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Is the darkness that occurred when Jesus was crucified historical?
Wiki User
∙ 7y ago
According to Matthew and Luke this darkness lasted from the time that he was suspended upon the cross until he died. Yet his executioners are ignorant of it. Luke says: "His acquaintances, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things [the crucifixion]" (xxiii, 49), which they could not have done had this darkness really occurred.
If this darkness occurred, and began at the sixth hour, as stated by the Synoptics, then, according to John, the conclusion of the trial, the sentencing of Jesus, the preparations for his execution, and the journey to Golgotha, all took place during the darkness, a conclusion which the nature of the narrative utterly precludes.
Christian apologists have cited Phlegon who notices an eclipse which occurred about this time. But there is a variance of at least six years in regard to the time that Jesus was crucified. Besides an eclipse could not have occurred within two weeks of a Passover, on the occurrence of which he is declared to have been executed. Farrar says: "It could have been no darkness of any natural eclipse, for the Paschal moon was at the full" (Life of Christ, p. 505). Geikie says: "It is impossible to explain the origin of this darkness. The Passover moon was then at the full, so that it could not have been an eclipse. The earlier fathers, relying on a notice of an eclipse that seemed to coincide in time, though it really did not, fancied that the darkness was caused by it, but incorrectly" (Life of Christ, Vol. II, p. 624, Notes). "The celebrated passage of Phlegon," says Gibbon, "is now wisely abandoned" (Rome, Vol. I, p. 589, Note).
No other author who mentions Thallus before Syncellus makes any mention of Thallus' supposed reference to the darkness. Some would expect Christians to make a great deal of such a reference on the part of a well-known chronographer and historian if it supported Christian belief. Africanus may here be in error or Thallus may have only put forth the idea that the darkness that Christians claimed occurred at the death of Jesus was a normal eclipse of the Sun, perhaps referring to the eclipse of the Sun that occurred in AD 29.
Wiki User
∙ 7y ago
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Who was the pilot who crucified Jesus?
There is no record of a pilot crucifying Jesus in historical accounts. Jesus was crucified by the Roman authorities under the orders of Pontius Pilate, who was the Roman governor of Judea at the time.
What signs occurred when Jesus died on the cross?
Marks that resemble those made by the nails by which Jesus was crucified on his hands and legs, are called stigmata. (singular is stigma)
Did Jesus get hit by a bus?
No, there is no historical record or religious belief that suggests Jesus was hit by a bus. According to the Bible, Jesus was crucified and later rose from the dead.
When in the Bible was Jesus crucified?
Jesus was crucified in the nineteenth chapter of John. In Luke, he was crucified in the 23rd chapter. In John, he was crucified in the 27th chapter.
What empire was in control when Jesus was crucified?
The Roman empire was in power when Jesus was crucified.
Were there 2 or 4 robbers crucified with Jesus?
There were two criminals crucified with Jesus.
Where do you find who sentenced Jesus to be crucified?
Pontus Pilate sentenced Jesus to be crucified.
Why were two other people crucified with Jesus?
For theological reasons, Jesus had to be crucified between two common thieves to show the actions of the Jews by disregarding Jesus' teachings deserved the anti-Jewish sentiment that lasted nearly 2000 years. Only those who committed high treason were crucified: thieves were not crucified. One of the blatantly historical mistakes in the gospels.
Was Jesus not crucified?
No. Jesus was crucified to clean the souls of all mankind if you accept that he died for you.
Was Jesus crucified by Tiberius?
No, Jesus was crucified during the reign of Tiberius Caesar, who was the Roman emperor during 14-37 AD.
Who wanted Jesus crucified the Romans or the Jews?
Jesus' followers did not want him to be crucified. Jesus, himself, did not entirely want to be crucified, but he saw the necessity of it and allowed himself to endure the pain for the greater good.
Was Jesus crucified on Palm Sunday?
No Jesus was crucified on Good Friday. Palm Sunday is when Jesus entered the city and many people went to greet him and they placed palm leaves on the ground so He wouldn't have to step on the dirt.
