Astronomical calculations show that on April 3, 33 AD, a full moon consistent with Passover illuminated Jerusalem, followed by a partial lunar eclipse visible that evening, which align with details of the Bible.
DAILY MAIL
The Bible says that when Jesus died at the ‘ninth hour,’ darkness shrouded the land and the earth trembled at his final breath.
While Scripture does not provide an exact date, many historians have long debated that it occurred at 3:00pm on Friday, April 3, 33 AD, and a new book has offered compelling evidence supporting this widely discussed date.
In ‘The Day Jesus Died,’ Woodrow Michael Kroll weaves together biblical texts, historical records and astronomical data, arguing that together they form a coherent narrative pointing to this precise day and hour.
The Gospels offer detailed accounts leading up to Jesus’ death, including Mark 15:34, which notes he died at the ‘ninth hour,’ corresponding to 3:00pm.
The ancient Jewish day was divided into twelve hours starting at sunrise, around 6:00am, making the ninth hour mid-afternoon.
Kroll determined that Jesus died on a Friday because all four Gospels describe the crucifixion as taking place on the ‘Day of Preparation,’ the day before the Jewish Sabbath that falls on Saturday.
To corroborate the date, he turned to the skies, using astronomical calculations to show that on April 3, 33 AD, a full moon consistent with Passover illuminated Jerusalem, followed by a partial lunar eclipse visible that evening.
The moon’s reddish tint would have appeared hours after the crucifixion, echoing Peter’s reference in Acts 2:20 to ‘the moon turning to blood.’