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Is it possible to know the exact date and time when Jesus died?

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The question matters at a time when some doubt Jesus even existed.

Is it possible to know precisely when Jesus was crucified? In a world where people now debate if Jesus even exists, the answer to this question provides valuable evidence that yes, Jesus lived, died, and rose again from the dead. For, if it is true that Jesus lived, then we should be able to consult the many sources and pinpoint the moment in history when this happened.

It is possible to tell the date and time of Christ's death with precision.

It is possible to tell the date and time of Christ's death with precision.

Highlights

By Marshall Connolly (CALIFORNIA NETWORK)
Catholic Online (https://www.catholic.org)
5/2/2017 (7 years ago)

Published in Living Faith

Keywords: Jesus, date, died, death, time, hour

LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) - The National Catholic Register reported how we know the precise time and moment when Jesus died on the cross.

This is an important question. We live in a time when many people debate the historicity of Jesus. There are claims that Jesus is a mythological figure. Claims that He is merely a propaganda device invented by the Romans to pacify the restive Jews.


By cross checking the Biblical accounts with primary sources and the calendar, we can pinpoint when everything aligns. This alignment matters because it would not be likely or possible if the story if Jesus were fictional.

The National Catholic Register lists the details.

-The High Priesthood of Caiaphas places the possible dates between 18 and 36 AD.
-The governorship of Pontius Pilate narrows these dates to 26-36 AD.
-The Fifteenth Year of Tiberius Caesar marks the start of the ministry of John the Baptist, 29 AD. This narrows the death of Christ to sometime between 29 and 36 AD.
-Jesus was crucified on a Friday; this narrows the possible days by 6/7.
-The Friday was just before Passover, which narrows the dates to just two possibilities, Friday, April 7, 30 AD, and Friday, April 3, 33 AD.
-We can easily figure which of these two dates because if John the Baptist began his ministry in 29 AD, and the ministry of Christ lasted at least two years, then the earlier date would not work. This means the later date of 33 AD is correct.
-Finally, Jesus died on the ninth hour, which would equate to 3:00 PM.

Therefore, Jesus died at 3:00 PM on Friday, April 3, 33 AD.

There are more details from Jimmy Akin on his post, here.

If a topic like this interest you, Catholic Online is producing "Jesus Is" the series. Our readers and viewers will soon have the opportunity to associate their name with this remarkable new series that will explore the mysteries of Jesus' life and the impact of his name throughout history from a historical perspective.

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