Determining the window of possible dates:1. Jesus was condemned to death by the Roman governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate.1.1. (Mat 27:26; Mar 15:15; Luk 23:23-24; Joh 19:14-16)1.2. “Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus.” – Tacitus (Annals)1.3. Josephus (Antiquities, Wars) indicates that Pilate reigned in Judea from 26 to 36 AD.1.4. Jesus’ death could not, therefore, have taken place before 26 AD nor after 36 AD. [A 10-year window]2. Jesus was crucified before Paul became a Christian.2.1. While in Corinth, the Jews brought Paul before the proconsul of Achaia, Gallio (Act 18:8-13). Roman records (e.g., the Delphi or Gallio Inscription) indicate that Gallio served as proconsul from 51-52 AD.2.2. Paul’s arrival in Corinth was just after Emperor Claudius had expelled the Jews from Rome (Act 18:2). Per the ancient historian Orossius, this took place in the ninth year of Claudius’ reign – or 49 AD. 2.3. Prior to this Paul was delivering aid to Jerusalem in response to Agabus’ prophecy of a coming famine (Act 11:27-30). Per Josephus, the famine was affecting Jerusalem during the time of Queen Helena’s pilgrimage (46-47 AD). 2.4. According to Paul, this trip was 14 years after his conversion (Gal 2:1 “after an interval of fourteen years [after conversion – 1:11-17] I went up again [having visited once already 11 years prior – or three years after conversion – 1:18]). 2.5. Paul’s conversion was, therefore, between 33 and 32 AD. As such, the latest possible date for Jesus’ death is 33 AD. [A 7-year window]3. Jesus died on Friday, the day of preparation for a Sabbath-Passover.3.1. Per the Law, the Passover (i.e., sacrifice and eating of the paschal lamb) had to be celebrated in the month of Nisan – the first month of the Jewish calendar (Est 3:7), at moonrise on the 14th day - which signaled the beginning of the 15th day (Exo 12:2-8; Lev 23:5-6; Num 28:16-17; Deu 16:6). In God’s eyes, days extend from moonrise to moonrise versus sunrise to sunrise (Gen 1:5 “there was evening and there was morning, one day” [Note the order]). If Passover fell on a Sabbath (a Sabbath-Passover or “high day” – Joh 19:31[1]), then both the sacrifice and preparation of the meal (cooking the lambs and unleavened bread, etc.) had to take place the day before (Friday day – the 14th of Nisan) – or in the hours before moonrise and the beginning of the Sabbath (Friday evening, the 15th of Nisan), since no work could be done on the Sabbath. This day was called the “day or preparation.” 3.2. All four gospels make clear that Jesus died on the “day of preparation” (Friday day, the 14th of Nisan), during one of these unique Sabbath-Passover celebrations (Mat 27:50 w/62; Mar 15:37 w/42-43; Luk 24:44-46 w/50-54; Joh 19:31-33)[2].3.3. Jesus died, therefore, at the same time as the Passover lambs were slain (on the day of preparation). Hence the reason: 1) for Paul’s words in (1Co 5:7 “Christ our Passover [lamb]…has been sacrificed”), 2) the Passover meal celebrated by Jesus and disciples (the Last Supper/Lord’s Table) did not include a lamb. Jesus was replacing them as the eschatological Passover “lamb of God” (Joh 1:36). Hence why also, their Passover meal needed to be celebrated on Thursday evening before the actual Sabbath-Passover meal (i.e., on Friday evening[3]). By then, Jesus would be dead. The benefits of consuming Him through the bread and wine the night before made moot any need for further OC Passover observance or meals. Jesus’ supper/table had become the new – or NC, Passover. 3) Paul can also speak of Jesus’ resurrection as our “first fruits” (1Co 15:20) – no doubt an allusion to the offering of first fruits which happened on the 16th of Nisan, a Sunday during a Sabbath-Passover. 3.4. Astronomical calculations indicate only two Sabbath-Passover dates within the 7-year window: 30 and 33 AD[4] ***The million dollar question: Which year is the correct one?*** Considering where the additional evidence points:4. The 46th year of Herod’s Temple project points to one date. 4.1. During Jesus’ first Passover, He is confronted regarding the time it took Herod to expand the temple (Joh 2:13-20 “forty six years”). 4.2. According to Josephus (Antiquities), Herod began his rule of Judea in 37 BC and his work on the Temple in his eighteenth year - or 19 BC. Accounting for the transition between BC and AD (there is no “0” BC/AD, it goes from 1BC to 1AD), as well as inclusive reckoning (counting, 1-2 = 1 yr, 2-3 = 2 yrs) the 46th year of Herod’s Temple project and Jesus’ first Passover, occurred in 28 AD.4.3. Given that Jesus’ public ministry lasted for three Passovers (Joh 2:13, 23; Joh 6:4; Joh 11:55, 12:1[5]) the dates of all three would be as follows: the first in the spring of 28 AD, the second in the spring of 29 AD...
