This needs to be updated they just found evidence if quake from 26 to 36ad. At some time during that twelve months occurred the darkness over Asia in which lay Bithynia and Nicea to which Phlegon refers. They were not myths or literary devicesas skeptics or modernist biblical scholars might now suggest. Eusebius' records of the Olympics were considered authoritative but were lost, though they are translated and preserved some in the writings of others. . The website for this is the National Geophysical Data Center (http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov). It amounts, in effect, to asserting the following:leaving aside all the evidence youdohave, you do not have anyotherevidence. Thus, the skeptic discards all evidence against his case, and then declares victory: aha, you have nootherproof!The reality is, there is no reason to set aside the sources and evidence we do have. Volume 2 contains the quotes on this webpage. There are a variety of opinions on this question. He was a Greek historian who lived in Asia Minor during the first century. The Bible is Gods book of love and redemption. 196-7, College Press Publishing Company, 1996., 4 Tertullian, Apologeticus, Chapter 21, 19 cited in Bouw, G. D. (1998, Spring). The New Testament records the three-hour darkness during Christs crucifixion (Matthew 27:45, Mark 15:33, Luke 23:4445). And it cannot happen at any other time but in the interval between the first day of the new moon and the last of the old, that is, at their junction: how then should an eclipse be supposed to happen when the moon is almost diametrically opposite the sun? Each recounts a fantastical or paranormal event. "In the 4th year of the 202nd Olympiad, there was a great eclipse [Greek EKLEIPSIS] of the Sun, greater than had ever been known before, for at the 6th hour the day was changed into night and the stars were seen in the heavens. The fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad was in 33 A.D.!!! Tradition informs us that Marks gospel derives directly from Peters oral preaching in Rome (seehere). Change). AWESOME I had read so many "time lines" and prophetic explanations. Though it is almost impossible to deny that this strange event truly happened, on the same day our Lord died on the Cross, I strived for years to find a natural astronomical explanation about it but in vain. The first Olympiad was conducted in 776 BC. While the actual words used by Thallus no longer survive, the response of Africanus (below) give us a sense of what he must have said: As to His (i.e., Jesus Christ) works severally, and His cures effected upon body and soul, and the mysteries of His doctrine, and the resurrection from the dead, these have been most authoritatively set forth by His disciples and apostles before us. It also gives a link to download Lightfoot's entire New Testament commentaries in four volumes as free PDF files. The Crucifixion darkness could certainly have been one of these excluded eclipses. However, whether there was or was not a Crucifixion darkness, it can not be proven from Pliny. Euse-bius, in his records of the year A.D. , quotes at length from Phlegon, who says that, in the fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad, there was a great and remarkable eclipse of the sun, above any that had happened before. It cannot be denied that Pliny the Elder wrote on topics like eclipses of the sun. I will follow the work of Cambridge professor Colin Humphreys based on his book, "The Mystery of the Last Supper," published in 2011 [1]. and this is shown by the historical account of Tiberius Caesar. Philopon, De. Now before the accusations fly about me ascribing random astronomical events to this writing, consider this: these are the only two solar eclipses that occur within the time frame reference by Phlegon, and from 20-40AD there are only 3 other eclipses that could even possibly have been seen by Rome or the Persian Gulf; one in 20AD and the other two occur after 36AD. However, what concerning the bottom line? Unfortunately, Africanus does not quote Phlegon directly. There is more historical evidence to support the three hour period of darkness, and therefore of the Crucifixion, in 33 AD than almost any other ancient event in history! Moon phase and solar year events are shown on the day in Athens. It has only been referenced in Christian apologist books hundreds of years later. It was recorded by a Pagan author who had no desire to promote Christianity yet he confirmed the Bible record! This one too is during the 202ndOlympiad, although in the first year, not the fourth. The dates of the Olympic Games, recorded in Phlegon's Olympiad In ancient Greece the Olympic Games were held in the July of the first year of each Olympiad, which was a 4 year period running from July to June of each succeeding year. He dabbed the sweat from his pallid face and intoned Are you at peace with God? When they could see the new crescent Moon in the evening (only visible for a short time in the early evening) they would send runners to announce that the new month had begun. AD 33 is a generally accepted year of His crucifixion. Only the Nov. 24, AD 29 eclipse over Asia Minor can match that, and Joel's prophecy (Acts 2, 14-21) that ``the sun will be turned to darkness and moon to blood." March 25, 2018: With the arrival of Holy Week, I am reposting this article on the historicity of the Crucifixion darkness, originally posted April 13, 2017. . Astronomical calculation will help with this, but we first need to answer the day of the week question. Required fields are marked *. (LogOut/ At Fatima, the miracle was localized though still within many miles of the town. Other works ascribed to Phlegon in the Suda are a description of Sicily, a work on the Roman festivals in three books, and a topography of Rome: Origen of Alexandria (182-254 AD), in Against Celsus (Book II, Chap. You can be sure that faith in God is not blind faith. Phlegon would have had no way to misreport an actual earthquake that hit in the region, because the region has the history to confirm the account passed to him. The earthquake on the other hand was a natural process miraculously timed to occur at the crucifixion. Los Angeles is approximately 380 miles from San Francisco, by comparison. Some evidence suggests that Jesus was born in 2 BC and Herod died shortly after. (The Olympics began in 776 B.C., and by counting every fourth year you come to the 202 nd Olympiad, and the fourth year of same is 33 A.D.) Most Pratt, John, webpage by astronomer John Pratt on Isaac Newtons approach to determining the date of the crucifixion. This sediment outcrop is a distinctive one-foot thick mixed layer of sediment that is tied strongly to the Qumran earthquakes onshore ground ruptures of 31 B.C. But why is this significant, if it doesnt even validate darkness during the Crucifixion as referenced in the Gospels? The evidence for Christ's resurrection is also historical evidence of a miracle. GO TO creationanswers.net The Text Widget allows you to add text or HTML to your sidebar. The facts were recorded in a historical account of Tiberius. It is impossible to have the Moon block the Sun at Full Moon, which is when Passover took place. Early Christian writers, such as Origen, Africanus and Eusebius, also cited a 2nd century writer, Phlegon, as having written of the Crucifixion darkness. To God nothing is impossible. Why would the Apostles allude to a darkness their hearers and readersknewdid not happen? (LogOut/ "In the fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad (i.e., AD 33) there was 'the greatest eclipse of the sun' and that 'it became night in the sixth hour of the day [i.e., noon] so that stars even appeared in the heavens. But it is a challenging issue to unravel. Peter reminds his hearers these things were done in the midst of you, as you also know. Clearly, Peter referenced an eventthe three hour darkening of the sunwhich waspreviouslywitnessed by all hearing him that day. Between 3 PM and sunset the Jews had to prepare the body and get it into the tomb, because the Sabbath started Friday evening around sunset. From historical sources telling when these individuals were in office you can show that the possible range of years of the crucifixion to be from AD 26 to AD 36. The Crucifixion is widely reported by numerous ancient writers. Moon phase and solar year events are shown on the day in Athens. As several of the early Fathers quoted Phlegon, there seems no reason to doubt his word. source:http://earthquaketrack.com/il-06-jerusalem/recent. ? someone heckled from the back row. In 70 A.D., just forty years after the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the city of Jerusalem and the Temple were utterly destroyed by the Romans and the surviving population carried off into captivity. [CDATA[*/ var d = new Date(); var n = d.getFullYear(); document.getElementById('getYear').innerHTML = n; /*]]>*/ Christian Evidence. It is important to readThallus comments to completely understand the issue. There are writings from Roman, Jewish, and Christian writers all known as good historians who mention Jesus Christ in some way, often as they write about Christians. Therefore, he relied on transcribed information; either written or oral. These historians attempt to interpret the darkness as a direct effect of a solar eclipse which we know is scientifically not possible - but they wouldn't have known that in their time. 4th year of the 202nd Olympiad. We can therefore calculate with great accuracy that the three hour period of darkness, and also the Crucifixion, had to be in the Spring of A.D. 33. Fr. Thirteen inches above the 31 B.C. Here, too, we see an Apostle feared not to mention the event precisely because it was already widely known among his readers. On the Circumstances Connected with Our Saviours Passion and His Life-Giving Resurrection). Required fields are marked *. Read more . Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Dont Panic! It is significant that Jesus be crucified on a Friday because that is the normal time when the passover lamb was sacrificed by the Jews. Zero as a mathematical number in the Greco-Roman world was a later invention. The Jews counted days and nights as if a portion counted like the whole, they did not think in terms of ellapsed time as we do today. Tertullian, Apologeticus, Chapter 21, 19, Christian Evidence was created to enable Christians to defend their faith, and to open their eyes up to the overwhelming evidence for Christianity. Last month: Next month: new 02:44 32/07/26 UTC : 1: 32-07-26/27: Noumenia : 2: 32-07-27/28: Noumenia kata Selene Agathos Daimon: Herakleia? The Resignation of Pope Benedict XVI: Now available through other book sellers, Roma Locuta Est Considers: Benepapism and the Munus vs. Ministerium (EpisodeII), Roma Locuta Est Considers: Introduction to Benepapism (Episode I). Thus the darkening of the sky at the crucifixion is very extraordinary. Also, word of it would have spread from Jerusalem to Jewish communities in Rome and throughout the empire. Phlegon was a Greek historian who wrote an extensive chronology around AD 137. He was smartly dressed, flamboyant and gregarious. There was a great earthquake in Bithynia, and many things were overturned in Nicaea.'"1 Evidence from Africanus The gospel references where Jesus predicted he would rise in three days are Matt. Colin Humphreys estimates that Jesus' ministry began in 30 A.D. Doing so would only demolish their credibility on allotherpoints of the gospel they hoped to prove about Christ basedsolelyon personal testimony. However, if the crucifixion were on a Wednesday or Thursday this does not seem to fit the proper timing in the Jewish Passover week. Steven OReilly is a graduate of the University of Dallas and the Georgia Institute of Technology. On this basis the Fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad would commence in July A.D.32 and finish in June A.D.33. Christians claim this corroborates the Gospels; opponents say it has nothing to do with the events described during the Passion and only perpetuates a false conclusion. His chief work was the Olympiads, an historical compendium in sixteen books, from the 1st down to the 229th Olympiad (776 BC to AD 137), of which several chapters are preserved in Eusebius' Chronicle, Photius, and George Syncellus. Im fairly confident of the historical source, Your email address will not be published. There is much that can be brought into the discussion here about the Jewish calendar and Sabbath. VI, p. 130, as cited in Gary R. Habermas, The Historical Jesus: Ancient Evidence for the Life of Christ, (Joplin, MO: College Press Publishing Company), 1996., 3 Habermas, Gary. The timing of this "eclipse" referred to by Phlegon is similar to the event described in the Gospels. Some Christian scholars argue Jesus was crucified on Thursday and some even hold to a Wednesday crucifixion. We do not know what other sources that Africanuswho established a library for Severus Alexander might have had at his disposal with regard to Phlegons writings. In ancient Greece the Olympic Games were held in the July of the first year of each Olympiad, which was a 4 year period running from July to June of each succeeding year. He takes the Bible at face value rather than questioning the details in Scripture in some way, which I believe is the right approach. The year given by Phlegon for this eclipse is the fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad (i.e., 33 A.D.), which is consistent with one of the possible dates of the Crucifixion (i.e., April 3, 33 A.D.). All Rights Reserved. The second quote is recorded by Philopon. The Crucifixion darknesswould have been observable to many hundreds of thousands of peopleif not millions. Is there historical evidence for the darkness & earthquake at the crucifixion? this objectionis something of a fallacious argument. The San Andreas fault is 800 miles long, running along the California coast; Israel and Turkey sit onyou guess ita major fault line! This information was considered reliable at the time because Origen (in 248 CE) quoted it to refute Celsus (Against Celsus II:14,33,59), a Greek philosopher very critical of Christianity but familiar with history. Someone shouted Show me a Bible miracle thats recorded in SECULAR history!!. . Phlegon Darkness occurred when Christ was crucified, an eclipse of the sun cannot occur during a full moon since the moon would be on the opposite side of the earth. With this principle in mind, let us now consider the evidence. Let us, briefly, consider the case for the historicity of this event by first quoting the relevant gospel accounts. Archeological study of artifacts or buried structures is helpful but archeologists would often consider an ancient written source to be more important than an artifact because you need to know something to give the artifact a context. Jeremiah 9:23-24. He referred to a description by Phlegon of an eclipse accompanied by earthquakes during the reign of Tiberius: that there was "the greatest eclipse of the sun" and that "it became night in the sixth hour of the day [i. e., noon] so that stars even appeared in the heavens. Thus, if the quote is accurate, and Phlegons eclipse has not been conflated with one which occurred in 29 A.D., then Phlegon is another source who supports the Crucifixion darkness. This blatantly religious appeal seemed odd and out of place. The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. . Properly working out the Jewish calendar shows this to work for AD 33 (see C. Humphreys). Thus says the LORD, Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me . XIV), wrote that Phlegon, in his Chronicles, mentions Jesus: "Now Phlegon, in the thirteenth or fourteenth book, I think, of his Chronicles, not only ascribed to Jesus a knowledge of future events (although falling into confusion about some things which refer to Peter, as if they referred to Jesus), but also testified that the result corresponded to His predictions." There are few historical records that are actually from the time of Christ but there are some records from historians from the second century AD. A non-profit, 501(c)3 corporation. I speak of the midday or Crucifixion darkness which the gospel accounts assert fell over the earth between noon and 3 pm. Bugnolan Conclave in surprise move, elects Bergoglio! A solar eclipse supposedly occurred during a full moon. About two weeks after the New Moon is the Full Moon, which corresponds to Passover. Some of the students had come just to harass the speakers. Ten Years Ago: Benedict confirms I am no longer the Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church, Benedicts Last Audience: Ten Years After, Roma Locuta Est Considers: Benepapism and the Munus vs. Ministerium (EpisodeVI), Is the Culture of Death creating the Remnant? We will analyze from two perspectives: one that asserts both Phlegons writing to be uncompromised and authentic, and one that assumes Phlegon has been compromised and is unauthentic. Christ still changes lives like he did in the first century. Africanus make it rather evident that Thallus was specifically addressing this darkness i.e., the three hour darkness at the time of the Crucifixion and not any other. AD 33 is too early for his crucifixion, surely. The darkening of the sky I suspect was just a pure miracle, not caused by any natural phenomena.
