sacrifice, but only with the ritual meal, called Seder. It is kept
Nisan 15 evening in the beginning of Nisan 15.d Nisan 14 is called erev Pesach (i.e. Passover evee
'the day before the Passover').

'Festival of the Matzah': [commonly translated as 'the Festival of the Unleavened

Bread'] = Abib 15-21 = Festival of Passoverf = Nisan 15-21 (22), labelled as Pesach I, II,
III, etc. in Jewish calendar. In the Biblical calendar its 1st day falls on 7th-day sabbath.
Hence 'High Sabbath' (Jn 19:31). The 1st and last 7th days are special days for "holy
assembly" with no work to be done – Exo 12:16 – 1st day Abib 15 is sabbath; the last
day is eve of sabbath day Abib 22.

a Exodus – ca. 1440 B.C. (not in 13th c. BC).

b Passover is Abib 14, which is a first day for eating unleavened bread (for a total of 8 days – Passover festival season),
as all leaven are removed from the house in Abib 13.
c The Passover meal is the precursor of the ritual Seder in the rabbinic Judaism on evening of Nisan 15 which is Pesach

I (1st day of Pesach Festival). (with lamb roasted whole, bitter herbs, unleavened bread, etc.)
d Not on Nisan 14. The confusion is simply a result of the rabbinic Jewish calendar with sunset-to-sunset day reckoning.

It is Abib 14 evening in the Biblical calendar.

e 'eve' (not to be confused with 'evening') = S3904 paraskeuē 'preparation' (as 'day of preparation' Lk 23:54, or simply

'preparation' Jn 14:42) which itself is unrelated with Friday. Cf. 'eve of the Passover day' in Jn 19:14]
f the most important festival in Judaism, one of the three Pilgrimage festivals – Pesach Festival, Shavuot Feast, Sukkot

Festival.
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'keep the Passover festival':
Mt 26:18 (S4160 poieō + to pascha). The expression is only once in NT here.

In the context of the Gospel narrative in the Passover-Passion week timeline it is not 'keep the
memorial', but 'keep the Festival' (≈ celebration). /keep the passover - KJV; /celebrate – HCSB,
NWT, NIV; /xx: observe the Passover – NET;

'eat for the Passover':

Mk 14:14 //Lk 22:11, Also Mt 26:17 //Mk 14:12; //Lk 22:8.
Cf. Lk 22:15 'eat for this [coming up] Passover' (epithymia epethymēsa toute to pascha
phagein) 22:16 'Indeed, I’m telling yoů this: no, I won't [be able to] eat it {any longer}.'

To translate it as 'eat the passover' (KJV) or 'eat the Passover' (most) is unidiomatic in
English. IRENT has it 'eat for the Passover' – with a meal not necessarily for 'the Passover
meal' which is in the evening of Abib 14/Nisan 15. (/xx: eat the Passover meal – GNB,
NLT, CEV, ISV; /xxxx: eat the passover lamb – Jubilee2k). (which corresponds to the
ritual Seder in the rabbinic Judaism)

English word ‘Passover’ is a vocabulary of the church liturgy. It is chronologically and

historically disconnected from the biblical Passover (Heb. pesach) of O.T. and of Judaic
tradition. Most Christians do not keep the Passover, its significance is obscured in the
Crucifixion day ('Good Friday'). Pascha in Latin is more of a Catholic Church liturgical
term.

[Cf. ‘Pascha’ as in some European languages, though derived from Hebrew word,
confusingly refers to Easter, not Passover (Heb. Pesach).]

[The so-called ‘Last Supper’ (e.g. Luke 22:14–15) was not the Passover meal. Cf.
Quartodeciman Controversy with observance of Passover vs. Easter.]

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'Good Friday' and 'Easter Sunday' of the traditional crucifixion day scenario is in the
liturgical Holy Week of the Church, which needs to be compared to the Biblical
Passion Week in order that so that the Biblical narrative may be correctly followed.

Covering the chronology and timeline for the biblical Passover and Passion Week, the
aim of this paper is among others,

(1) to find correct date and day of Crucifixion and Resurrection in 30 CE,
(2) to present the timeline of the Passion Week as in the Bible, and
(3) to argue for the true biblical luni-solar calendation which is essential to follow the
biblical narratives in correct timeline.

To achieve this goal:

(1) As the essential requirement for any kind of our discussion and debate, we need a
basic vocabulary with words and terms to be clearly defined in order to be on the
common ground with common sense.

(2) We need to study on the issues of calendar systems and see how much confusion
and contradiction have been caused when two calendar systems – the rabbinic Jewish
and the Gregorian calendars in their proleptic use to 1st century events, both are non-
biblical and not used in the Bible.

(3) In reading the Bible narratives, we have to rely on the biblical lunar calendar. It is
simple, concise, and straightforward, and is so unlike the calendar which we have for
civil, astronomic, or religious use. We are to understand the calendar systems without
preconceived ideas and to have a clear idea on the very calendar system found in the
Scripture.

[Note: You have to you translate Nisan dates into Abib when you read any article on the
Passion Week. That also means you have to make sure their Abib date is for a sunrise-
to-sunrise day. See Abib vs. Nisan]

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'feast' vs. 'festival':

For the same word in Greek as well as Hebrew, two are used differently in
English. IRENT keeps them distinguished – 'feast' for a single day event and
'festival' of 7-day celebration, such as Festival of Passover (= Festival of
Matzah) and Festival of Sukkot.

KJV does not have 'festival' in its vocabulary; only the word 'feast' is used.

To be reiterated: Passover itself is not a feast or festival, but memorial service.

https://yrm.org/10-proofs-passover-memorial-not-high-day/

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Rephrasing Questions and Answers on the Passion Week Chronology

[It is inevitable that this is at the expense of duplicate statements, arguments, and
explanations as well as emphasis.]

As will be shown here, the real culprit of all the confusion, contradiction, and conflict in
traditional handling on this topic is the poor understanding and ignorance of the calendar
system used in the Bible, which is luni-solar with lunar weeks and lunar month. Notably,
'day' in the Bible is that which begins at sunrise as is understood in all cultures and
languages. It is the calendar day which the non-biblical rabbinic Jewish calendar reckons
to start at sunset, quite same way the Gregorian calendar reckons to start at 12 a.m. (not
'midnight'). Moreover, the notion of 'day' with that of 'calendar day' is mixed up in the
Jewish mindset.

As the Gregorian calendar ('Common Era Calendar', CEC) is with planetary weeks and
solar months, quite different from the Biblical calendar. The seven named days of the
planetary week has nothing common with the biblical seven numbered days. 7th day for
biblical lunar sabbath may coincidentally fall on Saturday. Saturday which the
Sabbatarians keep for their sabbath is solar sabbath. The word 'preparation' (of a certain
day)' simply means 'eve' and is used for eve of Sabbath. Not to be confused when it is read
as 'eve of the Passover' in Jn 19:14. Here, 'Passover' means 'Passover day' [of a memorial
service, not of a feast or festival.] When it is used for eve of the Passover Festival (=
Festival of Matzah), it is not to be confused with When equated to Friday; sabbath as
Saturday, and first day of the week is Sunday, and so on. This is the Church Liturgical
Holy Week, not the biblical Passover week.

Arguments and counterarguments: When we have pros and cons, it is not possible for both
to be right. Often, we find both wrong. Those trying to refute the other has valid points
which are not with answers; however, the alternatives provided by them on their own do
not remain sacrosanct and irrefutable neither.

Everything can be accepted when it is taken ‘as if’; the proof is in the pudding. Every
claim can get easily exonerated should it come with a universal disclaimer, ‘according to
one source’.

18 | P a g e
What day of the week was He crucified it? Fri, Thu, or Wed?

The best response/reply should start with ‘So?’a – with various tones, followed by
‘How so?’ ‘So then?’ – ‘So what?’ as if anyone should care about it as it does not
really matter which is to be correct. ‘So then? Is there something to be at stake?
Nothing, except for the church liturgical tradition for those in position and power.
When we remain stuck to follow the narrative in terms of those non-biblical named
day of the week, it actually distorts the narrative time-line.

The question is of importance not by itself but because it does prompt us to pay our
attention to the Passion Week narrative in detail to properly follow correct timelines.

How this is correctly answered is much more involved. It requires diligent studies
on calendars and calendation, particularly the biblical lunar calendar, and
astronomical data which is needed to be correctly interpreted. But such an effort is
well deserved. The basic principles are straight forward; but to unlearn is harder.
The fundamental problem is that it is the church language (for doctrines, theologies,
liturgies) people use it instead of the biblical language to understand the biblical
narrative.

If it was found not Friday when He was crucified, what difference does it make?

If it turned out to be different day of the week? It should be reminded that it is

something of concern of only Church liturgy in conjunction of keeping of the
‘Easter’. Which day for His crucifixion and resurrection as such have no relevance
to our belief, it is of no theological significance, only ecclesial liturgical. The
problem for the Bible readers is that it is without full chronological support and
evidence in the Biblical narrative itself. This paper is simply to provide the readers
enough information and idea to avoid confusion and wrong conviction on the
biblical matters.

a
“So?” “How so?” “So then?” – this is a best response to any statement or claim asserted by anyone in
any setting.
19 | P a g e
In the Bible, there was no such day named Sunday, Saturday, or Friday, etc. It’s
simply non-biblical vocabulary. That a certain day is ‘Saturday’ simply means it is
a day between Friday and Sunday; it has no meaning of Sabbath. It is only taken as
the day of Sabbath, which is a solar sabbath in the tradition of the rabbinic Judaism
and other Sabbatarians. It doesn’t belong to the Bible text. It is not useful to follow
any biblical timeline, but instead confuses and misleads. Here we are dealing with
substantially different calendar systems. Dating an event can be done to see how a
certain day would fall on the other calendar. A solar sabbath, that is, sabbath on a
planetary week, is not something which is translatable to the biblical lunar sabbath.
On the contrary, it brews confusion, conflict and contradiction in the biblical text
itself. The early Julian Roman calendar itself used an 8-day week, not 7-day week
as in Gregorian calendar! It’s prudent to follow the Passion narrative by using the
truly biblical lunar calendar (instead of the Gregorian calendar, overlaid on the
rabbinic Jewish calendar). Again, 7th day in the biblical lunar week is Sabbath, but
is not related to Saturday.

Only after we have the 'valid' biblical calendar to be applied to the Passion Week
timeline, it is possible to compare with the Roman calendar to see that the day was
‘Friday’ or any other named day of the week. We should not allow an anachronistic
way by thinking in terms of our named days of the week to reach a verdict on what
date of the month is to be for the Crucifixion. Finding a correct day of the week is a
marginal importance and not essential for following through the biblical narrative.

[Note: References are quoted for the materials I have found useful, not only to solve
problems but also to find challenges and raise questions. Not all things written there
are relevant to the topics under the discussion here. Not all written statement can be
correct, right, or accurate. The readers are to exercise their own judgment to make
use of them.]

With not a few tasks to confront, which all are interlinked and tend to be dovetailed,
only after we take on the first thing first, then we should be able to settle on what
should have been only secondary issues. We are to take up different competing and
conflicting scenarios of the Crucifixion day – Friday, Thursday, and Wednesday
(with Saturday dawn or Saturday afternoon resurrection). Each tends to attack the
problems which are not substantial but ghosts as result of misunderstanding of the
biblical terms and expression along with blinded misinterpretation of the biblical
20 | P a g e
 texts. Not only we have to deal with bits, but also to take methodically sound
approach in order to bring all to the common ground of understanding and
knowledge.

When reading the Passion Week narrative, the readers should think in terms of not
what day in the week but is what date in the month Abib for various events. We
should follow the correct timeline of the biblical Passion Week, not the liturgical
Holy Week of the church tradition.

The phrase 'Good Friday and Easter Sunday' is in the liturgical Holy Week of
Constantine Catholic Church tradition, not the Biblical Passion Week. The date of
Easter Sunday which was arbitrarily determined by the Church authority is without
being chronologically and historical/y related to the Passover week.

Was the Crucifixion in 30, 31 or 33 CE?

It was 30 CE. This a chronology-related issue.

CE 31 by some was based on interpretation on Daniel's 7th week.
CE 33 by some scholars was chosen because they could locate Nisan 15 Passover
day on Friday in that year. It fits nicely for the traditional Friday scenario with
Saturday mistaken for 7th day of the biblical lunar week (of lunar sabbath). They
remained confused whether the day to be Nisan 14 or 15.

What was the Crucifixion date?

It is Mk 15:42 which says “the preparation day, that is sabbath eve.”a

The biblical lunar sabbath (in contrast to Jewish solar sabbath) is not related to
‘Saturday’ of the planetary week. The [sabbath] ‘preparation day’ is on day 6 of the
lunar week, not related to ‘Friday’. Nor this text means that the Last Supper took
a
Other Gospel texts express the same basic idea but in a more diffuse way: Mt 27:57 ‘when evening came
…’ Mt 27:62 ‘Next day, when is [the day] after the day of the preparation. Lk 23:54 ‘this had been the day
of sabbath-preparation and there sabbath day was coming to dawn.’ Lk 23:56 ‘after they returned to their
lodging … they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.’ Jn 19:31. "since it was sabbath-
preparation"
21 | P a g e
 place ‘Thursday’ on the evening before His death. To find on what day of the
planetary week in the proleptic Gregorian calendar would be the Crucifixion date is
not much of a biblical issue, but of the tradition and liturgy of the Christian churches.
For that matter, we simply need to know what biblical calendar and how the biblical
narrative followed in the Passion Week.

As He was crucified on 14th of Abib, the first month of the biblical year – the day
of Passover sacrifice, the God’s Anointed One would voluntarily lay down His life
at “the appointed time”— to die “the death” by crucifixion for the sins of man (Rm
5:6), His death on any day other than the Passover day is biblically useless and
destroys the typology of the Lamb of Elohim (Jn 1:29, 36) as the Passover [sacrifice]
(1Co 5:7 – 'Passover' as a metonym for 'Passover sacrifice') – ‘delivered into the
hands of men (Mk 9:31), men of outcast sinners’ (Lk 24:7), ‘been rejected by and
suffered many things from the Elders and chief kohanim and soferim’ (Mt 16:21;
Mt 8:31; Lk 9:22).

How Friday was chosen as the day of His Crucifixion?

The notion of 'Good Friday' is simply from misinterpreting the phrase 'preparation
(of Sabbath)' as 'Friday and 'sabbath' as Saturday. The use of Gregorian vocabulary
for reading the biblical narrative has produced such a Church tradition, which goes
against the biblical truth, leading to confusion, conflicts and contradictions on the
narrative timeline.

As far as they are concerned, Sabbath is Saturday. The 1st day of their week is
Sunday for them, without realizing that the Bible does not call ‘Sunday’, but plainly
says His resurrection was on ‘Day 1 of the (lunar) week’.

Was the Jewish Passover on Nisan 14th or Nisan 15th?

This is a chronology and calendation issue. Abib 14 = Nisan 14 for the daytime event;
Nisan 15 for the night period event.

22 | P a g e
Did He remain 'buried 3 days and 3 nights' in a 'grave'?
No, it does not say so. The Matthean unique phrase 'three days and three nights in the
heart of the earth' (Mt 12:40) is not relevant to the Passion narrative timeline and does
not have something to do with the Crucifixion-Resurrection scenarios, though it did
serve as an impetus to challenge the traditional Friday crucifixion scenario to come up
with a Wednesday crucifixion scenario. The Hebrew idiom 'the heart of the land/earth'
is for Jerusalem. It is not a picture of 'underground' 'grave'. As for His 'burial' after
death, the body of Yeshua was entombed, not 'buried'.

Can the rabbinic Jewish calendar be used for the biblical times?

No. It was only from 4th century CE by Hillel II calendation and cannot be applied to
the biblical events. It is essential to use the biblical calendar, not rabbinic Jewish, nor
Gregorian calendar, to follow the biblical narrative correctly. A day is that which
begins at sunrise. 'Day' should not be confused with 'calendar day'.

Was the Last Supper the ‘Passover meal’?

The Last Supper was not and was not meant to be the Passover [memorial] meal, as is
plainly shown in in the Gospels and explicitly in G-John. It was a special fellowship
supper (on Abib 12th) for farewell with His last teaching.

The confusion with the Passover memorial meal ('Passover meal') of Yehudim (Nisan
15th /Abib 14th) is a major cause of misunderstanding of the biblical text (of the
Synoptic Gospels) and has bred a variety of the Passion Week timeline scheme.

What lies at the bottom of confusion in the Passion Week narrative?

When most are reading the narratives in the Bible, they are not aware that it was
with the traditional rabbinic Jewish calendar which was not the calendar system
followed in the Bible.

23 | P a g e
Twelve points in determining the Crucifixion date:
[See detail in <Walk through the Scripture #5 – Time and Calendars> and <WB#5 Appendix -
Calendation & Chronology> of IRENT Vol. III Supplement.]
To determine the date on the proleptic Gregorian calendar: [Be in good command of
vocabulary for the words and the terms for clear understanding meaning and usage.]

1. The year = 30 C.E. [Note – various proposals for CE 31, 32, 33, etc.] [This issue
of the chronology directly affects the timeline.]
2. The month = Abib, first month of the biblical calendar.
[not 'Nisan', 7th month of the rabbinic Jewish calendar.]
3. The season = spring (late March to early April) of barley harvest, which was to
be available for Wave Sheaf offering.
4. 'New-Moon day' for Abib = after conjunction closet to the vernal equinox.
The 1st day of a month is on the day of the dawn after conjunction.
www.worldslastchance.com/yahuwahs-calendar/new-moon-day-the-dawn-
after-conjunction.html a Cf. astronomical new moon = Dark Moon. [Sighting
the first visible crescent cannot be reliable and consistent method – the source of
date discrepancy resulting from difference in calendation.]
[See a separate paper <Calendation Practicum> in <IRENT Vol. III –
Supplement>].

5. The Passover day (= Crucifixion day) = 14th of Abib = Day 6 of the lunar week
= Preparation (= eve) of Sabbath. Passover sacrifice in the afternoon; Passover
memorial meal in the evening [of Abib 14, but of Nisan 15]. The date falls from
the late March to early April (unlike ‘Jewish Passover’). What is called Pesach
in the rabbinic Judaism is the festival (Pesach I to VII, VIII for Diaspora Jewry);
what they call 'erev Pesach' corresponds to the biblical 'Passover' (memorial
service). It is beginning day for eating unleavened bread (Mk 14:12 parallel).

a
He distinguishes 'dawn' from 'sunrise'. But, what difference does it make in determining correctly of the
New-Moon day? None.
24 | P a g e
6. Next day, Day 7 of the lunar week, is High Sabbath (Jn 19:31 - sabbath day on
which 1st day of 7-day long Festival falls). 7th day for Sabbath in the Bible is
not related to Saturday of the Gregorian planetary week – the so-called Saturday
sabbath is being kept by most Sabbatarians, including Jewish people as well as
'the Seventh day Adventist'.
7. Full Moon (Abib 14) [dates vary with Nisan in the rabbinic Jewish calendar.]
8. The hour of the Crucifixion: from in third hour-period to in ninth hour-period.
[Final sentencing by Pilate cannot be in the night on the same day.]
9. Entombed [not by 'burial in a grave'] in the evening. It was the time for Passover
memorial meal for Yehudim.
10. His body resting in the tomb in the High Sabbath (Abib 15), 1st day of the
Festival of the Passover (= Festival of the Matzah).
11. Wave sheaf offering – Abib 16 (Day one of the lunar week) and Resurrection
in the early morning (not in the 4th dawn watch of the night as in Mk 13:35).
12. The Festival of the Passover (= Festival of the Matzah) [Abib 15 to Abib 21].
The 1st day of the Festival (Abib 15 – sabbath – 7th day of the lunar) and 7th
last day of the Festival (Abib 21 – eve of sabbath) are for set-apart/holy
assembly with no work to be done. (Exo 12:16). Next day, Abib 22 is weekly
7th day sabbath.

25 | P a g e
 Passover Week Chronology and Timeline

Clarifying the Passover Week Chronology and Timeline

[See: 'Questions to be asked' at the end of this file]

Many issues, question and problems are interlinked. Unless we deal with them in
totality, it is futile to tackle each of them as if they stand alone. The day and date
problem are unsolvable without understanding of the proper biblical calendar,
setting aside the rabbinic Jewish and the Gregorian calendation. Without careful
and unbiased scrutiny of the time related expression in the Passion narrative, all
that has come out is the product of conjectures, unproven hypotheses, and
unsupported illogical arguments.a

The task presented here is not just to give what is believed and proven correct
answers, but to show how to think and how to deal with the different positions,
approaches, and arguments.

The Passion-Passover narrative is a large part of the Gospel which flows on the precise timeline,
while the rest shows the life teaching with healing ministry but without tightly bound to a
timeline. b

The scope of this paper is (1) to find a biblically sound solution on the question of day, date,
and year of the Crucifixion, and (2) to construct a coherent timeline of the Passion Week
narrative’. There has been so many different positions and arguments, adding confusion,
contradiction and contention; with not much of clarification and consensus-building to this
important subject.

a E.g. even taking absence of evident as the evidence of absence.

b
Compared with chronology issue (not timeline issue) when we are concerned with His nativity
narrative, the duration of Yeshua’s ministry, and the year of His Crucifixion.
26 | P a g e
First, several important issues need to be resolved:
(1) different scenarios for the Crucifixion day (Friday, Thursday, or Wednesday) and the
Resurrection day (Saturday or Sunday);
(2) seeking precise meaning of the termsa and the idiomsb in the Scripture; and
(3) clear understanding of a week-long timelinec in the Passion Week narrative.

The ultimate solution can only be found when different calendar systems are understood – the
one in the biblical times and those in the modern times. It is at the bottom of misunderstanding
and misinterpretation of the biblical texts of the Passion Week narratives. d Only the true
biblical calendar system can overcome problems caused by the rabbinic Jewish calendation
itself.

Common errors in Passion Week chronology and timeline.

• Using Gregorian and rabbinic Jewish calendar which were not in the first century,
instead of the biblical calendar.
• Using the named days of Gregorian planetary week, rather than the numbered
days of lunar week.
• Mistaking the biblical 7th day of the week as Saturday, and sabbath preparation
day (= sabbath eve) as Friday.
• Gregorian cyclic continuous weeks instead of the biblical lunar weeks.
• Biblical day of sunrise to sunrise is replaced with rabbinic Jewish day of sunset
to sunset (which was copied from ancient Greek practice), mixing with
Gregorian day (midnight to midnight).

a
E.g. the word ‘Passover’ itself used in various senses. Since they don’t have a clear idea of the calendar
system used in that time, but imposing the Gregorian calendar on to the Scripture, they remain confused
even on the date, whether the ‘Passover’ was on Nisan 14th, or Nisan 15th. They have no clear way to
find what year and what day of the week was the Crucifixion. Nor they are sure of whether ‘Lord’s Last
Supper’ was a ‘Passover meal’ or not. E.g. AT Robertson (1922), A Harmony of the Gospels (Notes on
Special Points:11. Did Christ Eat the Passover (p. 279) and 12. The Hour of the Crucifixion p. 384)
b
A common but serious misunderstanding of what the unique Matthean phrase ‘in the heart of the
land/earth three days and three nights’ (Mt 12:40) which prompted people go on to search the correct
crucifixion day scenario.
c
Note: Chronology-related issue is about what year for the events. Calendar-related issues are dates and
days in the narrative timeline. The expression 'Passover Week' is actually the ‘Passion-Passover Week’.
d
[The detailed on the topic of Time, Calendar and Chronology is the sister file ‘WB#5 Walk through the
Scripture’ for IRENT Vol. III Supplement.]
27 | P a g e
 • The main stumbling block is using the rabbinic Jewish calendar to follow the biblical
narratives with its notion of sunset-to-sunset day and its use Saturday of the planetary
week instead of the biblical lunar week (e.g. Saturday vs. 7th day of the week.)

Details of Chronological and Timeline Issues:

(1) the year of the crucifixion CE 30 with the duration of His ministry – three years. This
paper does not have space for this. The idea of year 33 which was based on looking for
Friday on the supposedly crucifixion day is not worthy of consideration here;
(2) the date Abib 14th of the crucifixion. “Was it Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday in that
year CE 30?” This question is a contentious issue but matters only from a church liturgical
pointview. It is not really of any importance in following the Passion week narrative;
actually, more confusion to follow the timeline. It can be determined as (Apr 5, Wed, CE
30) by applying correct method of determining the New Year day (i.e. Abib 1) and a New-
Moon day to the accurate astronomical data.a
(3) There is one crucial verse which helps us clarify the timeline of the Passion-Passover
week. It is Jn 19:14 – ‘sixth hour’ (– not on Abib 14, but Abib 13 – eve of Passover day –
see ‘*preparation’). This shows the date and time of the Pilates’ sentencing. It is in harmony
with the timeframe when Yeshua was on the Cross (from ‘third’ Mk 15:25, through ‘sixth’
15:33, to ‘ninth’ hour 15:34). This latter gives a clue that the Trial should be placed the
day before Crucifixion and consequently to debunk the absurd traditional allocation of
quite a number of events from His Arrest to Sentencing impossible in a short overnight
period. [See details to follow elsewhere.]

a
See details on <How to Determine New-Moon Day and New Year day> fully treated in IRENT Vol. III Supplement
#5 – Time, Calendar and Chronology>.
28 | P a g e
A. Summary of Calendar Issues
1. The most important thing is to understand difference of three calendar systems. The
rabbinic Jewish calendar is not a biblical calendar. People tends to bring a non-
biblical Roman calendar itself into the Biblical text and thereby are misled to come
up with wrong timelines. When we try to follow the timeline of the biblical
narratives, it should be read firmly with the Biblical Lunar calendar as a guide.
2. We have to pay careful attention to several points on the differences among calendar
systems. Whether it is in reference to a daylight period or a date on a calendar), the
word ‘day’ in the Scripture is that which begins at sunrise. a A different convention
may be in different calendar systems to reckon a day to start at different point of
time: e.g. at 12 a.m. (as in Gregorian calendar), at sunset (as in the rabbinic Jewish
calendar which was from the Greek origin). In these cases, it is in the sense of
calendar day that the word ‘day’ is use.
3. The numbered days of the week in the Bible is of the lunar week. It is does not
correspond to the notion of planetary week used in two other calendar systems.
Seventh day (of Sabbath) is not related to ‘Saturday’ and the Day 1 of the lunar week
is one is not related to the first day of the Gregorian week, ‘Sunday’.b

4. Nisan is the 7th month of the year in the rabbinic Jewish calendar with its calendar
day reckoned from sunset to sunset. [To say a day begins at evening or at sunset is
a simply illogical expression.] Abib is the 1st month of the year in Biblical Lunar
calendar with a day from sunrise to sunrise. The month of Abib/Nisan falls in March
to April of the Julian calendar. c [As Abib and Nisan dates are off 12 hours, day time
events do not cause problems since they are on the same date. However, night time
events are one different date one-day late on Nisan.]

a. ‘Sunrise’ is a day-break. Cf. ‘dawn’ vs. ‘dusk’ = ‘twilights’. ‘dawn’ is the last part of a night (fourth watch of the
night). Cf. www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-dusk-and-vs-dawn; Cf. Different expressions of
different meaning - ‘morning breaking’ ‘at dawn break ‘at dawn’ ‘day is dawning’).
b The terms, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, etc. are of a non-biblical vocabulary by used in the church liturgical Holy

Week. The traditional Friday crucifixion scenario is not true to the Bible, creating confusion and contradictions.
[Even the year CE 33 was determined as the Crucifixion year that the year had the Passover Day on Friday! It is like
putting the cart before the horse.]
c [Gregorian date = Julian date – 2 (from 100 BC to100 CE). Julian dates are used throughout this file on Passion-

Passover Week Chronology.]

29 | P a g e
5. The Biblical Lunar calendar is essential in understanding and following the narrative
timelines in the Bible correctly and accurately without confusion and contradiction.a

For resolving the Passion Week Chronology controversy, only a few points from the
biblical calendation is sufficient to keep in mind:
(1) a biblical day begins at sunrise with morning coming, not at sunset,
(2) a biblical week is a lunar week; its numbered days do not correspond to the
named days of the planetary week in Gregorian calendar, and
(3) a biblical Sabbath is Day 7 of the lunar week, which does not correspond to
Saturday, the 7th day of the planetary week. (Cf. the solar sabbath in the rabbinic
Jewish tradition is from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset.)

a
For the list of reference www.hope-of-israel.org/godscal.htm
30 | P a g e
B. Preliminary consideration on crucifixion day scenarios:

[See elsewhere how the New-Moon date is differently determined (Abib 1) to see what
date is Abib 14 – the crucifixion day. See <IRENT Vol. III Supplement – Walk
through the Scripture 5 – Time and Calendars>. Also <WB#5 Appendix -
Calendation & Chronology>.]

Note: Astronomical data for Abib 1 and Abib 14 (CE 30)

the conjuction date/time in 30 CE - Mar-22-Wed at @17:32 UTC. This makes the New-Moon
Day Abib 1 to be on Mar 23. Then Abib 14 is Apr. 5 Wed.

Note: on the named days of the week.

At the bottom of the confusion lies reliance on the notion and the named days
of Gregorian planetary week which is cyclic and continuous. With the
Scripture based luni-solar calendar (with lunar non-cyclic non-continuous
week) it is easily and clearly shown that how a certain biblical scenario is
found to be correctly allow us to follow the internal timeline of the biblical
Passion narrative. The readers will see how it is essential to have firm grip on
the calendar systems and to find the one which is used in the Scripture.
Without it, it is hopeless to make sense out of the timeline of the Passion-
Passover Week.

Much more than finding the correct day of the planetary week on the proleptic
Gregorian calendar, but this controversy helped to appreciate the importance
of calendar issue when dealing with the timeline of the Passion-Passover
Week.

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday – these named days of
the week are of planetary week. They belong to the Gregorian vocabulary; do not belong to
the biblical vocabulary.a In the early Julian calendar, it should be noted, that it was with

a
[An unbiblical modern easy-read paraphrase-type Bible translation, GNB, has 'Sunday' in place of ‘the
first day of the week’ as in all other translations.
31 | P a g e
eight-day week (‘nundinal cycle’), designated as A to H.] In contrast, the biblical week is
numbered and of lunar week (with 7th day for sabbath day). The 7th day of the week in the
Bible does not correspond to Saturday in the Gregorian calendar (which is also used for the
sabbath day in the rabbinic Jewish calendar – both calendars having planetary week.).

Nowhere the Bible says He was crucified on Wed, Thu, or Friday. Nor does it say He was
raised Sat or Sunday. It is not quite accurate even to say ‘on such and such day He was
crucified (be it Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday). We honestly can only say that the day of
His Crucifixion was found to fall on a certain named day of the planetary week on the proleptic
Gregorian calendar. It can be located on the proleptic Gregorian calendar (with a Julian date)
only after the chronology and the timeline of the Passion Week narrative are clearly
understood in terms of the true Biblical luni-solar calendar, without being mired in the
unbiblical rabbinic Jews calendar.

The biblical text cannot be and should not be interpreted in terms of seven named days of
Gregorian solar cyclic week, which is in sharp contrast to the seven numbered days of the
lunar non-cyclic week. Actually, the issue of what named day of the week the Passover day
is, does not help for the readers understand and follow the Biblical narrative, and on the
contrary, it has been unrecognized source of confusion over chronology and timeline. What
name day of the week the Crucifixion was, should matter only for church liturgy, in line with
our modern custom to remember something associated with the named day of the week.

With the Scripture based luni-solar calendar, it is not difficult to see that how a certain biblical
scenario would correctly fit the internal timeline of the biblical Passion narrative. The readers
will see how it is essential to have firm grip on the calendar systems and to get acquainted
with the one which is used in the Scripture. Without it, it is hopeless to make sense out of the
timeline of the Passion-Passover Week.

Note: 'Wednesday' or 'Thursday' for Abib 14

How the New-Moon day be determined in terms of the true biblical lunar calendar (in
term of Abib, not Nisan, for the first lunar month of the year) will affect whether the
Passover day of CE 30 (= the crucifixion day) to fall on either Thursday or Wednesday.
(1) based on astronomical data on date and time of Conjunction (→ 'dark moon'
= 'astronomical new moon') and sunrise at Jerusalem to determine the New-Moon
Day (Abib 1 > Nisan 1)
(2) by rather imprecise and impractical method of ‘first visible crescent moon’.

32 | P a g e
Ref. H. Goldstine (1973) New and Full Moons.
“… One-day discrepancy between the two scenarios of the Crucifixion date is due to different way
of determining the New Moon day. The method of sighting first visible crescent would be only
feasible in the ancient time for the people living in the limited geographic area of Judea.”

“ www.triumphpro.com/jesus-in-grave-new-truth.htm). Thursady scenario

With the astronmical data on the conjuction date/time Mar-22-Wed 30 CE at 17:32 UTC
But with the inaccurate 'first visible crescent method'

In 30 CE, for the month of March, the molad or conjunction of the New Moon occurred on
Wednesday, March 22. [Q: at what time?] The crescent New Moon was seen in the evening
of Thursday, March 23, making Abib 1 March 24-Fri. Therefore, in 30 CE, the 15th day of
Abib – the First Day of Unleavened Bread – was Friday, April 7th! This means that in 30 CE.
the day of the Passover sacrifice, Abib 14, was NOT ON WEDNESDAY, BUT RATHER ON
THURSDAY, April 6th! In other words, the date of the crucifixion was THURSDAY, APRIL
6TH, CE 30!”

Note: this traditional sighting of the (visible) first crescent as was practiced in the ancient Israel is
simply impractical – inapplicable for the rest of the world.a

a Q: How does moon rise and moon set time affect the visibility of the crescent moon?
33 | P a g e
C. Events from Arrival at Bethany to Entombment:
Nisan – in the manner of 7th month of rabbinic Hebrew calendar - sunset-to-sunset day.
Abib – 1st month of the Scripture-based calendar with a day of sunrise-to-sunrise.

• Flow of the events follows G-Mk with <Temple Incident>. Cf. G-Mt and G-Lk
place on the same day as <Jerusalem Entry> to affect the timeline to allow one
more full day for Sanhedrin II.
• Flow of the events (○ 21 ) – Sanhedrin I (Interrogation) & II (judgment) and
17 to ○

Pilate I & II – ‘more than one day for the Passion’

• long segments - interrupting the narrative flow. (Jn 12:20-36a; 36b-50; Jn 14:1 –
17:26)
• Note: the events ○ 4 to ○ 9 are on the dates as read from G-Mk. G-Mt involves
different dates for these (with G-Lk possibly similar to it), which can result in a different
timeline for the Passover-Passion Week from Abib 10 to Abib 12 in this reconstructed
timeline! See in the Table following, separates columns are made for G-Mt and G-Lk with
highlighted entries.

34 | P a g e
 Table: 26 events from Arrival at Bethany to Resurrection:
(↓ dates in Abib) Events

B-1 ○
1 Arriving at Bethany [6 days before Passover Festival (Abib 15)] (Jn 12:1)

9 B-2 ○
2 Supper and Anointing (Jn +12:2-8) + Crowd came (Jn 12:9-11)

N 11 Anointing (Mk 14:3-9; Mt 26:6-13) – (flashback)]

= [M-4 ○
B-3 ○
3 Anti-triumphal Jerusalem Entry [‘Palm Day’] Passover Lamb
10 (Mk 11:1-10; Mt 21:1-11; Lk 19:28-40, 41-44; Jn 12:12-19#);
○4 Temple visit; return to Bethany (Mk +11:11)

B-4 ○
5 Barren Fig Tree (Mk +11:12-14)
11 6 Mt +21:12-17
B-5 6 Temple Incident (Mk +11:15-19) 6 Lk +19:45-48
○
5 Mt +21:18-19

○
7 Mt +21:20-22
M-1 ○
7 Withered Fig Tree (Mk +11:20-26)

M-2 ○
8 Confrontation & Teaching

(Mk +11:27-33; 12:1-44; Mt +21:23 – 23:39; Lk +20:1 – 21:4)

12 M-3 ○ Olivet Discourse (Mk +13:1-37; Mt +24:1 – 25:46; Lk +21:5-36)
9

D
○
10 [2 more days to Abib 14 (Passover day) Mk 14:1a; Mt 26:1-2]

Yehudim plot (Mk +14:1b-2; Mt +26:3-5);

11 Anointing (Mk +14:3-9; Mt +26:6-13)] (→ B2)
M-4 [○
○
12 Judas (silver money) (Mk +14:10-11 //Mt +26:14-16; Lk +22:2-6)

M-5 ○
13 Upper Room Preparation (Mk +14:12-16; Mt +26:17-19; Lk +22:7-13)

M-6 ○
14 Last Supper (Mk +14:17-26; Mt +26:20-30; Lk +22:14-30; Jn 13:1-35)

<Kefa’s warned> (Mk +14:27-31; Mt +26:31-35; Lk +22:31-38; Jn +13:36-38)

12 ○
15 Gethsemane (Mk +14:32-42; Mt +26:36-46; Lk +22:39-46; Jn 18:1)

N M-7 ○
16 Arrest (Mk +14:43-52; Mt +26:47-56; Lk +22:47-53; 63-65; Jn +18:2-12)

M-8 ○
17 Hannan (Jn +18:13-14→ Peter → 18:19-24) (Mk Mt Lk Ø)

M-9 ○
18 Sanhedrin I (Mk +14:53-65; Mt +26:57, 59-68) (Lk Ø)

<Kefa’s whereabouts> (Mk +14:54; Mt +26:58; Lk +22:54-55; Jn +18:15)

<Kefa’s denial> (Mk +14:66-72; Mt +26:69-74; Lk +22:56-62; Jn +18:16-18, 25-27)
M-10 ○19 Sanhedrin II (Mt 27:1-2; Mk +15:1a; Lk +22:66-71)

<Judas’ suicide> (Mt +27:3-10. Cf. Act 1:18-20)

13 M-11○20 Pilate I (Lk +23:1-7); Herod Antipas (Lk +23:7-12);

M-12 ○21 Pilate II (Mt +27:11-26; Mk +15:1b-15; Lk +23:13-25; Jn 18:28 – 19:16@)

*** [In custody]
*** [In custody]

35 | P a g e
 A-1 ○
22 <Via Dolorosa>
Passover Day
14 A-2 ○
23 Crucifixion – 3rd hour (Mk 15:25)

24 Death – 9th hour (Mk 15:34; Mt 27:46)

A-3 ○ ← Passover Sacrifice
A-4 ○
25 Entombment – evening into night; ← Passover memorial meal

[High Sabbath] <Posting Roman guard> (Mt 27:62-66) Passover Festival begins
15

A-5 ○
26 Resurrection early in the morning or before

16 [Wave sheaf of the Firstfruits]

<to the Roman guard> (Mt 28:4, 11-15);
<to the Women> (Mt 28:5-10; Mk 16:9-11; Jn 20:11-18)
<on the road to Emmaus> (Lk 24:13-49; Mk 16:12-13)
<to the Eleven> (Mk 16:14-18) (Jn 20:19-25 w/ Thomas absent)

36 | P a g e
(see *graphic image 5 pp. down)

Events numbering and notation symbols

[Initials such as B for Bethany arrival; F for Barren Fig tree; f for fig tree withered;
D for debate; L for Last Supper; S for Sanhedrin; P-P for Pilate I & II, etc. used in the tables]

Events numbering and notation symbols in the Charts

B for Beginning; M for Middle
Lamb presented; taught Last Supper; Arrest; Trial
Abib 9 Abib 12
M-1 <fig tree withered>
B-1 <Bethany arrival>
M-2 <Debate and Teaching>
B-2 <Anointing – G-Jn> (←M-4)
M-3 <Olivet Discourse>
M-4 <Anoint – G-Mt, MK> (→B-2)
<Judas’ silver money>
Abib 10
M-5 <Upper Room Prep>
B-3 <Ϡ Palm day; & Abib 12 evening
Yerusalem Entry> M-6 <Last Supper>
<Gethsemane>
Abib 11 M-7 <Arrest>
M-8 <Hannan>
B-4 <Barren Fig tree > & <Peter’s denials>
B-5 <Temple Incident> M-9 <Sanhedrin I>
Abib 13
M-10 <Sanhedrin II>
M-11 <Pilate I>
M-12 <Pilate II>
<In custody overnight>
A for After
Crucifixion; Death; Resurrection
Abib 14
A-1 <Via Dolorosa, bearing the cross>
A-2; A-3 <† - † Crucifixion & Death>
A-4 <P-m> the Passover meal
Abib 14-15
A-3 <Entombed>
Abib 15
A-5 <Keeping sabbath>
Abib 16
A-6 < Resurrection>
(at dawning of Abib 16)
A-7 <Empty tomb>
A-8 <Risen Master> to the Disciples
(,  resurrection proposed
other than on Abib 16)

37 | P a g e
 D. Timelines of the Passion-Passover Week

All happened in one week,

that momentous events in the history.
[About the term Nisan:a In all the subsequent tables for the Passion-Passover week, the
entry under ‘Nisan’ is simply to show what it would have been when a day was taken 12
hours ahead of an Abib date, in the way of the Jewish reckoning of a day from sunset.
See in detail for ‘Abib vs. Nisan’]

[It is the Passion-Passover Week to be known, rather than the Passion Week since His
Passion cannot be without being meshed in the Passover week on that year.]

[For the Crucifixion and Resurrection dates, see below under the heading of <Table for
the list of Crucifixion scenarios>.]

There, one does not need the Gregorian vocabulary of the named days of the planetary
week to follow the timeline. Aside from finding correct days on which the Crucifixion
and Resurrection fall, the more pressing need is to have the timeline of the Passion week
constructed out of the Gospel narratives. As we often do not clear-cut time indicators to
arrive at an unequivocal timeline, we have to accept some variations (within different
scenarios of crucifixion day) as long as these three are fit in the timeframe from the
Arrival at Bethany on Abib 9.

A Gospel book consists of His life teaching (with teaching, God’s mighty works, and
healing, and challenging and confronting the established religion of that time) and the
narrative of His life. One may say a Gospel is Jesus’ story. But is it about Him? What
about from and by Him and on Him? The first division of the Gospel book deals with the

a
Nisan dates in all the Passion Week timelines – the word has * – are for comparison only. A Nisan date
is 12 hours ahead of Abib date. Its date itself, however, cannot be fixed since calendation to locate the
first day of this month in a proleptic rabbinic Jewish calendar is different from Abib of the Biblical
calendar.]
38 | P a g e
His life teaching mostly. There is the story of His nativity. By and large, narrative is not
of its picture. However, when we move into the second and final division, we are
presented by the narrative of the Passion Week. It is the literary work of narrative genre
par excellence. It cannot be read properly and profitable with following its timeline –
correct and accurate one, which is only feasible with the correct biblical lunar calendar
(the rabbinic Jewish calendar actually hinders for properly understand the text).

The task for the readers is then how to grasp the whole picture of this week with the
timeline presented by the Gospel itself. As a practical purpose, it is found to be very
useful to divide the 9-day period in three segments, adding Abib 9 & 17 to the Passion-
Passover Week (Abib 10 to Abib 16).

• First 3 days –
Abib 9 (Anointing), Abib 10 (Palm Day), Abib 11 (Temple Incident)

• Middle 2 days –
Abib 12 (Olivet Discourse → Last Supper) to Abib 13 (Trial)

• Last 4 days
Abib 14 (Crucifixion), Abib 16 (Resurrection & Risen Master)

The traditional church liturgical Holy Week is a pale resemblance of the Passion Week
(or, more inclusively 'Passion-Passover Week'). The anchoring events in the timeline of
the week, which allocates all the events in a coherent timeline of the week:

(1) Abib 10 – Palm Day with presentation of Yeshua as the lamb for Passover sacrifice
(2) Abib 13 (= erev pesach ‘Passover eve’) – the trial day with Pilate sentencing ≈ midday
(Jn 19:14)
(3) Abib 14 – The Crucifixion. The lamb laying down Himself in the mid afternoon at the
God's very appointed time and
(4) Abib 15 – High Sabbath, first day of the Festival Passover (/the Matzah Festival).
(5) Abib 16 (early in the morning) – the Resurrection. [Cf. the day of the Firstfruitsa
offering]. [Gk. S536 aparchē; Heb. H7225 reshith]; –the risen Master to the disciples
(morning & evening).

a
'first-fruits' [Gk. S536 aparchē; Heb. H7225 reshith]
39 | P a g e
To revisit and construct the correct and accurate timeline of the Passion Week, the
first task is to deal with the last half from the Crucifixion to the Resurrection. Once its
timeline is fully grasped, unshackled from the frame of the Church liturgical Holy
Week, the clear picture is formed for the first half of the week to the closing with the
Trial. The crucial point here to be paid due attention is that (1) the Crucifixion cannot
be allocated on the same day as the sentencing by Pilate and (2) the breath-taking run
of quite a number of events from the Last Supper to the Road to Golgotha cannot be
squeezed into a short time-period of single overnight from night to morning. The
inevitable conclusion is that His trial before Pilate cannot be other than on the day
before the Crucifixion. That means, the Last Supper itself is to be placed two days
earlier (in terms of Gregorian dates) than His Crucifixion. There won’t be such a day
as the so-called Silent Wednesday as in the Holy Week. [See a zip file <Significance of
John 19.14 for 'sixth hour'> in <IRENT Vol. III Supplement - Collection #6B – Trial – Time
& Duration>]

We cannot discredit what the Bible tells for the several important timeline markers
(‘time indicators’) and leave them standing contradictory. We cannot read and
interpret the Bible to justify the tradition explanation of the Church liturgical Holy
Week timeline. A product of religious mind is not only useless but also misleading.

40 | P a g e
 Timeline – First Half of the Passion Week
Passover Lamb Eve of Prep. Meal
B A ϠY FT fDO L-S A † † <tomb>
day night
Day of Week 1 2 3 4 5 6
Mnemonic Start Mounted Temple Www Trial Final
13 14
Abib 9 10 11 12 Passover eve Passover
CE 30 Apr- 1 2 3 4 5 
Fri Ϡ Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed
14 15
Nisan* 9 10 11 12 13
Erev Pesach Pesach I

[* Nisan date, which is 12 hours ahead, is for comparison only. Its date cannot be fixed since calendation to locate
the first day of this month in a proleptic rabbinic Jewish calendar is different for Abib of the Biblical calendar.]

[Abib (the first month of the year in the biblical calendar)

≈ Nisan (7th month in rabbinic Jewish calendar)]
[Abib 10, Day 2 of the lunar week. So-called ‘Palm Sunday’ in the liturgical ‘Holy Week’]
[For the significance of His entering Yerusalem on Abib 10 as He did,
see <Walk through the Scripture #6 - Passion Week Chronology>.]

41 | P a g e
 Timeline - Second Half of the Passion Week

Day of Week 5 † † 6 7  1 2
<I n t h e t o m b>
High Sabbath Wave Sheaf
Mnemonic Trial Final Silent Start Meet

Abib 13 14 15 16 17
Passover eve Passover Matzah – D1 D2 D3
CE 30 4 Tue 5 Wed  6 Thu 7 Fri 8 Sat #

14% 15@ 16 17
Nisan* 13
Erev Pesach Pesach I Pesach II Pesach III

* Nisan date, which is 12 hours ahead of Abib date, is for comparison only. Its date cannot be fixed since calendation to
locate first day of the month in a proleptic rabbinic Jewish calendar is different from the Biblical calendar.
# Solar sabbath; % Nisan 14 is Ereb Pasach (Pesach eve); @ Nisan 15 – first day of Pesach Festival (Pesach I)

42 | P a g e
 List of the Charts in vertical and horizontal formats:
Below is a collection of several charts in tables in two formats:
[V -- in a vertical format and H -- in a horizontal format]

V-0 Horizontal Timeline: Seven days

from Arrival (9th) to Resurrection (16th Abib)
V-1 Last 3 days from Crucifixion (14th) to Resurrection (16th Abib)
H-0 Vertical Timeline from Arrival (9th) to Risen Master (17th)
H-1 From Arrival (9th) to Crucifixion (14th)
H-2 From Crucifixion (14th) to Resurrection (16th)

43 | P a g e
Annotation to the charts:
L-S Last Supper (DoW 4); Trial (DoW 5)
A Arrest
S Sanhedrin I & II
P-P Pilate’s trial I & II
 the bearing the cross to Golgotha
†† Crucifixion (3rd to 9th hour)
w.s. Wave sheaf offering

 Resurrection at the dawning of Day 1 of the lunar week

 Resurrection in the morning, Sunday (Easter)
 Resurrection in the evening (in the unbiblical Wednesday crucifixion scenario)
*** [from ‘two-day Passion chronology’ = a day for Trial + next day Crucifixion]

44 | P a g e
(*graphic)

45 | P a g e
S-W – Wednesday Crucifixion scenario (w/ Sat. dawn resurrection). CE 30 – Abib 14 † on Wed
(Apr-5). Both Ϡ and  fell on Sat (- sabbath only in Jewish & Gregorian calendar).
S-X – a non-biblical Wednesday Crucifixion scenario. similar to S-W but with  wrongly placed
in the late afternoon, ignoring the plain biblical statements.

S-T – Thursday Crucifixion Scenario (w/ Sunday dawn resurrection). CE 30 – Abib 14 † on Thu
(Apr-6). Both Ϡ and  on Sundays. The date one day off from S-W by fixing the New-Moon
day wrongly with 'first visible crescent' method.
S-F – Traditional Friday Crucifixion scenario with Sunday morning resurrection, Year CE 33 [The
Palm Sunday does not fall on Nisan/Abib 10! It is not possible to see both Ϡ and  on the same
day of the week (Sunday).]

(Blue colored Saturday – as sabbath day as in the rabbinic Jewish convention).

Note: Different Crucifixion day scenarios have constructed different timeline of the first half of
the Passion Week (from His Arrival at Bethany to the Crucifixion). The Biblical one has the
Crucifixion comes the day after Pilates sentencing

The internal timeline within the Passion narrative shows

(1) †Abib 14 (“the preparation of sabbath”) for Passover sacrifice and Passover
memorial meal;
(2) Abib 15 – High Sabbath - (on Day 7 of the lunar week – for daytime period only);
(3) Abib 16  as the Firstfruits (Day 1 of the lunar week) (1Co 15:20, 23; Lev 23:10-12)
(Cf. Lev 23:20).

• Day of Week = Numbered day of the lunar week (here, in the 2nd week of the month Abib).
• The numbered Day of the Passion Week = Day No. of the lunar Week.
• The date in April for Thursday scenario is same as the numbered Day of the Passion week.
• Into such a short period of time ( – ), so many events [from M-6 < ○
12 Last Supper> to M-

21 Pilate’s sentencing>] are impossible to be crammed – the fatal Achilles’ heel in the
12 < ○
‘one-day Passion chronology’. [Note: In Friday scenario, Last Supper is wrongly interpreted as
the A-4 <Passover memorial meal> in their poor understanding the Bible text.]. vide infra for
the subject of <'More than one day' Chronology>.

46 | P a g e
Mnemonic – with initials of the words Mnemonic works only with a Thursday and the Friday
crucifixion scenarios only.
– Sat for Start into Sun for Mounted on a colt – into Mon for Temple
– into Tue for WWW (withered, watch, wait; triple warnings) – into Wed for Trial
– into Thu for Final into Fri for Silent into Sat for Start into Sun for Meet.]

Day of the Week (DoW):

It is for the day of the lunar week (Day 1 to Day 7), and totally unconnected to the named
days of the Gregorian planetary week.

In the Passover week (the 2nd full week of Abib CE 30 – day 2 to 8), the numbered Days
of a lunar week (Day 1 to Day 7, instead of Sunday to Saturday) correspond to the days
of the Passion week (1st day to 7th day before the resurrection on 8th day). This makes
it easier to grasp the narrative timeline.

47 | P a g e
First 3 Days of the Passion
Arrival 9th to Temple Incident (11th Abib)
• B-1 Bethany Arrival; B-2 Anointing (← M-4)
• B-3 Palm Day (Jerusalem Entry)
• B-4 Barren fig tree; B-5 Temple Incident

Middle 2 Days of the Passion Week

From Olivet Discourse (12th) to Trial (13th Abib)
• M-3 Olivet Discourse
• M-6 Last Supper M-7 Arrest;
• M-9 & 10 Sanhedrin M-11 & 12 Pilate & Sentencing

Last 3 Days of the Passion Week

From the Crucifixion (14th) to the Resurrection (16th Abib)

• A-1 <Via Dolorosa>; A-2 Crucifixion & Death

• A-3 Entombed; A-4 P-m <Passover memorial meal>
• A-5 Keeping Sabbath A-6 Resurrection
• A-7 At the empty tomb A-8 Risen Master to Disciples

48 | P a g e
H. Comparative Timeline Passover Week from Arrival to the Resurrection (Abib 9 to 16)

Day Night

Day of Week 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1
Mnemonic Start Mounted Temple WWW Trial Final Silent Start
13 14 15 16
Abib 9 10 11 12
Erev Pesach Passover** Matzah I Matzah II

High
Passover + + Lamb + Eve Prep. ++Meal Sabbath
Wave Sheaf
B A ϠY F T f DOJ L S P-P † † <I n t h e t o m b>  Risen Master

14 15 16
* Nisan 9 10 11 12 13
Erev Pesach Pesach I Pesach II
 – 
Apr → 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
30 (Wed) S-W
Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue  † Wed Thu Fri Sat

[↓ For comparison – those with customary ‘One-day Passion chronology’]

 – 
(B&A) Ϡ F T fDOJ (“silent Wednesday”) SP  † -†
Mar-31 Apr-1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
30 (Wed) S-X
Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue  † Wed Thu Fri Sat 
Apr-1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
30 (Thu) S-T
Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed  † Thu Fri Sat  Sun
Mar-29 30 31 Apr-1 2 3 4 5 6
33 (Fri) S-F
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu  † Fri Sat  Sun Mon

Abib 14 ‘sabbath preparation day’ (= ‘sabbath eve’);

** Passover memorial service = Passover sactrifice + Passover memorial meal .
[Note: * Nisan date, which is 12 hours ahead, in all the Passion Week timelines, is for comparison only. Its date cannot be fixed since calendation to
locate the first day of this month in a proleptic rabbinic Jewish calendar is different from Abib of the Biblical calendar.]
[Btw two, a Wednesday and a Thursday scenario on biblical calendars – it depends on what day of the planetary week was Abib 1 (New-Moon Day).]

49 | P a g e
H-1 -- From Arrival to Crucifixion (Abib 9 to 14)
day night
Day of Week 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
10 13 $ 14
Abib 9 Passover lamb
11 12 Passover eve Passover Matzah
BA ϠY FT fDOJ L A S P-P † † <in the tomb>
[Nisan] 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

CE 30 Mar-31 Apr-1 2 3 4 5 6
S-W Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu

CE 30 Apr-1 2 3 4 5 6 7
S-T Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed <Thu> Fri

CE 33 29 30 31 Apr-1 2 3
S-F Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu <Fri> Sat
ϠY FT fDO J (silent)
LSP
(Hoehner) (crowd) ϠY FT f DOJ † †

Passover = Passover sacrifice + Passover memorial meal (on the same date in Abib)

H-2 -- From Crucifixion to Resurrection (Abib 14 to 16)

Day of Week
(lunar) 5 † † 6 7  1 2
P-P < I n the tomb >

$ Preparation High Sabbath Wave Sheaf

13 14 15 16 17
Abib
Passover eve Passover Matzah I Matzah II Matzah III
13 14 15 16 17 18
[* Nisan]
Erev Pesach Pesach I Pesach II Pesach III Pesach IV
S-W 5 †Wed 6 Thu  7 Fri 8 Sat

30
S-X 5 †Wed 6 Thu 7 Fri 8 Sat 
S-T April 6 †Thu 7 Fri 8 Sat  9 Sun
33 S-F 3 † Fri $ 4 Sat @  5 Sun 9 Mon

[Sat – Jewish Sabbath; $ preparation day = sabbath eve; @ ‘doubled-up sabbath’;]

[ to Golgotha; † † Crucifixion;  Resurrection;  Easter;  resurrection incorrect time]
[Not to confuse 'Passover eve' and 'Sabbath eve' in the Biblical calendar with Erev Pesach (eve
of the Pesach Festival I to VII = Matzah Festival) of the rabbinic Jewish calendar.]
[ full moon – date/time to check]

50 | P a g e
V. Timeline Passover Week (Arrival to Resurrection) — Abib 9th to 16th:
[After the biblical Wednesday Crucifixion Scenario with lunar sabbath]
* Nisan Apr Abib Events (* Nisan 15 = Day 0)
8 Thu 8D [Sabbath for the daytime period]
(Day 7 of the lunar week)
8N
9 Fri (Day 1) (-6 d)* [6 days before Passover Festival (Abib 15)]
9D
B-1 ○
1 <Arriving> at Bethany before sunset (Jn 12:1)

B-2 ○
2 <Anointing> (Jn 12:2-8) (← M-4 ○
11 Mt; Mk)
9N

10 Sat (Day 2) (-5 d) Passover lamb

10 D B-3 ○
3 Palm Day <Anti-triumphal Jerusalem entry>
○
4
10 N
Sun (Day 3) (-4 d)
11 11 D B-4 ○
5 <Barren fig tree> (Mk) [Cf. Mt]; B-5 ○
6 <Temple Incident>

11 N
(Day 4) (-3 d) M-1 ○ 7 <Withered Fig Tree> (Mk)

Mon M-2 ○<Confront & Teaching>; ○

8 9 M-3 <Olivet Discourse>
12 D
12 ○
10 2 more days to Passover day (Abib 14); <Plot>; M-4 ○
11 ○
12 <Judas’ Money>

M-5 <○Upper Room Preparation>

13

M-6 ○ 15 <Gethsemane>; M-7 ○

14 <Last Supper>; ○ 16 <Arrest>
12 N
M-8 ○
17 <Hannan>+ <Kefa’s Denials>; M-9 ○
18 <Sanhedrin I>

Tue (Day 5) (-2 d) <Trial day> Passover eve

13
13 D
M-10 <○
19 Sanhedrin II>
M-11/12 ○
20 ○
21 <Pilate - I & II> (Sentencing ≈ 'noon')
13 N <In custody>#
14 Wed (Day 6) (-1 d) A-1 ○
22 <Via Dolorosa> Passover day
14 D
A-2 ○<Crucifixion>; ○
23 24 <Death>; Passover sacrifice
Apr 5
A-3 ○
25 <Entombed>; A-4 Passover memorial meal
14 N
15 Thu
15 D A-5 High Sabbath – [Festival begins] [Posting the Roman guard]
Apr 6
15 N
Fri A-6 ○
26 <Resurrection> (at the dawing)
16
16 D A-7 Empty Tomb;
Apr 7 A-8 Risen Master to Disciples

17 16 N
Sat
# See ‘More Than One Day Passion Chronology'.
= Festival of the Passover = Festival of the Matzah.

51 | P a g e
V. Last 5 Days Timeline (Crucifixion – Resurrection)

Nisan 1 Events 2 3 4
Nisan Abib (Day 6) A-1 <Via Dolorosa> Passover day
14 D
14 D A-2 <Crucifixion> (3rd hour); Wed Thu Fri
A-3 <Death> (9th hour); Passover sacrifice
15 N A-4 <Entombed>; Passover memorial meal
14 N
15 D
(Day 7 = High Sabbath) Passover Festival begins Thu Fri
15 D
[Sabbath (for daytime period); unrelated to ‘Saturday’]
16 N
15 N

16 D A-5 < Resurrection> Fri Sat Sun
(Day 1) (unrelated to Sunday)
○
A <Empty Tomb> A-7 (Mk 28:9-10; Mk 16:9-11; Jn 20:11-18)

16 D <Risen Master> morning A-8

Day of First-fruits with Wave Sheaf Offering and
Omer countdown to Shavuot (x: Pentecost).
○B on the Emmaus Road (Mk 16:12-13; Lk 24:13-49)

○
C to the Eleven (Mk 16:14-18) (Jn 20:19-25 Thomas absent)
17 N 16 N

17 D (Day 2)
Sat Sun Mon
17 D

18 N
17 N

Resurrection differently located in the timeline:

1 –  Biblical Wednesday scenario; 2 –  Non-biblical Wednesday; 3 –  Thursday; 4 –  Friday
N for Night period; D for Daytime period
Abib 15 – colored for High sabbath.
Festival of the Passover = Festival of the Matzah

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Timeline of Yeshua's Final Hours
https://spiritualdirection.com/2013/03/29/the-crucifixion-of-our-lord
revised – added and corrected

Preceding Events
Abib 12 Evening
The Last Supper (Mt 26:20-30; Mk 14:17-26; Lk 22:14-38; Jn 13:21-30)
In the Garden of Gethsemane (Mt 26:36-46; Mk 14:32-42; Lk 22:39-45)

Abib 12 Night
Jesus is Betrayed and Arrested (Mt 26:47-56; Mk 14:43-52; Lk 22:47-53; Jn 18:1-11)

Abib 12/13 Night - Morning

The Religious Leaders Condemn (Mt 27:1-2; Mk 15:1; Lk 22:66-71)
Stands Trial Before Pilate (Mt 27:11-14; Mk 15:2-5; Lk 23:1-5; Jn 18:28-40)
Sent to Herod (Lk 23:6-12)

Abib 13 Noon (Jn 19:16)

Returned to Pilate (Lk 23:11)
Sentenced to Death (Jn 19:16; Mt 27:26; Mk 15:15; Lk 23:23-24)

The Crucifixion
Abib 14 Next morning:
Led Away to Calvary (Mt 27:30-33; Mk 15:22-22; Lk 23:26-31; Jn 19:16-17)

9:00 AM – “The Third Hour” (Mk 15:25)

is Crucified on the Cross (Mk 15:24-26; Mt 27:35; Lk 23:33; Jn 19:18)
Soldiers Cast Lots for his Clothes (Mt 27:35; Mk 15:24; Lk 23:34; Jn 19:23-24)

10:00 AM
is Insulted and Mocked (Mt 27:39-44; Mk 15:29-32; Lk 23:35-37, 39)

11:00 AM
With two 'Criminals' (Lk 23:40-43)
Speaks to his mother and 'John' (Jn 19:26-27)

Noon – “Sixth Hour” [Mk 15:33 //Lk 23:44]

Darkness Covers the Land (Mt 27:45; Mk 15:33; Lk 23:44)

3:00 PM – “The Ninth Hour” [Mk 15:34; Lk 23:44]

Cries Out to the Father (Mt 27:46; Mk 15:34)
is Thirsty (Jn 19:28-29)
It is Finished (Lk 23:46; Jn 19:30)

Events Following the Death

The Earthquake (Mt 27:51-52)
The Centurion – “Surely he was God's son!” (Mt 27:54 //Mk 15:39; cf. //Lk 23:47)
The Soldiers Break the Thieves’ Legs (Jn 19:31-32)
The Soldier Pierces Jesus Side (Jn 19:34)
Laid in the Tomb (Mt 27:57-61; Mk 15:42-47; Lk 23:50-56; Jn 19:38-42)
Empty Tomb & Risen Master (Mt 28:1-7; Mk 16:1-8; Lk 24:1-12; Jn 20:1-9)

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V. Timeline table of each different scenario
[Nisan date starts at sunset; solar sabbath (solar) on Saturdays; - here for comparison purpose only
[Abib date begins at sunrise; lunar Sabbath on Day 7 of the lunar week (8, 15, 22, & 28th day of each month) of
the lunar calendar).]
[Note: Wednesday Scenario → Palm Saturday and Resurrection Saturday; Thursday Scenario → Palm Sunday
and Resurrection Sunday)

1. Based on the biblical lunar calendar: WEDNESDAY scenario

Apr * Nisan Abib (Counting back from Abib 15 = 0)

8 [Sabbath – daytime]

9 (-6) <Journey from Yericho>

FRI
○
1 <Arriving> at Bethany (Jn 12:1)
9 2 <Anointing> (Jn 12:2-8) [← ○
○ 11 Anointing (Mk; Mt)]
10
SAT (-5) ○
3 <Jerusalem Entry> [Palm Day]; ← Passover Lamb
○
4 <Temple court visit>
10
Sun 11
(-4) ○
5 <Barren Fig Tree>; ○
6 <Temple Incident>
11
(-3) ○
7 <Withered Fig Tree>; ○8 <Confront & teaching>
12
Mon ○ <Olivet Discourse>; ○ <Yehudim plot>; ○
9 10 12 <Judas’ Money>
11 ; ○

12 ○
13 <Upper Room Preparation>

○
14 <Last Supper>; ○15 <Gethsemane>;○ 16 <Arrest>; $
17 <Hannan> (Jn); <Kefa’s denials>; ○
○ 18 <Sanhedrin I>
13 $
Tue (-2) 19 <Sanhedrin II>; ○
○ 20 <Pilate I> + <Herod Antipas> (Lk);
21 <Pilate II> [sentencing: 6th hour (≈ 'noon') – Jn 19:14]
○ $
13 <In custody>

WED (-1) ○
22 <Via Dolorosa>;
Passover Day
5th 14 ○
23 <Crucifixion> 9 AM (Mk 15:25);
14 ○
24 <Death> 3 PM (Mk 15:34; //Mt 27:46); ← Passover Sacrifice

25 <Entombed>;
○ ← Passover memorial meal
15

THU (-0) <Posting Roman guard> [High Sabbath] Passover Festival begins
4/6 15
16
26 < Resurrection> at the dawning
○
<to the Roman guard> (Mt 28:4, 11-15); <to the Women> (Mt 28:5-10; Mk 16:9-11; Jn 20:11-18)
<on the road to Emmaus> (Lk 24:13-49; Mk 16:12-13)
FRI [Wave Sheaf offering; Day of the Firstfruits]
4/7 16
<to the Eleven> (Mk 16:14-18) (Jn 20:19-25)
17
SAT

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2. With a non-biblical Wednesday scenario with the resurrection in the afternoon.

Apr * Nisan Abib (counting back from Abib 15 = 0)

9
F (-6) <Journey from Yericho>
R ○1 <Arriving> at Bethany (Jn)
I 9 ○
2 <Anointing> (Jn)

S 10
A
(-5) ○
3 <Jerusalem Entry> [Palm Day] (Saturday) Passover Lamb
T ○
4 <Temple court visit>
10
S 11
U (-4) ○
5 <Barren Fig Tree>; ○
6 <Temple Incident>

N
M 11
12 (-3) ○
7 <Withered Fig Tree>; ○
8 <Confront & Teaching>
O
N
12
T 13 (-2) ○ 10 <Yehudim’s plot>; ○
9 <Olivet Discourse>; ○ 12 <Judas’ money>

U ○
13 <Upper Room Prep>
13 14 <Last Supper>; ○ 15 <Gethsemane>; ○
E ○ 16 <Arrest>;
$
17 <Hannan> (Jn); <Kefa’s denials>; ○
○ 18 <Sanhedrin I>;
$
○
19 <Sanhedrin II>
$
W ○
20 <Pilate>+<Herod>; ○ 20 <Pilate > [sentencing: 6 A.M. ]
14
E
(-1) ○22 <Via Dolorosa>; Passover Day
○23 <Crucifixion> – 9 AM (Mk)
D 14 ○24 <Death> – 3 PM (Mk //Mt); ← Passover Sacrifice
○25 <Entombed>
← Passover memorial meal

T 15
H <Posting Roman guard> [ ‘Annual sabbath’] Passover Festival begins
U 15

F
R 16 [Silent Friday ?!]
I 16
S 26 (early in the morning) (**)
17 ○
A Saturday [Weekly Sabbath]
27 (late afternoon) < Resurrection>
○
T 17
<to Roman guard> (Mt 28:4, 11-15); <to the Women> (Mt 28:5-10; Mk 16:9-11; Jn 20:11-18);
<on the road to Emmaus> (Lk 24:13-49; Mk 16:12-13)

[Note: Events ○ 18 are not covered in detail in Torrey’s.]

5 to ○

Problems of nonbiblical Wednesday scenarios – ○ 27 the original scenario placed the time of Resurrection  later
afternoon or evening on Saturday; an improved one ○ 26 with  ** the Resurrection in the morning of Saturday as
in www.herealittletherealittle.net/index.cfm?page_name=Jesus-Resurrection . (both has Sat. Sabbath.)

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3. With a Thursday scenario after Boice with the non-biblical calendation:
- back to back two sabbaths argument. Nisan 14 AD 30 → Thursday! " …Jesus rises from the dead
sometime between the coming of darkness on Saturday evening and the coming of the dawn on
Sunday morning."
[Yellow highlighted events → portion for the events sequence different from the biblical timeline of the first days of the week.

Apr * Nisan Abib (Counting back from Abib 15 = 0)

S
9 (-6) <Journey from Yericho> [sabbath violation ]
A
T ○1 <Arriving> at Bethany (Jn);
9 ○2 <Anointing> (Jn 12:2-8) [←○ 11 ]
10
S (-5) ○
3 <Jerusalem Entry> [Palm day] (Sunday) ← Passover Lamb
U
N 10 ○
4 <Temple court visit>

M 11
O (-4) ○
5 <Barren Fig Tree>; ○
6 <Temple Incident>
N
11
T (-3) ○
7 <Withered Fig Tree>; ○8 <Confront & Teaching>
U 12
○ <Olivet Discourse>;○ <Yehudim’s plot>; ○
9 10 12 <Judas’ Money>
E 12
W (-2)
13
E ○
13 <Upper Room Preparation>

D
○ 15 <Gethsemane>; ○
14 <Last Supper>; ○ 16 <Arrest>;
$
○ <Hannan>; <Kefa’s denial>; ○<Sanhedrin I>;
17 1 8
T 13 $
14 ○
19 <Sanhedrin II>; $
H ○
20 <Pilate>+<Herod>; ○ 21 <Pilate II> (sentencing – 6 a.m. )

U (-1) ○ <Via Dolorosa>; ○ <Crucifixion> 9 AM (Mk 15:25)

22 23
Passover Day
○
24 <Death> 3 PM (Mk 15:34; //Mt 27:46); ← Passover Sacrifice
6th 14 ○
25 <Entombed>
← Passover memorial meal
F 15
R <Posting Roman guard> [‘Annual sabbath’]  Passover Festival begins
I 15
16
S
A [Weekly sabbath] 
T
16
17 26 < Resurrection> (Sunday dawn)
○
S <to Roman guard> (Mt 28:4, 11-15); <to the Women> (Mt 28:5-10; Mk 16:9-11; Jn 20:11-18);
U 17 <on the road to Emmaus> (Lk 24:13-49; Mk 16:12-13)
N
<to the Eleven> (Mk 16:14-18) (Jn 20:19-25)

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4. With the Friday scenarios with the non-biblical calendation:

A Friday Scenario (CE 33 Apr-3) (Counting back from Nisan 14/15)@

Apr Nisan Abib Traditional Hoehner (further adjusted)
(-6)
S
8 <Journey from Yericho> ['sabbath' violation ;-< ]
A 8
T ○
1 <Arriving> at Bethany (Jn)
(-5) ○
2 <Anointing> (Jn);

S 9 3  [Palm Day] (Sun) Passover Lamb (-6)

○
U
9 <Crowd came>
N ○
4 <Temple court visit>
○
1 <Arriving>
(-4) ○
2 <Anointing>

M 10 (-5)
○
5 <Barren Fig Tree>
O ○
3 [Palm Day] (Mon) Passover Lamb
N 10 ○
6 <Temple Incident>
(-3)
T 11 ○
7 <Withered Fig Tree>; ○
8 <Confront & Teaching>
○
5 <Barren Fig Tree>
(-4)
U 11 ○ <Olivet Discourse>
9
○ 12 <Judas’ Money>
10 <Yehudim plot>; ○
○
6 <Temple Incident>
E
(-2)
W (-3)
12 ○7 <Withered Fig Tree>; ○8 <Confront & Teaching>
E 12  [Silent Wednesday!!] ○ <Olivet Discourse>
9

D ○
10 <Yehudim plot>; ○ 12 <Judas’ Money>

(-1)
T (-2)
13
H ○
13 <Upper Room Preparation>
13
U (0) ○
14 <Last Supper>; ○
15 <Gethsemane>;

○
16 <Arrest>; ○
17 <Hannan> (Jn); ○
18 <Sanhedrin I>
F
○
19 <Sanhedrin II> ○ 21 <Pilate II> (sentencing at ‘6 A.M.’ );
20 <Pilate I>; ○
R (-1)
I ○
22 <Via Dolorosa>; ○23 <Crucifixion> – 9 AM (Mk) Passover Day
14
○
24 <Death> – 3 PM (Mk //Mt); ← Passover sacrifice
Apr
14 25 <Entombed>
○
3rd
← Passover memorial meal

S 15
(0)
A <Posting Roman guard> [sabbath ('Doubled-up' )] Passover Festival begins
T 15

S 16 ○
26 < Resurrection> (Morning) [Easter Sunday]
U
N 16 <to Roman guard> (Mt 28:4, 11-15); <to the Women> (Mt 28:5-10; Mk 16:9-11; Jn 20:11-18);
<on the road to Emmaus> (Lk 24:13-49; Mk 16:12-13)

17 <to the Eleven> (Mk 16:14-18) (Jn 20:19-25)

@ (-6) counting from Nisan 14, instead of (-6) counting from Nisan 15.
[Note: Here, *Palm day on Sunday does not fall on Nisan/Abib 10.]

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5. Extra info - some other timeline schemes:
[Yellow highlighted and green font dates – divergent from a common pattern.
[Sabbath; High Sabbath Note: All schemes follow the Jewish calendar (with Saturday = Sabbath).]
[Column of Abib – for reference only after the biblical scenario timeline. D & N – Day and night-time]

CE 33 CE 30
Hoehner Finch Sherrill Coulter
Abib
Fri Fri Fri Wed
Nisan 8 Sat Nisan 9 Nisan 9
Group 1: Arrival at Bethany.
9D Nisan 9 <crowd> [Apr 3 Sun] Mar-29-Fri Nisan 8
and Anointing Nisan 10 Nisan 10 Nisan 10 [Mar-30 Thu]
9N
[Mar 30 Mon] [Apr 3 Mon] [Mar-31 Sun]
Group 2: Palm Day
10
Nisan 11 Nisan 11 Nisan 11 Nisan 9
[Mar 31 Tue] [Apr 4 Tue] [Apr 1 Mon] [Mar-31 Fri]
Group 3: Temple Incident.
11 Nisan 10
[Apr-1 Sat]
Temple visit
Nisan 12 Nisan 12 Nisan 12 Nisan 11
[Apr 1 Wed] [Apr 5 Wed] [Apr 2 Tue] [Apr-2 Sun]
Group 4: Confront/Teaching
and Olivet Discourse;
Judas money Nisan 13 Nisan 12
12D [Apr 3 Wed] [Apr-3 Mon]
Nisan 14 ‘Silent’
[Apr 4 Thu]
Group 5: Upper Room Prep Nisan 13 Nisan 13 (‘Bethany dinner’)
Nisan 13
[Apr 2 Thu] [Apr 6 Thu] [Apr-4 Tue]
Group 6: Last Supper & Arrest Nisan 14 Nisan 14 Nisan 15 Nisan 14
12N Group 7: Trial – Sanhedrin I [Apr 3 Fri] [Apr 7 Fri] [Apr 5 Fri] [Apr-5 Wed]
13D Group 8: Trial – Sanhedrin II
and Pilate I & II.
13N [In Custody]
14D Group 9: Via Dolorosa;
Crucifixion; Death;
14N Group 10: Entombment
15N <In the tomb> Nisan 15 Nisan 15 Nisan 15
[Apr 4 Sat] [Apr 8 Sat] [Apr 6 Thu]
16D <High Sabbath> Nisan 16 Nisan 16 Nisan 16 Nisan 16
<In the tomb> [Apr 5 Sun] [Apr 9 Sun] [Apr 6 Sat] [Apr 7 Fri]
Early morning Early morning Nisan 17 Nisan 17
16N [Apr 7 Sun] [Apr 8 Sat]
Group 11: Resurrection
Early morning Late afternoon

Can any of these discrepant timelines be the right one? The answer is ‘Hardly’. Without clear
knowledge of various calendar systems and the astronomical date, proper construction and explanation
of each one example is incomplete and inaccurate with confusion, contradiction and conflicting; it is
impossible to be close to the biblical timeline of the Passion week.
• Harold W. Hoehner (1978), Chronological Aspects of the Life of Christ (pp. 74-76)
(http://books.google.com/books?id=fS28b9GC1dcC)
• F.R. Coulter (2001), A Harmony of the Gospels (pp. 216-217, 320-321 – timeline tables) – has
the Palm day wrongly placed on Nisan 8.
• Also it keeps Nisan 10 eventless (other than Mk 11:20 finding the fig tree withered); and Nisan
12 left eventless, claiming to be ‘sabbath’ (Jn 19:28-41).]
• Paul Finch, The Passover Papers (2009, 2nd Ed.) [Ch. 8 Chronology of Passion Week., pp. 93-
118.] [Note: The date Apr. 7 Friday for Nisan 14 is only once shown in p 151 citing data from
Fotheringham, Parker and Dubberstein, and O.T. Olmstead.]
• Nathaniel Huntting Sherill (2012), The Layman’s Gospel Harmony (p. 343)

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Various crucifixion day scenarios:

List of Four Scenarios:

Year Crucifixion Resurrection* Sabbath in the week
Biblical scenario with Biblical Calendar
30 Wed (Apr-5) Sat dawn High Sabbath (Thur)
Non-biblical scenario with rabbinic Jewish Calendar
30 Wed Sat dawn Sat. as Weekly Sabbath
Annual and Weekly Sabbaths
30 Wed (Apr-5) Sat late afternoon!
a day apart@
30 Thu (Apr-6) Sun dawn Annual and Weekly sabbaths
back to back
33 Fri (Apr 3) Sun dawn A 'doubled-up' sabbath
* dawn is the last port of ‘night’ with ‘morning’ being the first part of ‘day’.
@ What about Abib 16 btw their annual and weekly sabbaths?!
What would prevent the women from going to the tomb?

The scenario with the biblical calendar: (CE 30 Apr-5 Wed)

• Passover day = the Crucifixion day = Abib 14 = Apr. 5 Wed 30 CE.

• Different Crucifixion day scenarios have constructed different timeline of the first
half of the Passion Week (before the Crucifixion). This biblical Wednesday
scenario has one additional day allocated between the Pilate's sentencing and the
Crucifixion. ('more than one day' chronology)

Nonbiblical scenarios:

• Most takes the non-biblical conventional interpretation of the essential time

indicator ‘ninth hour’ in Jn 19:14 for Pilate’ sentencing as 6 A.M.
• Entombed in the evening is read as 'being buried'. Usually wrongly read as 'late
afternoon'.
• So-called Silent Wednesday in the Friday scenario – no events in day and night.
• All arguments are affected by their universal lack of understanding the biblical
calendation.
• Silent Friday in the Wednesday crucifixion – Saturday afternoon resurrection
scenario..

59 | P a g e
Friday scenario (CE 33 Apr-3)
'Good Friday and Easter Sunday' is the traditional Friday crucifixion scenario in the Church
liturgical Holy Week.

As such it should have settled. However, there the serious problem arises in reading the
biblical narrative when people take this as if the true biblical Crucifixion scenario and was
prompted to find a correct one which can be applied to the biblical timeline.

1. The Friday proponents misread the phrase 'preparation (day) for Sabbath' as 'Friday' of a
Gregorian calendar vocabulary which is not used in the Bible.
They chose CE 33 as the year of the Crucifixion since it was the one choice among several years
which had Nisan 14 on Friday (Apr-3 CE 33) just as they wanted to find. Once they have the
year CE 33, that itself is used as an evidence of Friday being the day of the crucifixion – a circular
logical fallacy par excellence!a

2. The phrase ‘7th day of the week’, which is of the lunar week, is mistaken as
'Saturday' (for sabbath).

3. The phrase '1st day of the week' is interpreted as Sunday. Resurrection is put on Sunday
in the morning. ('Easter Sunday'). This contradicts the internal timeline in the last part of the
Passion Week in the Gospel texts; if Resurrection is on Sunday, the Crucifixion has to be
Thursday (on the other hand; if the Crucifixion is on Friday, the Resurrection falls on Monday
according to the biblical Passion Week timeline in the Gospels, not to the liturgical Holy
Week timeline). This is erroneously called 'Easter Sunday'; 'Easter' is a later developed as in
the Church Liturgical Holy Week.

4. The phrase Jn 12:1 ‘six days before Passover’ – 'Passover' was rather wrongly taken as
Passover day (Abib 14) instead of its usual sense of ‘Passover Festival’ (Abib 15) in G-Jn.
The reason behind this is hardly given by the Friday proponents.

5. If Sunday is taken as the day of His Resurrection, the day of His crucifixion cannot be on
Friday, but Thursday. If Friday was for the crucifixion, His resurrection cannot be on Sunday,
but Monday.

(A) Traditional Friday scenario as in the Church Liturgical Holy Week:

• So-called Silent Wednesday – how can such a thing be acceptable in the narrative
timeline???
• The so-called "Palm Sunday" Ϡ in the church liturgical Holy Week is put on Abib 9,
not on Nisan/Abib 10 as it should be.
• www.asa3.org/ASA/PSCF/1985/JASA3-85Humphreys.html [Friday Apr 3, CE 33
scenario by Humphrey.
(B) Friday scenario after Hoehner (CE 33) (Chronological Aspects, pp. 90-93)

• Hoehner has one thing altered in the timeline of the traditional Friday scenario: <The
Crowd coming> (Jn 12:9) is in one whole day, making the Palm Day put onto Monday,
instead of Sunday. This gets rid of the so-called Silent Wednesday of the Holy Week of
the Church liturgy.

a
Some even chooses CE 30 Apr 7 = Friday as the day. Elsewhere see <Friday Apr-7 CE 30 by Paul Finch>.
60 | P a g e
Wednesday scenario

(CE 30 Apr-5 Wed) (e.g. by Torrey) with non-Biblical calendation

This unique Matthean phrase 'three days and three nights' (Mt 12:40), a statement
made by Yeshua himself in the so-called ‘sign of Jonah’ pericope (Mt 12:39-40; //Lk
11:29; Mt 16:4) came to be used to counter what the traditional Friday scenario was
unable to clearly answer. Ignoring that this verse does not mention anything about or
allude to a crucifixion, burial, or resurrection, it is claimed that '3D and 3N' is rather
precisely full 72 hours, no less. They then unknowingly that this as '3N and 3D',
which should for them to be the duration of His being buried as in a grave, whereas
they see the Friday scenario can only come up 2N and 1D. Yes, the phrase 3D and
3N is literal full 3 days, not with partial days, but the expression is used figuratively.

Having the Crucifixion on Wednesday, to fit their idea a of 72 hours, they went
beyond what the Bible text says and requires: they were forced to place the time of
the resurrection in the late afternoon, contrary to what the Bible says in the Passion
Week narrative. [Cf. He was not 'buried' but 'entombed'. The Matthean expression is not
about He would remain buried for 3N and 3D but it is 'simply' allusion to the 3 years' ministry
to be climaxed in Jerusalem, the navel or center of the world 'the heart of the earth'.]

As to the date of the Crucifixion, though they had on their hand correct astronomical
data, they did not elaborate what method was used to determine the 1st day of Abib.

• [Compared to the tradition Friday scenario, the events (Upper Room Prep to Olivet
Discourse) are pushed back by one day filling up the Silent Wednesday of the Friday
scenario.]
• The fatal error in the timeline of their theory is the Resurrection being placed on evening
or late afternoon in their scheme. This also results the Resurrection day to be put on
Nisan 17 (of Saturday sabbath), and the Wave Sheaf Offering to be put on the
sabbath. [Cf. sheaf of the First-fruits – Lev 23:10-11 – “on the day after the
Sabbath”).
• Palm day and Resurrection day – fell on Sat (nonbiblical solar sabbath!) in this
scenario with non-biblical calendar. Cutting palm leaves is not fit for the day they
have Sabbath on.
• Torrey does not give a detail on the events following <Jerusalem Entry> for
the timeline of the first several days of the Passion Week.

Problems of nonbiblical Wednesday scenarios: they follow Jewish calendar with the planetary
week and Saturday as Sabbath (from Friday evening to Sat. evening). In the original form of this
scenario placed the time of Resurrection  later afternoon or evening on Saturday Sabbath. An
improved one is offered to have the Resurrection in the morning of Saturday (their Sabbath
day) as in www.herealittletherealittle.net/index.cfm?page_name=Jesus-Resurrection

a
which they believe to be essential for the of 'Jonah's sign' as a proof of Jesus' messiahship. The
have misinterpreted the Hebrew idiom 'in the heart of the earth' as 'being buried underground in a
grave'!!
61 | P a g e
Thursday scenario

(CE 30 Apr-6-Thu) (with non-biblical calendation) with Sunday resurrection

The non-biblical Thursday proponents have come up with the unbiblical “two-sabbath
theory” of the Passion Week (‘annual sabbath’ and ‘weekly sabbath’ back-to-back). It is
unavoidable since they have not known the fact that the vocabulary of the named days of
the planetary week does not belong to the Bible and ‘sabbath’ in the Bible does not mean
‘Saturday’

www.bibleinfo.com/en/questions/what-time-day-did-crucifixion-happen (Here, it is
Thursday Crucifixion on Nisan 14 (what year is not mentioned). Note: it reads Pilate
sentencing of 6th hour incorrectly as 6 a.m.).
" .. the preparation for (or eve of) the Passover which coincided with the
preparation for (or eve of) the weekly Sabbath. (Jn 19:14; cf. vs. 31, 42;
20:1) The first ceremonial Sabbath of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Nisan
15, also coincided with the weekly Sabbath (Lev 23:6-8; cf. Mark 15:42 to
16:2; Luke 23:5 to 24:1)."

The resurrection remains same as in the traditional scenario, in the dawn of Sunday, not
'late afternoon' as in a Wednesday scenario.

Though they have accurate astronomical data on the Conjunction date/time and sunrise
date/time, the New-Moon date is determined as with 'visible crescent method' to have Abib
14th day fall on Thursday (Apr-6, CE 30), the ancient method which is impractical and
inapplicable.

This article also an unbiblical error of the so-called “two-sabbath theory” of the Passion
Week (‘annual sabbath’ and then ‘weekly sabbath’ occurring back-to-back). It is
unavoidable since they would not have known the fact that the vocabulary of the named
days of the planetary week does not belong to the Bible and should not be used to interpret
the time-related expressions in the Bible.

• Crucifixion on Thursday – One day off Wednesday scenario due to its wrong
method used to determine the New-Moon day ("first visible crescent" method).
The date for Abib 1 was determined the untenable 'first visible crescent method'
(Some others do give astronomical and calendar data.)
• It solves the several issues while keeping the Resurrection on Sunday (Boice, p.
931). A whole day is allocated solely for Upper Room Preparation of the Passover.
• Compared to the traditional Friday scenario, all the events of Thu to Friday
daytime (Upper Room Prep to Olivet Discourse) are pushed back by one day,
filling up the Silent Wednesday;
• Journey to Bethany would not fit for the day they have as Sabbath.

62 | P a g e
Various Timelines compared:
The aim here is to make the task of all those having interests and questions easer in
challenging any claim for its validity vis-à-vis the biblical Wednesday scenario presented in
this work.

• Solar sabbath (Jewish) is Saturday of the planetary week (from Friday sunset to
Saturday sunset).
• Lunar sabbath – daytime of 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th of a month. The word ‘sabbath’
in the biblical vocabulary is for 12 hour-periods from sunrise to sunset (i.e. for a
daytime period); it has nothing to do with ‘Saturday’
• High Sabbath (Day 7 of the lunar week on the first day of 7-day long festivals) –
Here Abib 15th. [The only ‘annual sabbath’ is on the Day of the Atonement - Lev
16:31 – ‘sabbathh sabbathhon’)].
• [some events not possible on Sabbath – 'sabbath-day journey' (2000 cubits; Act 1:12) –
distance permitted to travel on sabbath Exo 16:29; about 0.57 mile.)
• <Palm Day> = on Abib 10. [Sun, Mon, or Sat]
• <Upper Room Preparation > = it is to have a place ready with necessary provisions for the
upcoming the festival celebration (including the Last Supper).
•  problems with sabbath violation (‘Saturday sabbath’).
• $$$ traditional timeline – cramping so many events in one overnight. %% Pilate’s Trial is
allocated from the morning to noon, not in the fourth watch of the night. Yeshua was in
custody till next morning to begin His journey to the Golgotha. The time indicators in all
four Gospels also show a break in the time flow of events: (1) the formal Sanhedrin session
in the morning and the trial, Pilate v. Yeshua (till noon) and, on next day, (3) the road to
Golgotha to Crucifixion. [See above for ‘significance of Jn 19:14’.]
• Sequence of events:
G-Mk: <Barren Fig Tree> → <Temple incident> Mk 11:15-17 → (next day) <Withered Fig
Tree> Mk 11:20 -24
G-Mt: <Temple Incident> Mt 21:12-13 → (next day?) <Barren Fig Tree> → (next day?)
<Withered Fig Tree> Mt 21:18-22. [Chronologically and thematically awkward sequence]
G-Lk <Temple Incident> Lk 19:45-46; no < Fig Tree> periscope.
G-Jn: No <Fig Tree> pericope. It places <Temple Incident> Jn 2:13-22 in the beginning of
Yeshua's ministry. Cf. the Synoptics place it within the Passion Week, giving its symbolic
and dramatic effect.
• Most places <Upper Room Prep> (Mt 26:17-19 //Mk +14:12-16; //Lk 22:7-13) on the day
after <Olivet Discourse>. The narrative itself is continuous and follows the Mark and
Matthean <Anointing> (Mt 26:6-13 //Mk +14:3-9) (Cf. Jn 12:1-11) (cf. Lk 7:36-50).
However, that it is on another day is shown by the text which begins with a time indicator
phrase ‘toward the beginning day for the unleavened bread’.
• Scenarios which have both Palm Day and Resurrection Day on Sunday are with the
traditional Friday crucifixion scenario and a Thursday scenario.
• The date of His arrival on Abib 9. That would be six days before the Passover Festival (Abib
15). On Nisan dates, however, it is may not be straightforward, depending whether He
arrives before or after sunset. It takes about 8 hours’ hike from Yericho. If Yeshua arrives
before sunset, the date of Arrival at Bethany itself would be not Nisan 9th, but Nisan 8th.
Whether counting inclusive or exclusive, or counting from Abib 15th or Abib 14th, it does
not materially affect the timeline (with sequence of events) in the first few days of the
Passion Week, as long as the anchoring events <Anointing> (on Abib 8 / Nisan 9) and
<Palm day> (on Abib/Nisan 10) are correctly placed.

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Our purpose is to examine handful variations of the timeline in several Crucifixion day
scenarios for comparison purpose vis-à-vis the biblical model in order to show how and
how much they deviate from the Scriptural evidences and harmony, not only the major
anchoring events and date, but also detailed flow of events.

For our evaluation of different timelines, the major event groups are checked for their date
allocation and alignment.

Group 1: Arrival at Bethany and Anointing.

Group 2: Jerusalem entry on Palm Day.
Group 3: Temple Incident.
Group 4: Confrontation/Teaching and Olive Discourse
Group 5: Upper Room Preparation
Group 6: Last Supper/Arrest
Group 7: Trial – Sanhedrin I (interrogation)
Group 8: Trial – Sanhedrin II (conclusion) and Pilate I & II.
Group 9: Via Dolorosa; Crucifixion; Death;
[Group 10: Entombment [ not 'burial']]
[Group 11: Resurrection]

Several points are needed to find whether any scenario and its different schemes of timeline are in
error and to allow to draw a valid conclusion.

1. The day of the Crucifixion cannot be other than Abib 14 (Nisan 14).
2. The year of the Crucifixion cannot be CE 33, since the year was found to have Nisan 14
on Friday, when the Bible has no such idea. Most were mistaken the day of Sabbath as
Saturday by simply follow the non-biblical rabbinic Jewish calendar.
3. CE 30 Abib 14 is Apr. 5 Wednesday - based one the New-Moon Day of Abib (i.e. the one
closest to vernal equinox) with 'Dawn after conjunction' method, with the accurate
astronomical data and true biblical calendation.
4. In the timeline, the <Upper Room Preparation> cannot occupy a whole daytime period.
5. <Palm day> and <Temple Incident> are on two consecutive days as in G-Mk. The cannot
be on the same as G-Mt has it unclear.
6. Multiple <Trial Sessions> (Sanhedrin I & II and Pilate I & II) cannot be possible placed
into one overnight period. It is impossible and impractical, though the biblical text itself
for narrative reads as if contiguous.
7. The bible explicitly says the entombment was taken place not late in the afternoon, but in
the evening. It cannot be done and completed in the late afternoon in haste as if they would
fear of sabbath coming at sunset. [//Mt 27:59; //Mk 15:42; //Lk 23:54] Many scholars simply
dismiss these texts to come up different interpretation of other time-relevant texts.
8. [The biblical lunar] Sabbath is not on Saturday (= the 7th day of the planetary week), but
on 7th day of the lunar week, and it is only for the daytime observation. People don’t need
rest in the night, which by itself is time for resting.

64 | P a g e
Chronology of 'More than one day':

• Eugen Ruckstuhl (1963 in German, 1965 English trans.), Chronology of the last days of Jesus:
A critical study

• Annie Jaubert (1965), The date of the Last Supper, (Ch. 2. The Events of the Passion
in the Chronology of Three Days, pp. 111-113)

In contrast to the model timeline of a Thursday crucifixion scenario with Sunday dawn
resurrection, both Ruckstuhl and Jaubert add two more days are to cover Sanhedrin I & II and
Pilate I & II, coming up with a ‘three-day Passion chronology’. That way there is one day lost for
the timeline for Day of the Passover Week (DoW) 1 to 12. On the other hand, one extra day as for
the so-called Silent Wednesday in the Friday Crucifixion scenario, is no longer present when the
correct timeline is followed as presented here (with the Crucifixion on the day after Pilate's
sentencing – see <Significance of Jn 19.18 - '6th hour'> elsewhere here.

Eugen Ruckstuhl (1965), Chronology of The Last Days of Jesus – A Critical Study
[Trans. from German 1963] [for ‘The Chronology of “More Than One Day”.

Ch. V. From the arrest of Jesus to His Crucifixion Timetable and Duration of the Events.
A. Survey of the Events (pp. 32-35)
B. How long did the Passion last? Reasons in favor of the “More Than One Day” theory.
(pp. 35-55)

[For a copy of relevant portion from his book, see a file ((For WB #6 )) ‘More than one day chronology’
in IRENT Vol. III Supplement (Collection #6B – Trial – Time and Duration.)]

His conclusion: By scrutinizing several secessions of His Trial in the Passion narrative
(Sanhedrin session I for interrogation in the night, Sanhedrin session II for judgment in the
day time, Pilate I, and Pilate II) the Passion story requires more than one day.

His proposal is to add not just one but two more days, making it a ‘three-day Passion
chronology’: (1) Tuesday – Arrest; (2) Wednesday – Sanhedrin; (3) Thursday – Sanhedrin +
Pilate; and (4) Friday –Crucifixion. This may account well for the multiple sessions enough
time allocated to each. However, there are just not many extra days to spare in the timeline
from the events from the Bethany Arrival to His Arrest, with only one day which would be
available for such a purpose – the so-called Silent Wednesday in the traditional Friday
Crucifixion scenario.

In contrast, the biblical Wednesday scenario allocates in the timeline for the Trial of Yeshua
vs. Pilate on a separate day (early morning to noon), with the Crucifixion to follow next day.
We have to look for hidden time indicators (which the narratives demand) as well as the
explicit ones in order to examine various timelines to deal with.

65 | P a g e
 E. Event-by-event in the Passion Week timeline
This is important to scrutinize and identify each event so that they can be put them in their
proper positions in the timeline in the whole perspective at one glance, rather than struggling
with them to understand their meaning in a piece-meal fashion – worse with eisegesis mind
set. It has to be logical non-contradicting and kept in harmony with biblical and historical
(astronomical) data and information.

Once the issue of which days were the Crucifixion and the Resurrection, the remaining issue
is the narrative timeline of the ever in the Passion Week. Once the several anchor points are
(1) Abib 10 as the Palm day and (2) Abib 14 as the Crucifixion day are set in the timeline, as
well as (4) Abib 16 of the Wave sheaf (Lev 23:10-11) of the Risen Master as the Firstfruit,
we come to what the conventional scenario and the alternatives all fail to pay attention on the
time-indicator in Jn 19:14 (the time for Pilates’ sentencing) and the literarily impossible task
of allocating so many events in a short overnight period following His arrest at Gethsemane.

Not just the time of events but the flow of events. One example is <Crowd coming> Jn 12:9-
11 to see Yeshua when He arrived at Bethany belongs to the same day, not a separate whole
day as Hoehner broke the flow of narrative, without any suggestive time indicator. More
important example is a crucial one for the middle third of the Passion Week is the need of
clear break between the night time of Abib 13 for <His Arrest>, <Sanhedrin v. Yeshua>,
<Pilate v. Yeshua – I and II>. Usually, quite a number of events are crammed into less than 6
hours of the night to the dawn with Yeshua brought to crucifixion to Golgotha at the supposed
time of 6 a.m. This is despite clear indicators of flow of events in the biblical text in all four
Gospels (Mk 15:1; //Mt 27:1; //Lk 22:66; //Jn 18:28-29)! [See also ‘significance of Jn 19:14’.]

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*graphic

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B-1 to B-5

B-1 <Bethany arrival> (Jn 12:1)

B-2 <Anointing> (Jn 12:2-8) [← M-4 (Mk 14:3-9; Mt 26:6-13) - flashback]
B-3 Ϡ <Yerusalem Entry>. [‘Palm Day’]
(Mk 11:1-10; Mt 21:1-11; Lk 19:28-40; 41-44; Jn 12:12-19); (cf. Jn 12:20-36a; 36b-50)
Temple court visit (Mk +11:11; +Mt 21:10-11)

B-4 < Fig tree cursed> (Mk +11:12-14; Mt 21:18-19)a

B-5 <Temple Incident> (Mk +11:15-19; Mt 21:12-17; Lk 19:45-46)

B for Beginning with Bethany Arrival:

B-1 <Bethany arrival> (Jn 12:1) (← Jn 11:54)

‘six days before Abib 15th of the Passover Festival’

• On Abib 9, Day one of the lunar week; it is the first day of the Passion Week
• → The crowd came (Jn 12:9-11).

Here ‘the Passover’ refers to the Festival of the Passover = the Festival of the Matzah
(starting on Abib 15), not the Passover day (Abib 14 for Passover sacrifice and memorial
meal).b

Returning from Ephraim (Jn 11:54) after finishing his Judean mission, Yeshua was now
heading to his final destination, Jerusalem. There he was to be the very Passover
sacrifice [cf. 1Co 5:7] to die on the cross – at the appointed time by his Elohim.

Journey from Yericho to Yerusalem takes about 8 to 9 hours’ hiking on a steep ascent.
This cannot be placed on any day of Sabbath [= Saturday in the case of the conventional
Friday crucifixion scenarios].

B-2 <Anointing> (Jn 12:2-8) [Cf. M-4 (Mk 14:3-9; Mt 26:6-13)]

[Typologically and chronologically fit here since it was time to prepare His body
selected for the Passover lamb, presaging the anointing for 'burial' (< entombment). The
placement of the pericope in the G-Mt and G-Mk (with no parallel in the G-Lk) on the
day for Last Supper and Arrest is a flashback to thematically combining with <Judas’
Silver Money> (Mk 14:10-11 //Mt 26:14-16). The text of G-Jn does not say it was at the house
of Lazarus and his sisters. Cf. G-Mk and G-Mt told it was at the house of Simon, the leper.]

Quite a number of Yehudim came to see while a plot was cooking in the Yehudim of authority
[Jn 12:9-11] – this was allocated in Hoehner’s modified Friday scenario onto next day, a single
day, Sunday, with the Palm day pushed down onto Monday [hence, 'Palm Monday'.

a See under M-1for the sequence of the events ‘Barren Fig Tree’, ‘Withered Fig Tree’, and ‘Temple incident’.
b
as in Coulter, Harmony (pp. 216-7).
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B-3 Ϡ <Yerusalem Entry>. [‘Palm Day’]
(Mk 11:1-10; Mt 21:1-11; Lk 19:28-40; 41-44; Jn 12:12-19); (cf. Jn 12:20-36a; 36b-50)
(→ return to Bethany Mk 11:11b)
Abib 10 It was the day of His anti-triumphal entry to Jerusalem. Traditionally-known
‘Triumphal Entry’ has nothing ‘triumphal’ about his Entry in the theme of the Passion
narrative. It would be more appropriate to call it ‘anti-triumphal’ as Yeshua were
standing against the triumphant world power, religious and political, as Pilate relocates
from his usual residence in Caesarea Maritimaa to Jerusalem to have control of the City
to keep secure during the Festival; he would be entering from the west, while Yeshua
was from the east starting from Bethany.

It is the day when the Passover lambs were selected to be kept till Abib 14 [Exo 12:3,
6] with Yeshua presenting Himself as the Passover Lamb.

The name for this day should simply and accurately called as ‘Palm Day’ b . The
traditional term ‘Palm Sunday’ is a day in the Church liturgical Holy Week.

[Note: Hoehner, without showing any source, tweaked the first few days of the Week to
push this event onto Monday (which would be called ‘Palm Monday’) for the otherwise
conventional scenario with <† Friday +  Sunday > in CE 33. Ostensibly it removes the
so-called ‘Silent Wednesday’ in the Holy Week timeline.
‘Palm Sunday’ – the traditional Friday scenario; Thursday scenario
‘Palm Monday’ – in the Friday scenario (Hoehner)
‘Palm Saturday’ – in the Wednesday scenarios
The traditional Friday scenario is unacceptable and unbiblical as it places ‘Palm Sunday’
incorrectly on Nisan/Abib 9, unlike the modified one by Hoehner to have it on
Nisan/Abib 10.

Note: After B-3 <Y>, G-Jn does not record the events shown in the Synoptic Gospels
until it resumes with M-6 <L-s>.

B-4 <Fig tree cursed> (Mk +11:12-14) [See M-1 <Withered Fig Tree>.

B-5 <Temple Incident> (Miqdash incident); (Mk +11:15-18; Mt 21:12-17; Lk 19:45-46)

It has been traditionally called ‘Temple Cleansing’, which is thematically a misnomer.
It is not about cleansing, but about foretelling destruction of the Temple-based Judaic
religious system. The Temple is not something that could be cleansed to keep Elohim
honored. [Cf. This pericope is similar to but distinct from the one in Jn 2:13-17, which places
it very early in the Yeshua’s ministry.]

a
On the Mediterranean coast, 85 miles NNE of Jerusalem [between Tel Aviv (Yafo) and Haifa of modern Israel].
b0This term ‘Palm-day’ (instead of ‘Palm Sunday’) is neutral and more accurate is the one used in Frederick Godet
(1886), The Commentary on the Gospel of John (Vol II)
http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=yale.39002051184100;view=1up;seq=9.]
[Boice (p. 930) – for a Thursday crucifixion scenario – mentioned Frederick Godet for the Palm Day to be on
Monday.] [Note: with Abib 14 as their Friday crucifixion, this Palm day’ of Abib 10 falls on Monday. – ARJ]
69 | P a g e
 M for Middle (btw <Bethany Arrival> and <Pilate’s sentencing>)
M-1 to M-10
M-1 < fig tree withered> (Mk +11:20-26) (cf. Mt +21:20-22)
M-2 <Confront & Teaching> (Mk +11:27-33; 12:1-44; Mt +21:23 – 23:39; Lk +20:1 – 21:4)
M-3 <Olivet Discourse>; (Mk +13:1-37; Mt +24:1- 25-46; Lk +21:5-38)
M-4 <Anointing in G-Mt & G-Mk> (Mk 14:3-9; Mt 26:6-13) (→ B-2)
+ <Judas’ silver money> (Mk 14:10-11 //Mt 26:14-16)

M-5 <Upper Room Prep>. (Mk +14:12a; 12b-16; Mt +26:17a; 17b-19; Lk +22:7; 8-13)
M-6 L-s <Last supper>; (Mk +14:17-26; Mt +26:20-30; Lk +22:14-30; Jn 13:1-35)
[verses in red – Judas’ betrayal foretold]
Mk +14:17-21; 14: 22-26;
Mt +26:20-25; 26:26-30;
Lk +22:14-20; 22:21-30;
Jn 13:1-17; 18-30
<Foretelling Kefa’s denial> (Mk +14:27-31; Mt +26:31-35; Lk +22:31-38; Jn +13:31-38)
<Gethsemane - Agony & Prayer> (Mk 14:32-42; Mt 26:36-46; Lk 22:29-46; Jn 18:1)

M-7 <Arrest> (Mk+14:43-52; Mt +26:47-56; Lk +22:47-53; 63-65; Jn +18:2-12).

M-8 <Hannan> Kefa’s whereabouts – Mk +14:54; Mt +26:58; Lk +22:54-55; Jn +18:15
Kefa’s denial – Mk +14:66-72; Mt +26:69-74; Lk +22:56-62; Jn +18:16-18, 25-27
1st denial – Mk 14:66-68; //Mt 26:69-71a; //Lk +22:56-57; //Jn +18:17-18
2nd denial – Mk +14:69-70a; //Mt +26:71b-72; //Lk +22:58; //Jn 18:25
3rd denial – Mk +14:70b-72; //Mt +26:73-74; //Lk +22:59-62; //Jn +18:26-27
M-9 <Sanhedrin session I> (for interrogation) (night-time) (Mt 26:59-66; Mk 14:53-72)
M-10 <Sanhedrin session II> (for judgment) (morning/day) (Mt 27:1-2; Mk 15:1a; Lk 22:66-71)
M-11 <Pilate I> (Lk 23:1-7); <Herod Antipas> (Lk 23:7-10);
M-10 <Pilate II> (Mt 27:11-26; Mk 15:1b-15; Lk 23:13-25; Jn 18:28 – 19:16)

The Trials of Yeshua1

1 Before Hannan (>Annas) Jn 18:13-14; 18:19-24 Abib 12
2 Before Kayafa (Sanhedrin I) Mt 26:57, 59-68; Mk 14:53, 55-65 night /Nisan 13
3 Before Sanhedrin -II Mt 27:1-2; Mk 15:1a; Lk 22:66-71
4 Before Pilate – I Lk 23:1-5 morning
5 Before Herod Antipas * Lk 23:6-12 Abib 13
Mt 27:11-14, * 15-26; /Nisan 13
6 Before Pilate – II //Mk 15:1b-5, * 6-15
Till midday
Jn 18:28-38; * 18:39 – 19:16
Lk 23:13-25
Mt 27:32-33; //Mk 15:21-22; Abib 14
To Golgotha //Lk 23:26; //Jn 19:17
Next morning
/Nisan 14

* - placement of the Lukan pericope (Lk 23:6-12) in the narrative in G-Mt, G-Mk, & G-Jn.
Ref: George A. Barton, "On the Trial of Jesus before the Sanhedrin" J. of Biblical Literature, Vol.
41, No. 3/4 (1922), pp. 205-211

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M-1 f <Withered fig tree> (Mk 11:20-26)

G-Lk does not have the Fig Tree pericope.

The two events B-4 <Fig tree cursed>and M-1 <Withered Fig tree> are placed as in
G-Mk on two consecutive days flanking B-5 <Temple Incident> between them –
chronologically accurate to read the timeline. The effect is to enable the readers to see
the same symbolism for the fate of unrepentant Israel in both <Temple Incident> and
<Withered Fig Tree>.

In contrast to G-Mk, however, a literary editorial work in G-Mt is not polished in. Both
episodes F (B-4) <Barren Fig Tree> and f (M-1) <Fig Tree>are merged into one. Thus,
it is made to follow B-5 <Temple Incident> without an interruption. That the tree
withered right in before their eyes is a crude and awkward literary work.

The text seems to give an exaggerated report of ‘the tree withered instantly’ (instead of
‘got withered’ or ‘withered already’) as if withering happened right in front of their eyes.

G-Lk does not have the Fig Tree pericope.

M-2 <Confrontation & Teaching>;

(Mk +11:27-33; 12:1-44; Mt +21:23 – 23:39; Lk +20:1 – 21:4)

Widow’s offering (Mk +12:41-44; //Lk +21:1-4)

(Cf. Yeshua's foretelling with pronouncement, but nothing of 'prediction of future'.)

M-3 <Olivet Discourse>; (Mk +13:1-37; Mt +24:1- 25-46; Lk +21:5-36)

– concerning about the imminent future of Yerusalem in apocalyptic imagery; not
about the so-called end-time eschatology.

Note: <Two more days until Passover Day> (Mk 14:1; Mt 26:2; cf. Lk 22:1); Plot
against Yeshua (Mt +26:1-5; Mk +14:1-2; Lk +22:1-2)

= It is Abib 12 now with two more days until the Passover, which in the context means
(the day of) Passover (on Abib 14). Not to be confused with the sense used as Passover
Festival (Jn 13:1), which begins on Abib 15.

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M-4 <Anointing in G-Mt & G-Mk> (Mk 14:3-9; Mt 26:6-13)
+ <Judas’ silver money> (Mk 14:10-11 //Mt 26:14-16)

G-Mk //G-Mt place this <Anointing> on DoW 4, in tying it thematically with <Judas’
silver money>, giving a picture of presage of anointing the body after death of
Yeshua. Here it was by an unnamed woman in the house of Simon the lepera.

Note: It should be same as the <Anointing according to G-Jn> (B-2) which is

chronologically accurate in the timeline as it was placed before the day of His anti-
triumphal Yerusalem Entry, thereby typifying it as the preparation for the Passover
lamb on Abib 10. G-John alone gives the name of the woman, Mariam, a sister of
Eleazar (Lazarus).

Cf. Lk 7:36-50 has a different anointing pericope outside the Passion narrative with
the presage of anointing Yeshua by an unnamed woman at a Pharisee named Shimon
– possibly a prequel.

M-5 <Upper Room Preparation for Passover Festival celebration>.

(Mk +14:12-16; Mt +26:17-19; Lk +22:7-13)

Here, preparation (of the upper room) was for celebration of the coming Passover
festival [the 'season' itself begins on Abib 10 with preparation of Passover lambs]; not
meant for one day’ activity, nor for the Passover memorial meal of the Passover day of
Abib 14. The preparing was not something done by the disciple taking a whole day.
Relying on the master of the house, they simply had the room and other things to be
ready for the celebration of the Passover festival.

The text gives a timeline marker in Mk 14:12 //Mt 26:17 ‘the beginning day (/x: ‘first day’) for
the unleavened bread eating’ (cf. different expression in //Lk 22:7).

It should not be confused as ‘the first day of 7-day long Festival of the Matzah’ (= Abib 15th
which is the day after Passover sacrifice and meal). but

From the day Abib 14 [ =, the very day of Passover sacrifice and meal] leaven is removed from
the house, and unleavened bread is being eaten from then on. [In IRENT ‘Matzah’ (capitalized)
is reserved only for the Festival name itself, i.e. the Festival of the Matzah {= Festival of the
Passover}.]

The setting is on the same day (Abib 12) of the opening of the section Mk 14:1a, Mt
27:1-2; Lk 22:1. Here the narrative has it move heading towards the day – not ‘on the
day’ – of the beginning day for the unleavened bread as leaven is being removed from
the house.

See elsewhere on <*leavening and unleavened>.

a
Leper - The epithet ‘the leper’ probably from his history of contracting leprosy and got healing from
Yeshua. Was he the same Pharisee who hosted Yeshua before as recorded in G-Lk and now appears
again in the Mt-Mk pericope of his spreading a table of hospitality to Yeshua in his gratitude, to make
the Lukan pericope as a prequel?
72 | P a g e
 'eat for the Passover'
phagō [S5315] to pascha [S3957]

IRENT renders as 'eat for the Passover'.

Mk 14:12 'prepare so that you may eat for the Passover'
Mt 26:17 'prepare for you to eat for the Passover' [Cf. 26:18 'keep celebration
of the Passover festival']
Jn 18:28 'not get defiled so that they may eat for the Passover'
Lk 22:8; 22:15. Mk 14:14 //Lk 22:11

The literal translation here '*eat the Passover' a is not idiomatic in English and
nonsensical in the context. What does it mean by 'eating the Passover' at all? In reading
the Synoptic text, it is too easy to take the word 'Passover' as a metonymy for 'Passover
meal'.b This leads to an erroneous conclusion that the Last Supper was the 'Passover
meal', the meal on the very day of Passover.

However, it does not fit for the timelines in the Passion Week narrative, flatly
contradicting the Johannine narrative and destroys the essential typology of 'Yeshua
Mashiah' as the Passover sacrifice [1Co 5:7]

The Last Supper was NOT the Passover [memorial] meal (as in the rabbinic Jewish
Seder in which roasted lamb is an integral part), which was to come up in a few days
to be eaten by the Yehudim in the evening of the day of His crucifixion.
[Ref. http://themessianicfeast.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/TMF_50-Reasons.pdf
- a copy in the Colletion]

Instead, the Last Supper is a farewell meal of Yeshua and His disciples, as they were
waiting the Passover festival season to come upon soon. As for the disciples, they
would not be aware of Yeshua’s plan for this special occasion for them to share with
Yeshua before He would offer Himself as the Passover lamb.]

Thus, the phrase as it appears in the Passion narrative in the four Gospels (for Yeshua
and his disciples, but also for the Yehudim Jn 18:28) is clear that the phrase is to be
rendered as 'eat for the Passover', i.e. to eat festive meals for the Passover season. It
carries a sense of 'celebrate the Passover Festival’ (along with eating unleavened
bread).c

OT 'eat (H398 akal) + meal' –

2Ch 30:18 'eat the Passover meal'
Exo 12:43, 45, 48 'regulation on Passover keeping: No foreigners may eat of it'
eat of lamb – Exo 12:11; Num 9:11;
eat unleavened bread – Exo 23:15 etc.]

a
'eat the passover' – KJV (does not capitalize the word 'passover').
b Note: There is no Greek or Hebrew phrase in the Bible corresponding to the English phrase 'Passover meal'.
c E.g. 'to eat for this Passover' (Lk 22:15) – referring to the upcoming Passover which He would not have it.

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M-6 L-s<Last supper>; (Mk 14:17-26; Mt +26:20-30; Lk 22:14-30; Jn 13:1-35)

[See under the subheading ‘Last Supper vs. Passover memorial meal']
[Cf. It was not 'Eucharist', a Christian lingo.] [The common expressions ‘New Testament Passover’
(after Coulter) and ‘Christian Passover’ are misnomers and nonbiblical.]

(Mk +14:17-21 →14: 22-26; Mt +26:20-25 → 26:26-30; Lk +22:14-30 (22:21-23) (cf. Jn

13:1-20 → 13:21-30) [red font – Judas’ betrayal foretold]

[The expression ‘Lord's Last meal’ should be avoided as it gives a wrong picture of
a meal confusing with the ‘Passover meal’.]
The so-called ‘Lord’s Last Supper’. It was not the Passover, the memorial meal for
the Passover (→ the ritual Seder in later rabbinic Judaism), though many wrongly
interpret it that way, and as a result the Johannine testimony and the Synoptic
narrative are left contradictory as to the nature of the Last Supper. [See below A-4
<P-m> coming on Day 6 of the Week]

Foretelling Kefa’s denial (Mk +14:27-31; Mt +26:31-35; Lk +22:31-38; Jn +13:36-38)

It is 'foretelling of the things on due course'. There is no a such thing in the Bible language
as 'prediction' of something which might or might not happen.

<Gethsemane Prayer> (Mt 26:36-46; Mk 14:32-42; Lk 22:29-46; Jn 18:1)

M-7 <Arrest> (Mt +26:47-56; Mk+14:43-52; Lk +22:47-53; 63-65; Jn +18:2-12).

Note: The arresting team was only of Yehudim; no Roman soldiers involved. Jn 18:3 mentions 'squad
of soldiers' – it is of Temple guard, not of Roman troop.

M-8 <Hannan> and <Kefa’s denial>;

[Cock-crow – twice (Mk 14:72) – Temple-crier’s call at beginning and at ending of

the cock-crow watch (3rd watch of the night).

M-9 + M-10 <Sanhedrin I & II>;

M-9 <Sanhedrin session I> (interrogation) (Mt 26:59-66; Mk 14:53-72) (Night time)
M-10 <Sanhedrin session II> (judgment) (Mt 27:1-2; Mk 15:1a; Lk 22:66-71) (Daytime)

It was on Abib 13 ('eve of the Passover day); it was not on the Passover day (Abib
14), nor on the first day of the Passover Festival (= the Matzah Festival) (Abib 15).

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 A typical example of misunderstanding and misinterpretation (strike-out
words):
“… It was against Jewish custom to begin a trial on Passover day. The arrest of
Jesus and his appearance before the Sanhedrin are recorded in Mark as having
taken place on the Passover night, so that we are to presume that instead of
celebrating the great Passover Festival in a normal way, all those in authority were
milling about the city involved in a criminal case. … The crucial point remains
that in John too the Sanhedrin sits in judgment at night, though Jewish custom
did not allow nocturnal judgment, nor could be a sentence of guilt handed down
on the same day as the interrogation itself. From Joel Carmichael (1962), The
Death of Jesus. pp. 37-38)

Note: In truth, the event of his Trial cannot be on the Passover night (Abib 14; Nisan
15), but it is before. In IRENT the whole of formal phase of <Sanhedrin v. Yeshua>
is located in the early morning Abib 13 (Mk 15:1) and the following session of <Pilate
v. Yeshua> is from morning to midday (Jn 19:14).

M-11 + M-12 <Pilate I & II>; <Trial and Sentencing> ‘Pilate v. Yeshua’.
M-11 ○
19 <Pilate I> (Lk 23:1-7); <Herod Antipas> (Lk 23:7-10);

M-12 ○
20 <Pilate II> (Mt 27:11-26; Mk 15:1b-15; Lk 23:13-25; Jn 18:28 – 19:16)

Roman scourging of Yeshua – Mt 27:26 = Mk 15:15 (at the end of trial); Jn 19:1 (in mid
trial); Cf. Lk 23:16
www.truthmagazine.com/archives/volume44/v440106010.htm ...The victim of a scourging
was bound to a post or frame, stripped of his clothing, and beaten with the flagellum from
the shoulders to the loins. The beating left the victim bloody and weak, in unimaginable pain,
and near the point of death.
In the usual scenario, in contrast to the scenario of His trial into the night, He was forced to
carry the ‘cross’ in his near exhausted condition right after scourging!
Bleeding from scourging would not have ‘fresh’ blood from the wounds left on the body and
be transferred to a shroud as in the case of Shroud of Turin of a medieval relic!
https://ptl2010.com/2012/03/22/the-scourge-its-role-in-biblical-history-and-jesus-
execution/ www.cbcg.org/scourging-crucifixion.html

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Note: Importantly, most commentaries have incredulous work: the many events –
from the ending of M-6 <Last supper> to the final sentencing M-12 <Pilate> – are
cramped into such a short one overnight period, from midnight to next morning,
before the beginning of A-1 < Road to Golgotha> in a breakneck speed people
were put to go through all!

The correct timeline accounts for all the events which were taking up considerable time
and the setting of the scene which cannot possibly occur in the night (cock-crow and dawn-
watch).a
Most commentators do not see the flow of the events which shows that it took
‘more than one day’ for the Trial and the Crucifixion of Yeshua. The trial of
Sanhedrin v. Yeshua (night to morning) and the trial of Pilate vs. Yeshua (from
the early morning to midday).

a
Some dismisses the possibility of placing the Trial on a day before the Crucifixion. In the
otherwise excellent book by Paul Finch (2009, 2nd Ed), The Passover Papers –
Controversy, Myth, Fairly Tales and Nonsense! Ch. 11: Did Jesus Spent a Night in Jail?
pp.171-178, the author concludes that there is no discrepancy between Jn 19:14 and Mk
15:25!]
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Note: This timeline of the week is reconstructed here in keeping with the biblical lunar
calendar. It allocates the Pilate’s Trial of Yeshua on a separate day Abib 13 (Tue). After
final sentencing in 6th hour period – not 6 a.m. as most interpreted, the crucifixion was
carried out on the next day, Abib 14 (Wed).
Consider two important observations of (1) Jn 19:14 ‘6th hour’ which cannot be manipulated
to be interpreted as 6 A.M., and (2) of the physical impossibility to keep all the actors move
one place to another in an incredible frantic pace in one short overnight period of about 6
hours – the events from His arrest to the final Pilate’s sentencing. Moreover, the Scripture
texts are plain and clear to give the time indicator for the Trial by [the final session of] the
Sanhedrin to be in the morning – Mt 27:1; Mk 15:1a, Lk 22:6, after which they brought
Yeshua to Pilate.
[Quote from Finch, p. 171 “… a capital crime was not to be conducted on a day before a Feast day
and that it required two days to convict a person of death penalty by Jewish Law.” – based on the rule
Mishnah.

The copies and an edited file of the following references are collected in <IRENT Vol. III
Supplement - Collection #6B – Trial – Time & Duration>:
• William F. Dankenbring, "The Mystery of Mysteries: John 19: 14 - What Do You Mean, 'About
the Sixth Hour'?", Prophecy Flash! (Triumph Prophetic Ministries, vol. 12, no. 1, April-May,
1998): 41-54; "A New Look at: Jesus' Last Week and the Sufferings of Messiah!", Prophecy
Flash! (vol. 11, no. 2, April-May, 1997): 3-36
www.triumphpro.com/sixth-hour-of-john-19.htm [he asserts that, since it is impossible to be 6
A.M. (allegedly by Roman reckoning), it cannot be other than noon. He failed to consider another
alternative, i.e. midnight (6th hour by counting from sunset – both in Jewish and Roman
reckoning, regardless how a calendar date begins (at sunset, at sunrise, or at midnight.] [The other
example of time in the night in this way is Act 23:23 third hour of the night which is ≈ 9 p.m. if
sunset is 6 p.m. [This is the only example of an ordinal number for Roman reckoning of hour-
periods of the night with a night period divided by 12, same as a day was. Jewish reckoning is to
divide a night into four watches and to divide a day into 12 hrs.]
• Glen Myers (August 20, 1999), 'Hebrew Time vs. Roman Time' - Did the Apostle John use
Hebrew Time or Roman Time in His Writings in the New Testament: (6 pp.)
https://web.archive.org/web/20151026162000/http://churchofgodcount.com/timehr.html

• www.cgministry-inchrist.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Passover-Lords-
Supper-and-Pentecost.pdf [pp. 19-22] Ruckstuhl - ‘More than One Day’ chronology
• Glenn E Weeks (with a modified Friday crucifixion scenario) – he interprets ‘6th
hour’ in Jn 19:14 as incredible 'midnight'!! Yeshua vs. Pilate occurring through the
night??!! About 18 hours from Thu morning to mid-night, with the Crucifixion next
day (Friday).] http://christiantext.com/chapters.php Ch. 4 (Establishing Time
Elements of the Trial of Jesus) & Ch. 5 (The Trial and Elapsed Time of Trial Events)]

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 A for After Pilate’s sentencing: Abib 14-17

A-1 to A-8

• A-1 <Via Dolorosa>; A-2 Crucifixion & Death

• A-3 Entombed; A-4 P-m <Passover memorial meal>
• A-5 Keeping Sabbath A-6 Resurrection
• A-7 At the empty tomb A-8 Risen Master to Disciples

A-1 <Via Dolorosa> [Bearing His cross to Golgotha. Cf. So-called ‘Stations of the
Cross’ in the church liturgy.] Mt 27:32; Mk 15:21; Lk 23:26; Jn 19:17
The horizontal cross-bar (patibulum) of the execution stake (‘cross’) was carried to
the place of execution where an upright post (stipes) is in place.
www.frugalsites.net/jesus/crucifixion.htm

Where was He crucified and buried?

• Ref. EL Martin (1996, 2nd Ed.), Secret of Golgotha www.askelm.com/books/book001.asp
[Reviews: www.leaderu.com/theology/stunning.html http://reconciliationoutreach.net/wp-
content/uploads/2016/01/Introduction.pdf ]
• http://triumphpro.info/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/where-did-jesus_-die1.pdf

A-2 †- † <Crucifixion & Death> on the day of the Passover

• The Crucifixion day (Abib 14) falls on Wed in CE 30 (Apr-5).
• It was eve of Sabbath ['Preparation day'] (High Sabbath, not annual sabbath) – Mt
27:62; Mk 15:42; Lk 23:54; Jn 19:31
• Put on the execution stake in third hour (≈ 9 a.m.) (Mk 15:25).
• Darkness covered of the land in the 6th hour (≈ noon) (Mk 15:33; //Mt 27:45; //Lk
23:44).
• His death in ninth hour (≈3 p.m.) (Mt 27:46; Mk 15:34; cf. Lk 23:44). It was the time
the Passover sacrifice was slaughtered it in O.T.
• His side pierced – Jn 19:34.

The time for the Passover sacrifice was slaughtered in O.T.

It is ben haArbayim, the Heb. phrase Exo 12:6; Num 9:3, 5, 11; Lev 23:5 ‘*between the
two setting-times’ (i.e. 'afternoon'). Cf. a confusing rendering is 'between the two
evenings'; other erroneous renderings – /x: 'in the evening' – KJV; /x: 'at twilight'- INV,
ESV, NASB; /x: 'around sundown' - NET. [See in the companion file – <Walk through the
Scripture 5 - Time, Calendar and Chronology>.]

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 Cf. different crucifixion date scenarios: Apr-7 Thu CE 30; Apr-7 Fri CE 30 (after Finch,
which ignores that this date was Nisan 16); Apr-25 Wed CE 31; Apr-3 Fri CE 33;
The execution cannot occur during the Festival (of the Passover = of the Matzah) (Mt
26:5). The prevalent conjecture of taking the Last Supper as the Passover memorial meal
(as in Fri † scenarios) is simply untenable, just as G-Jn Jn 19:14 telling unequivocally that
it was ‘preparation of the Passover’ (= eve of the Passover).

To find out what year was of the Crucifixion, they searched out one year (btw the extremes
of CE 26 and 36 – p. 99 Hoehner, Chronology) which had Nisan 14 fall on Friday – because
of their presupposition (they knew it was Friday because that’s how it was on CE 33).
Voila, they found CE 33 – a circular reasoning actually to prove nothing! It was reinforced
by interpreting Daniel’s 70-Week prophecy to give the support for CE 33. In fact, others
have done for 30, 31, 32, 34, and even 17 CE for their liking!

Seven Sayings on the Cross:

• "Father, forgive them..."

• "Truly I say to you today: with me you’re going to be in paradise"
• "Woman, behold thy son..." [darkness: noon – 3 pm]
• "My Elohim, My Elohim ..."
• "I thirst"
• "It is completed"
• "Into Your hands..."

Yeshua foretells His suffering and death:

['foretelling' is not 'prediction' or 'prophecy']

On three occasions before entering Jerusalem,

1st Time 2nd Time 3rd Time

G-Mt 16:21‐23 17:22‐23 20:17‐19
G-Mk 8:31 9:30‐32 10:32‐34
G-Lk 9:21‐22 9:43‐45 18‐31‐33
G-Jn 12:20‐36

A-3 <Entombment>
All four Gospels cover it clearly – //Mt +27:59-61; //Mk +15:42-47; //+Lk 23:53-56; //Jn 19:38-
42. [Cf. Unique in Jn 19:39 is “There along with him also came Nicodemus, the man who had on a
former occasion paid a visit to Yeshua by night, here having a mixture of myrrh and aloes brought
— about seventy-five pounds.]

[Their work of entombing was explicitly mentioned as 'in the evening' of eve of the high sabbath –
Abib 14. Mt 27:57 //Mk 15:42. Also Lk 23:54; Jn 19:41.]
The sentence does not make sense with Jewish reckoning of a day to start at sunset – making them to
violate sabbath by working on entombing!] [‘Preparation’ is a metonym of ‘preparation day’, which is
rendered as 'eve' in IRENT, was eve (=Abib 14) of the High Sabbath (= Abib 15) of the Festival. cf.
Not to confuse with ‘preparation (eve) of the Passover day (Abib 14 for memorial with sacrifice and
meal) in Jn 19:14. See EE there];

(His ‘*burial’ was by *entombment, not by ‘burying in a grave’. Cf. ‘interment’)

79 | P a g e
 http://craigaevans.com/Burial_Traditions.pdf Craig Evans, Jewish Burial Traditions
and the Resurrection of Jesus
The so-called burial of him should not be confused with the body to be buried in a grave
dug underground. He was NOT 'buried' as in the grave; but his body was 'entombed'.
The body was prepared with anointing (washing and spices); no embalming a as
customary in Christian countries and in the ancient Egypt.
[See below a separate entry <* Mt 12:40 ‘three days and three nights’ and ‘Jonah’s
sign’> under ‘Examining Time-indicators and terms in the Biblical passages’].
The so-called ‘Shroud of Turin’, an ancient genuine product, a medieval Catholic relic,
but a modern hoax for the real burial cloth (‘shroud’) of Yeshua. [See in the Appendix
below on the shroud relic mania.]

His entombment was not in the late afternoon before sundown (as a big issue for those with
the non-biblical solar sabbath of Saturday), but in the evening as the time-indicator in the text
shows:
• Lk 23:54 “Thus, [all] this had been the day of sabbath-preparation [Abib 14], and there
sabbath day was coming to dawn” – sabbath is for daytime period.
• Mt 27:57 “Now evening having arrived ~~ Yosef of Ramathayim came to Pilate to ask
for the body of Yeshua to be taken down.”
• Mk 15:42 “It was already evening there arrived Yosef of Ramathayim ~~.]
Most ignore what the Bible plainly says, and they picturesquely explain that the burial process
was in haste before sabbath sets in with sunset, ignorant of Sabbath which has nothing to do
with Saturday. Some would say the burial was a temporary one and to be completed by the
women group when Sabbath was over, little knowing that the burial was not a task for women.
Some would believe the Shroud of Turin would keep the image with the blood on the body
left unwashed!
The process taking time was fully completed by Yosef, having taken place in the evening into
night (‘not in haste’). Often a fanciful imagination carried people to think it was temporary so
that someone else would come back to finish the job when their ‘Jewish Sabbath from sunset
to sunset is over. Preparing the body consists of a ceremonial washing (called taharah) and
wrapping. No women were allowed for this task.

A-4 P-m <Passover memorial meal>

– Yehudim were to take it in the evening of Abib 14, at the very time the body of Yeshua
was being entombed.
[When the sacrificial system and Temple worship is no longer a part of the rabbinic Judaism
of today, the only remaining practice of the ancient Passover is the precursor of the ‘Seder’
ritual and meal, which is observed on the (beginning) evening of Nisan 15, which
corresponds to Abib 14 evening]
[Cf. A ‘second Seder’ is a Diaspora Jewish practice on the evening of Nisan 16] [Note: ‘Yehudim’,
not ‘Jews’, who are in the modern setting in diaspora after the Fall of Yerusalem in 70 C.E.

Abib 14 is Passover Day = the day of Passover sacrifice (late afternoon) + Passover memorial
meal (in the evening).
Often, the Last Supper is interpreted as the Passover memorial meal (/x: Passover feast),

a
https://bartonfuneral.com/funeral-basics/history-of-embalming/
http://americacomesalive.com/2010/08/03/wars-drive-advances/
Alvin J. Schmidt (2015), Cremation, Embalmment, or Neither? – A Biblical/Christian Evaluation.
80 | P a g e
without clear solution to resolve apparent contradiction to John 13:1, etc., compounded by
inadequate understanding of the Synoptic time-makers (Mk 14:12 and parallel). It is hopeless
to attempt to construct any sensible timeline from their point of view, as it takes that the
Crucifixion was incredulously to come after the Passover day!!
A-5 <Keeping Sabbath>
• The women rested on Sabbath – (daytime period only) – Lk 23:56b (Exo 20:8-11)
• The women bought spice after Sabbath – Mk 16:1
Abib 15th is Sabbath (on Day 7 of the lunar week in the lunar month) in the biblical calendar
This was ‘High Sabbath’, sabbath on Day 7 of the lunar week, on first day of the week-long
Festivals, the term derived from Jn 19:31. [Note: Sabbath rest is for the period of daytime
only, not 24 hours. Night is by itself a period of rest, whether sabbath or not.] [Abib 15th is
the first day of the Matzah Festival (Lev 23:6-7; Exo 23:15; 34:18, etc.).]
In a full 7-day week, whether the week is festival or ordinary, there is always only one
Sabbath day. There is no another separate different Sabbath for annual (festival) or weekly.
[The only annual sabbath is not a 7th day sabbath, but on the Day of Atonement.] The Friday
crucifixion scenario has two different Sabbaths fall on the same date (‘doubled-up sabbath’).
Neither we have two sabbath-days back-to-back in that week as explained away by a
Wednesday crucifixion scenario.

A-6  <Resurrection at dawning> (= the Risen Master Yeshua Himself presented as

the First-Fruits) w/Empty tomb.
His death: From the ninth hour of Abib 14 (Wed ≈ 3 p.m.) to the dawn of Abib 16
(Sat ≈ 6 a.m.) ≈ 63 hours [ = 3 hours (Wed) + 3N (Wed, Thu, Fri) + 2D (Thu + Fri).
Coulter claims that full three days are required for one’s being legally dead. Hence,
Jesus was being dead more than 72 hours from the death as in Mk 15:25 to the time
the later afternoon (or early evening) as the resurrection time which he had to come
up to meet this requirement. [eisegesis and proof-texting.]a

The expression ‘resurrection morning’ refers to the time setting of the Risen Master
appearing to the disciples. [Mk 16:9] In the Gospel narratives, the exact time of the
Resurrection was not mentioned, however it is clear that it should be before and close to the
time when the risen Master appeared to the disciples – at the dawning (tē epiphōskousē Mt
28:1) of Day 1 of the lunar week — Abib 16 (which was the day after High Sabbath of Abib
15). [Not to be confused with prōi in Mk 13:35 (used as syn. with '4th watch of the night' Mk
6:48 //Mt 14:25).]

a
Quoting from him:
“Jesus' statement that He would rise three days after He had died is acutely significant. According to Jewish
law to be declared legally dead, a person had to be dead for three full days or more. Therefore, if Jesus had
risen from the dead before 3 PM on the afternoon of Nisan 17, a weekly Sabbath. He would not have been
considered legally dead. As a result, His return to life would not have been considered a true resurrection
from the dead.
If He had been crucified on a Friday and restored to life on Sunday morning at sunrise. His death would
not have been "valid'' since only two nights and one day would have passed between Friday sunset and
Sunday morning. In order for His death to be publicly recognized and acknowledged, it was necessary for
Jesus to remain in the tomb grave for three nights and three days before He was raised from the dead.”
81 | P a g e
*third day – after death on the cross.

[none in G-Jn]

"on the third day" tē tritē hēmera Mt 16:21; 17:23; 20:19 //Lk 9:22; 18:33; 24:7; (24:47)
"on the third day" tē hēmera tē tritē 1Co 15:4;
"three days later",. meta treis hēmeras Mk 8:31; 9:31; 10:34.

Cf. Hos 6:2 He [YHWH] will revive us [←Isarel & Yudah v. 4]

after two days; [/xxx: in a short time – NET]
on the third day [/xxx: in a little while]
He will raise us up, [/xxx: heal us – NET]
that we may live in His presence.
Cf. (HosTg 6:2 in Aramaic Targum:
“on the day of the resurrection of the dead ‫ יום אחיות מיתיא‬yom ahayut mitaya)
he will raise us up that we may live before him”

A-7 <At the Empty Tomb>

The women group set out to go back to the tomb at the dawning of 1st day of the week (Abib
16, the day after High sabbath). [Lk 24:1 (with the spice prepared) //Mk 16:2 //Mt 28:1] It
was not to ‘anoint’ the body for (permanent) burial, as the job was not for women and it was
completed by Yosef and Nicodemus taking quite a time in the evening to the night period of
the same day Abib 14 (as the day of Crucifixion).

Cf. Jn 20:1 Mariam Magdalene (possible with others) went to the tomb and found empty.
In the morning they encountered the Risen Master.

A-8 <Risen Master> to disciples

(1) The women;
(2) The two disciples on Emmaus (> Emmaus) road;
(3) The rest of disciples;
(4) The Disciples w/ Thomas (a week later).

After Resurrection

He showed Himself on Abib 16:

1. (at the dawning) to Mariam Magdalene and other women – Mk 16:9-11; Mt 28:5-10;
Jn 20:11-18.
2. (afternoon) to two disciples on the road to Emmaus – Lk 24:13-49; Mk 16:12-13;
3. (evening) to the Eleven –Mk 16:14-18 //Jn 20:19-25 (Thomas being absent);

Later:

1. to the eleven disciples including Thomas –Jn 20:26-29;

2. to the Eleven (in Galilee) (Mt 28:16-20) (Jn 21:1-24)
3. Ascension – Mk 16:19-20; Lk 24:50-51; Act 1:9-10;
4. Pouring of the holy Spirit onto the Mashiah followers – Act 2:1-4;
(Disciples’ acts – Lk 24:52-53; Act 1:12-26)
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 Five appearances shortly after He was risen – Abib 17:

1. To Mariam Magdalene [given a message to the disciples]

2. To the other women who come to the tomb [intending to complete the burial
preparation of His body]
3. To two disciples on the Road to Emmaus
4. To Simon Peter [nowhere recorded, but alluded to in Lk 24:33 and 1Co 1:5]
5. To the astonished disciples [Thomas is absent]

The women who followed Yeshua in His ministry and Passion narratives:

Mt 27:55 ‘many women who had followed Yeshua from Galilee’

Mk 15:40 ‘there were women from distance looking on’
Lk 23:27 ‘women beating on their chest and wailing’ – in Via Dolorosa (Cf. a Catholic
legend of St. Veronica)
Lk 23:49 they watched as Yeshua breathed His last.
Lk 23:55 at the scene of the tomb (Yosef)
Lk 24:10 Mariam the Magdalene, Yohanah, Mariam the mother of Yaakob and other
women reports to the apostles.
Cf. Lk 8:2-3 Mariam the Magdalene, Yohanah the wife of Kuza, Susanna and others.

<Day of Wave Sheaf of Firstfruits> with Wave Sheaf Offering (barley harvest). Abib 16.
(Yom haBikkurim) (Cf. Chag haBikkurim ‘feast of the firstfruits’). The day after High
Sabbath = is the first day to begin counting down (seven full sabbaths + 50 days) to find the
day of Shavout (‘Pentecost’) to fall in the summer wheat harvest + grapes, etc. in the fourth
month of the lunar year. It has nothing to do with ‘Sunday’.
[www.worldslastchance.com/yahuwahs-calendar/pentecost-calculation-restoration.html ]

83 | P a g e
 F. Liturgical Holy Week vs. Passion Week

Liturgical Holy Week vs. Passover-Passion in 30 CE

Abib → 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

* Nisan 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

Mar-31 Apr-1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
30 C.E.
Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue †Wed Thu Fri Sat

Lazarus* Ϡ Palm Maundy Good Holy Easter

Holy Week
Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu † Fri Sat Sun

The Passion Week 30 CE in the Scripture and the Holy Week in the Church liturgy of the current year are not same;
dates do not mach. Sabbath is on Saturdays (Friday evening to Saturday evening) from the Jewish tradition.

G. Current years for the Passion week

Current years for the Passion week

2008 Apr-14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue
2011 Apr-13 14 15 16 17 18  19 20 21
Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu
2012 Apr-1 2 3 4 5 6  7 8 9
Palm Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Good Fri Sat Easter Sun# Mon
2013 Mar-20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu
2014 Apr-9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu
2015 Mar-29 30 31 Apr-1 2 3 4 5 6
Palm Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Good Fri Sat Easter Sun# Mon
2016 Mar-17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Thu Fri Sat Palm Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Good Fri
Abib 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
Nisan <varied depending on which year>

The liturgical ‘Easter Sunday’ is not same as ‘Resurrection day’ (Abib 16).
Nisan dates of the rabbinic Jewish calendar cannot be aligned here, since each year is different.
The liturgical Holy Week is not parallel to the biblical Passion-Passover Week.

84 | P a g e
 H. Calendar of Abib 2019
[See a separate file <Calendation Practicum> in <IRENT Vol. III – Supplement>]
Abib [Apr – May 2019]
[a graphic copied from <Calendation Practicum>

Lunar Sabbath; 1 New-Moon day begins at 'dawn after the conjunction'; 30 transitional day;
Dark Moon:
◙ Apr 5 @ 03:51 CDT; ◙ @11:51 IDT
◙ May 4 @ 19:46 CDT; May 5 @ 00:46 UTC; ◙ May 5 @ 03:46 IDT
Full moon – Apr 19 ☼ @06:13 CDT; ☼ @ 14:13 IDT
†-† Crucifixion (Abib 14, Passover) – Apr. 18 (Thursday!);
 Resurrection;  Easter = Apr 21. (Apr 28 – Orthodox)
Gregorian dates Sundays Biblical dates

85 | P a g e
Apr-May 2019 with overlaid Abib /Nisan dates:
[graphic copied from <Calendation Practicum>]

86 | P a g e
Passion Week chronology – confusion, conflict and contentions

The Church liturgical ‘Holy Week’ is a period of one week, Sunday to Sunday, before
Easter Sunday, beginning with ‘*Palm Sunday’. It is a church construct and its timeline
does not correspond to that of the internal timeline in the passion narrative in the Scripture.
It is chronologically and thematically disconnected from the biblical Passion Week.

‘Good Friday’ is not related to the historical ‘† Crucifixion Day’ (Abib 14)
‘Easter Sunday’ is not related to ‘ Resurrection day’ (Abib 16). [‘Sunday
morning Resurrection’ is a nonbiblical term.] – originates from Constantine Catholic
Church since early 4th century
‘Maundy Thursday’ [fr. Latin mandatum = commandment (to love each other as He
loved)]
So-called Silent Wednesday by some. Hoehner tweaked the first few days of the
Holy Week, resulting in ‘Palm Monday’ and erasing Silent Wednesday in the
timeline.
Cf. *‘Lazarus Saturday’ – 1st day of the Holy Week in the Eastern Orthodox Church.
Paschal Triduum (Easter Triduum, Holy Triduum) - the period of three days that
begins with the liturgy on the evening of Maundy Thursday (Holy Thursday) and ends
with evening prayer on Easter Sunday.
Easter – Catholic & Protestant Churches = Pascha – Orthodox Church

The liturgical Resurrection  is in the morning of Sunday, which is at the beginning of a

day of the Holy Week in Gregorian calendar; while the biblical Resurrection  was in the
dawn, which was at the end of an Abib date (≈ in the middle of a Nisan date one day later)
for the Passion Week in the biblical lunar calendar.

• Passover festival season (inclusive 8 days): Abib 14 + Abib 15 – 21 (7 days of Festival

of the Matzah - Lev 23:6; Num 28:17; Deu 16:3) [Cf. Unleavened bread is eaten from Abib 14 (Exo
12:18), making it total 8 days.] [the preparation of the season begins on Abib 10 with Passover lambs on
the Palm Day.].
‘Pesach I to VII’ in Jewish Pesach for Nisan 15th to 21th (Nisan 14 as Erev Pesach).
• Passion Week: [Day # of the lunar week = Day # of the Passion Week]
from Abib 9th to Abib 15th (Day 1 to Day 7 of the Week)
• CE 29/30 = AM 3790 = SC 4012;
CE 2013 = AM 5773 = SC 5995;
CE 2014/2015 = AM 5775 = SC 5997. www.yhrim.com/Calendars/5997_GMT.pdf
CE 2015/2016 = AM 5776 http://antipas.net/heb_cal_2015-16.htm

87 | P a g e
On the calendar system and errors in Passion Week Chronology

1. Gregorian and rabbinic Jewish calendars were not the calendars used in the
bible and cannot be applied to the biblical narratives. They differ
fundamentally from what is the Bible.

Rabbinic Jewish calendar: a non-biblical calendar; the calendar day is reckoned

from sunset. Nisan (corresponding to Abib) is the 7th month. Sabbath is solar and
on Saturday (from Friday sunset), being tied with the Gregorian week of seven
named days. A sunset-to-sunset day was taken over from the ancient Greek practice.
Calendation involves 'Postponement' and 'Metonic cycle'.

Roman Julian-Gregorian calendar: The calendar day is reckoned to start at 12

a.m. (not 'midnight'). [Note: date in Julian = 2 + Gregorian (in 100 BC to 100 CE).
All dates for the Passion week throughout this file is in Julian dates.] Note: Roman
calendar day is from midnight to midnight, but as for counting the 12 hour-periods
of daytime it begins from sunrise on the sundial.

2. The seven named days of Gregorian calendar is of planetary week which

is cyclic continuous. [Cf. in the early Julian calendar, it was 8-day week!]

3. The true biblical luni-solar calendar is essential for following the biblical
narratives, especially for the Passover Passion Week, providing correct and
proper timeline and chronology. Abib as 1st month, and 'day' in the Bible is
that which begins at sunrise. On the other hand, the rabbinic Jewish calendar
reckons its calendar day to start at sunset, while our Gregorian to start at 12
a.m. (not same as 'midnight').

4. These are unrelated to the seven numbered days of the biblical calendar,
which are non-continuous non-cyclic lunar week.

There are four full 7-day weeksa with four Sabbath days in each lunar month;
they are on the 7th day of the lunar week.b Sabbath rest is applied to day-
time period only, not 24 hours. c Without basic knowledge of the biblical
calendar, most people think the 7th day of the week for sabbath is Saturday
(7th day of the planetary week). Likewise, sabbath eve ('preparation day') (=
sabbath eve) is Friday. This is how the Crucifixion put on Friday.

a
They are 2nd – 8th; 9th – 15th; 16th – 22nd; 23rd – 29th day of each month. 1st day is the New-Moon
day; 30th day, if any, is transitional day – both do not belong to either work day or sabbath day.
b
7th day sabbath is fixed on 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th day of each month.
c
[Cf. The Sabbatarian issue – which is the weekly sabbath is to be on.] [The so-called Postponement
Rules in calendation by Hillel II – should not be our concern for fixing the lunar calendar for the year of
the Crucifixion.]
88 | P a g e
Summary and conclusion on the Passion Week Timeline:

In a nutshell:

To follow the Passion Narrative in CE 30

from Abib 12 to Abib 17

• Abib 12 – Last Supper; Arrest, Sanhedrin [night – dawn]

• Abib 13 – Pilate's Trial [sentencing at midday]
• Abib 14 – Crucifixion; Death; Entombed; Passover memorial meal.
• Abib 15 – High Sabbath; a
• Abib 16 – Resurrection Day at the dawning (cf. 'at dawn);
Morning/Evening – Risen Master to the Disciples;

a
'High Sabbath' – the sabbath on the first day of 7-day Festival, on 7th day of the lunar week. The
so-called 'annual sabbath' applies to the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur, Lev 23:32 – on the 10th
of the lunar month), which is not 7th day of the lunar week (weekly sabbath).
89 | P a g e
kkk
Table of the various scenarios offered for the Passion week:

First Three Days of the Passion Week (from Arrival to Trial) – A Timeline

First Five Days of the Passion Week

˅ ˄ ˅ ˄ ˅ ˄ ˅
● ☼ ● ☼ ● ☼ ☼ ● ☼
DoW 1 2 3 4 5

A LG AS P-P ↓† †

9 Abib 10 Abib 11 Abib 12 Abib 13 14

Nisan 10 Nisan 11 Nisan 12 Nisan 13 Nisan 14

Apr 2 (Sun) Apr 3 (Mon) Apr 4 (Tue) Apr 5 (Wed) Apr 6 Thu
30 CE
Apr 1 (Mon) Apr 2 (Tue) Apr 3 (Wed) Apr 4 (Tue) Apr 5 Wed

33 CE Mar-30 (Mon) Mar-31 (Tue) Apr-1 (Wed) Apr-2 (Thu) Apr-3 Fri

˅ sunrise; ˄ sunset; ☼ midday; • midnight

LG Last Supper – Gethsemane; AS Arrest – Sanhedrin; P-P Pilate Trial;
↓ † † – Golgotha and Crucifixion;
ET – Entombed;  - Resurrection

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Last Three Days of the Passion Week (Crucifixion to Resurrection) – A Timeline

H-Chart comparing three scenarios:

Last Three Days of the Passion Week

● ☼ ● ☼ ● ☼ ☼ ● ☼
DoW 5 6 7 1
Passover -meal High Sab. Wave-sheaf

LG A S P-P † † < I n t h e t o m b > 

12 Abib 13 Abib 14  Abib 15 Abib 16 17
Nisan 13 14 15 16 17

Apr 5 (Wed) Apr 6 Thu Apr 7 (Fri) Apr 8 (Sat) Apr 9 (Sun)
30 CE
Apr 4 (Tue) Apr 5 Wed Apr 6 (Thu) Apr 9 (Fri) Apr 10 (Sat)

Apr-3 Fri  Apr-4 (Sat)

33 CE  Apr-5 (Sun)
Preparation day 'Doubled-up sabbath'

[Cf. full moon 33 CE Apr. 3 – at 15:00]

91 | P a g e
A summary diagram – Last Three Days

Comparing three scenarios

from the Crucifixion to the Resurrection

Scenarios for Crucifixion-Resurrection days

† †  

Abib 13 Abib 14 Abib 15 Abib 16 17

Day 6@ Day 7 Day 1

Nisan 14 Nisan 15 Nisan 16 Nisan 17

a Wednesday Scenario**
† †  

Tue Wed ᄉ Thu Fri  Sat 

Thursday Scenario
† † 

Wed Thu Fri Sat  Sun

Friday Scenario
† † 

Wed Thu Fri  Sat  Sun

 To Golgotha; † † Crucifixion;  Resurrection;

**wrong resurrection time  in a popular non-biblical Wednesday scenario;
 Full Moon; ᄉ– Passover memorial meal; @ Day of the lunar week

It is prudent and sensible to follow the timeline in terms Abib dates and the numbered days of
the lunar week. However, below is a diagram for those who insist to compare the two
scenarios in term of the named days of the planetary week.

Above is a diagram provided for those who want to compare the two scenarios in term
of the named days of the planetary week. Note: Some noted that Apr-7 was Friday in
CE 30 (but no other Friday scenario has been proposed).
Note: See the Passover day to keep is Abib 14 (Nisan 14), and the Passover memorial
meal ᄉ is on the evening of that Abib 14th, which is confusingly on Nisan 15th evening
by Jewish reckoning. It is how Jewish Seder is kept on Nisan 15th, even though Torah
commands to keep Passover on the 14th of the month in O.T.
Confusion of whether Passover is on Nisan 14th or 15th is not because of a possibility
of two different calendars being used at that time by two groups of people (an absurd
proposal), but from the Jewish unbiblical convention of reckoning a day to start at
sunset so that the events in the night period belongs to a day later than the date in
Abib.

92 | P a g e
Middle Three Days of the Passion Week – A Timeline:
Once the last three days are in place in the timeline, our next task is with the middle
three days – from the Temple to the Crucifixion.
Abib 12 13 14 15
B LS AR    † †
F xxxx 
* Nisan
A x 
13 14 15
Gregor K L M
WWW: LS: Last Supper; AR: Arrest;
 Yehudim vs. Yeshua;  Pilate sentencing;

The only sensible timeline is shown in the [Row B] (B for Biblical). It is futile and impossible
to fill events in the slot marked xxxx of a short overnight period as in the [Row F] (F for false)
after the midnight ○ 18 Arrest with ○
19 ex-Chief kohen Annas;○ 20 Sanhedrin; ○ 21 w/ Pilate; w/

Herod Antipas to the dawn with ○

22 Pilate. Some pushes as in the [Row A] (A for absurd)

○
22 Pilate into night (before the crucifixion day). But how the Roman governor should conduct
the trial in the evening to bring down the final sentencing towards midnight???

Unleavened bread eaten (Exo12:19)

Passover Festival of the Matzah (Abib 15-21)

(Lev 23:5) (Lev 23:6)

Abib 14th 15th 16th 17th

1st Day of
Paschal Lamb Omer counting;
Matzah Festival -
Slain (Lev 23:15-16)
(Lev 23:6)

High Sabbath Firstfruits – wave

Sabbath eve
(Lev 23:7) sheaf -
(Lk 23:54)
(Jn19:31) (Lev 23:10-11)

Resurrection/
Crucifixion In the tomb
Risen Lord
† † 

1st Day 2nd Day 3rd Day

≠ "3 Days and 3 Nights"

93 | P a g e
The above simplified table- for the Passion Week Timeline only needs a quick glance at
it to get acquainted. Because of different reckoning of a day to start, if we count with
Nisan, the same period should involve four days and dates. It is same also when counted
with the Gregorian days of the week. The except is the Friday scenario which in correctly
involve only three days and dates. It is because of its wrong interpretation of the biblical
terms and phrases that one day comes shorter than it should.

We can see it makes much sense if we follow the timeline in the Bible simply in terms of
Abib dates and the numbered days of the week (that is, the biblical lunar week with Day
7 as the day of sabbath, which is for the daytime period). The church vocabulary, such
as Friday, Saturday, Sunday, etc. is nonbiblical and it has led into erroneous
understanding and interpretation of the biblical narratives.

It is only with the biblical lunar calendar, you can realize how easy and uncomplicated
to figure out the sense with several phrases of time interval in the Bible – these are ‘on
the third day’, 'in three days' and ‘after three days’ – each one in a slightly different sense
in the context.

The Resurrection serves as the terminal endpoint of an interval, while the initial endpoint
is dictated plainly by the context, whether it is to count off the number of dates or to see
a duration (in days) of the interval.

Note that this has nothing to do with the Matthean phrase ‘three days and three nights in
the heart of the earth/land’ (Mt 12:40), which has been misread, misinterpreted and
miscalculated. [See the file ‘Deceived by Three Days and Three Nights’.].

We will see the timeline of the Passion Week involves three days in the mid period (of
Abib 11, 12, 13) in the last period from the crucifixion to the resurrection. (of Abib 14,
15, 16) in the biblical lunar calendar and

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The following is different ways to tell the same period:
When reckoned with the biblical lunar calendar, the period from the Crucifixion
to the Resurrection covers three days in Abib:
Abib 12 = the Last Supper ("at the beginning for unleavened bread" Mt 26:17)
Abib 14 = Day 1 (Passover day) [Crucifixion - from 3rd to 9th hour]
= Passover memorial meal in the evening of Abib 14 (Nisan 15)
Abib 15 = Day 2 (High Sabbath of Festival of the Matzah (from Abib 15-21)
Abib 16 = Day 3 (Day of First-fruits) [Resurrection on ‘third day’ at the dawning* - 1st day
of the lunar week (not 'Sunday') Mk 16:9.)]

[The women group set out to the tomb at the dawning. (Mt 28:1; Mk 16:2; Lk 24:1; Jn
20:1). *not 'at dawn' or 'dawn-watch'.]

When the time period is reckoned not by the Scriptural calendar but by the
rabbinic Jewish calendar it involves four calendar days in Nisan (from Nisan
14 to Nisan 17) as its calendar day is 12 hours ahead of the Biblical calendar by
reckoning a day to start at sunset.

Counting dates in a non-biblical Wednesday scenario:

– three calendar days (Abib 14, 15, and 16)
– four calendar days (Nisan 14, 15, 16 and 17)
– four planetary days (Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat)

Counting days in Gregorian vocabulary (with a calendar day from 12 a.m. to 12 a.m.)
in Thursday scenario – four planetary days (Thu, Fri, Sat, and Sun)
in a Wednesday scenario – four planetary days (Wed, Thu, Fri, and Sat).
in Friday scenario – three planetary days (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday).

Controversy, confusion, and contradiction in the various scenarios are because

their understanding and interpretation of the Gospel Passion Narrative is due
to non-biblical calendar system applied to biblical timeline. It is with
anachronistic conflation of Easter liturgy of Constantine Catholic Church
tradition. Again, one should not forget that there were no such days called or
known as Sunday, Saturday, and Friday in the time of Yeshua. Sabbath day
has nothing to do with Saturday as such – the real culprit and seed of all the
confusion and contradiction in the Biblical chronology, esp. of the Passion-
Passover Week timeline. The history must be read with the calendar system of
that time. The traditional Holy Week is a liturgical invention, being
disconnected from the historical Passion-Passover Week.

95 | P a g e
<[the] first [day] of the week> all with 'mia' [S1520 heis] except once prōtē [S4413 prōtos]

Mt 28:1a There, after the week having passed, [Opse de sabbatōn] now at the dawning [tē
epiphōskousē] of the first day of the week [eis mian sabbatōn] Mariam the Magdalene and the other
Mariam went out to see the tomb.
Mk 16:2 And very early [lian prōi] on the first day of the week [tē mia tōn sabbatōn], the
women are coming to the tomb with the sun about to rise [anateilantos tou hēliou].
Lk 24:1 On the first day of the week [tē de mia tōn sabbatōn] very early in the morning
[orthrou batheōs], these women went out to the tomb
Jn 20:1 Now, on the first day of the week [tē de mia tōn sabbatōn] Mariam the Magdalene is
coming to the tomb early morning [prōi] while it’s still dark [skotias eti ousēs].
Jn 20:19 It was, thereafter [Ousēs oun], evening on that day [opsia tē hēmera ekeinē] the first
day of the week [tē de mia tōn sabbatōn],
Act 20:7 On the first day of the week [en de tē mia tōn sabbatōn] we came together to break
bread.
Mk 16:9 Now, having risen [Anastas de] early [prōi] in the first day of the week [prōtē
sabbatou] Yeshua showed himself first to Mariam the Magdalene,
1Co 16:2 On the first day of every week, [kata mian sabbatou],

96 | P a g e
'days and nights' till the Resurrection.

Passover High Sabbath

† † B M  
WednesDay (Night 1) ThursDay (Night 2) FriDay (Night 3) SaturDay
Apr 5 Apr 6 Apr 7 Apr 8
6th day of the week 7th day of the week 1st day of the week 2nd day
Abib 14 Abib 15 Abib 16 Abib
17
Nisan 14 Nisan 15 Nisan 16 Nisan 17

1. †…†– Crucifixion to Death (mid-afternoon) on Passover – Abib 14 = sabbath eve.

2. Burial; Passover meal – evening;
3. resurrection  (Mk 16:9) (  in Wed. scenario)
women group to the tomb (Mt 28:1; Mk 16:2; Lk 24:1; Jn 20:1)
4. the risen Master to the disciples;

[Note: 'Passover preparation' (= Passover eve) Jn 19:14 is on Abib 13 = day of Pilate's judgment.
Cf. 'preparation' = eve (Mt 27:62; Jn 19:31, 42) is that of sabbath, i.e. sabbath eve.]
[In the tomb – 3 nights and 2 days]

An exercise: constructing the timeline diagram – from the Crucifixion to the Resurrection

Though it is simply and easy to understand the diagram, a better way is to draw
up a table with hand and pencil to find days/dates for the events – the result is,
the whole thing will get impressed on your mind.

1. First, take a rectangular box divide vertical lines:

Two columns to represent a day (daytime + nighttime = 24-hour period).

˅ ˅ ˅
DAYTIME NIGHT-TIME
˄ ˄

2. Make a table with three such columns:

The shaded represent the night period; unshaded is for the daytime period.

The dividers are at (1) sunrise ˅; (2) midday ˄; (3) sunset ˅; (4) midnight ˄.
Sun Sun Sun
Rise Set Rise
˅ ˅ ˅
DAYTIME NIGHT-TIME
˄ ˄
Midday Midnight

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3. Make a table with three such columns:
This covers 3 days (of D & N). Write in three dates 14, 15, and 16 – these are
Abib dates. (Shaded box – for Night Period)
Abib 14 15 16

4. Extend vertical diving lines at sunset for one row:

Write down 14, 15, and 16 – these are dates in Nisan (after Jewish reckoning)
– It is 12 hours’ head start.
Abib 14 15 16

Nisan 14 15 16

5. Extend vertical diving lines only at midnight for another row:

On 1st day On 2nd day On third day

Abib 14 15 16

* Nisan 14 15 16 17
Gregor. Day L Day M Day N

Notice that day time events belong same date; events in the night will be in a
different date.

6. Now enter the three crucial events:

 carrying His stake; † † Crucifixion;

 Resurrection;  on a Wednesday crucifixion scenario.
According to the biblical narrative timeline follow with the biblical lunar calendar:
See how each event is being found in their right place.
˅ ˅
˄ ˄
On 1st day On 2nd day On third day
Abib 14 15 16
† †  

* Nisan 14 15 16 17
Grego Day L Day M Day N Day O

“on the third day”

Note that this phrase is possible only when reckoning dates in Abib, not
in Nisan. Note that this has nothing to do with Gregorian days (midnight
to midnight) of the planetary week.

7. Only then, you may want to bring Gregorian named days of the
planetary week. (e.g. Sun, Mon, etc.) for referencing:
Replacing Day J, K, L with actual Gregorian date will give you a picture of
different Crucifixion scenarios in terms of day.

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Table: Last three days from the Crucifixion to the Resurrection

- the date in Abib for night period events is one day earlier in Nisan:

1st, 2nd, 3rd hours ≈ 6 – 9 am

(Day) (Day) †
4th, 5th, 6th hour ≈ 9 am – ‘noon’
Abib 14 Nisan 14
7th, 8th, 9th hour ‘noon’ – ≈ 3 pm †
Prep. day
10th, 11th, 12th hour ≈ 3 – 6 pm W
1st watch (evening watch) ≈ 6 – 9 pm E
D
(Night) (Night) 2nd watch (midnight watch) ≈ 6 – 9 pm
Abib 14 Nisan 15 3rd watch (cock-crow watch) ≈ 12 pm– 3 am
4th watch (dawn watch) ≈ 3 – 6 am
T
1st, 2nd, 3rd hours ≈ 6 – 9 am
(Day) (Day) 4th, 5th, 6th hour ≈ 9 am – ‘noon’ H
Abib 15 Nisan 7th, 8th, 9th hour ‘noon’ – ≈ 3 pm
(7th Day) 15
10th, 11th, 12th hour ≈ 3 – 6 pm U
sabbath
1st watch (evening watch) ≈ 6 – 9 pm
(Night) (Night) 2nd watch (midnight watch) ≈ 6 – 9 pm
Abib 15 Nisan 16 3rd watch (cock-crow watch) ≈ 12 pm– 3 am
4th watch (dawn watch) ≈ 3 – 6 am F

1st, 2nd, 3rd hours ≈ 6 – 9 am
R
(Day) (Day) 4th, 5th, 6th hour ≈ 9 am – ‘noon’
Abib 16 Nisan 16 7th, 8th, 9th hour ‘noon’ – ≈ 3 pm I
(1st Day)
10th, 11th, 12th hour ≈ 3 – 6 pm
1st watch (evening watch) ≈ 6 – 9 pm
(Night) (Night) 2nd watch (midnight watch) ≈ 6 – 9 pm
Abib 16 Nisan 17 3rd watch (cock-crow watch) ≈ 12 pm– 3 am
4th watch (dawn watch) ≈ 3 – 6 am

14 16 -- dates for Crucifixion and Resurrection. † - † crucifixion;  - resurrection

Midday/Noon is not same as 12 p.m.;

Note: When was the actual Resurrection before or after sunrise? It does make a
difference in the Biblical calendar as the date changes with sunrise. The expression
'* First day of the week' as to the resurrection occurs in the Gospels always tied to
the women's visit to the tomb. The notion of first day as the Resurrection day may
actually be the day the risen Yeshua showed Himself to the disciples, rather than
when the resurrection did occur – which is silent in the Bible.

99 | P a g e
 Biblical Lunar Calendar for the Passion Week:

Data on ‘Passover’ day in 30 to 33 CE

Year (CE) → 30 31 33
↓ http://jesus-messiah.com/html/passover-dates-26-34ad.html
Note: date is actually Nisan (sunset-to-sunset). Information is confusing.
Note: CE 30 Thursday crucifixion scenario
Full Moon Abib 14 Apr-6 Mar-27 Apr-3
Julian date to midnight Thu Mon Fri
Time of full moon 22:00 13:00 17:00
Passover Abib 15
Apr-6 Mar-27 Apr-3
at sundown of

↓ www.judaismvschristianity.com/Passover_dates.htma
Mar-22 Wed Mar-23 Fri. Mar-22 Sun.
Vernal Equinox
00:00* ?? 05:00 17:00
Conjunction (Dark moon) Mar-22 Wed. Apr-10 Tue Mar-20 Fri 09:00
(Near or first after vernal Equinox)?? 20:00 14:00 Apr-17 Fri 21:00**
First evening of Mar-21 Sat.
Mar- 24 Fri Apr-11 Wed
visible crescent Apr-19 Sun.
Mar-22 Sun.
1st day of Nisan Mar-25 Sat Apr-12 Thu
Apr-20 Mon.
Apr-7 Fri. Apr-4 Sat.
14th day of Nisan@ (Passover) Apr-25 Wed.
May-3 Sun.
First evening of visible crescent: Gregorian: Midnight to midnight
@Nisan date: Beginning at sundown the evening before
* Midnight at the end of the given day

The first three columns were obtained from the U.S. Naval Observatory Astronomical
Applications Department. The pertinent file may be accessed on the Internet at
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/docs/SpringPhenom.php (Julian data; time in GMT for Vernal
equinox; full moon; new moon (on or before vs. after equinox)

Data on CE 30 Israel
[Israel Time IST = UTC +2] [cf. IDT (daylight saving time).]
[Annoying problem: data on the online sources show minor variation (less than a few
hours), understandably derived from different algorithms. One exceptional case - the
day of Vernal equinox 30 CE was shown as Mar 20 (17:47 GMT)!!
https://sites.google.com/site/calendarstudies/bible-
studies/bible_study_year_of_crucifixion ]

Vernal equinox = Mar 22 Wed ≈ @19:30

Conjunction = Mar 22 Wed ≈ @20:00 [Needs a reference for this info.]
Abib 1 = Mar-23-Thu.
Abib 14 = Apr-5-Wed
full moon = Apr 6 Thu 8.pm

a
<Passover dates 26-34 A.D.>
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101 | P a g e
 Vernal Equinox: (Ref. https://data.giss.nasa.gov/ar5/srvernal.html Time and Date of Vernal
Equinox calculator)

Dark Moon;

Full moon

New Moon

Note. The times of day given in the second and third columns have been adjusted UT +2 for
Jerusalem time.

Abib 14th in 30 CE: Apr-5 Wed or Apr-6 Thu?

We have accurate data on astronomical new moon (= ‘dark moon’ at ‘luni-solar

conjunction’) available online. What we need is:

1. How differently was the New-Moon Day, the first day of the lunar month of
the biblical calendar – astronomical or visible crescent?
2. Data on conjunction date and time; sunrise time.

How to find Abib 1 on the proleptic Gregorian calendar:

- See on a separate paper <Calendation Practicum> in <IRENT Vol. III – Supplement>
as well as the file <Walk through the Scripture #5 - Time, Calendar and Chronology>

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30 CE – Calendar for March & April – Israel

www.timeanddate.com/calendar/monthly.html?year=30&month=4&country=34

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30 CE – Moon Phase

(#3) www.timeanddate.com/calendar/monthly.html?year=30&month=4&country=34 (w/ incorrect Full

Moon date of Apr-7)

http://astropixels.com/ephemeris/phasescat/phases0001.html [UT] Year 30 CE

http://web.archive.org/web/20140909184037/http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/phase/phases0001.html

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30 CE – Conjunction date and time; sunrise time

Jerusalem 30 CE
(UT+2) Vernal Equinox Mar 23
Mar-22-Wed ⓿ (Dark Moon 19:46) Date in Jewish
Calendar (#3)
(#1) (#2)
Mar-23-Thu Abib 1* Nisan 1
Mar-24-Fri Abib 2 Abib 1*
Mar-25-Sat Abib 3 Abib 2 @

Mar-30-Thu Abib 8 Abib 7

Mar-31-Fri Abib 9 Abib 8
Apr-1-Sat Abib-10 Abib 9

Apr-4-Tue Abib-13 Abib-12

Apr-5-Wed Abib-14 Abib-13
Apr-6-Thu  Abib-15 Abib-14 Nisan 15
Apr-7-Fri Abib-16 Abib-15
Apr-8-Sat Abib-17 Abib-16#
Apr-9-Sun Abib-18 Abib-17

Abib – 6 hours behind Julian date. Nisan – 6 hours ahead of Julian date.

 Full Moon on Apr-6 at 21:42 at Jerusalem 30 CE]

Ref: (#1) New-Moon Day as the day after the dawn following the conjunction. [Here, the
phrase 'after dawn' is in the sense of 'sunrise' – ARJ]
www.worldslastchance.com/yahuwahs-calendar/new-moon-day-the-dawn-after-
conjunction.html New-Moon Day: The Dawn After Conjunction

Ref: (#2) (as in ‘Thursday crucifixion scenario) is following the inaccurate “first visible
crescent” method.e.g.www.triumphpro.com/jesus-in-grave-new-truth.htm

[www.triumphpro.com/jesus-in-grave-new-truth.htm A typical Thursday crucifixion scenario -

reading astronomical data and applying the inaccurate visible crescent method to determine
the New-Moon day, for which they do not give the proof of its validity. – ARJ]

"Witness #1

In A.D. 30, for the month of March, the molad or conjunction occurred on Wednesday,
March 22. The crescent New Moon was seen in the evening of Thursday, March 23, making
Abib 1 Friday, March 24. Therefore, in A.D. 30, the 15th day of Abib – the First Day of
Matzah Festival – was Friday, April 7! This means that in 30 A.D. the day of the Passover
sacrifice, Abib 14, was NOT ON WEDNESDAY, BUT RATHER ON THURSDAY, April
6!! In other words, the date of the crucifixion was THURSDAY, APRIL 6, 30 A.D.!

" … Witness #3:

There is a website devoted to the Phases of the Moon, called Obliquity. You can go on
their website and obtain the New Moon conjunction data – time and date for the New Moons
for the year 30 A.D., especially March (which New Moon would correspond with the
105 | P a g e
Hebrew month Nisan or Abib). Here, a clip from www.obliquity.com/cgi-
bin/lunar.cgi?Year=30&Month=3 . <Phases of the Moon for March CE 30>

You will find that the conjunction (→ dark moon; astronomical new moon) of the Nisan
was on March 22, at 17:29 GMT. This would have been 19:29 Jerusalem time (two hours
ahead of GMT). 19:29 would have been 7:29 PM, Wednesday evening.

Since Hebrew days begin at sunset, this would have been the beginning of the next day by
Hebrew reckoning. Thus, the first sighting of the new crescent would have most likely been
Thursday evening, around sunset, about 22 ½ hours later. Thus, would mean that Friday,
March 24th (beginning Thursday evening) would have been the first day of the New
Moon/Month of Nisan/Abib. This means the 14th day of the month – the day the Passover
was killed – would have been Thursday, April 6th, and Friday, April 7th was the annual
holy day (First Day of Unleavened Bread).

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 [Jerusalem time = UT+2]
Year New Moon First Quarter Full Moon Last Quarter
30 Mar-22 19:46 Mar-31 00:18 Apr-6 21:42 Apr-13 13:34
31 Mar-12 00:19 Mar-19 23:41 Mar-27 12:55 Apr-3 06:30
33 Mar-19 12:38 Mar-26 12:33 Apr-3 16:51 Apr-11 05:45
[The data are extracted (for the relevant portion) from (UT used)
http://web.archive.org/web/20090301015349/http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/phase/phases0001.html

[Jerusalem time = UT+2]

Year New Moon Full Moon
30 Mar-22 19:59 Apr-6 21:47
31 Mar-12 00:29 Mar-27 13:01
33 Mar-19 12:41 Apr-3 17:02
Goldstine, Herman H. (1973), New and Full Moons: 1001 B.C. to A.D. 1651 @
Table of Julian dates and time – (it was in UT+3 Bagdad)
@
https://books.google.com/books?id=lgsNAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

30 CE Dark Moon Full Moon

Jerusalem Mar-22 (Adar 29) Apr-6 (Nisan 15)
Chicago Mar-21 Apr-6
31 CE Dark Moon Full Moon
Jerusalem Mar-12 (Adar 29) Mar-27 (Nisan 15)
Chicago Mar-11 Mar-27
www.fullmoon.info/en/fullmoon-calendar_1900-2050.html

Roger Rusk, “The Day He Died – Jesus died during a Passover Festival in the early
part of the first century. Which Passover? Which year?” Christianity Today, March
29, 1974. [A copy in IRENT Vol. III Supplement (Collection) #6B] [Thu Apr 6, AD 30.]

https://web.archive.org/web/20110709062802/http://user.txcyber.com/~wd5iqr/tcl/dayhedie.htm

[Note: His article is often cited for a Thursday crucifixion scenario. However, he
uses data from Goldstine, Herman H. (1973). New and Full Moons: 1001 B.C. to
A.D. 1651. As shown in the table below is nothing more that time and date of the
four moon phases. It does not provide how to arrive at the New-Moon day from
the astronomical data. This is the serious and fatal problem to be found the
proponents of the Thursday crucifixion day scenario.]

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[The Conjunction and Full Moon Day – date is location-dependent. Only different one shown
in red for USA.]

Year Dark Moon Full Moon

CE
Israel USA Jerusalem USA
2017 Mar-28 Mar-27 Apr-11 -
(Nisan 1) (Nisan 15)
2016 Apr-7 - Apr-22 -
(Adar II 28) (Nisan 14)
2015 Mar-20 - Apr-4 -
(Adar 29) (Nisan 15)
2014 Mar-30 - Apr-15 -
(Adar II 28) (Nisan 15)
2013 Mar-11 - Mar-27 -
(Adar 29 (Nisan 16)
2012 Mar-22 - Apr-6 -
(Adar 28) (Nisan 14)
2011 Apr-3 - Apr-18 Apr-17
(Adar II 28) (Nisan 14)
2010 Mar-15 - Mar-30 Mar-29
(Adar 29) (Nisan 15)
2009 Mar-26 - Apr-9 -
(Nisan 1) (Nisan 15)

In conclusion: This study should challenge and help find the day and date locatable
in the proleptic Gregorian calendar for the Crucifixion. That some actual date we may
find as the correct one (for the calendation we choose to use) is not a weighty issue in
our correctly following the Passion narrative timeline. Let it be just a matter
concerning with the religious liturgical tradition in their keeping the ecclesial Holy
Week, instead of the Biblical Passion Week.

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The Crucifixion day scenario based on the Biblical Lunar Calendar:

[with minor editing - ARJ]

“The Year in the rabbinic Jewish calendar (not in the Biblical Lunar Calendar)
begins at the moment of sunset at Jerusalem, on the evening of the first "potentially"
visible crescent moon, to begin Day 1 of Month 1.

The vernal equinox governs the start of a new year according to Exo 12:1-2. The
equinox is the demarcation point governing the solar cycle. A Year can begin before
or after the vernal equinox. The rule of the equinox always places 15th day of
Month 1 (the first day of the Matzah Festival) [High Sabbath] on or after the vernal
equinox day.

A biblical Year has 12 lunar Months in a regular year or 13 Months in a leap year.
The Year begins on Day 1 of Month 1 based on the rule of the equinox. [Cf. the
typical Civil Year begins on Day 1 of Month 7]. It ensures that Unleavened Bread
festival will always be kept in its season from year to year as Exodus 13:10
instructs.” The Passover [Day?] cannot occur before the vernal equinox.

When the end of Month 12 comes with the dark moon: If, there are 15 Days or less
until the vernal equinox, then Month 1 is declared. If there are 16 Days or more
until the vernal equinox, then Month 13 is declared. The vernal equinox will always
occur on or between Day 16th of Month 12 in a Regular Year, and Day 15th of
Month 1 in the year following. The vernal equinox will always occur on or between
Day 16th of Month 13 in a Leap Year, and Day 15th of Month 1 in the year
following. [intercalation]

… The Creation Calendar only intercalates, or inserts an extra month, at the end of
Month 12. The intercalary month is called Month 13.”

www.torahcalendar.com/ORBITS.asp?HebrewDay=2&HebrewMonth=2&Year=2015

How do we find one among various scenarios on the proposed day/date for His
crucifixion and resurrection, based on the Biblical Lunar calendar (as shown
above) in order to follow the biblical Passion week, which is not same as the
church liturgical Holy Week?

1. To determine the year His crucifixion was - which year, CE 30, 31, 33 on what
basis?
(1) An interpretation of Daniel’s 70-week prophecy simply cannot be the proof
for the year of His death. (Some finds CE 31 to fit the prophecy as they
interpreted. Cf. Abib 14th to fall on Mon, not Wed. For some it is for CE 33,
all in manner of circular reasoning.). Daniel’s prophecy as in various
interpretations are of course different from Jewish exegesis for the Hebrew
Scripture. Thus, it cannot be used to arrive at the year of His crucifixion, or
even of His birth.
(2) To look for the year in which Nisan 14th falls on Friday is not the proof of
CE 33 as the year. Its sole aim is to support the traditional ecclesiastical Holy
Week which is based on erroneous understanding of Gregorian Saturday = 7th
109 | P a g e
 day sabbath of the rabbinic Judaism. [Note: with the Friday crucifixion, the
resurrection should fall on Monday if read as in the Biblical narrative.]

2. With the astronomical data on the date and time of ‘dark moon’. [Dark Moon
at luni-solar conjunction is a term less confusing and less misleading than
‘astronomical new moon’, as the moon itself is not visible from the earth.] To
determine the biblical New-Moon Day of the 1st month (Abib) (‘crescent new
moon’) around the time of vernal equinox and ensure the Passover to fall in the
barley harvest season – late March to April in the solar year, not rainy season of
early March. This process of finding the first month is unrelated to Gregorian
calendar and is independent of the rabbinic Jewish calendar systems, both of
which were not used or existed in the time of Yeshua’s time.

3. Abib 14th is the Passover day with the Passover full moon. The date of the full
moon is variable with Nisan (14th to 16th) in the rabbinic Jewish calendar.

110 | P a g e
Calendar tables
One calendar for all the months in the true Biblical Calendar
[<a graphic image> from Calendation Practicum. See Supplement III Walk through the
Scripture #5 - Time, Calendar and Chronology –]
You have to draw a different calendar monthly by superimposing Gregorian dates. Abib
month calendar will be different every year as related the Gregorian dates.

New- Work Days Weekly @

Moon sabbath
Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13 14☼ 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26 27 28 29 (30)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

1 (new-moon); @ 30 (transitional day); ☼

(full moon)

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One and only calendar table for Biblical Lunar calendar

www.worldslastchance.com/luni-solar-calendar-with-feasts-days.html

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Calendar of 2017 Abib
[image copied from WB #5]
[Gregorian days and dates in Green – overlaid on the Biblical Calendar]
Grayed area for dates – for the following month.

113 | P a g e
Calendar of 2018 Abib

[Gregorian days and dates in Green – overlaid on the Biblical Calendar]

Grayed area for dates – for the following month.

[image copied from WB #5]

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 Day of Week
(lunar) 5 † † 6 7  1  2
$Preparation High Sabbath Wave Sheaf

13 14 15 16 17
Abib
Passover eve Passover Matzah I Matzah II Matzah III
13 14 15 16 17 18
Nisan
Erev Pesach Pesach I Pesach II Pesach III Pesach IV

2017 Apr 10 Mon 11 Tue 12 Wed 13 Thu

2018 Mar 30 Fri 31 Sat Apr 1 Sun 2 Mon

30 Apr 5 Wed  6 Thu 7 Fri 8 Sat

[$ preparation day ≡ sabbath eve;  full moon]

[@ Israel ST = UTC +2] 2017 2018

Vernal Equinox Mar 20 @12:28 Mar 20 @ 18:14
Dark moon Mar 28 @05:57 Mar 17 @15:11
Sunrise Mar 28 @06:32 Mar 18 @05:45
Abib 1 Mar 29 Mar 18
Full moon Apr 11 @16:53 Mar 31 @15:36 (super blue moon)
Passover (Abib 14) Apr 10 Mon Mar 30 Fri
Jewish Pesach I (Nisan 15) Apr 10 Mon sunset Mar 30 Fri sunset
to Apr 11 Tue sunset to Apr 1 Sat sunset
Church Easter Sunday Apr 16 Apr 1 (Apr 18 – Orthodox Church)

March
Moon Phase
April

Note: Biblical Passover day (Abib 14) vs. Jewish Erev Pesach (with Nisan date 12 hours ahead Abib date).
Note: Jewish Pesach festival is the biblical Matzah festival.
Note: Church Easter Sunday – the resurrection was in the dawn (4th watch of the night); in Abib what would
be the Sunday morning is on the next day.
Note: Affected by DST.
Note: Blue moon – once every 2.7 years (2018 – Jan 31 and Mar 31)

Troy Miller www.CreationCalendar.com

The 15th day (4-11-2017) is the Second Sabbath of the Lunar Month: The Full Moon can be seen
rising in the eastern sky about the time the sun sets in the west on the 14th day of the lunar month (4-10-
2017)!! This full moon announces the 15th day of the lunar month as the Sabbath. [See the data on
QuickPhase Pro program www.quickphase.com/ ]

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 Different data on CE 30 [@ Israel ST]

www.timeanddate.com/calendar/monthly.html?year=30&month=4&country=34

March
Moon Phase
April (full moon – on 7th ?!)

http://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/docs/SpringPhenom.php

Dark moon Wed Mar 22 @20:00

Full moon Thu Apr 6 @22:00

Vernal Equinox Wed Mar 22 @00:00 (mid-night)

www.judaismvschristianity.com/passover_dates.htm
*Date of Nisan (begnning at sundown the evening before …) (sunset-to-sunset day)

* Nisan 1 $ * Nisan 14 Fri Apr 7

$ three days after Dark Moon ‽

→ to be compared with the Biblical Lunar Calendar reckoning

(with sunrise-to-sunrise day)

Abib 1 Thu Mar 23 Abib 14 Wed Apr 5

Note: How to determine the *New-Moon Day (1st day of the lunar month) – See the companion article
<Walk through the Scripture 5 – Time and Calendars> and <Appendix WB#5 Calendation and Chronology>.

116 | P a g e
30 CE Abib calendar (Abib 14 = Apr-5)

(as in a Wednesday Crucifixion scenario)

Abib 14 = Apr-5 (Wednesday)

[4 Sabbath days in a month = on day 7 of the lunary week, non-cyclic]
[Vernal equinox – Mar 22 (19:28); Dark Moon – Mar 22 (22:40) Wed → Abib 1 on
Mar 23 Thu.]

117 | P a g e
 30 CE Abib Calendar (Abib 14 = Apr-6) for comparison
(as it would be for a Thursday Crucifixion scenario)
kkk

118 | P a g e
Note: Given the accurate data on the conjuction date/time Mar-22-Wed 30 CE at 17:32
UTC (www.triumphpro.com/jesus-in-grave-new-truth.htm), if the New-Moon Day is
determined by other methods, such as sighting of the first visible crescent, it brings Nisan
1st and Nisan 15th a day later than in the Wednesday scenario – i.e. a Thursday scenario.

119 | P a g e
For comparison: 2016 CE Lunar 1st month calendar:
[Cf. Vernal equinox Mar-20. Note. Nisan 15th of Jewish Passover on their calendar is on Apr. 23]
[Passover (sacrifice) is on Abib 14. In 2016, it is on Mar-22.]
[14 days after a “New-Moon” will always be a Full Moon???]

Note: If the New-Moon Day is determined differently, another calendar is possible to see
Mar-8-Tue as New-Moon day; Mar-21-Mon as Abib 14.
Note: in rabbinic Jewish calendar, in AM 5776 (for CE 2015/2016) [in the year 19 of the
Metonic cycle], there is a leap month before Nisan; thus, Nisan 15th of Jewish Passover
is a month later – on Apr-23-Sat (it is from the sunset of Apr-22). Thus in this year the
(Jewish) Passover is during the 2nd Full Moon of vernal equinox. Some who follow Judaic
customs keep it in March, on the date closely connected to the Easter date.

120 | P a g e
For comparison: 33 CE March-April calendars:

www.timeanddate.com/calendar/monthly.html?year=33&month=3&country=34

Cf. AD 33 Crucifixion scenario – Friday Apr 3. Nisan 14 (Erev Pesach in Jewish calendar)

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 Basic Vocabulary and Terminology

A. Basic Vocabulary

[See the detail cover in the IRENT Vol. III Supplement, the file <Walk through
the Scripture 5– Time and Calendars> and <WB#5 Appendix: Calendation and
Chronology>.]

Calendar, Calendar system, calendation

Three different calendar systems –

(1) Gregorian – revised CE 1582 from Julian calendar (aka Roman Calendar). More
appropriate and neutral term without connection the Catholic Church history for the
internationally accepted civil calendar for our generations is the 'Common Era
Calendar' (CEC).
(2) rabbinic Jewish – based on calendation by Hillel II (358/359 CE). It cannot be
applied proleptically to the biblical events.
(3) true biblical lunar calendar – [not all biblical calendars are same].

Astronomical data for

Vernal equinox – this term is preferred to 'spring equinox', which would be applicable
only in the Northern Hemisphere.

'Dark moon' = 'astronomical new moon' = moon at luni-solar conjunction: Cf. the
'New-Moon day' of the biblical calendar.

“New Moon” chodesh (H2320 month; new moon); neomēnia (S3561 'new moon')
1. = Astronomical new moon = dark moon = moon at conjunction. The first
phase of the moon
2. New-Moon Day = the first day of the new [lunar] month with the visible
crescent of the moon after the conjunction.
3. New Moon feast [x: ~ festival] – Col 2:16
4. A (lunar) month

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Dawn and morning

These are on the same day in reference to the planetary week and Nisan date,
but they are of different Abib dates.

Midnight events cross over 2 dates in Gregorian. Events around the sunset
cross over 2 dates in Nisan. Events in the dawn through morning cross over 2
days in Biblical dates. It is easy to get confused and lost when other than the
true biblical calendar is used to follow the Passion Week timeline.

Counting days and dates of the interval; inclusive and exclusive

interval

Inclusive interval – including the endpoints.

Exclusive interval – excluding the endpoints

See a collection on 'Counting - Inclusive, Exclusive, Interval'

123 | P a g e
 B. Terminology: Biblical special terms

Biblical special terms:

‘sabbath’ (shabbat); ‘7th day of the week’; ‘preparation’; ‘festival’ vs. ‘feast’;
unleavened bread’; ‘Festival of the Matzah’ (‘Festival of the Unleavened
Bread’); 'Passover' (Pesach), ‘Passover Festival’; ‘

‘Sabbath’; ‘High Sabbath’

Sabbath – [Heb. shabbat. Sabbath-keeping from the Mosaic covenant],

In the Bible it is a ‘lunar sabbath’ on the 7th day of the biblical lunar week, 4
times a month on the same date in each lunar month. Sabbath rest is only for
daytime is only for the daytime period of 12 hours as the night itself is for resting
from labor. It is not 24 hours as for Jewish solar sabbath starting from evening the
day before.

It should not be confused with solar sabbath – which is on Saturday in rabbinic

Judaism (24 hours from Friday sunset) and other Sabbatarian practice. It may
coincidently fall on Saturday; however, it is not equivalent to Saturday itself, which
is 7th day of the planetary week of the Gregorian calendar.

There is only one sabbath in a lunar week of the Scripture. As the first day of several
7-day long Festival is always on the weekly sabbath day, it is called High Sabbath
[Jn 19:31. Heb. Sabbath ha-Gadol, ‘great sabbath’]. a)

We have one weekly sabbath day before the beginning of the Passover week (Abib
9) and one High Sabbath (Abib 15).

This should not be confused with nonbiblical solar Sabbath of Saturday (of Jewish
and other Sabbatarians).
• Solar sabbath (Jewish) – Saturday (from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset).
• Lunar sabbath – daytime of Abib 8. ‘sabbath’ in the biblical lunar calendar is
unrelated to and does not corresponds to ‘Saturday’
• High Sabbath (the 7th day of the lunar week is the first day of a 7-day long festival
in the Biblical calendar) – e.g. Abib 15.

Note: Weekly sabbath is unrelated to the only annual sabbath-rest on

For the vocabulary on sabbath and sabbath-rest Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). See
WB# 5 Time, Calendar and Chronology.

a
That there is one which is weekly and another one which is annual in this week is
simply from ignorance on the biblical calendar; it was used to explain away the
problem on timeline on the Passion week for various Crucifixion scenarios. (Cf.
www.triumphpro.com/jesus-in-grave-new-truth.htm )
124 | P a g e
*preparation (Gk. paraskeuē); 'eve'
[copied from WB #5]

[Note: 'eve' used in IRENT is used in the sense of 'the day before', not in the sense of 'evening'.]
'

125 | P a g e
A Myth of two Sabbaths in a week

The Wednesday proponents (with Saturday afternoon Resurrection) resort to the

idea of ‘two consecutive Sabbaths’ in the festival week in order to explain away
the problem in the time-frame in their scenario. The rebuttal by the Friday scenario
is the doubled-up Sabbaths [i.e. two different Sabbaths falling on the same date].
[Cf. In that sense, the day of sabbath rest should be distinguished when it comes
not on every 7th day of the lunar week, but on the particular day – the Day of
Atonement (Lev 16:29, 23:27), once a year, 7th month, 10th day.

It is actually a byproduct of using rabbinic Jewish calendar and modern Gregorian

planetary week. If the idea of two consecutive Sabbaths were ever possible and they
suppose Nisan 15th happened to be Friday, then they have a ‘festival’ sabbath on 15th,
and Saturday sabbath on 16th; and then another festival sabbath on the last day of the
festival Nisan 21 (which would be Thursday).
Thus, they have Saturday Sabbaths on Nisan 16th, 23rd and 30th in 7-day weeks, plus
preceding Saturday Sabbaths on Nisan 2nd and Nisan 9th. They have total three Sabbaths
in that week, not two!!
And they have total Seven Sabbaths in a month!! – (5 Saturday Sabbaths and 2 festival
Sabbaths). Such a grotesque result from their thinking!

rabbinic Jewish calendar

an example of Nisan month
(7th month of the Jewish year) (30 days)
Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri
1
2 2 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
17 18 19 20 @ 22
16 21
23 24 25 26 27 27 29
30 1 2 3 4 5 6

Blue –Saturday sabbath;

green – Festival Sabbath;
Sat, Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri - (of Gregorian planetary week)

For Nisan: @ Red – last day of Festival (Nisan 21) as Sabbath, which is the
7th day of the week-long Festival. (Lev 23:8 //Exo 13:6)

We have an absurd illogical picture of total 7 Sabbaths in this month! according

to rabbinic Jewish calendar which with the planetary week (as in Gregorian), not
lunar as it should be in the Bible.

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Compare with the monthly Biblical Lunar Calendar, here the month of Abib.

Biblical Lunar calendar

Abib (1st month of the biblical year) (30 days)
D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 D7
1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 @ 22
23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

• D 1 to D 7 (numbered days of the lunar week)

• Red – Day 7 of the full lunar week = sabbath.
• 7 named days (Sat, Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri) – no applicable here.

There are only 4 Sabbaths in any month, (whether it is 29- or 30-day long.)
Abib (Nisan) is 30-day long

Biblical (weekly) sabbath is fixed on 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th day of a lunar
month. www.worldslastchance.com/wlc-challenge.html
[No additional sabbaths! Yom Kippur is the special sabbath rest with fasting, not in the
manner of 7th-day Sabbath.]
Cf. Lev 23:36 for the 7-day Festival of Booths – ‘on the 8th day’ is the day
one of the lunar week after completion of 7-day long festival.

In the month Abib:

Festival of the Matzah = Abib 15-21
Abib 15 – High Sabbath,
@ Abib 21 = last (7th) day of the Matzah Festival

127 | P a g e
‘7th day of the week’ vs. ‘Saturday'

The Julian week at the time of the Crucifixion was an eight-day week system (‘nundinal
cycle’) and cannot be equated with the Biblical week and the modern week.
What is called Saturday Sabbath (7th day of the planetary week) has nothing to do with
the biblical seventh-day Sabbath (day 7 of the lunar week). This fundamentally faulty
understanding to take the sixth day of the Biblical week identical to Friday is one of several
fatal causes of chronological confusion. This idea gets reinforced by looking for some text
verses which can be used to support their position.

As to the 14th of lunar months in the Scripture is always the sixth day of the lunar week,
which is the preparation day for sabbath which is on Day 7 – for every month in the biblical
lunar calendar.

‘*preparation’:

paraskeuē S3904. x 6

‘preparation’ as preparation of sabbath: [Abib 14], i.e. sabbath eve.

Mk 15:42 [Abib 14] “it was preparation, that is ‘sabbath eve’ (prosabbaton)”.
Lk 23:54 [Abib 14] “day was of preparation and Sabbath was coming on.”
Jn 19:31 [Abib 14] “it was preparation” (of Abib 15 High Sabbath) - death of
Yeshua
Jn 19:42 [Abib 14] “the preparation of the Yehudim” />> Jewish day of Preparation;
/xxx: the day of preparation for the Jewish Passover - NLT; to entomb
Mt 27:62 [Abib 15] “after the preparation” – request for Roman guard.

‘preparation’ as preparation of the Passover (day), i.e. Passover eve.

Jn 19:14 “it was preparation of the Passover - sixth hour” - Pilate's sentencing.

It is Abib 13 = Passover eve = the day before Passover day (Abib 14). When it is as
usually translated as ‘preparation of the Passover’, it is read by most ‘preparation of the
Passover Festival (= of Matzah), that is ‘the preparation of the Passover Festival
sabbath’. Such a misreading put the day of this mid-day sentencing on Abib 14 (Passover
day), same day as for the crucifixion in the Synoptic Gospels (Mt 27:45; //Mk 15:33;
//Lk 23:44) (= ‘Friday’ in their traditional crucifixion day scenario). They have no
solution for such discrepancy and have to leave the biblical texts contradictory. [See on
‘significance of Jn 19:14’.] [Not to be confused with Erev Pesach (the day before
'Passover' in Jewish calendar) is on Nisan 14. Nisan 15 is Pesach I, First day of Passover
Festival (= Festival of the Matzah).

128 | P a g e
*feast or festival

[from Walk through the Scripture 5 – Time, Calendar and Chronology]

[Vocab: Festival, Feast, Season; 'appointed time'; festive]

A single word in Greek as well as Hebrew. However, two English words Festival and
Feast are of different sense and usage and should be distinguished. [Vocab: 'feast' 'festive'
'festal' 'festival' 'celebration/keeping']

[The English word ‘feast’ (since from 12nd century) as used now is something to do with
a festive meal. The word ‘festival’ (since 14th century) is not in the KJV vocabulary.
Note: Instead of ‘Festival of the Passover’ a few modern Bible translations still render it
as ‘Passover feast’ in a few places – e.g. Jn 2:23 (ESV, NET); Jn 13:1 (NET).]

Though they are represented by a single word in Gk. as well as in Hebrew, it is important
to distinguish them as translation words in order to remove source of confusion. as the
first is for a 7-day long festival and the latter is for a one-day feast as a festival gathering.

the Passover [memoriala] – not 'Passover feast'

the Festival of Passover = the Festival of the Matzah (Exo 23:15)
the Festival of Sukkot (Lev 23:34),
the Feast of Shavuot (> ‘Pentecost’) and
the Feast of First-fruits (on Abib 16).

a
(Lev 23:5 "In the first month, on the fourteenth day in the evening [ha-Arbayim H6153] is
the 'Passover' of YHWH')
129 | P a g e
*Passover; Pesach
See on the subjection '*Pesach or Passover' in the file <Walk through the Scripture 5
– Time and Calendars> and <WB#5 Appendix: Calendation and Chronology>.

Passover a – Heb. Pesach; Gk. Paschab

Passover itself is a memorial (Exo 12:14) c commemorating the historical Passover
eventd in the Exodus of the people of Israel (Exo 12:33-42)e. It is not a 'feast' or a meal.

The word itself is usually used metonymically for a 'Passover sacrifice'f; 'Passover day
(14th of the month Exo 12:6; Lev 23:5 - Abib)', ‘Passover Festival’ (= Matzah Festival
– from Abib 15 for 7 days). It is not used in the sense of 'the Passover day' or ‘the Passover
meal’.g Note: 'six days before the Passover' Jn 12:1 but the exact date referred to should be
determined by the timeline in the context.

"Observe h the month of Abib and keep i the Passover to YHWH your Elohim" (Deu
16:1). (/xx: the Passover of the Lord')

To slaughter the Passover sacrifice "between the two setting-times" (Exo 12:6; Deu
16:6). In the evening of Abib 14 is for Passover memorial meal. This is the precursor
of the rabbinic Jewish ritual Seder. j

In N.T. the Passover serves also for a memorial of Yeshua's death (← 1Co 11:26) [1Co
5:7 "… our Passover sacrifice was slaughtered – Mashiah himself"]. He was called 'the
Lamb of the Elohim'k (Jn 1:29).

a This should not be confused with Pascha (or Pasch by some) which is a transliteration of Greek Πάσχα and
used in Orthodox Church to refer to Easter.
b the Greek word πάσχα, or ϕάσκα, was by Josephus used interchangeably with the Festival of the unleavened

bread, and both together as “Pesach”.

(www.worldslastchance.com/yahuwahs-calendar/the-passover-puzzle.html).
c www.yaiy.org/literature/Passover.html

https://yrm.org/10-proofs-passover-memorial-not-high-day/ Lev 23:4

d The Passover event – with Passover vigil, sacrifice, and meal – Exo 12:1-32
e the Exodus – Exo 12:33-42; (BCE 1442)
f 'a Passover sacrifice' [Exo 12:27]; [H2077 – zebach 'a sacrifice']

'to slaughter the Passover sacrifice'. Deu 16:5; [H2076 sabach 'to slaughter for sacrifice' – Exo 3:18; 5:3, 13:14,
etc.]
'to kill the Passover sacrifice' [Exo 12:6, 21] [H7819 shachat 'to kill' 'slay' Gen 22:10; 37:31, etc. S2380 thuō
Mk 14:12; Mt 22:4; etc.]
Cf. ‘the Lamb [S721 arnion] that was slaughtered [S4969 sphazō]’ (Rev 13:8). Cf. ‘an ewe to slaughtering’
[H7353 rachel (not 'sheep') + H2874 tebach (Isa 53:7). Cf. 'kill a sheep' [H2873 tabach 'kill' + H7716 seh 'sheep']
Exo 22:1.
g Cf. the common Gk. phrase 'phagō to pascha' in the N.T., usually translated as 'eat the Passover' ('eat the

passover' - KJV) is in the sense of 'eat meals for Passover season', not particularly 'eat the Passover meal'.
h [H8104 shamar 'observe' 'keep']
i [H6213 asah 'keep'] /xx: prepare (the Passover) – NWT 3&4;
j 'Seder' -- in the evening at the beginning of Nisan 15th with sunset-to-sunset day reckoning in the Jewish

calendar. To be eaten with lamb roasted whole, bitter herbs, unleavened bread
k [The phrase corresponding to 'Passover lamb' is not found in O.T. or N.T.] Cf. ‘the Lamb [S721 arnion] that

was slaughtered [S4969 sphazō]’ (Rev 13:8).

130 | P a g e
 The word 'Passover' in the Bible is not same as ‘Jewish Passover’ and should not be
confused with the Festival of Passover itself. In reference to the Passion Week timeline it
should be carefully distinguished to see whether the context tells about the day of the
Passover or of the Passover Festival.
(a) Passover, the Memorial Service (not ‘feast’) with the Passover sacrifice and
memorial meal (on Abib 14);
(b) the Passover Festival = the Festival of the Matzaha = Passover Week of 7 days
(Abib 15b to 21)
'the Festival of the Passover' ░░ (hē erotē tou Pascha) in NT
• The exact phrase related to the Passion Week occurs only 2x in Lk 2:41; Jn 13:1.
• Simply as 'the festival' – Mt 26:5; 27:15; Mk 14:2; 15:6; Lk 23:17 v.l.; Jn 11:56,
12:12, 20; 13:29.
• Outside the Passion week: ‘in the Passover, in the Festival’ (Jn 2:23); the festival
(Jn 4:45; 6:4); 'at the Festival of Passover' (Lk 2:41).

‘the Festival of the Matzah, the so-called Passover Festival’ ░░ Lk 22:1 [Cf. Mk 14:1
– Matzah Festival.]
The expression 'Passover (festival)' would cover both, the entire 8-day period with eating
unleavened bread., including a day removing leaven (Abib 14).
The Passover festival in the rabbinic Jewish calendar is from Nisan 15th to 21th (called
Pesach I to Pesach VI). For Diaspora Jews, 8 days to 22nd.

As a word is used often in different senses, it is easy to get confused in reading the biblical
narrative, but also to misinterpret without adequately considering the context. E.g. The
question on whether the Lord’s Last Supper was "the Passover meal" and apparent
contradiction between G-John and the Synoptic Gospels. [Properly understood, read and
interpreted, it was not the Passover meal; there is no contradiction between the two.]

a Matzah – H4682 matstsah (53x) 'unleavened bread' (not 'cake'). Mostly related to the Passover, Exo 12:8, etc.;
outside the Passover - Gen 19:3; Exo 29:2, 23; Lev 2:4, etc.]
b Abib 15th is High Sabbath because it is Sabbath which falls on first day of 7-day long festivals.

131 | P a g e
The Passover in the Passion Week: Chronology

• CE 30
• Dark moon on Mar 22, Wed. @17:32 UTC
(astronomical new moon; @ lunar conjunction)
• Abib 1 [New-Moon Day] = Mar 23, Thu
• Abib 8 [Arrival to Bethany]a = Mar 23, Thu
• Abib 13 [Passover eve] = Apr 3, Tue
• Abib 14 [Passover Day]b = Apr 4, Wed

Jn 18:28 ‘might eat for the Passover' by the Yehudim [>> 'eat the passover']

Thus, in this setting of G-Jn Abib 13 as of

In the narrative of the Pilate sentencing, which was a day before Crucifixion and
the Passover memorial meal on Abib 14 to come, the Yehudim in authority
referred to a festive meal.
Jn 18:28 “They led Yeshua from Kayafa to the Governor's Praetorium. By now it was early
in the day. They themselves did not enter the Praetorium to keep themselves undefiled so
that they might eat for the Passover.”

Note:
(1) Here, "phagōsin to Pascha" 'might eat' is in subjunctive mood.
(2) Most translates phagō to Pascha as 'eat the Passover' ('eat the passover' - KJV), assuming
that 'Passover' means 'Passover meal'. This is a serious over-reading; it should be understood
Passover refers to Passover festival, hence the phrase is in the sense of 'eat meals for the
Passover'. They do not mean here about how to eat the Passover meal (precursor of the Jewish
ritual Seder) on that day, evening coming.

Entering the Governor’s Praetorium which was off limits to Yehudim. The
Yehudim in authority wanted to avoid getting ritually defiled by entering the
Gentile’s place, especially so during the Festival season. However, if they follow
the rabbinic Jewish calendar, they would be purified at the end of the day (at
sunset!) and would have no problem of eating festive meal afterwards in the
evening! So, they would not have a problem of eating their Passover memorial
meal itself.

Also seeing the properly constructed Passion Week timeline, their festive meal
on that day in the text of G-John cannot be on the Passover day!

For those who see that the Last Supper in the Synoptics was the ‘Passover meal’ itself
that had already are unable to explain this v. 28b at all and leave it stand contradict each
other.

a
6 days before Passover Festival -Jn 12:1.
b
Passover day = 'ereb Pesach' (eve of the Festival) in the Jewish rabbinic calendar.
132 | P a g e
[In terms of the Passion narrative timeline, this verse by itself would not give something
definite about the nature of the Last Supper, other than that it could not be the Passover
meal. Nor does it offer more information about the date and time of the Trial and the
Crucifixion (Abib 14th vs. Nisan 14th vs. Nisan 15th), whenever it was the time Yehudim
in authority had faced Pilate early in the morning – of Abib 13th or 14th, or Nisan 15th.
However, when read in the context it does help clarify the timeline of the Passion week
narratives.]

Mt 26:2; //Mk 14:1 ‘two days later Passover to come’

Here in G-Mt //G-Mk, ‘Passover’ refers to Abib 14 of ‘Passover day’ [for Passover
sacrifice in the afternoon and for the Passover memorial meal in the evening], not
Abib 15th (the first day of Festival of the Matzah).].

Mt 26:2 \meta duo hēmeras to pascha ginetai; comes after two days the Passover
//Mk 14:1 \to pascha kai ta azuma ‘after two days Passover and the Festival of the
Matzah’ (Greek word kai - ‘and then’, not ‘that is’.);

It is in contrast to G-Lk where the term ‘Passover’ (as festival season) is described as
synonymous with Festival of the Matzah.
//Lk 22:1 hē heortē tōn aumōv hē legomenē pascha. ‘getting near was the Festival of the
Matzah, the so-called Passover [festival].’

1 (the word ‘festival’ does not appear in KJV) ;/the feast of the passover – KJV /the
Passover Feast – NIrV! (- actually meaning ‘festival’), (Bishops); /the feast of the
Passover – Cass, (Bishops); /(there are another two days and) the Pesach is coming –
Delitzsch;
2 /xxx: the Passover Festival – GNB, AUV, GSNT; /xxx: the Festival of the Passover –
TCNT; /xx: the Passover Festival ~~~ [Note: This was the annual Jewish festival
commemorating Israel’s deliverance from Egyptian bondage under Moses’ leadership] ,
AUV; /

Note: The time setting: This day is same as the day of the Upper Room
preparation (Mt 26:17 //Mk +14:12) – 'at the beginning [day] for the
unleavened bread'. (Cf. slightly different expression in //Lk 22:7). Here 'for the
unleavened bread' does not refer to the Festival itself.

133 | P a g e
‘the Last Supper' vs. 'the Passover meal’ vs. festive meals for the
Passover season:
(Mt 26:26-29; //Mk 14:22-25; //Lk 22:17-20; Cf. Jn 13:1-20)

This is one of a few important topics in clarifying the Passion-Passover Week timeline.
Once it is settled with its proof; it is easier to put a stop on a fruitless exchange of
arguments and counterarguments for one scenario to another crucifixion.
www.triumphpro.com/john-19-sixth-hour.htm

The Last Supper was not the Passover meal, the memorial meal, which was to be on Abib
14 (precursor of rabbinic Jewish Seder). It was a very special occasion in the Passion
narrative where He was going to use the common bread and the fruit of vineyard (‘wine’)
to explain the significance of what he was about to accomplish on the cross – on the
appointed time of the death of the Mashiah, on the Passover day. His death on any day
other than the Passover day is biblically impossible and meaningless. However, absence
essential components of the Passover memorial meal, such as unleavened bread (matzah),
bitter herbs (maror), and lamb roasted whole (with none of its bones unbroken) tell us
simply and plainly that the Last Supper was not and was not meant to be the Passover
memorial meal.

• Jn 19:14 Pilate’s sentencing was on the ‘Eve of the Passover day (not "eve of the
Passover (Festival)"a about sixth hour.
• Jn 13:1 A supper [= 'the Last Supper' as in the Synoptics] before [coming of] the
‘Festival of the Passover’ (= 8-days)
• Jn 18:28 ‘Early in the morning ~ wanted to avoid getting defiled for them so that
they might eat for the Passover’. Not referring to the Passover memorial meal itself.
With Jewish calendar of sunrise-to-sunrise day, any defilement would be done with
upon sunset by purification.
• Bread - Mt 26:26; //Mk 14:22; //Lk 17:19 – a loaf of (ordinary leavened) bread (Gk.
artos), (Gk. [artos] azumos) (also in 1Co 11:23, 26); not matzah/matzo; no lamb
(roasted whole) which is essential for the Passover meal. As to Passover memorial
meal it was the occasion for each family.

To resolve apparent conflict between G-Jn and Synoptics concerting the nature
of the Last Supper, a few proposed an absurd mind-boggling "two-calendar
theory", that there were different calendars [one with sunrise-to-sunrise day and
another with sunset-to-sunset day reckoning] kept by two different group of
people, thus keeping kept the Jewish Passover on different days one day after
another, one in Galilee and one in Judea!! [See in Hoehner’s for the reference.]

This is a problem which is not possible to solve in the Friday Crucifixion Scenario with
Nisan (not Abib) dating of Synoptic reckoning.

To harmonize both the Synoptic Gospels and the Gospel of John over the issue of the
Last Supper vs. the Passover meal, Hoehner wrote,

a
"eve of the Passover Festival" = "ereb Pesach" in the rabbinic Jewish Calendar = "the
day of Passover".
134 | P a g e
 “…. it was felt that the most tenable solution is to recognize that the
Galileans [and Pharisees], and with them Jesus and His disciples, [as in
the Synoptic reckoning] reckoned from sunrise-to-sunrise while the
Judeans and Sadducees [as in the Johannine reckoning] reckoned from
sunset to sunset.” [See Hoehner (1978), p. 90, bold is not in the original].

The alignment of calendar dates in his book shown in the chart ‘the Reckoning of the
Passover’ does not make sense and impossible to accept, because, by some the day was
Nisan 14, but by others the same was Nisan 15! Moreover, one group had Pasch day
one day and the other group on the next day! Just mumbo-jumbo all gobbledygook of
theology out of fertile human minds! The date Nisan 15th for the Galilean Method
should have been Nisan 14th, as the Crucifixion is to be on no other day than
Nisan/Abib 14, the day of Passover (which is the day the Passover sacrifice is
slaughtered and the Passover meal is to be eaten) – regardless of reckoning methods.
Significance of recognition of a day beginning at sunrise eluded him and a possibility
of Biblical Lunar calendar did not come to their mind, which has the key to understand
the Passion narrative timeline. There are no other verifiable sources including Biblical
texts (to fit Hoehner’s modification) to claim that ‘Passover’ – howsoever they may
have understood the sense of the word is used – is on Nisan 15, in which lambs were
slaughtered and the meal was eaten.

Thematically and theological it cannot be the Passover memorial. Yeshua here was not
the one who had to eat it. Why, He himself is our Passover sacrifice! (See 1Co5:7).
That He might have died after having taken the Passover memorial meal would negate
all the reason for His suffering and Crucifixion to death to be in the very week of the
Passover. He could have died any day of the year! It would abolish raison d'être of the
biblical Passion narrative. The profound symbolism, typology, and motive rooted in the
Exodus event is at the core of the Passion narrative in the setting of the Passover week.
Each people group using their own calendar systems should not prevent people to look
into the biblical calendar to follow correct timeline.

Joseph Shulam has suggested that it may not have been the Seder but a se'udat-mitzvah,
the celebratory “banquet accompanying performance of a commandment” such as a
wedding or b'rit-milah. [fr. David H. Stern, the Jewish New Testament Commentary] (p.
77) http://kifa.kz/eng/bible/stern/stern_matfey_26.php

135 | P a g e
Compare with the table below (after the Passion week with the biblical calendar):

EVENTS Date (N & D)

Last Supper Abib 12 N Nisan 13 N
Yeshua arrest Abib 12 N Nisan 13 N
Pilate sentencing Abib 13 D Nisan 13 D

Abib 13 N Nisan 14 N
Crucifixion 3rd hr. Abib 14 D
Darkness 6th hr. Nisan 14 D
death 9th hr. Lamb slain

Entombed ‘Passover Meal’

Abib 14 N Nisan 15 N

Abib 15 D Nisan 15 D
High Sabbath

Abib 15 N Nisan 16 N

Resurrection
Abib 16 D Nisan 16 D

Abib 16 N Nisan 17 N

136 | P a g e
Quoting from David H. Stern:

"The Last Supper is considered by most scholars to have been a Passover meal or Seder. Many
Passover themes are deepened, reinforced and given new levels of meaning by events in the
life of Yeshua the Mashiah and by his words on this night. However, Joseph Shulam has
suggested that it may not have been the Seder but a se'udat-mitzvah, the CELEBRATORY
'BANQUET accompanying performance of a commandment' such as a wedding or b'rit-milah.

"Here is the background for his argument. When a rabbi and his students finish studying a
tractate of the Talmud, they celebrate with a se'udat-mitzvah (also called a se'udat-siyum,
‘banquet of completion’, i.e., graduation). The Fast of the Firstborn, expressing gratitude for
the saving of Israel's firstborn sons from the tenth plague, has been prescribed for the day before
Passover, Nisan 14, at least since Mishnaic times. When it is necessary to eat a se'udat-mitzvah,
this takes precedence over a fast. …

"… But, Shulam reasons, … and if the si'udat siyum custom applied in the first century to the
completing of any course of study, then Yeshua might have arranged to have himself and his
talmidim [students, disciples] finish reading a book of the Tanakh on Nisan 14. Or, since
Yeshua knew he was going to die, he may have regarded it as appropriate to complete his
disciples earthly ‘course of study’ with a BANQUET. This solution would also resolve the
perceived conflict between Yochanan [John] and the Synoptic Gospels over the timing of the
Last Supper" JNT, p.77).

[Note: his translation in The Jewish New Testament has made a serious error by rendering
as ‘matzah’ for what should have been ‘bread’ (common bread, not unleavened bread),
even Mt 26:23, in the occurrence in the context of the Lord’s Last Supper.]

137 | P a g e
A. T. Robertson (1922) [Southern Baptist scholar; not ‘John Arthur T. Robertson’,
Anglican Bishop], A Harmony of the Gospels
p. 393 – Gutenberg online Ed
p. 279 – print edition

Note: Cross-out for a wrong info; editorial notes in purple – ARJ

11. Did Christ eat the Passover meal?

(3). Testimony of John
(d) John 19:14, "Now it was the Preparation of the Passover." This is claimed to mean the
day preceding the Passover Festival. Hence Christ was crucified on the 14th Nisan, in
opposition to the Synoptics (- what do they say?). The afternoon before the Passover was
used as a preparation, but it was not technically so called. This phrase "Preparation" was
really the name of a day in the week, the day before the Sabbath, our Friday. We are not
left to conjecture about this question. [Completely misguided!]
The Evangelists all use it in this sense alone. Matthew uses it for Friday (Mt 27:62), Mark
expressly says that the Preparation was the day before the Sabbath (Mk 15:42), Luke says
that it was the day of the Preparation and the Sabbath drew on (Lk 23:54), and John himself
so uses the word in two other passages (19:31, 42), in both of which haste is exercised on
the Preparation, because the Sabbath was at hand. The New Testament usage is conclusive,
therefore, on this point. This, then, was the Friday of Passover week [this vocabulary
doesn’t mean anything.] And this agrees with the Synoptics. Besides, the term
"Preparation" has long been the regular name for Friday in the Greek language, caused by
the New Testament usage. [it is caused by the church adopting Jewish calendar practice;
not by the N.T. usage] It is so in the Modern Greek today. It was the Sabbath eve, just as
the Germans have Sonnabend for Sunday eve, i.e., Saturday afternoon. [Etymologically
derived from the wrong understanding of the Bible word and expressions.] So this passage
also becomes a positive argument for the agreement between John and the Synoptics [on
what point?]. – [folk etymology; anachronism]

138 | P a g e
Nisan 14th or 15th day for the Passover?

The Passover is on Abib 14tha – a memorial day – the fundamental starting

point in the Passion Week timeline issue.

However, without using the biblical lunar calendar with dates in Abib (with
sunrise-to-sunrise day reckoning), those using the rabbinic Jewish calendar have
a great confusion regarding which date is for the Passover — Nisan 14th or 15th
(with sunset-to-sunset day reckoning). This also contributed unnecessary
confusion not only on the date of the Last Supper but also on the nature of it –
many misinterpret it as the Passover memorial meal. On top of it, even the date
of Crucifixion gets mixed up (Nisan 14th vs. 15th) because of this.

All these problems are confounded by the use of an unbiblical tradition of the
rabbinic Jewish calendar which reckons a day to start at sunset; though their
calendar is a luni-solar calendar, it has planetary weeks, as in the Gregorian solar
calendar system, thus confusing itself about which date is which.

John Meier (1991), A Marginal Jews p. 389.

“… the day for the Passover meal was held in the evening after
sundown (of the Nisan 14). The sabbath which followed was the
16th of Nisan. … In John’s reckoning, therefore, Thursday as the
13th of Nisan up until sunset; the Last Supper was held as the 14th
of Nisan began and so was not a Passover meal; Jesus was crucified,
died, and was buried on a Friday that was the 14th of the Nisan up
until sunset; and Passover Day began with the Passover meal at
sunset on Friday, as the 15th of Nisan began.”

Here in this typical confusing argument on the Nisan 14th vs. 15th, the
author unfortunately labelled Nisan 15th as ‘Passover Day proper’, which
by itself is a confusing inappropriate term. All such confused ideas of
Jewish Nisan 14th vs. 15th is fundamentally caused by the rabbinic Jewish
calendation with a sunset-to-sunset day.

It is an inherent problem when the rabbinic Jewish calendar is used. O.T. text
says Passover sacrifice to be Abib 14 ‘between the two setting-times (ben
haArbayim /x: ‘between two evenings’) [≈ in the afternoon]; with the Passover
memorial meal in the ensuing evening (of the same Abib date). As the Jewish
Nisan date changes at sunset it would be Nisan 15 evening. [“In the first month,
on the fourteenth day, 'between the two setting-times', is the Passover sacrifice
to YHWH.” (Lev 23:5)]

a
Abib 14 in the Bible = is Nisan 14 for the daytime event; Nisan 15 for the night period event, in
the rabbinic Jewish calendar with sunset-to-sunset day reckoning.
139 | P a g e
 An example of confused statement and argument is seen in Doig, New
Testament Chronology - The 30 CE Crucifixion www.nowoezone.com/NTC24.htm
[A copy in IRENT Vol. III Supplement (Collections #6A)]

Chart XXIX
Possible Astronomical Date of the Crucifixion
Day Day Jewish Day Calendar
30 CE, Apr 6 Thu Nisan 14 Sunrise*
30 CE, Apr 7 Fri Nisan 14 Sunset
30 CE, Apr 7 Fri Nisan 15 Sunrise*
31 CE, Mar 28 Wed Nisan 15 Sunset
33 CE, Apr 3 Fri Nisan 14 Sunrise*
33 CE, Apr 3 Fri Nisan 14 Sunset

“The Passover supper is eaten in the evening of Nisan 14 according to the

sunrise calendar (i.e. Abib 14 in the biblical calendar*), and on Nisan 15th
according to the sunset calendar (i.e. in the rabbinic Jewish calendar, 12 hours
ahead of Abib date).

Note that the alignment of the sunset and sunrise calendars on April 7, 30 CE
allows both Nisan 14th and Nisan 15th to fall on the same Friday. This alignment
is not possible for the other dates considered. [What does it mean at all?? – ARJ]
This consideration is critical to the possibility of their having two Passovers
observed, [as he discusses].

“In 30 or 31 CE, the sunrise month began first, and it is possible for Passover to
fall on two succeeding evenings, depending on the calendar used. [He offers a
usual unbiblical two-calendar and two-Passover theory.]a

“In 30 CE, the Last Supper fell on the first Passover, and John's words are fulfilled
by there being a Passover Seder after Jesus' crucifixion. But, in 31 CE the Last
Supper would have to be the second Passover, and John's words must be explained
away. In 33 CE, the sunset month began first and Passover could only occur on
the same evening, by either sunrise or sunset reckoning. If one accepts Jesus'
words that the Last Supper was a Passover supper, and John's words that another
Passover meal followed the crucifixion, then the year must be 30 CE.

“Considering calendar arrangement, what are the choices? Friday, April 7, 30 CE

uses two possible Passovers, and Jesus was crucified on both Nisan 14th (sunset
reckoning) and Nisan 15th (sunrise reckoning).

“A crucifixion on Thursday, April 6, 30 CE and Friday, April 3, 33 CE share a

common problem. They can be satisfied only by the death of Jesus having
occurred on Nisan 14. Then it must be demonstrated that the Last Supper was not
a Passover meal. Such a proof has been repeatedly, and unsuccessfully, attempted
over the years. Such remains a major weakness of these dates.”

a
. Hoehner (pp. 84, 90-91) describes fanciful theory by Billerbeck that the Galileans (incl. Jesus
and His disciples) reckoned a day of sunrise-to-sunrise while the Judean reckoned sunset-to sunset.
Both calendars were used at the same time, so that there were two consecutive days for Passover
observed by two different people groups!! A hogwash!
140 | P a g e
“Only with the crucifixion on Good Friday, Nisan 15, according to sunrise
reckoning, does the preceding Nisan 10 fall on Palm Sunday (See Chart XXVI).
Only the April 7, 30 CE date fully supports such a [Palm Sunday] tradition.

Although the crucifixion on Thursday, Nisan 14, would have Palm Sunday on
Nisan 10, the crucifixion is not on Good Friday and the resurrection not on
Sunday. With a crucifixion on Nisan 14 in 33 CE, Nisan 10 must be renamed
Palm Monday. The Wednesday crucifixion has the preceding Nisan 10 on Friday.
These dates must all be rejected, or the traditional Palm Sunday must be rejected.

141 | P a g e
A fanciful theory of 'Two calendar-systems and two Passovers'

Some proposed in a futile ingenious and ingenuous attempt to explain away the non-
exiting problem of the Passover on both 14 and 15.
A comparison table [Cf. Hoehner p. 89.]
Nisan-G -S Abib
12
13 <Upper Room Prep>
12 <Olivet Discourse>
<Last Supper><Gethsemane>;
<Arrest>;
13 <Pilate> 6th hour.
<Upper Room Prep>
14 13 <Last Supper><Gethsemane>;
<Arrest>;
<Pilate> 6 A.M.
14 22 <Crucifixion> – 9 AM
○
23 <Death> – 3 PM
○
15 14 ○
24 <Entombed>
15

[High Sabbath - daytime]

16 15
16

‘Nisan-S’ after Sadducean calendar with a day of sunset to sunset; 12

hours ahead of Abib.
‘Nisan-G’ after Galilean calendar with a day of sunrise-to-sunrise, but, it is
one whole day ahead of Abib date in the Biblical calendar. The Crucifixion
was groundlessly put on Nisan 15th in this two-calendar theory advocated in
Hoehner. As attempt to explain away the dilemma of the Passover on Nisan
15, it is one thing that the same event is on different dates in the different
calendar. It is even unthinkable to entertain the idea that two different groups
were keeping the Passover on different days, back-to-back!

Ref.:
Hoehner (1977) Chronological Aspects of the Life of Christ
https://books.google.com/books?id=fS28b9GC1dcC
Doig (1990), New Testament Chronology - Exact Dating of the Birth and Crucifixion of Jesus,
http://nowoezone.com/NTC21.htm Ch. 21. THE TWO PASSOVERS

http://nowoezone.com/NTC17.htm Ch. 17 Astronomical Determination of the New Moon.

“Jesus' crucifixion was on a Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, and that day was either Nisan
14 or Nisan 15. The day began at either sunrise or sunset. No other combination of days of
the week and month seems possible.”

142 | P a g e
Two calendars and two Passovers? Reckoning of Passover (Hoehner p. 90)

Note: Doig (1990), “…This chart is in error for two reasons. First, it reverses the
reckoning of the Sadducees and Pharisees [as differently from the Hohner’s text p. 91
“… that the Galileans, and with them Jesus and His disciples, reckoned from sunrise-
to-sunrise while the Judeans reckoned from sunset-to-sunset” - ARJ], with the latter
supposedly using sunrise reckoning. Second, in 33 CE the Passover was on the same
evening by sunrise or sunset reckoning, with no offset; the offset of Passovers did occur
in 30 CE.” [from New Testament Chronology, Ch. 21. THE TWO PASSOVERS]

Nisan date with sunrise-to-sunrise is comparable to Abib dates of the true biblical
calendar. – the Passover meal (< Passover memorial meal) to be on 15th. Note the
unthinkable idea that there Passover were kept by the different people group in different
days – by simply aligning by reading the timeline in the narrative with the unbiblical
Gregorian calendar! [p. 87 “Thus, in the year Christ died, there were two consecutive
days for Passover.”]

143 | P a g e
Jn 19:14 ‘eve of the Passover’
This chronologically important verse tells about the date and time of Pilate’s sentencing
in relation to that of the Crucifixion. [See above for the term ‘preparation’]

Jn 19:14a
Now it was eve of the Passover [day]; it was around the sixth hour.
[ēn de paraskeuē tou pascha; hōra ēn hōs hektē.]
• Eve of the Passover day; not of the Passover Festivala
• ‘sixth hour as on a sundial’; not ‘six on the clock’.
• 'around or sometime in sixth hour’, not ‘about sixth hour’ as if somewhere
imprecisely btw 5th to 7th hour.

Here Passover in this text is Passover day.

• The day of Passover memorial service).
• It is NOT the Passover Festival (=Matzah Festival);
• ‘eve of the Passover Festival’ is the Passover day It is not ‘eve of the Passover Week.

Most translates simply as 'the day of preparation of the Passover'. However, this
can easily be misinterpreted as 'the day of preparation of the Passover Festival' or 'the
day of preparation of the sabbath in the Passover'.

In order to avoid confusion and misinterpretation IRENT render it "Now it was eve
of the Passover day". The verse in the text needs to be read together with the
subsequent narrative (Jn 19:31 – the Crucifixion was on 'preparation' of the High
Sabbath) to see that 'preparation' here in Jn 19:14 is not preparation for sabbath day
in the Passover (i.e. the Passover day itself), but preparation for the day of the
Passover memorial.

Gk. paraskeuē (‘preparation’) is used as metonymic of ‘day of preparation’. The day

of preparation is ‘eve’ or ‘the day before’ a certain day. In majority cases in the
Gospels it is preparation for sabbath. That is, 'preparation/ of the sabbath' = ‘the day
before sabbath’ = 'eve of Sabbath'

Instead of the word ‘preparation’ as to a day of preparation, IRENT renders it as

‘eve’ (e.g. eve of the Passover; sabbath eve). In this simple way, the meaning of the
phrase comes clear; and the readers can avoid automatic association of the word
‘preparation’ with ‘preparation for sabbath’b.]
Examples of English translations:
1 /preparation for the Passover;
2 /the day before the Passover – GNB; /the day before Passover – CEV;
3 /the day of the Preparation of the Passover – NIV2011, TNIV;
4 /xx: Day of Preparation of the Passover Festival – AUV
5 /xx: Preparation day in Passover Week – NIrV; /xx: Preparation day of Passover week –
ERV; /xx: the day of Preparation of Passover week – NIV-old;

a 'Passover Festival' - [See how English words ‘festival' and feast’ are to be used for the same word in Greek
as well as Hebrew word in WB #5 Time, Calendar, and Chronology and in WB #1 Words, Words, and Words
of IRENT Vol. III Supplement.]
b 'preparation day of sabbath' is of course equated to 'Friday' in the Holy Week of the Church tradition.

144 | P a g e
 This verse is very important. It tells that Pilate's sentencing was on the eve of the
Passover, with the Crucifixion itself coming next day.

Thus, it flatly tells that the Lord’s Last Supper could not be the Passover memorial
meal. Compare Jn 13:1 ‘(Last Supper) before the Festival of the Passover’.

The sentencing "was around the sixth hour", i.e. around midday. It was not 6 a.m. as
interpreted by taking it as an alleged Roman reckoning or taking a variant text. a It was
simply in attempt to harmonize the Johannine and the Synoptic dating of the
Crucifixion to remove non-existing contradiction between them when they read the
Passion Week timeline which puts His trial and His Crucifixion on the same day all
in the morning!

Cf. In the rabbinic Judaism, Heb. Erev Pesach is 'preparation of the Passover Festival
(Pesach I to VII), not of the Passover day. Pesach = Pesach Festival. With them the
Passover Seder is on Nisan 15th (Pesach I).

a
A text variant reads 'third hour'.
145 | P a g e
‘*Festival of the Matzah’ and *unleavened bread
Scanned image from WB #1

146 | P a g e
‘at the beginning [day] for the unleavened bread', not ‘on the *first day of
the festival of unleavened bread’

(A) Mk 14:1 = Mt 26:2 = Lk 22:1

(B) Mk 14:12 = Mt 26:17 = Lk 22:7a
(B-a) Mk 14:12 = Mt Ø = Lk 22:7b

Note: the setting of the narrative in the Synoptic Gospels shows paired parallel time-
markers. Group A and B are on the same day ‘two days later Passover to come’ as in
Mt 26:2; //Mk 14:1

[Cf. Parallel in G-Lk is in the same narrative setting but with different wording.]

(A) Mk 14:1
ēn de to pascha kai ta azuma meta duo hēmeras
was the Passover [day] and the [Festival of] Matzah after 2 days
(B) Mk 14:12a
kai tē prōtē hēmera tōn azumōn
at the beginning day for the unleavened bread
(B-a) Mk 14:12b
hote to pascha ethuon
('when' < 'on which occasion', the Passover sacrifice would be killed).

(A) Mt 26:2
meta duo hēmeras to pascha ginetai
after 2 days was the Passover [day].
(B) Mt 26:17
tē de prōtē tōn azumōn,
at the now beginning for the unleavened breada
(B-a) Mt Ø

(A) Lk 22:1
ēggizen de hē heortē tōn azumōn hē legomenē pascha
approaching was the Festival of the Matzah, which is called ‘Passover [festival]’.
(B) Lk 22:7a
hēlthen de hē hēmera tōn azumōn
coming* now the day for the unleavened bread
(B-a) Lk 22:7b
hē edei thuesthai to pascha
‘when it was necessary to kill the Passover sacrifice).

a [The word ‘festival’ is not in the text and should not be in translation here. Rendered as ‘unleavened bread’
instead of the Matzah (capitalized throughout) which is reserved for the name of the festival.
147 | P a g e
 For the group (B), the verb in aorist is used in Lk 22:7a; while Mk 14:12 = Mt 26:17 have it
in dative adverbial noun phrase.

The group (B-a) clearly tells us that it cannot refer to ‘the first day of the Festival of
the Matzah, the very day to be come after the Passover day itself.

Most have been baffled by these verses when read in the usual translation which itself was
from misinterpretation. This is a crux interpretum; those have failed to understand the plain
sense of the text simply because they were not equipped with adequate knowledge of the
biblical calendar and understanding of the Passover-Passion week timeline.

Typically, by most, the text group (B) [Mk 14:12 = Mt 26:17 = Lk 22:7a] is translated,
(actually in paraphrase), as ‘on the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread’a. The
phrase 'on the first' is an incorrect translation of tē prōtē [← S4413 prōtos]. Such
mistranslation creates a contradiction in the timeline of the Scriptural narrative, driving
commentators befuddled to glib answers. The fact is, the Greek text does not have the
word 'festival'. Even the word 'day' is only in G-Mt.

The IRENT renders it as ‘at the beginning [day] for the unleavened bread’ which should
help to remove confusion and contradiction from misreading the text.

The day of Abib 15 (= high sabbath of the festival of the Passover week) is 'the first day of
the Festival', but such expression 'the first day of the Festival' by itself does not occur in the
NT, unlike 'first day of the week'. Moreover, ‘the first day' in Deu 16:4b refers to Abib 14
when no leaven should be found in the house.

Without having placed the events in their correct places on the timeline,c these verses caused
the scholars erroneously conclude that the Last Supper in the Synoptics was the Passover
meal itself. They let it stand contradictory in the Passion week timeline to the Johannine text
Jn 13:1-2 which clearly indicates that it was ‘before [S4253 pro] coming of the Passover’d.
They have made the event of preparing the Upper Room occur even before the Passover was
already over!

a (with or without capitalization) [Cf. In case of Mk 14:12 the literal translation of KJV is quite accurate – ‘the
first day of unleavened bread’.]
b Any leaven in the house is to be removed in Abib 14 and then 7 more days of the Festival (Abib 15-21) to eat

unleavened bread. Deu 16:4 "No leaven shall be seen with you in all your territory for seven days, nor shall any
of the flesh that you sacrifice on the evening of the first day remain all night until morning."
c It is possible only when followed by the biblical lunar calendar.
d 'before the Passover', not ‘on the day before’, regardless ‘Passover’ was either as Abib 14 or the Matzah

Festival.
148 | P a g e
Cf. Though some have pointed out the problem with the traditional translations
reading the text wrongly as 'first day' and 'Festival of the Unleavened Bread', their
way of solving the difficulty by translating the phrase tē prōtē in G-Mt & G-Mk
simply as 'before' may be any problem. Their translation may seem smooth as "Now
before the unleavened bread …". However, it is an eisegesis, going beyond the basic
grammar and syntax.

www.worldslastchance.com/YHWHs-calendar/the-Passover-puzzle.html

… In the text from Matthew, the word "first" comes from the word πρώτος
(prōtŏs) which means "foremost (in time, place, order or importance)." [#4413,
The New Strong's Expanded Dictionary of Bible Words]. It can mean "beginning"
and "best" but it can also be correctly translated as "before". When πρώτος
(prōtŏs) is translated as "before" Matthew 26:17 states: "Now before the
unleavened bread the disciples came. . . ." This agrees with John 13:1: "Now
before the festival feast of the passover. …
[Jn 13:1 Pro [H4253] de tēs heortēs tou pascha …]

http://truthsearch.org/knowpassover17.html =
www.truthsearch.org/ContentsFirstDayofUnleavenedBread.html!! –

<THE “FIRST DAY” OF UNLEAVENED BREAD> (Juan R. Rains)

See its copy <The 'First Day' of Unleavened Bread - Gk. protos.pdf> in the folder
<Leavening, unleavened bread, Matzah Festival> in IRENT Vol. III -
Supplement (Collections #6A - Passion Week Chronology).

He renders Lk 22:7 "Then came the season of unleavened bread, when the
Passover must be killed."

[Check for a similar misunderstanding with the Gk. word prōtē in Lk 2:4 -- for the
first census registration, not 'before Quirinius was administering over Suria …']

149 | P a g e
Note: the setting of the narrative in G-Mt and G-Mk, which is shown prior this problematic
time-marker, is on the same day as in Mt 26:2; //Mk 14:1 ‘two days later Passover to come’.
[Cf. //Lk 22:1 is in the same narrative setting but with different wording.]

The opening timeline marker begins –

Mt 26:2
meta duo hēmeras to pascha ginetai
after 2 days was the Passover [day].
Mk 14:1
ēn de to pascha kai ta azuma meta duo hēmeras
after 2 days was the Passover [day] and the [Festival of] the Matzah [to follow].
Lk 22:1
ēggizen de hē heortē tōn azumōn hē legomenē pascha
approaching was the Festival of the Matzah, which is called ‘Passover [festival]’.

Here, the flow of timeline: the time-marker verse (“2 days before the Passover [day]”
– Mt 26:2; Mk 14:1; Lk 22:1) introduces the <Readying the Upper Room> (Mt 26:17
//Mk 14:12 and Lk 22:7). It is continued from the <Olive Discourse>. [It is important
to see that all these events are in the same date of Abib 12, which is the date for <the
Last Supper> <Arrest> and <Sanhedrin I>. The same date goes as far back as Mk
11:27; Mt 21:23; Lk 20:1 for <Confrontation & Teaching>.
When this opening text for <Readying the Upper Room> (Mt 26:17 //Mk 14:12 and
Lk 22:7) was inaccurately translated as 'on the first [day'], it misled it as 'the first day
of the Festival (i.e. Abib 14). Such a translation has made an event belonging to Abib
15 happened a few days before the Passover of Abib 14!!

http://www.nazarene-friends.org/nazcomm/40/026.php

The first day of the unfermented cakes: There is no universal agreement on this phrase. The
Greek PROTE may infer, “the day before,” meaning Nisan 13. Compare Exodus 12:18;
Exodus 23:15. Mark 14:12 adds, “… when they customarily sacrificed the Passover.” (Luke
22:7) Nisan 14 would begin at sundown. The Jews had to clear all leaven out of their homes
and prepare the sacrificial meal of lamb. In the case of the collection of manna it was to be
done the day before Sabbath when they would get a double portion (Exodus 16:5, 22-27;
Exodus 20:10). In time “the day before the sabbath” came to be termed “Preparation,” as Mark
explained (Mark 15:42). “(The Jews) need not give bond (to appear in court) on the Sabbath or
on the day of preparation for it (Sabbath Eve) after the ninth hour (3 PM).” The Jews thus
began to prepare for the Sabbath on Friday afternoon, or on those occasions where a special
Sabbath fell on another day, the afternoon before [Jewish Antiquities, XVI, 163 (vi, 2)]. Nisan
14 was also a Sabbath day no matter what day it fell on. Friday evening at sundown would
begin a high holy day with a double Sabbath (John 19:31, 42; Mark 15:42, 43; Luke 23:54).
There is disagreement on these dating of matters.

150 | P a g e
Jn 19:31 ‘High Sabbath’
ēn gar megalē hē hēmera ekeinou tou sabbatou “the day of that sabbath was high [sabbath]”
First and last days of the week-long festival are special (‘high’, ‘great’, ‘important’).
The first day of a week-long festival is called as ‘high sabbath’ [‘Sabbath haGadol’ in
Heb.], since it is sabbath (day 7 of the lunar week).

[Not because it was a 'doubled-up sabbath' (sabbath happened to fall on the first day of
the Festival at that time), nor sabbath was the one falling in the middle of the festival,
but because the first day of the festival is set in the biblical calendar on the 15th, which
is always day 7 of the lunar week, i.e. sabbath. Note that the numbered days of the lunar
week (in the Scripture) does not correspond to the named days of the planetary week
(as in Gregorian, and even rabbinic Jewish calendars). In short, Day 7 of the lunar week
is unrelated to ‘Saturday’.

‘seasons’

Hebrew word moed means ‘appointed (times)’ – often translated as ‘seasons’ ‘festivals’ (/x: feast
– KJV). It is governed by the sun, not by the moon [Gen 1.5ff]
Cf. Heb. Chag – festival/feast

‘evening’
N.T. – ‘evening’
The word ‘evening’ in English is used in different sense (Cf. check for validity
of listing on a dictionary as ‘afternoon’ in Southern American dialect). A
common Gk. word opsios in GNT is translated as ‘evening’ (but in NWT ‘late in
the afternoon’ Mt 27:57; //Mk 15:42). (Related to opse Mk 11:19; 13:35; Mt 28:1). Cf.
hespera (Lk 24:29; Act 4:3; 28:23)
O.T. – *ereb; ‘*evening’; ‘in the evening’; ‘between the two setting-
times’ (/x: ‘between the two evenings’);
See in IRENT III Supplement - Walk through the Scripture 5 - Time, Calendar and Chronology

Heb. 'ereb' is used (1) for 'evening' and (2) for 'eve' (i.e. 'the day before') in modern Hebrew but
not in O.T.
Note: QQ Different Hebrew phrases (1) 'by the evening' [bā·‘ā·reḇ Deu 16:6] (i.e. with an
event in the afternoon)and 'in the evening' [bā·‘e·reḇ Deu 16:4].

Jdg 19:8b So they waited until day began to decline and both of them had a meal together.

H5704 ad + H5186 natah + H3117 yom

(the day stretched out – or – the day began to decline), /until late that afternoon – ISV; /till
afternoon – NIV; /until afternoon – KJV, NASB; /until late afternoon – HCSB; /until later in
the day – NET; GNB; /
H5186 natah (to stretch out; to spread, to pitch, to turn, to incline, to bend)

Check for various preposition idioms with ereb – e.g. 'in the evening' vs. 'by the evening' (i.e.
for an event in the afternoon = 'between the two setting-times'.

151 | P a g e
 C. Time-indicators in the Biblical passages
Listed below are some verses in the Gospels which deserve further scrutiny for
they serve as important time indicators in the Passion narrative.

[ www.yhrim.com/Teaching_Documents/‘The_Third_Day’, ‘After_Three
Days’ ‘Sign_of_Yonah’ 2014.pdf http://ow.ly/xSgg30g9Ov4 https://is.gd/Y8lnr2 ]

• Lord’s Last Supper’ vs. ‘Passover memorial meal’

• Mt 26:17; //Mk 14:12; //Lk 22:7
• Mt 27:1; Mk 15:1a, Lk 22:6 ‘in the morning’ ‘day came’
• Mt 12:40 ‘three days and three nights’; ‘Jonah′s sign’
• Mt 28:1 ‘sabbaths’ (pl.)
• Mt 28:1 ‘at dawn in the first day of the week’
• Mt 26:2; //Mk 14:1 ‘two days later Passover day to come’
• Mt 26:17 (‘at the beginning day for the unleavened bread’) //Mk 14:12;
(‘at the beginning for the unleavened bread’) //Lk 22:7 ('coming close
was the day for the unleavened bread)
• Lk 22:1 //Mk 14:1 ‘Festival of the Matzah (Abib 15-21) (the so-called
‘Passover festival [season] together with Passover day itself on Abib
14). Also, ‘Matzah Festival = Passover Festival’.
• Mk 14:14; //Lk 22:8 – ‘eat the passover' (KJV) (< ‘eat for the Passover’;
[also Jn 18:28]
• Mk ‘sixth hour’ ‘third hour’ ‘ninth hour’
• Mk 16:1 ‘after this sabbath had past’
• Mk 16:2 ‘with the sun about to rise’
• Mk 16:9 ‘after having risen’
• Mt 27:57‘Now evening having come’
• Jn 12:1 ‘Six days before the Passover’
• Jn 13:1 ‘before the festival of the Passover’
• Jn 19:14 ‘eve of the Passover day
• Jn 19:14 ‘sixth hour’
• Jn 19:31 ‘High Sabbath’
• Jn 19:42 ‘sabbath preparation day’ (‘sabbath eve’ Mk 15:42)
• Jn 20:19 ‘evening following that first day of the lunar week’

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Time-related terms:
‘day’; ‘date’; ‘dawn’; ‘twilights – morning and evening’; ‘midnight’ and
‘midday’; ‘hour-period’ vs. ‘hour’; ‘week’; ‘month’.

(1) Day or calendar day? The word ‘day’ throughout the Bible is
that which begins at sunrise. This common word should not
be confused with calendar day.

(2) Hour: The word ‘hour’ in the Bible is a duration of ‘hour-period’

by the sundial, not 'hour on the clock' which is for specifying the
point of time of the day. A day has 12 hour-periods.

(3) Lunar or planetary week; Lunar or solar sabbath: The word

‘week’ in the bible is of lunar week, which is non-cyclic non-
continuous. In the bible there is no such a vocabulary of the 7
named days of the week, Sunday to Monday’, which are of the
planetary week. E.g. The 7th day of the week (for Sabbath –
biblical lunar sabbath, not religious solar sabbath) is unrelated to
Saturday.

The common time-related terms used in the Scripture have different English meanings and
usages, just as any other terms. usage:
day in the Bible is that which begins at sunrise. It means a daylight period [between sunrise and
sunset = dawn to dusk]. Syn. ‘daytime’ (Ko. 낮). Jn 11:19 ‘twelve hours in the day’].

calendar day (as of a date on a calendar with a day + a night)a (Ko. 하루). [*night is that
which begins at sunset with coming of evening (Gk. opsias; Heb. ereb).] It is distinguished from
night. [Gen 1:5a <Elohim called the light-period ‘day’ and the darkness-period ‘night’.>;

The rabbinic Jewish calendar has caused much confusion because of its reckoning of
sunset-to-sunset day.

A 24-hour day may be reckoned to start at various time point. The present universal
Gregorian calendar reckons to start at 12 A.M. b which is not same as ‘midnight’ which is
at midpoint between the sunset to sunrise. Reckoning events occurring in the night is
confusing because the date changes past 12 p.m.

In the rabbinic Jewish calendar (since 4th c. CE) it is reckoned to start at sunset – with a
careless reading of Gen 1:3-5 which serves as proof-text. Such erroneous idea has a serious

a Day as 24-hour day, which does not exist in the biblical world, is a term for unit of time in physics,
corresponding to a rotation of the earth on its axis (‘solar day’). Cf. ‘civil day’. Note: 12 a.m. is not same as
‘midnight’. 12 p.m. is not identical to ‘midday’ (‘noon’) which is the mid-point of daytime when the sun is
at highest point.
b [Cf. Local time zone vis-à-vis UTC. The problem with a single time zone for a large country like China; in

contrast to the problem with multiple time zones for a large country like USA.]
153 | P a g e
 biblical and practical implication, including confusion when following timelines in the
Biblical narratives found.a

In the Bible, hour is not hour on the clock, but an hour-period by the sundial, which is
1/12 of a day (or a night). Its duration varies according to the latitude and season. It is not
used as a unit of time duration of 60 minutes.

[E.g. Sixth hour on a sundial is an hour period before midday (noon; not 12 P.M.). Third
hour is an hour-period on a sundial ≈ 8 to 9 a.m. It does not mean 9 on the clock.] [The
actual length of 'hour' in the bible, that is the duration of an hour-period, is dependent on
latitude and season, as the duration of a daytime period itself does.] b
[Cf. four night-watches; Roman 12 hour-divisions of a nighttime also.]

A biblical ‘week’ is lunar week, which is discontinuous and non-cyclic. On the other
hand, both Gregorian and rabbinic Jewish calendars are of planetary week, which is cyclic
continuous planetary weeks. The 7-numbered days of the lunar week are independent of
the 7-named days of the Gregorian week.c Note: a week in early Julian calendar used 8
days (labeled A to H), not 7days.

Thus, a biblical lunar month has 4 full 7-day weeks: 1st week (2nd to 8th day); 2nd
week (9th to 15th); 3rd week (16th to 22nd); 4st week (23rd to 29th). 1st day (of New
Moon Day) and 30th day (a transitional day) of a month are not sabbath days, nor
week days. sabbath days are fixed on 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th day of each month.

7th day of the lunar week in the Bible does not correspond to 'Sat'.
1st day of the lunar week does not correspond to 'Sun'.d

‘Month’ in the Scripture is lunar month (29 or 30 days); with its first day called 'New-
Moon day'. Year in the Bible is solar (as in Roman calendar). Hence, luni-solar calendar
(similar to the rabbinic Hebrew).

After ‘dark moon’ (= 'astronomical new moon'; syn. 'new moon'. Not to be confused with
biblical 'New-Moon' of the 1st day of the lunar month) which occurs at lunar conjunction
and can be precisely determined by astronomical calculation. The crescent of the
rebuilding (‘waxing’) moon then becomes visible [how many hours later?]. Thus, full
moon is on 14th of the lunar month Abib. [Cf. the date in Nisan for full moon varies from
14 to 16]. [See <Walk through the Scripture #5 Time, Calendar and Chronology> on the
topic of how the biblical New-Moon day (1st day of a month) is determined with

aNote that the difference between Abib and Nisan date is not just 12 hours, but date for the daylight period may
not same, since the first date of the Abib (1st month of the biblical year) and of Nisan (7th month of the Jewish
year) are determined differently.
b
One special example: in Jn 19:14 ‘sixth hour’ is counted from sunrise {≈ midday}. It is not 6 a.m.
Even in the early Roman calendar whether a day was reckoned to start at mid-night or sunrise, the
hour was counted from sunrise and sunset. [The date cannot be on the day of the Crucifixion to
contradict – Mk 15:25 (‘it was then the third hour-period and they crucified him.’) Mk 15:33 (‘And
when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness …’)] [Cf. for night period – divided by 12; also
by four watches – is by means of a 'Water clock' or clepsydra.
c
Moreover, some countries have other than Sunday as the first day of their week – e.g. Saturday in
Arabic usage; Monday in Eastern Asia and European countries.
[ www.cjvlang.com/Dow/SunMon.html]
d
“Which day is the first day of a week in a calendar?” Despite of Sunday being included in the notion
of ‘weekend’ in English, most of us takes Sunday itself as the first day in the calendar, whereas in
some cultures Monday is the first day of the week.
154 | P a g e
 astronomical data on Vernal Equinox and Moon conjunction closest to Equinox.] [See
References on Moon Phase].

‘Dawn’a (cf. The last fourth watch of the night belongs to the last part of a night in the Scripture.
'dawn-watch'? (1Chr 23:30-31 ‘dawn’ and ‘dusk’). Cf. The phrase ‘early morning’ should be
located in the first half of the period from sunrise to noon (about 6 to 9 a.m.); ‘forenoon’ is a
period before the noon from morning [break].

Morning twilight (dawn) before sunrise vs. Evening twilight (dusk) after sunset.
‘dawn’ vs. ‘dusk’ = ‘twilights’. Cf. www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-dusk-and-
vs-dawn;

Diagram of ‘day’

[There should be no ‘zero hour’. ‘hour’ on the yellow dot is actually ‘hour period’ as
corrected placed by arrows.]
Edited on the diagram from www.thecreatorscalendar.com/day-genesis-genesis-1-1-5/

a
Cf. various English expressions of different meaning - ‘morning breaking’ ‘at dawn break’ ‘at
dawn’ ‘day is dawning’. Since dawn is not a point of time, but a short period until sunrise toward
the end of the pre-dawn watch (=fourth watch) of the night, the phrase 'at dawn' is synonymous to
'at dawning'. (Cf. 'in the dawn').]
155 | P a g e
Note: Shown correctly in the diagram, 'hour' in the Bible is 'hour-period', a
duration, not a point of time of the clock.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/Ancient_Roman_time_keeping_hora_vigili
a_equinox_solstice.svg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_timekeeping#cite_note-5

Sunrise, morning, sunset, evening; dust and dawn; forenoon and afternoon; midday; and midnight.
[Cf. ‘*evening’ = Heb. ereb and Gk. opsias (Mk 15:42 etc.); opse. A few examples of hesperan (Lk 24:29;
Act 4:3; 28:23)]
[cf. midday ≈ ‘noon’, ‘high noon’. Cf. noon time (or noon hour) = 12 P.M.]

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‘on the third day’ ‘after three days’ ‘in three days’ ‘to third day’

‘on the third day’ ‘after three days’

The expression ‘on the third day’ is about counting-off dates, whereas the expression ‘after
three days’ is about the duration; the context tells ‘after three days of what’. – ‘on third day’,
‘in three days’, ‘after three days’, and even the Matthean unique phrase ‘three days and three
nights’

It requires the properly constructed timeline in the Passion Week narrative to see the context.
such a timeline, it is essential to use Abib dates (with sunrise-to-sunrise day), not Nisan dates
(with sunset-to-sunset day), nor Gregorian named days of the planetary week.

[For the examples of correspondence of two expressions, ‘third day’ and ‘three days’ in OT
and NT,
see Ref. www.apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=10&article=756&topic=139
Did Jesus Rise “On” or “After” the Third Day?]

tē tritē hēmera “on the third day” (x 11)

• "shall rise (/be raised) up on the third day” Lk [Mt 16:21; 17:23; 20:19;
Lk 9:22; 24:7, 18:33; 24:7, 46; Mk 9:31 v.l.; 10:34 v.l.] a
• ‘the Mashiah … will rise … on the third day’ [Lk 24:46]
• ‘the Elohim raised him on the third day’ [Act 10:40]
Note that this phrase is possible only when reckoning dates in Abib, not in Nisan.

Cf. Hos 6:1-2

6:1 “Come, let us return to YHWH;
for he has torn us, that He may heal us;
He has struck us down,
and he will bind us up.
6:2 He will revive us
after two days;
on the third day
He will raise us up that we may live before Him.

meta treis hēmeras ‘after three days’b

• Mk 8:31; 9:31, and 10:34. ‘put to death. And after three days I shall be raised
up’
• Mt 27:63 “Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said,
‘After three days I will be raised up.’ Therefore, command that the tomb be made
secure until the third day.” Note: On what occasion did they hear him saying
that? → Jn 2:19 [not Mt 12:40]. After three days from what? Prob. from the day
of Pilate’s trial of Him Abib 13th.

a
E.g. Lk 24:7 "The Son of man must be delivered up into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and
shall rise up on the third day" – not on the third day after death/entombed.
b
Cf. A strange and inconsistent way of interval counting in WNT translation: ‘after two days’ for ‘meta
treis ēmeras’ Mt 27:63; Mk 8:31; but ‘in three days’ in Mk 9:31.
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‘in three days’’
The expression ‘in three days’ occurs in specific context of the temple motive.
Thematically it alludes to His ministry of three years; rather than the suffering and
death motive of the Passion week:
• Rebuild the Temple in three daysa
(Gk. en) Mt 27:40; Mk 15:29; Jn 2:19, 20
(Gk. en); (Gk. dia) Mt 26:61; Mk 14:58.

‘to third day’’

Lk 24:21b tritēn autēn hmeran agei {sēmeron} third to-this day it-is-leading
{today}

“it has been these three days (‘brings this to third day’) {as of today} since these
things happened” – since what?

‘these’ - refers to v. 20, to the crucifixion (9 AM on), death (Abib 14, 3 PM) and
burial (before 6 PM) – all in Abib 14. This would not include the Matthean unique
pericope ‘setting Roman guard’.]

‘three days and three nights’ – see in the appendix below

‘early morning’ Gk. prōi

Mt 27:1 (prōias genomēs ‘morning came’);

Mk 15:1 (ethus prōi – ‘early morning’);
Lk 22:66 (egeneto hēmera ‘day came’);
Jn 18:28 (ēn prōi – it was early morning)

Cf. When was the Resurrection itself, before or after sunrise?

Cf. Mk 13:35 prōi (early morning) [Cf. 4th watch of the night Mk 6:48]

cf. www.thecreatorscalendar.com/three-days-three-nights/

a
Some claims that the English phrase ‘in three days’ is ambiguous and does not have same sense in the
biblical narrative. Here, he is apparently reading this text as related to the Passion week and sees a
nonexistent conflict between two phrases ‘on the third day’ and ‘in three days’ – Cf.
http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/95697/within-and-in-when-referring-to-time
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‘*first day of the week’
Mk 16:2; //Lk 24:1; //Jn 20:1 tē mia tōn sabbatōn ‘on first day of the week’
//Mt 28:1; tē epiphōskousē eis mian sabbatōn ‘at the dawning of first day of the week’

The phrase with ‘the first day of the (lunar) week’ always tied with the women's visit to the tomb after sabbath was over.

As the Resurrection day it was when the Risen Master showed Himself to the disciples, incl. the two on the Emmaus road.
Note G-Mk, G-Lk, Jn have it modified with adverbial phrase; whereas G-Mt has a verbal phrase. [See below for <Mt 28:1
‘at the dawning of the first day’> and also for Appendix on Mt 28:1.]

Mk 16:2 lian prōi tē mia tōn sabbatōn

very early to-the [day] one of the week
Lk 24:1 tē de mia tōn sabbatōn orthrou batheōs
To-the [day] one of-the week of-dawn deep
Jn 20:1 tē de mia tōn sabbatōn prōi skotias eti ousēs
To-the [day] one of the week early of-darkness still being
Mt 28:1 tē epiphōskousē eis mia sabbatōn,
to-the lighting-up (at the dawning) into [day] one of-week,
Cf. Mk 16:9 Anastas de prōi prōtē sabbatou
Having-risen early to-first [day] after-Sabbath

Note: With sunrise the date remains same in Jewish and Roman calendars. Since it
changes in the Biblical calendar, the date of the resurrection would be Abib 15 if
the Resurrection itself was before sunrise. However, the notion of 'first day of the
week as the Resurrection day may be centered on the risen Yeshua appearing to the
disciple, rather than when the Resurrection occurred – the Bible is silent on this. Cf.
a Wednesday crucifixion scenario has it in late afternoon or evening of Saturday
while the risen Yeshua appeared to the Disciple on early morning of Sunday.

the Resurrection Day→ Abib 16 = 1st day of the lunar week = ‘on the third day’
after the Crucifixion on Abib 14.

Mt 28:1 ‘at the dawning of the first day of the week’

[See a separate file for G-Mt – Appendix Mt 28.1] kkk

Mt 28:1 ‘at the dawning of the first day of the (lunar) week’ (IRENT)
epiphōskō – 2 x – here Mt 28:1 and Lk 23:54

KJV, NASB “as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week”.
NLT “Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning”;
ISR ‘toward dawn on the first day of the week’ - ISR.
NET, ESV /- at dawn on ~’
…

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Mt 28:1 ‘after Sabbaths’ (pl.); ‘after Sabbath’

[/after the week; /after the sabbath was over; /after Sabbaths were over; /late on the sabbath; /late on the
week. IRENT – ‘after Sabbath’]

The Greek phrase (opse de sabbattōn) – only once here in Mt 28:1 (not in the parallel pericope of
the Empty Tomb in other three Gospels), but seems to correspond to the statement in Mk 16:1
‘when the Sabbath was over’.

The anarthrous plural Gk. word does not refer to the two sabbaths. Plural ‘Sabbaths’ is also used
in the sense of ‘week’, as in ‘the day one of the week’.

The word in the text is usually treated as a singular and renders as ‘after the Sabbath’ as many translation
render (NKJV, NET, HCSB, ESV, NRSV, NIV trio, NASB); ‘after the sabbath’ (RSV, NRSV, NWT). Same
is said of rendering such as ‘the sabbath having passed’ (Wuest), ‘the Sabbath day was now over’ (NIrV),
‘the Sabbath was over’ (CEV), ‘when the Sabbath was over’ (PNT), ‘the day after the Sabbath day was ~’
(ERV), ‘at the close of the sabbath’ (Mft), and ‘as the Sabbath day ended (AUV). [For the examples of
Sabbath in plural vs. singular, see Mt 12:1-2, 5.]

The Greek conjunction tells that this phrase begins a new topic, that is, it does not belong to the end of the
last verse of the preceding chapter (27:66) as some tries to read.

Nor the Gk phrase means ‘late on the sabbath day’ (ASV); ‘late on the Sabbath day’ (UPDV);
‘late on the Sabbath’ (BBE, MRC); ‘late on sabbath’ (Darby), ‘late in the sabbaths’ (LITV); or
‘late in the week’ (MKJV), ‘in the end of the sabbath’ (Geneva), ‘in the later ende of the Sabboth
day (sic Bishops).

Other wrong rendering – ‘at the end of sabbath’ (KJV), ‘on the eve of the sabbaths’ (YLT)’ and ‘it
is the evening of the sabbaths’ (CLV). These are frivolous rendering - ‘after the day of worship’
(GW) and ‘Early on Sunday morning (NLT). Some takes these translations to claim that ‘But before
Saturday night (the weekly sabbath) was complete HE ROSE ON THE SABBATH’! (with a
Wednesday crucifixion scenario).

Nor can it mean ‘after two sabbaths’ (an eisegesis to prove their faulty interpretation) as if there
can be more than one Sabbath day in a week. This is what the Wednesday crucifixion scenario had
to fall back, to justify the timeline they have come up. [Neither the idea of ‘double sabbath’ in the
Passion week that two Sabbaths happened to fall on the same day on that year – a claim by the traditional
Friday proponents.]

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Such a wrong idea of ‘two Sabbaths [consecutive] in the Passion week came up
to serve their ignorance on chronology and calendars. They claim that there are two
Sabbaths of different kind in the week-long festivals —
(1) annual festival Sabbath for Nisan 15th Exo 12:16; Lev 23:7; Num 28:16-18
– 15th of Nisan; in CE 30), and
(2) weekly Sabbath (Nisan 16).
Mt 27:62 “the next day (i.e. the day after the crucifixion) which was after the
Preparation” – in other words, the crucifixion was on the preparation day. Here
‘preparation’ means ‘sabbath preparation’ (that is, sabbath eve), not preparation of
the Festival per se; nor preparation of the Passover (with sacrifice and meal). Cf.
‘eve of the Passover’ in Jn 19:14). And the First day of the Festival of the Matzah
falls always on the Day 7 of the lunar week. Simply, day 8, 15, 22 and 29 of every
(lunar) month are sabbath days in the Biblical calendar.
Again, it should be emphasized that there is only one kind of Sabbath day – on the
day 7 of the lunar week – one Sabbath day in a week. The 7-day long festivals have
its first day set on the day 7, hence called High Sabbath – one and same Sabbath,
not another Sabbath in that week.

The only annual sabbath unrelated to 7th day (lunar) sabbath on the Day of
Atonement -- Cf. 'keep sabbath-rest' in the day of 10th of the month.

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Mk 16:1 ‘after this sabbath had past’

The women group bought spices – not just ‘after the sabbath’ or ‘after the sabbath was over’ which
was for the daytime period, now evening has come.

Reading with the Biblical Lunar calendar, it was ‘after this sabbath had past’, referring to the day 7
High Sabbath. And now it was on the day one of the lunar week. It was only after daytime, evening,
early night and late night had past, they set out to the tomb in the dawn (as morning twilight).

Mk 16:2 ‘with the sun about to rise’;

‘anateilantos tou hēliou’ ‘with the sun about to rise’ /x: at sun’s rising;
with the sun about to rise ░░ \anateilantos tou hēliou; (>VPAA-GMS >anatellō) (? Absolute genitive like Jn 13:2)
The exact same phrase is seen in Mt 13:6 (hēliou de anateilantos ekaumatisthē ‘of sun’s rising it was scorched’ cf. //Mk
4:6 hote aneteilen ho hēlios ekaumatisthē when the sun rose up, it was scorched.);

[It is a timeline marker of their arrival at the tomb – that is, dawn as morning twilight. Cf. Jn 20:1c ‘Mariam the
Magdalene is coming early, still dark,’] (/x: ‘of sun’s rising/having risen’; x: having risen up – giving a wrong picture
of the sun ‘high up’); (Cf. Lk 24:1b; Jn 20:1c);

[all these timeline markers in the Gospels have no hint of the resurrection itself (which was not observed by humans) to
be other than in the dawn as dawn watch. – Cf. Wednesday crucifixion scenario with unbiblical idea of resurrection in
the late afternoon or evening (on Saturday).] /as the sun was about to rise – ARJ; /x: at the rising of the sun – KJV+;

Mk 16:9 ‘after having risen’

Syntax issue “anastas de prōi prōtē sabbatou ephanē prōton Maria tē Magdalēnē”
16:9 Now after having risen [to Life] in the dawn (as dawn watch) on the first day after Sabbath,
Yeshua appeared first to Mariam the Magdalene,

Understanding the syntax of the verse (9a & 9b) is needed to see how it affects
translation and interpretation on the time of His crucifixion confusingly so when
the narrative is followed with Gregorian calendar, instead of Biblical Lunar
calendar. [Note: This is an example of punctuation problem – where to put a
comma.]

AT Robertson in ‘Word Pictures’ argued that the phrase prōi prōtē sabbatou
could conceivably be construed with ephanē.]
1 (resurrection early morning of Sunday): (Cf. = in the dawn watch at the
end of 1st day of the lunar week in the Biblical Lunar Calendar.)
/Now when He rose early on the first day of the week,
He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, - most;
2 (resurrection time is left undetermined but leaves room to much earlier
time — the Wednesday proponents have it in late afternoon or evening!!)
/After having risen, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene,
early (in the morning) on the first day of the week.
/After rising from the dead, Jesus appeared early on Sunday
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 morning to Mary Magdalene – MSG
/>Early on the first day of the week, after he arose, he appeared
first to Mary Magdalene – NET
Compare the syntax in Mt 28:1
Mt 28:1 Ὀψὲ δὲ σαββάτων,
After but of-Sabbaths [pl.],
τῇ ἐπιφωσκούσῃ εἰς μίαν σαββάτων,
to-the-[day] lighting-up into one of-Sabbaths,
ἦλθεν Μαριὰμ ἡ Μαγδαληνὴ καὶ ἡ ἄλλη Μαρία
came Mary the Magdalene and the other Mary

Here the phrase opse de sabbatōn stands by itself in the beginning, but it is a
prepositional phrase with a conjunctional de in the middle. In contrast, anastas de
in Mk 16:9 is a clause - a dative verbal participial clause. [Cf. the syntax of 1Co
11:32 for the expression ‘chrinomenoi de hupo tou kuriou’ ‘being judged by the
Lord’]

Most confusion is the result of misunderstanding the expression ‘day one of the
week’ as Sunday. The resurrection was in the dawn-watch at the end of Abib 16
which was 1st day of the lunar week. In the morning twilight of dawn, the women
set out to the tomb. The morning for the next day, Abib 17, is to break soon. It was
not ‘early on’ the first day (NET), but in the dawn, which is the last part of the
night – in fourth watch (Mk 6:48) of the night.

Taking this phrase connected to v. 9c, a Wednesday crucifixion and Saturday

evening resurrection scenario insists that ‘early’ means right after sunset at the
beginning of a new day by rabbinic Jewish calendar reckoning – which was not
present in the first century CE.

[Note:]
1. The verse Mk 16:2 tells about the women’s visit to the empty tomb
already. It was ‘early morning’ when Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and
encounters Yeshua already risen, also in Jn 20:1ff.
2. The phrase ‘having risen to Life’ occurs only here in Mk 16:9 of the
Mark’s long ending; no other parallel in the Gospels. Some take Gk.
participle anastas as an independent time clause in itself and disconnects
it from the subsequent time phrase.
3. Nowhere else the time of His resurrection itself has been stated; it
reflects the reality that the resurrection per se was not eye-witnessed. Only
the empty tomb was. (Is there any extra biblical source or extracanonical
source to tell what time the resurrection itself was and to claim its truth??)
4. Placement of a comma either before or after the phrase ‘early on first
day of the week’ is simply a translator’s idea and by itself cannot give a
clue about what day and what time the crucifixion should have been – on
Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday – evening or dawn. As to the exact time
He appeared to Mary (other than early in the day one of the week) is not
specified here; it just says (in G-John) that He appeared first to Mary.
However, the fact that His resurrection itself was none other than in the
dawn (the closing period of Abib 16) is well evidenced through the rest of
the narratives in all Gospels, with the disciples encountering Him from
morning (Abib 17).

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[Note: Such strange questions to the Wednesday crucifixion scenario with the resurrection in the late
afternoon is a result of their wrong interpretation of Mt 12:40 phrase (see elsewhere here dealt in detail)
‘in the heart of the earth three days and three nights’, which was read as ‘being buried in a grave’ for
full 72 hours. If he was risen in the late afternoon, where would He be waiting out until He make
Himself to show in the morning to the disciples?! [Or could the time for the dramatic scene of visiting
the empty tomb be in the evening of Saturday, the time that the Jewish day would say ‘dawn’?]

Mt 27:1; Mk 15:1a, Lk 22:6 ‘in the morning’ ‘day came’

The time for the final Sanhedrin v. Yeshua is clearly stated in these texts to be in the morning, after which Yeshua was
brought to Pilate. Most commentators simply ignore the plain biblical statement.
The Trial and the Crucifixion cannot be on the same date. [See ‘More than one day’ chronology after Eugen Ruckstuhl.]

In the flow of the events in the timeline, Mt 26:5-67 and Mk 14:53-65 ‘Sanhedrin v. Yeshua’ should belong to Mt 27:1
and Mk 15:1, respectively, keeping them in harmony with Lk 22:66-71.

Mt 27:57 ‘Now evening having come’

Mt 27:57 Now evening having come ░░ /~ having arrived; \opsias (de) genomenēs (also in8:16; 14:15; 14:23; 16:2; 20:8;
26:20) [that is, the sun has set. Still Abib 14.] [cf. Nisan 15, the new day (High Sabbath) begun as in rabbinic Jewish
reckoning. the High Sabbath yet to come next morning. See Jn 19:38 for exegesis of Deu 21:23]

It is not ‘evening was approaching’, or ‘evening approached’ (NIV trio), not ‘late in the afternoon’ (NWT).

Not to be confused Hebrew expression ‘between the two setting-times’ (commonly translated as ‘between the evenings’).

Lk 22:14 ‘had desired to eat this Passover

“Much I had desired to eat with yoů this Passover”

Most mistake 'eat the passover' (KJV) in reference the Passover memorial meal, equating the Last Supper with the latter.

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Jn 12:1 ‘Six days before the Passover’

Jn 12:1 six days before the Passover Festival ░░

ho oun Iēsous pro hex hēmerōn tou Pascha …
Yeshua, then, six days before the Passover [Festival], ...
This verse opens the beginning of the Passion narrative proper. This is the third and
last Passover in Yeshua’s public ministry of two and half years. [Total of three
Passovers in Yeshua's ministry (1) Jn 2:23 (28 CE); (2) Jn 6:4 (29 CE); (3) Jn 11:55;
12:1 (30 CE).]

Since Abib 8th was Day 7 of the lunar week, the journey back to Bethany could not
occur on that lunar sabbath day. To arrive at Abib 9th for the date of Yeshua’s arrival
at Bethany, counting back needs to be from Abib 15th (the day before sabbath) in the
Passover Festival [season], not the Passover Day of Abib 14th.

Some (using a rabbinic Jewish calendar with solar sabbath = Saturday) propose to
count back from Passover ‘Day’ (Nisan 14th), thus to arrive at Nisan 8th, which then
results in different timelines of events leading to the Crucifixion.

Jn 13:1 ‘before [coming of] the Festival of the Passover

This verse opens the Johannine account of the Lord’s Last Meal:

Jn 13:1 pro de tēs heortēs tou pascha eidōs … …

— Then, before the Festival of the Passover, … …
The phrase ‘before the Festival’ simply means ‘before coming of the Festival’. It does not
mean ‘on the day before the Festival (which puts it on the day of Passover memorial service).

The actual date setting this refers is the day (Abib 12th) before Abib 13th of the Trial and
Pilate’s sentencing Jn 19:14) [which is ‘eve’ of Abib 14th (eve of the Passover day).]

[This verse unambiguously tells that the Lord’s Last Supper (which is narrated from 13:2 on)
cannot be the Passover memorial meal as such. That was to be taken in 2 days on Abib 14th
/Nisan 15th evening (= the precursor of Seder ritual of the rabbinic Judaism) by Yehudim,
when Yeshua died as the Passover sacrifice on the Cross. Note also that the nature of meal is
incompatible with the Passover memorial meal - the text does use of the word artos (common
bread), not azuma (unleavened bread), in the Synoptic accounts of the Last Supper. In
addition, the absence of lamb to be eaten on the table is significant as Yeshua Himself was
our Passover sacrifice. It is the reason why Yeshua could not have died other than on Passover
day.]; /the Festival of the Passover – NRSV; /> the feast of the Passover – KJV;
/the Feast of the Passover – NKJV;
[Note: The use of ‘wafer’ of unleavened bread used in Eucharist for church liturgy as practiced
in Christian religions is a result from conflation of the Last Supper with eating unleavened
bread (for the Festival of the Matzah).]

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Jn 20:19 ‘evening following that first day of the week’
Jn 20:19 evening following that first day of the lunar week ░░ /ousēs (oun) opsias
tē hēmera ekeinē tē mia [tōn] sabbatōn;

Οὔσης οὖν ὀψίας τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ

Being t= of-evening to-the day that
τῇ μιᾷ [τῶν] σαββάτων,
to-the [day] one {the} of-week,

ousēs oun opsias tē hēmera ekeinē; /‘evening on that day’ /x: on the very same day;

tē mia tōn sabbatōn; /‘following that first day of the week’

Evening = evening of Abib 17

following’ (‘coming after’) that first day of the week = that is the day of
Abib 16 [= the day after ‘the first day of the week (20:1)].

When the biblical narrative is followed correctly with the biblical lunar
calendar, this event cannot be ‘on the same first day of the lunar week, the day
of Resurrection, which had just past.
Note: If reckoned with the Gregorian calendar, the calendar day would remain
same (as ‘Sunday’) on the date of the resurrection, as the date does not change
with sunrise. It is unlikely here, however, G-Jn was thinking in a Roman way
of reckoning of a midnight-to-midnight day – in that way the event was put on
the same first day of the planetary week (in Jewish or Roman calendar).

Jn 19:42 ‘sabbath-preparation day’ = eve of sabbath

since it was the sabbath-preparation day of the Yehudim (/x: ‘Judeans’, />> ‘Jews’) ░░ \ἐκεῖ οὖν διὰ τὴν
παρασκευὴν τῶν ᾿Ιουδαίων; [The time is late evening of Abib 14; (not late afternoon, since it was already
evening for them to have approached Pilate - Mt 27:57; //Mk 15:42). The High Sabbath of next day Abib 15th
was to come at sunrise.]

[The word ‘preparation (day)’ is usually (day of) preparation for sabbath, that is, day 6 of the lunar week. The
Passover day (Abib 14) is the preparation day for the (High) sabbath of Abib 15. Cf. ‘Eve’ of the Passover –
Jn 19:14]

166 | P a g e
*Significance of Jn 19:14 ‘sixth hour’
[See a zip file on this topic, which is included in IRENT Vol. III - Supplement (Collections #6B
- Trial - Time & Duration).]

Jn 19:14 \ὥρα [δὲ] ἦν ὡς ἕκτη; sixth hour {/mss ‘third hour’}

The expression ‘6th hour’ (more accurately ‘hour-period’, not 'hour-on-the-clock')a in Jn
19:14 of Pilate’s sentencing is a crucial timeline marker for the Passion Week timeline.

This should be read in harmony with the timeline marker (‘time indicator’) in Mk 15:25 of
the Crucifixion beginning about 3rd hour (≈ 8 to 9 a.m.). As long as these two timeline-
markers are interpreted to belong to same day as on His crucifixion, the Synoptic timeline
markers would be contradictory to the Johannine timeline marker of Pilate’s sentencing at
sixth hour

In other words, with an internal timeline marker of ‘sixth hour-period’ (≈ 11 a.m. to noon)
in Jn 19:14, the Pilate's trial cannot be placed on the same day of the crucifixion (Abib/Nisan
14).b It has to be located on the day before, that is, on Abib 13.

Along this line, the text of Jn 19:14 should read as ‘it was eve of the Passover day, not as
‘preparation of sabbath of the Passover Festival, as the text plainly brings us to the correct
understanding of the timeline here.

Several conflicting and contradictory interpretations have appeared. c In order to resolve

apparent contradiction between the Johannine and the Synoptics, a commonly devised
interpretation takes this as 6 a.m. d along with the Friday crucifixion scenario. They see it
by counting hours from midnight (as is the case in the Gregorian calendar we use). However,
all the time-makers in G-Jn for counting the hour-period in the day time-period is from the
sunrise – no calendar at that time reckons a day to start from mid-night, both in the early
Julian Roman as well as Jewish convention.

The events of Yeshua vs. Sanhedrin (Lk 22:66) and Yeshua vs. Pilate, then, belong to the
period from morning to midday of Abib/Nisan 13, the day before the Crucifixion. This
makes the Last Supper to be located on the previous day - Abib 12 evening [which
confusingly corresponds to Jewish Nisan 13 evening]. Yeshua’s Arrest around midnight
was followed by Yehudim authority vs. Yeshua + Peter’s denial through the night (cock-
crow watch) to the early morning.

[Humphreys (2011), The Mystery of the Last Supper (download) [Ch. 12 From the last

a
Gk. hora ‘hour’ is not hour-on-the-clock, but hour-period on a sundial, with a day being divided
into 12 periods (hour-periods). Thus, sixth hour is a time-period ≈ 11 a.m. to 12 noon, variable
depending on the season as daylight length varies between 10 to 14 hours (on the clock) in Israel.
b
Hoehner p. 89, describes someone’s proposal for co-existence two different calendars (with a
day difference) of the Galilean method for Synoptic reckoning used by Jesus, His disciples, and
Pharisees’ (with biblical reckoning of a day sunrise-to-sunrise) in contrast to the ‘Judean method
for G-John’s reckoning used by Sadducees’), thus the two were keeping two Passovers, each a
day apart, in the same place Jerusalem!!]
c
Cf. the Lord’s Last Supper (a farewell meal of fellowship) which took place before Passover
day (Jn 13:1; 18:28).
d
Someone proposes in his ignorance that John must be using the counting hours from midnight
here after Roman reckoning, seeing that on the use of litra by John (as a unit of weight measure
in Jn 12:3 and Jn 19:39). However, in early Julian calendar, though reckoning a day from
midnight became fixed later, the counting hours is from sunrise for daytime period and sunset
for night period. It is same way in Jewish reckoning. [This contrasts Gregorian calendar: a 12-
hour period from midnight to noon and another 12-hour period from noon to midnight.]
167 | P a g e
 supper to the crucifixion p. 169ff], has one observation correctly – that is, the Last Supper
cannot be the night before the Crucifixion, but a day earlier. That way, he allocates to
the Trial a little more than one day’s span (from midnight arrest till the morning
Crucifixion)– that is, from Wednesday Last Supper → Thursday Trial → Friday Crucifixion
(p.172) in the scheme of the traditional Friday Crucifixion scenario.

This may be compared with the Biblical crucifixion scenario presented here in Passion
Week Chronology study in which the timeline is:

Abib 12 Last Supper → Abib 13 Trial

→ Abib 14 Crucifixion → Abib 15 High Sabbath
→ Abib 16 Resurrection (dawn-watch). a

If we were to follow any scenario having the Last Supper the day before the Crucifixion,
these seven events from <His Arrest> to <Trial with Pilate> are cramped in a period of
about 6 hours during night, while a whole daytime before the Last Supper has nothing
allocated other than the ‘preparing an upper room’! Whether in the Friday scenario (e.g.
Hoehner, Chronological Aspects p. 92, and in the Thursday scenario (e.g. Boice, Gospel of
John pp. 929-32.)

The fact is that it is simply impossible to compress these events and activities within such a
limited time-period, expecting a large number of people bearing a physically demanding
schedule (Torrey, Difficulties p. 158).

Once we give up the traditional interpretation of 6th hour-period (during Pilate’s trial before
sentencing) as 6 a.m., but read it just as it says (something similar to the Roman time of 12
o’clockb), then the narrative can be read smoothly and unencumbered with presupposition,
we can get out of our exegetical dilemma – with confusion, controversy, contradiction,
conflicts and contention from conjectures and circular logic, with claims and counter-
claims.

The one thing we cannot allow is to end up with having Pilate’s sentencing on in the middle
of the Crucifixion on the same day (Abib 14). When we have Pilate’s trial-and-sentencing
completed the day before the crucifixion, it allows enough time in Abib 13 morning
allocated for Sanhedrin activity with only brief accounts taken place during night time after
His arrest at the same time for Peter’s denials with formal and final Sanhedrin decision early
in the morning before bringing to Pilate.

Copied from EE Jn 19:14 it was about sixth hour {/mss} ░░

[ noon (11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.) Abib 13] [Gk. ‘sixth hour’ (so renders KJV) usually
rendered as ‘noon’. [This cannot possibly be on Nisan 14 the day of His crucifixion as
most commentaries take it – rendering the Scriptural witness contradictory to each other
when read timeline markers shown on the Crucifixion day the Synoptic accounts.] \ὥρα
[δὲ] ἦνὡς ἕκτη; [… different interpretations in support of various Crucifixion-
Resurrection dates scenarios – twelve o’clock midnight (of Nisan 13); 6 a.m. (of Nisan
14); 6 p.m.; or taking v.l. of ‘third hour-period’, etc.)/
1 /the sixth hour – LITV, MKJV; /the sixth hour – LITV, Murdock, NIV, BBE, ESV,
KJV++; /As to the hour, it was about the sixth - Wuest;
2(noon – none makes clear that it cannot be on Abib/Nisan 14, the same day of the
crucifixion): /noon – NET, JNT, CEV, GNB, ERV, AMP mg, NLT, ISV, NIrV, NRSV,
TNIV, TCNT, GSNT, MSG; /the sixth hour (twelve o'clock noon) – AMP; /midday –

a
With a biblical Wednesday crucifixion scenario:
Mon Last Supper → Tue Trial → Wed Crucifixion → Fri Resurrection.
With a biblical Thursday crucifixion scenario:
Tue Last Supper → Wed Trial → Thu Crucifixion → Sun Resurrection.]
b
It is of midday. The entire Passion narrative does not allow to entertain 12 a.m. (midnight).
168 | P a g e
 Cass, SourceNT; /it was now getting on towards midday – PNT; /
3(x: 6 a.m.by a mistaken Roman reckoning): /six in the morning –, HCSB, /six o'clock
in the morning – WNT, GW; /six o’clock in the morning [Note: This was according to
Roman time, but if Jewish time were meant, it would have been 12 noon] - AUV; /
4 (/x: midnight – counting hours of night-time period from sunset. That Sanhedrin
convened in the morning as plainly stated in Lk 22:66 and the setting of the Pilate’s trial
as narrated in the Gospels, esp. in G-Jn, do not allow this to be occurring during night-
time): /about sixth hour [midnight]– ARJ;

[Note: {/mss} {/ρίτη} (flimsy textual support. – /third hour - CLV, Wesley. (If taken as
9 a.m., it does not solve the dilemma. Another alternative would be suggested is 9 p.m.!);

[A wrong claim found in Companion Bible fn.

(Bullinger – www.companionbiblecondensed.com/NT/John..pdf “The hours in all the
Gospels are according to Hebrew reckoning: i.e. from sunset to sunset.)]

[Ref. Robertson, A Harmony of the Gospels (1922), pp. 284-7 <12. Hour of the
Crucifixion> in Notes on Special Notes.
www.gutenberg.org/files/36264/36264-h/36264-h.htm in Text format.]
https://ia801006.us.archive.org/1/items/harmonyofgospels00robeuoft/harmonyofgospels00robe
uoft.pdf (scanned image)
www.gospelharmony.vear.info/GospelHarmony.pdf

[This text is very crucial in telling that the trial had to be on the day before the
crucifixion and it is impossible to be on the day of the crucifixion in the wee hours of
the day. That also means the Last Supper be Monday evening of Abib 12 (= Nisan 13
evening) This way, it allows to reconstruct the timeline of the Passion Week prior to the
crucifixion without need of juggling to make sense out of nonsense. See two attached
files on this subject.]

[On the expression ‘sixth hour’ = the period of time on-sundial ≈11 a.m. to noon.a
An ‘hour-period’ = a period on a sundial with 12 hour-period in a day (light time). /the
sixth hour – KJV, and many; /noon – some; /xxx: 6 a.m.]

Perplexed by apparent contradiction to Mk 15:25 which tells specifically the crucifixion

began at third hour-period (≈ 8 to 9 a.m.), several explanations have been proposed:

Rodney Whitacre (1999), John – IVP NT Commentary Series, p. 455

The sixth hour would be noon, which seems to conflict with Mark’s statement
that Jesus was crucified at the third hour, that is, 9 a.m. (Mk 15:25).
/x: Again there is a division of opinion, with some take the two accounts simply
contradict one another (Robinson 1985:268).
/x: Perhaps due to a corruption in the text (Alford 1980: 837-98; Barrett
1978:545) or
/x: because both John and Mark cite an hour that has symbolic significance for
them (Barrett 1978; 545. Brown 1994; 1:847).
/x: Others think the imprecision of telling time in the ancient world accounts
for the discrepancy (Augustine In John 117.1; Morris 1971:800-801).

a
[Cf. A sole example of the night period divided by 12 in Roman reckoning is in Act
23:23 (‘third hour of the night’).]

169 | P a g e
All four Gospels, however, add that Yeshua was brought after Sanhedrin session to
Pilate early in the morning (Mk 15:1 //Mt 27:1; //Lk 22:66 + 23:1; //Jn 18:28) (not
afternoon or evening), telling that the trial scene cannot be placed even in the period of
fourth watch of the night before morning.

Dankenbring, 'What do you mean 'about the sixthe hour?

William F. Dankenbring (http://triumphpro.info/ ) succinctly and convincingly shows

in John 19:14 — What Do You Mean “About the Sixth Hour”?

http://triumphpro.com/john-19-sixth-hour.htm

1. No one can logically compress all the events of that previous night and morning –
the appearance of Christ before Annas, and Caiaphas, and in the morning the full
Sanhedrin, and then Pilate the first time, and then Herod, and then Pilate once again,
the second time – all of these before 6 A.M. in the MORNING! That is an utter
rubbish and preposterous nonsense!
2. According to G-Mark, “And it was the THIRD HOUR [9:00 AM], and they
crucified him” (Mark 15:25). It should be obvious that the "third hour" comes before
the "sixth hour."

Since Yeshua was already nailed to the stake at the third hour, or 9:00 AM in the morning
according to G-Mk, it is obvious that He could not appear before Pilate at the sixth hour --
three hours later – on the very same day! IMPOSSIBLE!

Judging from the crucifixion account itself, we see that the "sixth hour" clearly refers to
NOON-TIME! [It is also not possible to see the trial to have occurred night time, from
evening to midnight – ARJ] Since Christ was on the cross at the "sixth hour" on the day of
His crucifixion, therefore the "sixth hour" which He made His final appearance before
Pilate had of necessity to be on the PREVIOUS DAY! Since He was crucified on Nisan
14, the very day the Jews were slaughtering killing their Passover sacrifice lambs, and died
at the very time in the afternoon when the lambs for Passover sacrifice were being slain,
then the “sixth hour” when He appeared before Pilate for final sentencing had to be the
"sixth hour" of Abib 13 [= Nisan 13] – the previous day! This means that the "Last Supper,"
or final meal Jesus had with His disciples, also had to be on the previous evening.

Time in G-Jn is always by Jewish reckoning [of time], not a [modern] Roman one. [Jn
1:29, 35, 38-39; 4:3-7, 49-53. See also Mt 20:1-7.] The sixth hour was not by (modern)
Roman reckoning of a day to start at midnight. [Early Julian calendar was same as Jewish
in counting hours from dawn and dusk, which was of Greek origin. This is not to be
confused with reckoning a day to start for a calendar day.]

… The "SIXTH HOUR" when Jesus was condemned by Pontius Pilate to be crucified, had
to be about NOON-TIME on NISAN 13, the day before the crucifixion occurred! It could
not have been NOON-TIME on Nisan 14, because Jesus was hanging on the cross from
9:00 AM until 3:00 PM on that day! Therefore, it had to be the previous day, NOON-TIME
on Nisan 13!!!

… The expression "SIXTH HOUR" clearly refers to HIGH NOON! Jesus appeared before
Pontius Pilate for His final sentencing about 12:00 NOON -- in the middle of the day!
Therefore, the "Lord's Supper" had to be the PREVIOUS DAY (day before the Trial) -- at
the END [evening] of Nisan 12 and [before] BEGINNING of Nisan 13 -- not the beginning
of Nisan 14, when He had been judged and sentenced by Pilate, and was in the dungeon,
awaiting His crucifixion early the next morning! [Here, ‘beginning’ a date means
‘beginning at sunset’ as he was following Jewish reckoning]
170 | P a g e
 … in the very Mishnah that two days were required in all capital cases where a man was
determined to be "guilty", for him to be sentenced. Therefore, since the Sanhedrin found
Jesus guilty early in the morning, soon after sunrise (see Mt 27:1-2, Lk 22:66), they would
not have been able to execute Him until the FOLLOWING DAY!

Therefore, if Jesus Christ was brought before the Sanhedrin on Nisan 14th, by Jewish law
itself, His crucifixion could not have occurred until Nisan 15th – the next day. But this is
impossible, since the Scripture tell us He was put to death BEFORE the high holy day –
the 15th of Nisan – arrived (see Jn 18:28; 19:14, 31). Jewish law would have required that
they at least hold Him over to the next day, following their determination of His guilt,
before they could carry out the sentence. But, since He was plainly condemned on a
preparation day BEFORE the high holy day, this requires that His final appearance before
the Sanhedrin be the PREVIOUS DAY – on Nisan 13th – and that He was condemned by
Pilate on Nisan 13th – and executed the next day, on Nisan 14th!

Various explanations of Jn 19:14 sixth hour:

https://bible.org/article/time-jesus-death-and-inerrancy-harmonization-plausible

Events Time Indicator Passages that Support

Mt 26:74-75; Mk 14:72;
Peter’s denials Before the cock-crow watch
Lk 22:60-61; Jn 18:27
Sanhedrin to Early in the morning (prōi) Mt 27:1; Mk 15:1; Lk 22:66;
Pilate v. Yeshua – I Jn 18:28-29
Pilate v. Yeshua – II
Sometime in the sixth hour Jn 19:14
sentencing

With the Sentencing toward noon (G-Jn)

Crucifixion from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (G-Mk, MK)
cannot be logically on the same Abib date;
cannot be on the same Date on Nisan and Gregorian day
unless one is blinded and willing to go beyond the texts
and believes that the texts are corrupt or inaccurate.
Crucified third hour Mk 15:25
Darkness falling sixth to ninth hour Mt 27:45; Mk 15:33;
over the land Lk 23:44 [hōsei about]
Death ninth hour M 27:46-50 [peri about]
Mk 15:34-37

Absurd claims that Roman time-reckoning was used by G-Jn:

G-Jn John does not use so-called civil Roman time-reckoning of a day from midnight
to midnight: Like all other timeline markers in G-Jn, in the case of Yeshua’s healing
episode at Jn 4:52 ‘in seventh hour’, the setting in the narrative does not allow other
than the time around noon to 1 p.m. – not 7 a.m. It needs to be read together with the
beginning v. 51 of this segment to clearly follow the narrative. Regardless when a day
is reckoned to start, Jewish or Roman (of early Julian calendar) counting hours always
start from dusk or dawn, unlike our modern convention of counting from middle of
night or day.
171 | P a g e
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_timekeeping#Beginning_of_the_Roman_day

It is amazing to see how far people [e.g. Jack Finegan – books on Biblical chronology]
can be carried away with their preconceived idea: Someone finds this verse Jn 4:52
as a proof to claim that John was using a (civil) Roman reckoning method where the
expression ‘seventh hour’ uttered by a Roman centurion’s servant. Completely
ignored are other instances of timeline markers in the same G-Jn.

Here is a short quote from a web page still adhering the wrong idea – “Another thing
that makes sense in light of all this, is that in John it is mentioned the "Seventh hour"
(Jn 4:52). Unless it's mistaken, there was no "seventh hour" in New Testament Jewish
time of day, but indeed there is in Roman time of day!”
www.workmenforchrist.org/Bible/BC_Jesus_Nets.html <When was Jesus crucified?
(Mark 15:25 and John 19:14) - Explained!>

Summary on ‘sixth hour in the Passover eve’:

[See files on the subject in IRENT Vol. III - Supplement (Collections #6B - Trial -
Time & Duration)]

The time of Pilate was giving out sentencing, ‘sixth hour’ of Jn 19:14, could not be
logically possible to be on the day of the Crucifixion Abib 14th, since G-Mk tells
Yeshua was already on the cross from around 9 a.m. to give much confusion for the
Friday proponents. The solution for this would not be found unless one comes to grasp
the correct internal timetable in the Passion narratives; it is only possible with the
biblical calendar used in the Bible.

In order to resolve the apparent conflict (Synoptic vs. Johannine data), many opted to
read as ‘sixth hour’ = ‘6 a.m.’ – by falling back on the assumption that John was using
an alleged Roman reckoning for this particular verse.

However, (1) by doing so they are simply ignoring all other instances of time-maker,
such as Jn 1:39; 4:6; 4:52. Nowhere G-John shows any example of such a practice.
Moreover, (2) such a method of counting hours from midnight is only in our late-
Julian-Gregorian calendar. In the early Julian calendar, which was at the time of the
N.T., counting was from sunrise and sunset – both Roman as well as Jewish reckoning!
To their chagrin, they hopelessly leave the Synoptic-Johannine contradiction
unresolved, taking one of them in error in the Bible!

The sentencing around midday (not same as 12 noon)a by Pilate cannot be other than
on the eve of the Passover, that is, Abib 13, the day before the crucifixion. That means,
the Last Supper is logically required to be a day earlier (= Abib 12 eveningb; Day 4 of
the week). His arrest and confrontation to Yehudim in authority were through the night
to be followed by His trial by Pilate.

a
It is not feasible to see it as 12 at mid-night as some tried to entertain without specifying which
date. The biblical scene of trial as narrated by G-John cannot be something possible during
evening to night.
b
The same time-period of Abib 12 would be Nisan 13 evening, In Jewish reckoning, the
beginning of their day.
172 | P a g e
Grasping clearly this way, it is seen that, after sentencing around the midday, Yeshua
spent the remainder of day and through the night in their custody before they finally
set Him out on the road to Golgotha morning of next day (Abib 14). There the
crucifixion itself was to begin about 3rd hour (≈ around 9 a.m.) with darkness to cover
the land from sixth hour on – Mk 15:25.
Though no obvious break in narrative timeline in the Bible text, but we have to be
cautious with the text – we know any verse, paragraph, and chapter break in the text
with apparent uninterrupted progression of events is not integral to the Greek text itself.

How to determine a new year and a new month:

[For full treatment on this subject, see the entry <Determining a New Year and a new month
for the Biblical luni-solar calendar> in IRENT Vol III Supplement :<Walk Through the
Scripture 5 – Time, Calendar and Chronology>]
1. To find the Julian calendar date of the Crucifixion in CE 30, which was the Passover
day Abib 14, we have to know how to determine the New Yea day and a New-Moon day.

2. We need to have accurate astronomical data needed:

• Vernal equinox date and time
• Dark moon date and time – conjunctions before and after equinox
• Sunrise time

3. Use the correct method to determine the New-Moon day of a month, that is 'dawn after
conjunction' method, not 'first visible crescent' method.

*Easter vs. Jewish Passover

• 'Easter Sunday' in the Church Liturgical Holy Week:

Julian ('Pascha') vs. Gregorian Easter
• If the resurrection day in the Biblical Passion week was on Sunday, the crucifix
was on Thursday, not Friday.
• When the Crucifixion (Abib 14 in 30 CE) falls on Wednesday in the proleptic
Roman calendar (Julian), the resurrection is on Saturday dawn (4th watch of
night). The disciples encounter the Risen Master in the tomb area is Saturday
morning. It is Abib 16th, since a day begins at sunrise.

The Passover week follows the Passion Week.

• How the dates are determined?
• List of earliest and latest Easters (with Passover dates). List of earliest and latest Passovers
(with Easter dates)
• List of Easter dates coming before Passover.
• Difficult Easter dates to fix when the equinox comes right after a full moon.
• Jewish Passover date coming in late April – in the presence of a leap month before Nisan.

The time setting of the Easter approximates the biblical Passover – having Paschal Full Moon as the
reference, not determinant point. [cf. ‘astronomical vs. ecclesiastical Paschal Full Moon’. Cf.
‘astronomical equinox’ vs. ‘ecclesiastical (approximation) of equinox’]
173 | P a g e
 day

13 14 15 16 17
Abib
Erev Pesach Passover Matzah 1 Matzah 2 Matzah 3
14 15 16 17 18
Nisan 13 Erev Pesach Pesach I Pesach II Pesach III IV

[Converting to Nisan date (which is 12 hours ahead) to Abib date is useful only for comparison as
date of Abib and Nisan cannot match since they are of different calendation. It is not a simple matter
of proleptic application of the 4th century rabbinic Jewish calendar to the 1st century biblical
timeline.] [See <WB #5 – Time, Calendar and Chronology> of IRENT Vol. III Supplement]

Pesach memorial meal (Abib 14th evening); [= precursor of of modern rabbinic Seder
(Nisan 15th evening)]
Easter celebration – kept by majority of Christian Churches in line with 'Good Friday
and Easter Sunday' of the traditional Friday crucifixion scenario of the Church Holy
Week, which does not mesh with the biblical Passion Week timeline.
Quartodecimanism – Keeping of the Passover in the early Christian churches of
Jerusalem and Asia Minor (instead of Easter celebration). – Quartodeciman controversy
- Suppressed by anti-Judaism of anti-Semitic Catholic Church history.
www.keithhunt.com/Quarto.html www.triumphpro.com/passover-quartodeciman.pdf

Computus Determining dates of Easter vs. Passover

www.rayfowler.org/writings/articles/determining-the-dates-for-easter-and-passover/
www.oikoumene.org/en/resources/documents/commissions/faith-and-order/i-unity-the-church-and-its-
mission/towards-a-common-date-for-easter/index#table Table for Easter/Pascha/Passover dates

Jerusalem: Vernal Jewish Passover Astronomical Gregorian Julian

Year Full Moon (Nisan 15) Easter Easter Easter

QQ: what is 'astronomical Easter'??

Note: different dates of Full Moon in Chicago: 2019, Mar 20; 2020, Apr 7;

174 | P a g e
Year of the Crucifixion: Chronology of the Crucifixion
Ref. Paul Maier, "Sejanus, Pilate, And the Date of the Crucifixion", Church History, Vol. 37.
No. 1 (Mar., 1968), pp. 3-13 [a copy in the collection]

Friday scenario after Paul Finch: Apr 7 Fri CE 30 [instead of CE 33]

Ref. Paul Finch, The Passover Papers (2009, 2nd ed.)

[His scenario explains away the ‘three days and three nights’, on the basis of idiomatic
reckoning a portion of day as ‘one’ day, that is, taking is simply ‘three days’ (in Gregorian
days of the week) and still stuck with un-biblical idea of 'in the earth' as same as
'underground, buried'. The fact is, Yeshua was not buried, but entombed in a memorial-
tomb (a cave tomb).]

Ch. 8: Chronology of Passion Week., pp. 93-118

Ch. 9: The day of the Week of the Crucifixion (a section “The calendar and the year of
crucifixion” pp. 149-151)]
Ch. 11: Did Jesus spend a night in jail? pp. 171-178 [Unfortunately the author maintained
the traditional treatment of the issue as a Friday Crucifixion scenario and did not give
carefully examining for its merit and validity.]
Cf.
www.biblestudents.co.za/docs/html/Days%20of%20Crucifixion%20and%20Resurrection%20Finch.htm

The flow of the events is basically same as in Hoehner’s modified Friday scenario which
removed the so-called Silent Wednesday.a

Note: He uses the term Nisan. However, with a sunrise-to-sunrise day, it is not Nisan of
the Jewish calendar, but rather ‘Abib’ as used in the Biblical Lunar calendar.

He says Nisan 14 to be on Friday (Apr-7-CE 30).

Despite having accurate astronomical data on the conjunction in CE 30 - Wed. Mar-22, 8 p.m.
(Jerusalem), he has Apr-7 Friday as Nisan 14 – simply claiming that it was by the Jewish calendar’
– and failed to give how the New-Moon day was determined. However, in that year, though Apr 7
was Friday, but it was not Nisan 14. That year, Nisan 14 is not Friday, nor Thursday, but
Wednesday. [This may be in CE 33, in which they find the Crucifixion to be on Friday.] For the
treatment of the timeline in the first part of the Passion Week traditional not different from other
scenarios.

a
except it corrects to place the segments <Arriving> and <Anointing> on to Sunday after
removing the segment <Crowd came in>. Thus, to arrive at Bethany the counting back
correctly starts from Nisan 14. ???? However, his actual numbering is curiously shown to
be from Nisan 15. E.g. He says <Nisan 13 as second day before Nisan 14>. How can 13 be
second day after 14? – is it due to his arithmetical confusion on counting (inclusive vs.
exclusive)? Was he confused of which date (Nisan 14 vs. 15) to begin counting? – Need to
check with the book by *Finch!
175 | P a g e
The Temple veil rending and 30 CE

Mt 27:51a {//Mk 15:38; //Lk 23:45b} [Cf. Heb 10:20]

░░ [30 CE. www.etsjets.org/files/JETS-PDFs/48/48-2/48-2-pp301-316_JETS.pdf Robert
Plummer, “Something Awry in The Temple? The Rending of the Temple Veil and Early
Jewish Sources That Report Unusual Phenomena in the Temple Around AD 30” JETS 48/2
(June 2005) 301–16] [Copy included in <IRENT Vol. III Supplement (Collection #6A).]

Daniel 9 – Daniel’s 70 weeks and 70th week

Note –As interpretations are galore on Daniel’s 70 Weeks prophecy, it is hard to believe
any one of them turn out to be right. Rather, it is much more sensible to assume that they
all are wrong.

Different interpretations were made to support for CE 30, 31, 32, and 33 as the year of
Yeshua’s crucifixion, in the manner of circular reasoning. Thus, Daniel’s prophecy cannot
be used to arrive at the year of His crucifixion, or even of His birth.]

vocabulary related to 'death' 'burial'

*tomb, grave, memorial-tomb, burial cave [see in the file <Walk through the Scripture #1 –
Words, Words and Words>]

*Entombment; burial; anointing; ['embalming' is an Egyptian, not Hebrew custom];

'mourning' [H4798] 'lament' H5597; 'bemoan' 'sitting shiva' (Jn 11:20); 'morning H60 = ?
'funeral' in the Bible text?
S2870 'lamentation' kopetos Act 8:2; Cf. sing a dirge' S2354 thrēneō Mt 11:17.

*secondary burial in ossuaries: This practice involved collecting the deceased’s bones and
placing them inside an ossuary after the flesh had been left to decompose and desiccate. The
ossuary was then placed into a loculus.
www.jesusfamilytomb.com/back_to_basics/burial_practices/jewish_law.html

* burial clothes; cf. religious jargon 'shroud' as of 'Shroud of Turin'

http://greatshroudofturinfaq.com/History/Greek-Byzantine/Pre-944AD/bible-
references.html
[x 14 – as to Yeshua's burial; x4 – other cases in N.T.]
• sindon (singular) S4616 x6 'linen cloth' (Mt 27:59; Mk 15:46 x2, 15: 51, 54; Lk 23:53).
• othonia (plural) S3638 x5 Jn 19:40 linen cloths (binding hands and feet); Jn 20:5, 6, 7.
Cf. Lk 24:12 v.l.
• keirias 'linen strips' S2750 Jn 11:44 (x: bandages – RSV)
• sudarion S4676 Jn 11:44; 20:7; /face-cloth; /handkerchief; /napkin.
[Unrelated to burial clothes - Lk 19:20 – a piece of cloth; Mk 14:51, 52 – refers to an
outer garment of Mark; Act 19:12 Peter's handkerchief;]

In an anecdote unique to describe the linen cloth left by an unnamed young man when he
fled naked from the Garden of Gethsemane.

176 | P a g e
 Appendix

‘*three days and three nights’; ‘Jonah’s sign’ Mt 12:39-40

[See the Zip file <On 3D & 3N > in <IRENT Vol. III – Supplement (Collections #6 – Passion
Week Chronology)>.]

12:39
But in reply he said to them,
“An evil and adulterous generation –
it keeps on looking for a sign [+ of coming of the Kingdom reign]!
No, no [such] sign shall be given to it
unless it be such sign as Yonah the prophet was:
12:40
Indeed, just as Yonah was three days and three nights
in the belly of the whale;
so shall the Son-of-man be in the very heart of the earth
three days and three nights
[+ putting Himself there through His suffering].

Mt 12:40 ‘in the heart of the earth three days and three nights’

This much-debated Matthean unique phrase which expresses a duration of a period

was in the Yeshua's quotation from the Book of Jonah in OT. It has been misread,
misunderstood and miscalculated.

The quoted OT text does not say long Jonah was dead. Jonah was in the belly of the
whale. He was NOT dead. It is not a sign Jonah gave. It is Jonah as a sign. It is not
Yeshua's own prophecy for the purported sign of His messiahship.

Most fails to pay attention to the fact that the pericope is outside the Passion
narrative. The expression is different from and unrelated to the Passion narrative
expressions, ‘on the third day’ and ‘after three days’.

The phrase is 'three days and three nights'. It does not say 'three nights and three
days'; nor does it hint that a small portion of a day can be counted as a day.

The phrase 'in the heart of the earth' does not mean that 'being remained dead buried
in a grave'. He was place in a tomb, not buried in a grave. The expression 'the heart
of the earth/land' alludes to Jerusalem {Ezk 38:12; 5:5}. In Hebrew mindset,
Jerusalem was regarded as the navel, center or heart of the earth.

Nor it does provide any clue on what day of the week the Crucifixion day.

This text was provided the proponents of a popular Wednesday crucifixion scenario
to counter the traditional Friday-Sunday scenario in the church liturgical Holy
Week. With their eisegesis and precision math, they came up with Saturday
resurrect in the late afternoon or evening, in order to make it 72 hours from His
death to resurrection.

Like many, this biblical text should be understood expressing in a figurative

language, alluding to His suffering in the hands of the power – suffering and
177 | P a g e
 death [Abib 13, 14, 15]. It is parallel to his prophetic statement “Destroy this
temple, and I will raise it again in three days” in Jn 2:19.

[Cf. Ralph Woodrow (2013) – The beginning of this period was the night
before his crucifixion. The end of this period, when the Divine protection was
restored, was clearly demonstrated by his resurrection! (cf. Acts 1:3)
https://web.archive.org/web/20170506094633/www.ralphwoodrow.org/articles/three-
days.pdf

Abib vs. Nisan vs. Julian dates:

[After <Walk Through the Scripture #5 – Time, Calendar and Chronology>]

Abib vs. Nisan

(begins late March - early April)

Abib Nisan
Calendar Biblical Lunar Calendar Rabbinic Jewish
(throughout the Bible) (only after 4th century)
Month 1st month of the year 7th month of the year
Day Sunrise to sunrise Sunset to sunset @
1st day With dawn after Dark Moon. Fixed by calculation
Sabbath Lunar sabbath (solar Sabbath)
= 7th day of the lunar week 7th day of the planetary week ('Saturday')
(for daylight period) (sunset to sunset 24 hours).

[Twelve or Thirteen (in leap year) months a year. ‘Wave barley sheaf offering’ for Abib 16 needs
the month to be for barley harvest.]

*Abib = the first month of the Scriptural year (8x) Exo 9:31; 13:4; 23:15; 34:18 (2x); Lev 2:14;
Deu 16:1 (2x);
*Nisan = the 7th month of the rabbinic Jewish calendar. (2x) Neh 2:1; Est 3:7 – named in the
post-exilic period.
Date for daytime corresponds same in Abib 14 = Nisan 14 daytime. Night time – Nisan date is a
day ahead.

Notable days in Abib:

Note that the difference between Abib and Nisan date is not just 12 hours. Since the first date of the Abib
(1st month of the biblical year) and of Nisan (7th month of the Jewish year) are by different calendation,
a date for an event in the day time may not be same date btw the true biblical calendar and the proleptic
rabbinic Jewish calendar.

• Abib 10, Day 2 of the lunar week. The day the lambs were selected as Passover sacrifice –
beginning of preparation of the Passover festival season. [So-called ‘Palm Sunday’ in the
artificially constructed liturgical ‘Holy Week’.]
[Why did Yeshua made His anti-triumphal entry into Jerusalem in the last week of His life
on Abib 10?
(1) Into the world He came to die – Mt 16:21; //Mk 10:32-34; //Lk 9:22;
(2) He was to die as the Passover sacrifice (1Co 5:7) [Cf. 1Pe 1:19; Rev 5:6]

178 | P a g e
• Abib 14 is the Passover day – with the Passover memorial meal. /x: Passover feast;
• Abib 15, 7th day of the lunar week; day of sabbath; the first day of the Matzah festival
• Abib 16, 1st day the lunar week; the wave sheaf offering (Hebrew: ha-tenufah) [omer
offering (korban omer)]. [= Day of Firstfruits (Yom Bukkurim) = 'Beginning of Harvest'
(Reshit Katzir). Day of Resurrection at dawn (= fourth watch of night) as the [calendar] day
ending.

How is the New Year day determined in the rabbinic Jewish calendar?
www.haaretz.com/israel-news/the-history-of-rosh-hashanah-which-wasn-t-always-the-
new-year-1.5301295 "Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year, the day the Jewish
calendar begins. But in biblical times, that period was explicitly called "the seventh
month". During the First Temple period (8th to mid-6th century BC), the year began in
the spring, on the first day of Nisan (as is called in the Jewish calendar). Also, when
listing the holidays, the Bible always starts with the spring the spring holiday of
Passover, in the seventh month – 'Nisan'. Just because the ancient Hebraic year started
on the first of Nisan doesn’t mean that day was marked in any special way. What was
cause for celebration, the Bible tells us, was the new moon each month - that is, the first
of the month. By "celebration" we mean that more animals were sacrificed at the Temple
than usual. The new moon of Nisan was not marked differently. From what we know
about the Israelites Canaanite neighbors, they didn't pay any attention to the "new year"
either.
… ne, the names of the months that we use to this very day are the Babylonian names.
Tishrei for example is a Babylonian month whose name derives from the Akkadian word
tishritu ('beginning'). In addition, the Babylonians took their New Year's Day
celebrations very seriously."

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 @ The Nisan date is 12 hours ahead and the Julian date is 6 hours ahead of the Biblical Abib
date. The difference of 12 hours btw Abib date and Nisan date becomes significant for dating of
night-time events which may cross two calendar dates. When Abib and Nisan are parallel, the
date is same for daytime period on both Abib and Nisan. As to night time events, Nisan would be
one day ahead.

This is a source of much confusion, conflict and contradictions in understanding the timeline of
the Passion Week. Two calendar days are also involved for those midnight events in the Gregorian
calendar. Checking off dates and counting days are cumbersome, as is the case with the Friday
crucifixion scenario.

Table: Abib vs. Nisan vs. Julian Date:

[With proleptic application of the rabbinic Jewish calendar, the date of a certain day as Abib and
Nisan may not coincide. Nisan date is only for comparison showing 12-hour difference.]

◙ conjunction – Mar 22 Wed. 19:32 Jerusalem time

visible crescent – probable earliest time

Greg. Mar 22 Wed Mar 23 Thu Mar 24 Fri Apr 5 Wed

Abib Abib 1 Abib 2 Abib 14

Nisan 1 2 3 14 15

Passover – Abib 14 → Apr 5 Wed, CE 30.

Greg. Apr 5 Wed Apr 6 Thu Apr 7 Fri

†.. ..† M 
Abib Abib 14 Abib 15 Abib 16
Nisan 14 (ereb Pesach) 15 (Pesach I) 16 (Pesach II) 17 (Pesach III)

E.g. the Passover memorial meal M on Abib 14 evening falls on Nisan 15 evening.
Abib 14 daytime for the Crucifixion = Nisan 14 daytime ††
Abib 14 evening for the Passover memorial meal is on Nisan 15 evening.
Abib 16 dawn (before day-break of Abib 17) =Resurrection 
Abib 17 morning with the Risen Master to the disciples = Both Resurrection and Risen Master
appearance are same day of Nisan 17 (before and after day-break).
Cf. ereb Pesach = 'eve of the Passover festival' [not same as 'eve of the Passover day'].

In order to clearly follow the timelines of the biblical narratives, it is not just useful,
but also essential to think of in terms of the true biblical calendar. The name of the
first month is Abib with all other months being numbered, not named. When reading
any article on the Passion Week some may use the term 'Abib' instead of 'Nisan', make
sure the biblical calendar system is used and the calendar day is sunrise-to-sunrise, not
sunset-to-sunset as is Nisan.

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Note that the difference between Abib and Nisan date is not just 12 hours. Since the
first date of the Abib (1st month of the biblical year) and of Nisan (7th month of the
Jewish year) are by different calendation, a date for an event in the day time may not
be same date btw the true biblical calendar and the proleptic rabbinic Jewish calendar.

It corresponds to Nisan, 7th month, of the rabbinic Jewish calendar. It is by a different

calendation and fixed by Hillel II in 4th century. This non-biblical calendar cannot be
applied proleptically to the Biblical times. Moreover, more disturbingly, its calendar
day is reckoned to start at sunset in such a way that events occurring during night in
the narrative is difficult place in correct and clear timeline.

Likewise, it is essential to simply follow the events in Abib dates, instead of the
Gregorian named days of the week. Sunday, Saturday, Friday, etc. of the planetary
week cannot be applied to the biblical texts – meaningless and misleading. It is a
different matter of comparing a particular day on both calendars.

181 | P a g e
www.avoiceinthewilderness.org/saccal/calbook.html
Mar – April Abib Nisana

Calendar Biblical Lunar Calendar Rabbinic Jewish by Hillel II

Month 1st month of the yearb 7th month of the year

Day Sunrise to sunrise Sunset to sunsetc

1st day With dawning after Dark Moon. Fixed by calculation and rules
Full moon On 14th On 15th (variable)
• Lunar sabbath • Solar sabbath
(for daylight period). (for night and day time)
Sabbath
• On day 7 (of the lunar week); • On every Saturday (of the
• Always on Day 8, 15, 22, 29. continuous cyclic planetary week)

• Biblical narratives cannot be clearly followed with the rabbinic Jewish

calendar, which came out in 4th century.
• It is essential to think always with Abib instead of Nisan to avoid confusion,
conflict and contradiction. Date on Nisan and Abib do not match as both are of
different calendation. A Gregorian date may fall on the different month/date on the
biblical lunar calendar and the proleptic rabbinic Jewish calendar.
• Nisan dates, 12 hours ahead of Abib dates, as shown here for discussion of the
Passion Week chronology in IRENT, are for comparison purpose only and may or
may not be actual dates.

A calendar date
Month of Half-day point
A day of date Difference
@
Nisan is reckoned from sunset 6 hrs ahead at sunrise
March – April$ is reckoned from 12 a.m. – at 12 p.m. d
Abib begins at sunrise 6 hrs behind at sunset
@
A Nisan date is 12 hours ahead of the corresponding an Abib date. For daytime it is same
date in both Abib and Nisan; for night-time, Nisan is one day ahead. E.g.
Abib 14th daytime for the Crucifixion = Nisan 14th daytime
Abib 14th evening for the Passover memorial meal = Nisan 15th evening for Seder.
Abib 16th dawn-watch (before day-break of Abib 17th) = Resurrection
Abib 17th morning the Risen Master to the disciples on Abib 17th morning.
$ of Gregorian calendar [ = ‘Common Era Calendar’ with a day of 12 a.m. to 12 a.m.]

a
All Nisan dates are for comparison purpose only.
b
See Appendix ‘how does the first month begin’
c
See Appendix ‘When does a day begin’. A day-long activity was described in O.T. to have begun at
sunset. That should not make believe that a day was then being reckoned sunset to sunset!
(E.g. Lev 23:32). Regrettably and confusingly, this sunset-to-sunset day reckoning remains even in the
otherwise true biblical luni-solar calendar (e.g. in www.yhrim.com )
d
12 p.m. is not identical to ‘midday’ (‘noon’) which is the mid-point of daytime when the sun is at
highest point. Nor the midnight is 12 a.m. Reckoning events in the night gets easily confused because
the date changes past 12 p.m.
182 | P a g e
Seven Last Words on the Cross

The Sayings of Yeshua on the cross (so-called "Seven Last Words on the Cross")

Mt 27:46 & Mk 15:34 <My Elohim, My Elohim, to what have you left me alone!>
Luke 23:34: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do."
Luke 23:43: "Truly, I'm saying to you today – you'll be with me in paradise."
Luke 23:46: "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit."
John 19:26–27: "My dear, see here your son!" "See, there, your mother!"
John 19:28: "I'm thirsty."
John 19:30: "It's completed."

References

[Listed here the various reference and reading material used for this work pertaining to the
problem of Passion Week Chronology/timeline.]

Abundant intriguing material is within our easy reach in this information technology age.
Some give challenges, some present inaccurate data, some offer helpful or insightful
information, and some pull us down with biased interpretations – it’s up to us to take up and
scrutinize them before we should accept what they can offer.

Ref. & Reading material:

http://goo.gl/CU1wCr - [Got stuck with Gregorian mindset of seven numbered days of the
planetary week and Jewish mindset of day of sunset-to-sunset to refute Friday crucifixion
scenario!]
http://thechronicleproject.org/PDF1/calendarfraud.pdf
www.thejournal.org/issues/issue63/nelte.html [on calendar issue challenges]
https://franknelte.net/view_articles.php?type=calendar
www.franknelte.net/pdf/pdf.php?article_id=111
Passover_dates_for_30_ad_and_for_31_ad. (A copy in the Collection)

Paul Maier, "Sejanus, Pilate, And the Date of the Crucifixion", Church History, Vol. 37. No. 1 (Mar., 1968),
pp. 3-13 [a copy in the collection]

General references

1. Ernest L. Martin (1996), Secrets of Golgotha (2nd Ed), pp.414-437 Addendum One: The
Year of Jesus’ Death. [Detailed study to show the year to be 30 CE. Note, in pp. 430-432
he was shown to still adhere to the traditional Friday crucifixion scenario.]
Paul Finch, The Passover Papers (2009, 2nd Ed.) [Esp. Ch. 8 Chronology of Passion Week.,
p. 93-118.] – This is a must read. Excellent coverage and writing with abundant references.
Its major fault is that he sticks to a Friday crucifixion scenario with his own tweak of CE 30
stead of CE 33 for the crucifixion year (Ch. 8 Chronology of Passion Week., p. 93-118).

183 | P a g e
For his rather unusual CE 30 for the crucifixion with a Friday scenario (p. 151), by retro-
calculating the Easter Canon to the year 30 CE yielding a date of Sunday, Apr-9, then the
Crucifixion occurred … Apr 7. Aa reference was given to someone named A.T. Olmstead.
Hogwash! Easter of Constantine Catholic Church tradition itself has nothing to with biblical
historical Passion week. No discussion on astronomical data and calendation is found on
this issue as they seem to have been beyond his research. Apr-9 CE 30 itself was not Abib
14, but Abib 16 (Nisan 16).
As such he dismisses the idea of having the Trial day in the daytime and the crucifixion day
the day after.

2. Eugen Ruckstuhl (1965), Chronology of The Last Days of Jesus – A Critical Study
[Trans. from German 1963] (pp. 35-71 for ‘The Chronology of “More Than One Day”)]
[the Crucifixion date on Friday Apr. 7, AD 30. Nisan 14th (p. 2, 4)]
3. James Walther, "The Chronology of Passion Week" Journal of Biblical Literature
Vol. 77. No. 2 (Jun. 1958), pp. 116-122 [ www.jstor.org/stable/3264592 ] - a copy in WB
#6A collection. – Ruckstuhl is referenced here.

4. https://books.google.com/books?id=fS28b9GC1dcC
Harold Hoehner (1978), Chronological Aspects of the Life of Christ

5. Köstenberger, Taylor, Stewart (2014), The Final Days of Jesus: The Most Important
Week of the Most Important Person Who Ever Lived
It follows the traditional scenario of Thursday Last Supper, Friday Crucifixion, Sunday
Resurrection, year 33 CE.

6. Kenneth F. Doig (1990), New Testament Chronology,

www.nowoezone.com/NT_Chronology.htm www.nowoezone.com/NTC17.htm

7. James Montgomery Boice (1999), Gospel of John, (Vol. IV, p. 929) (pp. 929-932) –
‘When did Jesus Die?’ – copy to be found in the WB #6 Collections for IRENT Vol. 3
Supplement.

8. www.truthontheweb.org/calendar.htm (on calendation)

9. James Davis (2013)

Wrong interpretation of the biblical texts reinforced by the lack of understanding the calendar
systems:
https://bible.org/
James Davis (2013), The Time of Jesus’ Death and Inerrancy: Is Harmonization Plausible?

• Wrong view One: John 19:14 had an original reading of the third hour which was confused
for the sixth.
• Wrong view Two: G-John is using a Roman civil reckoning that started the day at midnight
John 19:14.
• Wrong effort: View Three: G-Mark’s Reference to Crucifixion is a General Statement that
included some event(s) that led up to the lifting of Jesus on the Cross
• Wong effort: View Four: Time approximation allows for adequate harmonization of G-Mark
and G-John.

Note: This article gives a good summary of the issue, presenting the predicament the traditional
understanding faces with several different views but offering no solution to contradiction and
confusion. All four viewers have missed the genuine solution.

184 | P a g e
185 | P a g e
10. http://www.the13thenumeration.com/Blog13/wp-
content/uploads/2014/04/Yeshuas_Passover_Week1200_2014.jpg

11. The file: Deceived by ‘Three Days and Three Nights’? and the file: Reviews on the
articles on ‘Three Days and Three Nights’ – see in the collection for IRENT Vol. III
Supplement (Collections #A)]

Materials reviewed:

• Rand Ben Joseph, "How Long Was Yeshua Messiah in the Tomb?"
www.waoy.org/How_Long_Was_Yeshua_Messiah_in_the_Tomb.pdf
• Fred R. Coulter (2004), The Day Jesus the Christ Died – The Biblical Truth about
His Passion, Crucifixion and Resurrection [pp. 71-79; a table in 80-81.]
• Reuben Archer Torrey (1996), Difficulties in the Bible, Ch. 21 (pp. 155-164), Was Jesus Really
Three Days and Nights in the Heart of the Earth?
[Wednesday Crucifixion scenario. Basic on the mislead ‘literal’ interpretation it claims that
the resurrection had to be late afternoon (!) of that Saturday.]
• Larry M. Wishon (2010), The Only Sign Given [Misreading it as the sign of Jesus’ being
Messiah is this 3D and 3N thing!] (pp. 125-9) (Wednesday Crucifixion scenario)
• Ralph Woodrow, Three Days and Three Nights – Reconsidered in the Light of Scripture [it
debunked the Wednesday scenario, but failed to go beyond, missing a chance to look for the
answer.]
• Ralph Woodrow, Three Days and Three Nights (June 2013)
www.ralphwoodrow.org/articles/three-days.pdf
• Harold W. Hoehner (1978), Chronological Aspects of the Life of Christ
(http://books.google.com/books?id=fS28b9GC1dcC) [Arguments for Friday scenario are not
convincing at all. The year 33 A.D. scenario is with too facile arguments. It can be seen that once
he made up his mind on the day of Nisan 14th as Friday, he looked for the candidate year to fit.
That would in turn be used to reinforce the unproven idea of so-called Crucifixion Friday.]
• McRay and Eoff (2013), Was Jesus Three Days and Three Nights in the Heart of the Earth.
(www.eschatologyreview.com/) They claim “Scripture … actually shows the resurrection to
have occurred at the same time (of day) as the burial”
[Check an ad in BAR magazine (www.biblicalarchaeology.org) which contains non-scholarly
material.]

186 | P a g e
12. Jean Meeus, Astronomical Tables of the Sun, Moon and Planets

[book review: by Hurl, R. F. Monthly Notes of the Astron. Soc. Southern Africa, Vol. 44, p. 37
SAO/NASA Astrophysics Data Systems (ADS)
http://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1985MNSSA..44...37H ]

SAO/NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Title: Astronomical Tables of the Sun, Moon and Planets by J. Meeus: Book Review
Authors: Hurly, R F.
Journal: Monthly Notes of the Astron. Soc. Southern Africa, Vol. 44, p. 37
Bibliographic Code: 1985MNSSA .. 44 .. .37H

187 | P a g e
Ref: Boice, John [Ch. 153 Jn 12:12-19 When Did Jesus Die?]

James Montgomery Boice (1985), The Gospel of John

[in Vol. 3. p. 929 Ch. 153 Jn 12:12-19 When Did Jesus Die?]
[p. 929] … It is the difficulty of squaring a Friday crucifixion with Christ's prophecy (it’s
not a prophecy – ARJ) that the Son of Man shall "be three days and three nights in the heart
of the earth" (Matt. 12:40). It is true that according to Jewish idiom the phrase "three days"
does not necessarily mean a period of seventy-two hours. It can mean merely one whole day
plus parts of two others. But while this observation helps us in dealing with texts that
actually say "three days", it hardly helps us in dealing with this important prophecy (it’s not
a prophecy) from Matthew. "It is possible that parts of one day and one night are involved,
rather than three full days and three full nights; nevertheless, three periods of light and three
periods of darkness must be accounted for. And this, regardless of anything else, is fatal to
a Friday crucifixion theory. As one writer says, "Add to this indictment of Friday the
statement of the two disciples on the way to Emmaus, spoken on the afternoon of Sunday
(Luke 24:21), 'Today is the third day since these things were done', and the case looks black
indeed against Friday. Sunday is not the third day since Friday." [Ref.a Roger Rusk “The
Day He Died’, Christianity Today, 29 Mar 1974, p. 6.]

[p. 930] April 6, A.D. 30 (Thursday)

… First, it clearly allows for the required three days and three nights in the tomb in line with
Christ’s prophecy. Jesus had spoken of a period beginning with daylight and comprising the
whole of three days and nights, with the possible qualification that the opening period of
day and the closed period night need not necessarily be a full twelve hours. This is provided
for as follow. Jesus died on Thursday afternoon about three o’clock; hence, the hours from
300 p.m. until dusk qualify as the first day. This period is followed by Thursday night,
Friday, Friday night, Saturday, and Saturday night; that is, a total of three days and three
nights in that precise order. In this scheme of things Jesus could have risen from the dead at
any point after dark on Saturday evening. We know that he had been raised before the
women got to the tomb at dawn on Sunday morning.
[p. 931]
… Thursday: Jesus is tried and eventually crucified. The trial begins on what we would call
Wednesday night (but which is actually the early hours of Thursday by Jewish reckoning
and is completed in the morning. Jesus sis buried that evening by Nicodemus and Joseph of
Arimathea. The women observe where Jesus is buried and buy spices, but as it is now the
start of the Jewish Passover (that is, the Friday Passover Sabbath that began at dusk on
Thursday evening), they are unable to attempt to anoint the boy until Sunday morning.
Friday and Saturday: The boy of Jesus remains in the tomb. The women and disciples
observe the two Sabbaths Jesus rises from the dead sometime between the coming of
darkness on Saturday evening and the coming of the dawn on Sunday morning.

a
See a copy of the article in the IRENT Vol. 3 - Supplement Collection WB #6.
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12. Hilarious reading material – Crucifixion on Friday, Day 5 of the Week, Aviv 16 (May 12) with
Resurrection on Monday Aviv 20, (May 15) – CE 17!?
http://adamoh.org/TreeOfLife.lan.io/NTCh/TimingOfTheEventsOfThePaschalPesachWeek.htm

Events w/ Biblical Calendar Traditional TreeOfLifeTime@gmail.com

Jn 19:14 '6th hour: Abib 13 Nisan 14 Abib 14 (Day 5)
Yeshua before Pilate' May 12 (Fri), CE 17
Crucifixion Abib 14 Nisan 14 Aviv 16
High Sabbath Abib 15 Nisan 15
Resurrection Abib 16 (dawn-watch) Nisan 16 (dawn) Aviv 20 (Day 3) ('night')
May 15 (Mon), CE 17
Risen Master to Abib 17 (morn) Nisan 16 (morn) Aviv 20
Disciples

[End of File]

1
Trials of Jesus – Ref. Farrar (1891), Life of Christ, p. 465 – the three successive trials which our
Lord underwent at the hands of the Jews, the first only – that before Annas – is related to us by G-
John; the second – that before Caiaphas – by G-Mt and G-Mk; the third – that before the Sanhedrin
– by G-Luke alone. That of Annas was the authoritative praejudicium, that of Caiaphas the real
determination, that of the entire Sanhedrin at daybreak the final ratification.

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