Featured The 14th Nisan (A Preparation Day; before the Sabbath High Day) was not before a double Sabbath.

@Alan Gross is not.

I disagree with his day, but it is a possible choice.

Mark does not have Christ being crucified on Nisan 15.

Here is why the crucifixion could not have occurred on the 15th:

And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD; seven days you must eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it .(Lev 23)

On the first day there shall be a holy convocation, and on the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation for you. No manner of work shall be done on them (Exodus 12)

The reason 15 Nisan is a holy day is because "they departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the day after the Passover the children of Israel went out with boldness in the sight of all the Egyptians." (Numbers 33)

And on the fifteenth day of this month is the feast; unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days. On the first day you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work. (Numbers 28)

And they ate of the produce of the land on the day after the Passover, unleavened bread and parched grain, on the very same day. (Joshua 5)



Whatever the year, whatever the date, whatever the day....there are some things we do know.


Jesus was crucified ified on 14 Nisan (which is according to the Gospels....to include Mark). It is not possible for Jesus to have been crucifiedon 15 Nisan.

@Alan Gross gives a possible day (Wednesday, Nisan 14 30 AD and Friday Nisan 14 33 AD are the only possible dates for the crucifixion if our understanding of the years are correct).

You are arguing for a date that is contrary to Scripture and does not align with Mark. The reason is that you misread "the first day of unleavened bread" to be the Feast (see Luke) and ignore "when the even came".

Mark tells us that on the first day of unleavened bread, when the Passover was being killed - this would be 14 Nisan (the "first evening", or our afternoon prior to the date) Jesus sent two disciples ahead and arrived with the Twelve when evening had come (sunset).

This was Jewish custom. The Lamb is slain, and then sacrificed refined, the priests partook (ritually), the people left the Temple, they arrived home, and at sunset they ate the meal. That morning would also be 14 Nisan.

 

No, it is not clearly proven.

It depends on whether one uses a Jewish or Western day.

The term "High Sabbath"was used by the KJV translators. The actual Greek simply specifies that "that Sabbath" (the Sabbath flowing Jesus burial) was a high day.

The reason given for the preperation day is that the following day was the Sabbath.


What people who follow the Jewish method of a day consider a "double sabbath" is simply a holy day set as a day of holy convocation (they interpret "Sabbath because the Sabbath is also a day of holy convocation) fell on an actual Sabbath.


So it depends on what we choose to count as a day - do we use a Jewush "night-day" or do we use a Western "day"?



Another wrench in your logic is that you are assuming the Jewish leadership in the 1St Century did not create laws in addition to the Law.

Regardless of the OT, the Passover and feasts were observed when the priests determined they would be held.

That said, I believe they observed it with a similar schedule (they prescribed times to slay the passover, to sacrifice the passover, for the priest's ritual meal, etc.).


You are incorrect that Friday is not Biblically possible. But that does not mean it was Friday.

The two days that could fit are Wendsday (if a Western day is used) and Friday (if a Hebrew day is used).

 

A few observations:

1. The Biblical observation in John is "that Sabbath" was a "high day". The other gospels leave it as a Sabbath.

15 Nisan itself is a "high day" (it, along with 32 Nisan) is a day set aside as a day for holy convocation. But this is not called a "sabbath" in the Bible.

The use of "preperation day" prior to 15 Nisan is also questionable ("preperation day" was the day work was completed in preparation for a Sabbath....the main work was preparing for the Sabbath itself as meals could not be fixed on a Sabbath....BUT the preparation of food IS allowed on 15 Nisan).

"Preparation Day" in Jesus' time was used to describe Friday as normal work was not done on Saturday.

2. Hebrew days are "night-days" and a part is considered a full for counting purposes. This is how Ester's feast lasting "3 days and 3 nights" but in Scripture was 2 days (our days) is not a Biblical error.

Friday afternoon to Sunday morning is 3 days and 3 nights.

3. There is only one "Sabbath" (day). It is the 7th day. The 15th of Nisan is not a "sabbath". When we say "double sabbath" we are technically wrong but emphasizing that it is not possible that the crucifixion occurred on 15 Nisan because it was set aside as a holy convocation.

The Sabbath following Christ's burial was also a "high day". There are two options - 15 and 21 Nisan. I don't believe 21 Nisan works because Mark is very clear that Jesus was crucified on 14 Nisan.

 

We simply disagree.

Your logic is faulty. You appeal to Numbers for the Passover yet you completely ignore what the passage states about 15 Nisan.

The crucifixion could not have occurred on 15 Nisan.

Per Mark it occurred the day after the evening that began 14 Nisan.

The Passover lamb was killed and sacrificed the afternoon of 14 Nisan (per 1st Century Jewish law between 1pm and 3 pm, depending on the day the morning following the meal fell). This was counted as 14 Nisan (from just past where the sun is at its apex to sunset was "between the evenings).

When the evening came (around sunset) the Jews would have ate the meal. Then the Jews would have left the Temple (the courtyard). This would be late afternoon. Jewish law has the Passover being sacrificed about an hour after it is killed. The priests were to hold the meal ritual just after the sacrifice. So people would be headed home around 2 to 4pm (depending on the day that the morning followed the meal landed). This was also 14 Nisan.

At sunset (the "official" start of the next day) the Jews would eat the meal. This was also 14 Nisan.

Jesus prayed in the Harden and was arrested. This was at night, but also 14 Nisan.

Early in the morning (this would be before light) the Jews brought Jesus before Rome. This would still be 14 Nisan.

Jesus was presented to the Jewish leaders around 9am. Again, 14 Nisan.

Jesus died around 3 pm. One could count activities pertaining to 15 Nisan here.....if there were any...but it is still 14 Nisan (still lawful to work as the sun has not set.....it's "between the evenings").

Jesus would have to be buried before sunset on q4 Nisan.....no exceptions.



You have set an odd timeliness in your mind, and although no legitimate scholar would hold it you can't seem to shake free.

Doesn't matter to me what you believe insofar as dates go, mind you. I'm merely posting for those who are interested in history.

You could say Jesus died on Monday and a time warp pushed Him up a day. As long as you agree with the resurrection, go for it. But you are wrong.

 

Actually, those passages confirm that the first day of unleavened bread (the Passover) was the day before the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Nisan 15-21, with 15 and 21 being days of "holy convocation" ).

AND those passages confirm that tge crucifixion could not have occurred on 15 Nisan (because the 15th and 21st were days of holy convocation.... priests would be at the Temple dedicated to Scripture associated with the Exodus, no work could be done except for making meals).


Don't just cherry pick verses. Read the whole passage and you may understand why it was important to the Jews that Jesus be killed before the 15th of Nisan and why it could not have been o. 15 or 21 Nisan.

 

Yes. Mark tells us that Jesus sent two disciples ahead to the "upper room" on the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover.

We know almost the exact time (depending on the length of the day) this would have happened because of Jewish laws that were adhered to in the 1st Century.

If the morning after the Passover meal fell on a Friday then the pasdover was killed just after the sun moved from its apex (around 1pm) before the pasdover meal was eaten by the households. If not, it was about an hour later.

And the timeline in Mark works out perfectly for a 14 Nisan crucifixion.

Let's look at 30 AD.

Tuesday afternoon, around 1 pm, the animal was killed. Jesus sent two ahead and Jesus arrived with the Twelve around sundown for the meal. Afterwards He was arrested, and on Wed. around 3pm died on the cross.

Let's look at 33 AD. Thursday afternoon, around 1 pm, the animal was killed. Jesus sent two ahead and Jesus arrived with the Twelve around sundown for the meal. Afterwards He was arrested, and on Fri. around 3pm died on the cross.

Either way all of this (from the killing of the animal to Christ's body being laid in the tomb) would fall on 14 Nisan, thereby keeping the Law, the Jewish laws, and agreeing with Scripture that this was prior to the Feast of Unleavened Bread (which started 15 Nisan) by being completed by the end of 14 Nisan.

 

Yes.

Mark 14:1–2 Now the Passover and Unleavened Bread were two days away; and the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to seize Him by stealth and kill Him; for they were saying, “Not during the festival, otherwise there might be a riot of the people.”

Passover 2 days away, Jews devised their plan. Why? Because they need to do it BEFORE the festival (15 to 21 Nisan).


Mark 14:12 On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb was being sacrificed, His disciples *said to Him, “Where do You want us to go and prepare for You to eat the Passover?”

Thursday between 1pm and 2 pm per 1st Century Jewish law, this is "between the evenings" prior to sundown. This os considered Nisan 14.

We know the time and date because Mark points out that this was the first day of unleavened bread WHEN THE PASSOVER WAS SACRIFICED.

Scholars are divided over the year, which changes the day but NOT THE TIME AND DATE.

Mark 14:17–18 When it was evening He *came with the twelve. As they were reclining at the table and eating

This would be Thursday evening, "Second evening" or sundown. The Lamb was killed, sacrificed, ceremonially partaken of by the priests at the Temple, people had left the Temple and it was time for the Jews to observe the meal.

Jesus is arrested.

Friday - still Nisan 14.


Mark 15:1 Early in the morning the chief priests with the elders and scribes and the whole Council, immediately held a consultation; and binding Jesus, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pilate.

John 18:28 Then they *led Jesus from Caiaphas into the Praetorium, and it was early; and they themselves did not enter into the Praetorium so that they would not be defiled, but might eat the passover.

Jesus delivered to Pilot. The priests don't enter (they do not want to be defiled....the next day being the 15th and holy convocation, the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread).

Jesus is crucified and laid in a tomb (it is Preperation Day, the next day being a Sabbath and a high day (Nisan 15).




I can understand different timeliness. Personally, I believe that the Jewish law which was followed departs from God's instruction.

I guess given the number of lambs being killed, then the sacrifice, then the ceremony....and family observance.....I can see why the Jews set earlier times. It couldn't all occur at sunset (although....to be fair, the command in Exodus is literally "between the sunsets").

I can understand people thi king it was a day behind (Nisan 13). BUT I can't understand why anybody who has read the Bible thinking that the crucifixion happened on 15 Nisan. That just couldn't happen.

 

The reason it isn't is that John does not call 15 Nisan a sabbath. He notes that Sabbath was a high day (it fell on 15 Nisan).

The "Great Sabbath" is the Sabbath (Saturday) preceding the Passover.

This particular Saturday was 15 Nisan (a holy convocation on a Saturday).


Jews made up the laws (the times) for killing the Passover and for sacrificing the Passover (these are not the same). I agree. BUT this was the time when the Passover was killed.

To be fair to the Jews, what we translate "twilight" means "between the sunsets", and the killing, sacrifice, ceremony, and family meals couldn't happen at the same time.

If the families ate the Passover at sunset then the killing of the Passover had to happen (by necessity) several hours before sunset.

The families had to prepare their lamb or goat for the meal as well. Busy day.