3rd
When Was Jesus Crucified?
I’ve just finished reading several articles on the subject of when Jesus was crucified. My main conclusion is that the exact date can’t be determined with absolute certainty. But apparently it is possible to identify the most likely dates.
First, we know that it happened during the rule of Pontius Pilate, which can be reliably dated to the years between 26 AD and 36 AD. Various arguments can eliminate the first few years of this period, thereby narrowing the time window to 29 - 36 AD. Further, the gospel accounts indicate that the crucifixion took place in a year in which the Jewish Passover occurred on a Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. Astronomical calculations of dates of the full moon point to the years 30, 31, 33, and 34 AD as meeting this requirement. Thus the crucifixion most likely took place in one of these four years. But the remaining evidence apparently isn’t sufficient to allow any further narrowing of the date.
