In what year did Jesus die?

The date of the lord's death seems to have been April 7 in the year 30 of our era.

The next step then, is to seek to ascertain the exact date of the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus. Now, most chronologists are agreed that His birth took place at least four years earlier than our common era, A.D., and that His death occurred in the month Nisan, A.D. 29. This, indeed, is contrary to the prevailing custom of dating the crucifixion A.D. 33, but it is the conclusion arrived at by Clinton, Lardner, Adam Clarke, and Canon H. Browne in his "Ordo Saeclorum" — all men of learning and ability.

Further evidence as to this may be gathered from early writers. Tertullian, in the second century, says: — "In the fifteenth year of his reign [Tiberius], Christ suffered, … whose sufferings were completed within the time of the seventy hebdomads, under Tiberius Cesar, Rubellius Geminus and Rufus Geminus being consuls, in the month of March at the time of the Passover" (Adv. Judaeos, c. 8) Lactantius, at the beginning of the fourth century, writes: — "Who [Herod] was under the empire of Tiberius Caesar; in the fifteenth year of whose reign, that is, during the consulship of the two Gemini, … the Jews affixed Christ to the cross" (Instit. 4:10). Augustine also, writing in the fourth century, says: — "Christ died in the consulship of the Gemini" (De. Civ. Dei. 18:54).

The date commonly given for this is B.C. 445; but Usher gave 455, and Hengstenberg and others contend that this is the true date. Hengstenberg shows in his "Christiology" how the mistake arose. Vitringa rectified the date, and Krüger, by an independent enquiry, also proved that the old date was wrong. Some hieroglyphic inscriptions in Egypt have shown that Artaxerxes was associated with his father in the twelfth year of the reign of Xerxes, and this information confirms the date given by Usher and others. We start then from B.C. 455. 7 weeks are 49 years 62 weeks are 434 " 483 Deduct 455 28 Add 1 year to adjust the eras B.C. and A.D. 1 29 A.D.

The year A.D. 29 is the date now commonly given for the crucifixion. It is generally agreed that the Lord lived on the earth thirty-three and a half years, but if He was born B.C. 4, and was crucified A.D. 33 (as given in the A.V.), He must have lived here 37 or 38 years; hence there must be a discrepancy somewhere. Early christian writers appealed confidently to a document called "The Acts of Pilate," which, though now considered spurious as far as Pilate is concerned, must have been an early writing, and this points to the date A.D. 29 for the crucifixion. Clement and Origen place the destruction of Jerusalem as forty-two years after the crucifixion. The destruction was in A.D. 70, which confirms the date of the latter as not later than 29. The definite time may be Christ's triumphant entry into Jerusalem, about a week before the last passover, agreeing with "Thy King cometh unto thee" in Zech. 9:9.

It is judged however by some that the sixty-nine weeks reach only up to Messiah the Prince as entering on His ministry; after which (indefinitely) He was cut off: and therefore the sixty-nine weeks should end at least three years earlier. This is probably the true view, though it may be impossible now to precisely adjust dates.

About A.D. 30 He made His exit from this world by way of a malefactor’s cross, erected at Golgotha, just outside Jerusalem. Rejected by the world, stripped and dishonoured, He died. Is it likely that the violence then done to Him is never to be reversed? Is He to lie for ever under the shadow of apparent defeat? Is there no more to be expected?

Thus may be seen that the Fathers (so called) seem agreed respecting the names of the consuls at the time of the crucifixion. In fact, so nearly unanimous were they in this, that one writer remarks: — "Nowhere in the first five centuries do we find any other consular date of the death of Christ than the year of the two Gemini, except in the Greek writer, Epiphanius." Now, with such strong evidence before us it seems we may safely conclude that our Lord suffered in the fifteenth year of Tiberius' reign (A.D. 29), when two persons bearing the same surname — the two Gemini — were consuls of Rome. This latter circumstance is said to be unprecedented in the annals of that city. It gives, therefore, additional proof to the accuracy of the above date.

1906 131 We have seen the Seventy Weeks are divided by the Spirit of God into three parts. We have also seen that the first two divisions reach up to "Messiah the Prince," who was cut off after the sixty nine weeks. This, the majority of chronologers are agreed, took place in the year A.D. 29, or early in 30. Our reference Bibles, however, give A.D. 33, which reckoning from B.C. 4, would make our Lord's age thirty-six instead of thirty-three years as usually supposed. But Bengel says respecting this, "The year 33 is too late and is refuted by all the opinions of the ancient church." He maintained that A.D. 30 was the correct date of our Lord's death.

587 The Lord's death, according to the view of Wieseler, Schürer, and Salmon, was on the 7th April, A.D. 30. "Christ our Passover was sacrificed" (1 Cor. 5:7). at the hour of the evening sacrifice, "between the two evenings" (Ex. 12:6), which may mean between the beginning of Friday (our Thursday) evening and the beginning of Saturday (our Friday) evening. See next note.

CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. B.C. 27 Augustus emperor of Rome 6 Census in Judaea. Birth of John the Baptist 5 Birth of Jesus (Four full years before A.D.) Presentation in the temple. 4 Visit of the magi. Flight into Egypt, Massacre of infants. Death of Herod; Archelaus made ethnarch of Judaea, Samaria and Idumaea Herod Antipas tetrarch of Peraea and Galilee. Philip tetrarch of Ituraea, Trachonitis. etc. A.D. 6 Quirinis (Cyrenius) governor of Syria the second time Archelaus banished, and Judaea made a province of Syria. 7 Enrolment, or taxation, under Cyrenius. Annas made high priest 8 Jesus at Jerusalem. Luke 2:42-46 14 Tiberias emperor of Rome: reigns alone 17 Caiaphas made high priest 26 Pontius Pilate procurator of Judaea John commences his ministry. (See TIBERIUS.) Mark 1:1-11 Baptism of Jesus. The Temptation Miracle of the water made wine at Cana. John 2:1-11 Jesus visits Capernaum The first Passover. Jesus cleanses the temple. John 2:13-22 John cast into prison. Jesus preaches in Galilee Mark 1:14-15 Jesus at the synagogue at Nazareth: cast out of the city. Luke 4:16-30 Jesus visits the towns of Galilee Mark 1:38-39 27 Jesus visits Jerusalem (probably the second Passover). John 5. 1 The twelve Apostles chosen Mark 3:13-19 Sermon on the Mount. Matt. 5.- 7; Luke 6:17-49 Miracles in the land of the Gadarenes. Mark 5:1-20 The Jews offended at Jesus at Nazareth. Mark 6:1-5 Jesus again visits the villages around. Mark 6:6 Jesus sends forth the twelve. Mark 6:7-13 Death of John the Baptist. Mark 6:17-29 Feeding the five thousand. Mark 6:35-44 Miracles in Gennesaret. Mark 6:53-56 28 Approach of the third Passover John 6:4 Feeding the four thousand. Mark 8:1-9 The Transfiguration. Mark 9:2-10 Feast of Tabernacles. John 7. Journey towards Jerusalem. Luke 9:51 The seventy disciples sent out. Luke 10:1-16 Feast of Dedication (winter). John 10:22-39 Jesus goes away beyond Jordan. John 10:40-42 The raising of Lazarus at Bethany. John 11:1-44 Jesus retires to Ephraim. John 11:54 29 Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. Cleanses the temple Mark 11:1-18 The Greeks visit Jesus. Voice from heaven. John 12:20-36 The last (fourth) Passover. The Lord's supper Mark 14:1-2 The Crucifixion. Ascension. Pentecost 30-34 The events from Pentecost to Stephen. Acts 2 — Acts 7 35 Martyrdom of Stephen. Saul "a young man" Acts 7:58-60 Great persecution, disciples scattered except the apostles Acts 8:1-4 36 Conversion of Saul (three years before his flight from Damascus.) Acts 9:26-28; (Gal. 1:18) 37 Caius (Caligula) emperor of Rome; reigns 4 years Herod Agrippa succeeds Herod Antipas Caiaphas deposed, and Jonathan made high priest 38 Paul, at Damascus and in Arabia.Gal. 1:15-18 39 Paul's first visit to Jerusalem; sent to Tarsus. Gal. 1:18; Acts 9:26-30 40 Conversion of Cornelius Acts 10. 41 Claudius emperor of Rome; reigns 13 years Judaea and Samaria united, under Herod Agrippa as king Herod (brother of Agrippa) king of Chalcis Gospel preached to the Gentiles at Antioch Acts 11:20 Barnabas goes to Antioch; fetches Paul Acts 11:26 42-3 They remain a year at Antioch Herod Agrippa's persecution. James beheaded Acts 12:2 Peter's imprisonment and release Acts 12:3-19 44 Death of Herod Agrippa. Palestine again a Roman province Acts 12:23 Paul's second visit to Jerusalem, with the collection. Acts 11:30 45 Paul returns to Antioch Acts 12:25 46-8 First journey of Paul and Barnabas to Cyprus and Asia Minor Acts 13. & Acts 14. 48 Ananias nominated high priest by Herod, king of Chalcis 49-50 Paul, after return, remains a long time at Antioch Acts 14:28 Dispute concerning circumcision, council at Jerusalem Acts 15:1 50 Paul's third visit to Jerusalem with Barnabas (fourteen years from his conversion. Gal. 2. 1) Acts 15:2 Returns and stays at Antioch. Acts 15:35 51 Second journey of Paul with Silas and Timothy through Asia Minor to Macedonia and Greece Acts 16. & Acts 17. Felix made procurator 52 Paul spends a year and a half at Corinth Acts 18:11 First and Second Epistles to the Thessalonians written. The Jews banished from Rome 53 Paul leaves Corinth, and sails to Ephesus 54 Nero emperor of Rome; reigns 14 years Paul's fourth visit to Jerusalem. Returns to Antioch Acts 18:22 Third journey through Galatia and Phrygia Acts 18:23 55-6 Paul at Ephesus two years and three months. Acts 19:8, 10 Epistle to the Galatians written. First epistle to the Corinthians written. Tumult at Ephesus. Acts 19:23. Paul goes to Macedonia. 2 Cor. 2:13; Acts 20:1 57 Second Epistle to the Corinthians written. Paul goes to Corinth, and stays three months Acts 20:2-3 58 Epistle to the Romans written. Paul leaves Corinth, and goes through Macedonia with Luke.

165 Mark 15:37. — Nowhere in the Gospels is the word "died" used as the result of our Lord's crucifixion. Here ἐξέπνευσεν, "expired," as in Luke, Matthew's word being ἀφῆκετ.π., "dismissed His spirit," whilst John's is παρέδκνετ.π., "gave up," etc. As to these, see "Exposition of John," p. 398. — The date seems to have been 7 April, A.D. 30.

Fixing thus the date of the famine, we know when Barnabas and Saul must have visited Jerusalem; so that all that we have hitherto read in the Acts, and probably the deeds of Herod the king narrated in the following chapter, took place not later than AD 44. If, then, we accept the date of the Crucifixion as AD 30, there were just fourteen years between that event and the famine to which Luke now refers. How much had gone on of deep interest to every Christian! How many stirring events had taken place within the cognisance of the Apostles and early converts! But now the hitherto unbroken company of the Twelve, since the election of Matthias in the place of Judas, was to be attacked, and one from amongst them to die so early a martyr's death, - James the brother of John was to be killed by the sword by order of King Herod.