Was There An Earthquake When Jesus Died

Quake Reveals Day of Jesus’ Crucifixion

Later in this series, we’ll look at how we walk as disciples of Jesus Christ (also known as “walking the walk”). A striking description of Peter and John (some of the early disciples) was that they had been with Jesus for a long time (Acts 4:13). Walking with Jesus will mould and transform your life into something that is both God-honoring and aesthetically pleasing to the eye. “A believer changes his or her thinking; a disciple transforms their or her way of life.” Choose between accepting Jesus and God’s promise of everlasting life through him, or rejecting Jesus and God’s offer of eternal life through him.

If you want your sins forgiven and to be adopted as a child of God and a follower of Jesus, pray this prayer or one similar to it every day for a lifetime.

Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, I think that I am no longer a sinner.

I really repent and turn away from my sin, and I beg God’s pardon for it.

  • I intend to follow His instructions and conduct my life in accordance with His will and for His benefit.
  • “Thank you, God,” I say.
  • Do you have any advice for me?
  • The questions that are often asked are listed below.
  • All four gospels, as well as Tacitus’ Annals (XV,44), agree that the crucifixion took place during Pontius Pilate’s tenure as procurator of Judea, which lasted from 26 to 36 AD. Every one of the four gospels claims that Jesus was crucified on a Friday. Each of the four gospels agrees that Jesus died a few hours before sunset on Friday, marking the beginning of the Jewish Sabbath. It appears that Jesus died before nightfall on the 14th day of Nisan
  • This would have been just in time to begin serving the Passover meal. John’s gospel, however, differs from the synoptic accounts, apparently indicating that Jesus died before nightfall on the 15th day of Nisan
  • This would have been just in time to begin serving the Passover meal.

From 26 to 36 AD, Pontius Pilate was the procurator of Judea, and all four gospels, as well as Tacitus in Annals (XV,44), agree that Jesus was crucified. On Friday, according to all four gospels, Jesus was crucified. There is unanimous agreement that Jesus died a few hours before the beginning of the Jewish Sabbath (about midnight on a Friday); It appears that Jesus died before nightfall on the 14th day of Nisan; this would have been just in time to begin serving the Passover meal. John’s gospel, however, differs from the synoptic accounts, apparently indicating that Jesus died before nightfall on the 15th day of Nisan; this would have been just in time to start serving the Passover meal.

4 Phenomenal Events that Happened when Jesus Died (Session 12 – Matthew 27:41-52)

“They nailed him on a cross” (John 19:1). He wasn’t the first person to die on a crucifixion; it’s believed that by the time of Christ, the Romans had crucified 30,000 individuals in Palestine alone, according to historical records. He would not be the first to do so. To the contrary, Jesus was the only One who could and did suffer on a cross for the sins of a lost world, “the righteous for the wicked, so he may bring you to God” (Romans 3:25). (1 Pet. 3:18). In order to demonstrate the one-of-a-kindness of Jesus’ death, Matthew narrates four extraordinary incidents that occurred immediately after Jesus died.

The Gospel writer does not elaborate on their significance; rather, he just reports them. According to John MacArthur, these incidents serve as God’s own commentary on the crucifixion.

The Darkness

As a result, “from noon till three o’clock in the afternoon, darkness fell over the entire area” (Mark 15:25), and Jesus was crucified at 9 a.m. (Mark 15:25). (Matt. 27:45). The relevance of this: Darkness is commonly used as a symbol of judgment in the Old Testament (see Amos 5:18; 8:9). Remember that the ninth plague of the exodus event was a three-day period of darkness over the country of Egypt, a darkness that could be felt by the people of Israel (Ex. 10:21-22). Next the plague of darkness, the firstborn sons were killed in the following year (Ex.

  1. Death was preceded by a period of darkness.
  2. What is the importance of this?
  3. The presence of darkness as a manifestation of divine judgment draws attention to the substitutionary aspect of Christ’s sacrifice.
  4. 3:13; 2 Cor.
  5. 2:24).

The Curtain

This is what happened: “From top to bottom, the curtain of the sanctuary was ripped in half” (Matt. 27:51). The relevance of this: Some Bible scholars believe that this was the curtain that divided the court of the Jews from the court of the Gentiles in the time of Jesus. According to Ephesians 2:14, where Paul claims that Christ has knocked down the dividing wall between Jews and Gentiles, this would make sense in light of the passage. Other Bible scholars, on the other hand, think that this was the curtain that separated the holy of holies from the other portions of the temple in Jerusalem.

Worshipers were never permitted to enter the holy of holies; only the high priest was permitted to do so once a year (Lev.

This act of ripping down the temple curtain symbolizes how Christ has made the way to God open for everyone who believes in him.

9:12; 10:19-20).

The Earthquake

What happened was as follows: “The ground trembled, and the rocks broke” (Matt.27:51). The significance:Earthquakes were regular in Palestine, albeit this one was unlike any other that had occurred previously. The timing of the incident, as well as the events that followed, imply that it was a supernatural occurrence. Earthquakes were frequently associated with supernatural revelation or a one-of-a-kind act of God in the Bible. Moses reported that “the entire mountain trembled fiercely” when God came to him on Mount Sinai to deliver him His law (Ex.

Warren Wiersbe draws a connection between the earthquake that occurred during Jesus’ execution and the Sinai event, arguing that the earthquake at Calvary represented the fulfillment of the demands of the law in Christ.

Because of the earthquake, according to Stuart Weber, it symbolized “the magnitude of the ‘earth-shaking’ upheaval that had just taken place with the tearing of the iron curtain.” (From the Holman New Testament Commentary)

The Dead Raised

This is what happened: “Many bodies of saints who had fallen asleep were revived from their tombs,” according to the account (Matt. 27:52). The significance: It is believed that the earthquake was the catalyst for the opening of the tombs in this location. The miracle consisted of the resurrection of a large number of saints from the dead. These would have been saints from the Old Testament. This evidence of Jesus’ victory over death is shown through these resurrections. Their resurrection serves as a foretaste of what will occur at the end of time, namely the last resurrection of which Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 4:16: “the dead in Christ shall rise from the grave” (see also 1 Cor.

As a result, they represent the hope that all believers have as a result of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Mike Livingstone works as a content editor for the Explore the Bible products offered by Lifeway.

Lost body hypothesis – Wikipedia

This is a sub-article of the article “Jesus’ death and resurrection.” TheLost Body Hypothesis seeks to explain the empty tomb of Jesus by a naturally occurring phenomenon rather than through resurrection, deception, theft, or coma, as has been suggested by other theories. On Resurrection Day, only the Gospel of Matthew (28:2) refers to a “big earthquake,” which is described as “a huge earthquake.” The earthquake that occurred prior to the Crucifixion was accompanied by darkness, rock cracking, and the opening of tombs (Matth.

In this sense, a break in the rock can explain why the tomb was empty on the day of the resurrection.

Matthew may be alluding to the seismic events in verse 12:40, which describes the Son of Man descending for three days into the heart of the earth, similar to how Jonah spent three days in the belly of the whale.

The events of Jesus’ death and resurrection were represented by the image of a grain of wheat falling to the ground in both John’s Gospel (12:24) and Paul’s Letters (1 Cor.15:36).

18th century

According to Johann Christian Edelmann, a radical German rationalist and spiritualist, in hisConfession of Faith(1746), the Matthean earthquake had buried the body, and as a result, it was no longer there to be found. Edelmann linked his theory of a missing body with a spiritual interpretation of Jesus’ resurrection. According to the last situation, which only Matthew states, I concede that the corpse of Lord Jesus in his burial may have been buried in an undiscovered manner, making it impossible to find it anyplace else.

20th century

In his article, The Fifth Gospel (1913), the Austrian spiritualist R.J.L.Steiner described what his “clairvoyant consciousness” perceived as an earthquake that hid the body of Jesus: “That earthquake shook the tomb in which Jesus’ body lay – and the stone that had been placed before the tomb was ripped away and a crevice opened in the ground and the body fell onto the crevice.” As a result of the additional vibrations, the earth closed over the fissure.

And when the people arrived in the morning, they found the tomb empty, for the ground had taken Jesus’ corpse; the stone, on the other hand, had remained apart from the tomb.” In his book Christliche Dogmatik (Christian Dogmatics), published in 1925, the German theologian R.

Seeberg appears to have contemplated the concept of a lost body (Allison).

Historicity of the Matthean earthquake

R.J.L.Steiner, an Austrian spiritualist, described what his “clairvoyant consciousness” perceived as an earthquake that hid the body of Jesus in his article, The Fifth Gospel (1913): “That earthquake shook the tomb in which Jesus’ body lay – and the stone that had been placed before the tomb was ripped away and a crevice opened in the ground and the body fell onto the crevice.” As a result of the additional shocks, the earth closed over the crack.

After three days, the tomb was found to be empty, for the ground had taken up the corpse of Jesus.

Seeberg published his book Christliche Dogmatik in 1925, it appears that he considered the notion of a lost body as an option (Allison).

See also

  • The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ
  • The vision theory, the stolen body hypothesis, the swoon hypothesis, and the historical Jesus are all possibilities. Jesus’ historical existence
  • A tomb that is devoid of everything
  • Perspectives on Jesus from various religious traditions

Notes

  1. Matt. 28:2
  2. Matt. 27:51
  3. Dale C. Allison, Resurrecting Jesus: The Earliest Christian Tradition And Its Interpreters (2005), p.204
  4. Matthew 12:40
  5. John 12:24
  6. 1 Corinthians 15:36
  7. Johann Christoph Edelmann, “Abgenöthigtes, jedoch Andern nicht wieder aufgenöthigtes Glaubens-Bekenntniß”, (1746), p.196, translation of the German text
  8. R. Steiner (2012). An earthquake that occurred in the Dead Sea during the first century. entire article from the International Geology Review

Earthquake Evidence May Reveal Exact Date of Jesus’ Crucifixion

A recent analysis published in the International Geology Review suggests that, based on seismic activity around the Dead Sea near Jerusalem, Jesus was most likely crucified on Friday, April 3, in the year 33. According to Discovery News, the report was based on data from the International Geology Review. The Historical Context: According to Matthew 27, “the earth shook, and the rocks were split” at the time Jesus died on the cross. A team of geologists believes they have been able to narrow down the date of an earthquake that occurred in the first century as a result of this evidence.

  1. and a seismic event that occurred between the years 26 and 36 A.D., both of which occurred near the Red Sea.
  2. Taking into account information from the Jewish calendar as well as astronomical calculations, the researchers came up with a small number of probable dates, with the date of Friday, April 3, 33, appearing to be the most accurate.
  3. “And how many of you think that God’s revelation in nature is infallible?” I inquired, and no one raised their hand to indicate their belief.
  4. Because all truth is God’s truth, we should anticipate to uncover examples of natural revelation that throw light on the truths that have been given to us through special revelation in the course of our investigations (i.e., the Bible).
  5. Only geologists and theologians can determine whether or not this remarkable discovery has implications for Biblical studies or for geology in general.

However, for the rest of us, the significance of this event is that it serves as a concrete reminder that, while human interpretations may be imperfect, all of God’s revelation—whether in nature or his Word—is without defect or contradiction. (Via:Neatorama)

The Miracle of the Opened Graves

The ground trembled, the rocks cracked, and the tombs burst into flames. Matt. 27:51–52 (KJV) The miracle of the noon darkness is the first of six miracles that took place during Jesus’ crucifixion and death (Matthew 27:45). In this way, the divine procession of signs that preceded the death of Jesus Christ is proclaimed as having begun. Next followed the mysterious shredding of the temple curtain from top to bottom, which lasted for several minutes. The earthquake and breaking of the rocks (v.

  1. 52).
  2. 53).
  3. Some of these miracles took place in the sky, while others took place underneath the surface of the earth.
  4. Throughout history, miracle after miracle has revealed the significance and purpose of our Savior’s agony in a unique and personal way.
  5. The opening of the graves, the fourth of the Calvary miracles, will be discussed in this section.
  6. It is the culmination of all of the past miracles, while also foreshadowing the miracles that would come after them.
  7. “ When Jesus screamed out in a loud voice for the third time, he surrendered his spirit.” In that instant, the temple’s curtain was ripped in half from top to bottom.
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It is written in Matthew 27:50–52 that “the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.” The earthquake clearly demonstrated that the graves were opened as a result of the quake, as can be seen in the photographs.

The earthquake would have been at its most violent at its epicenter, which was the scene of Jesus’ shocking death, so it would have been the most devastating.

It is critical to note the location where these resurrections took place.

Another indication that these graves were close to Jerusalem is provided by the fact that when the saints were resurrected, they went straight to the city of Jerusalem (Matthew 27:53).

This can be inferred from the obvious connection between the two statements “the rocks split” and “the tombs broke open,” which are both in the same sentence.

The reason for this is that there is a significant difference between the two of them.

The splitting of the rocks did not, in and of itself, portend anything bad about the future.

The earthquake, as an event, was more than just a means to open the graves; it was also a miracle in and of itself, with its own unique significance.

Similarly to how the earthquake was an instantaneous result of Christ’s shout of victory from the cross, this explosion occurred as a result of the earthquake.

The graves were opened at the moment of Christ’s death.

It is recorded in three gospels that Jesus called out loudly (Matthew 27:50; Mark 15:37; Luke 23:46), and the gospel of John records that Jesus said, “It is finished,” at that moment. Christ had completed His mission to bring us back into right relationship with God.

Is Jesus’ Crucifixion Reflected in Soil Deposition?

According to a geological study, the earthquake described by Matthew occurred. Staff of the Biblical Archaeology Society The 4th of June, 201211 Comments13692 views During Jesus’ crucifixion, according to the Gospel of Matthew, there was an earthquake. The Biblical earthquake, according to sediment disturbances described in a recent publication in the International Geology Review, may have occurred, and the crucifixion may have occurred on a certain day. James Jacques Tissot’s painting is on display.

  1. *According to the newest edition of International Geology Review, a new analysis of cores and seismic activity around the Dead Sea published in the journal International Geology Review*may give scientific evidence for the event recounted in Matthew 27.
  2. CET “Then Jesus cried out again, this time with a loud voice, and he breathed his last,” Matthew 27:50-54 says.
  3. The earth trembled, and the rocks began to crack.
  4. Following his resurrection, they emerged from the graves and entered the holy city, where they appeared to a large number of people.
  5. Williams, Markus J.
  6. Brauer studied sediment depositions to identify two earthquakes: a big earthquake in 31 BCE and a lesser earthquake between 26 and 36 CE.

“Plausible candidates” include the earthquake reported in the Gospel of Matthew, an earthquake that occurred sometime before or after the crucifixion and was in effect “borrowed” by the author of the Gospel of Matthew, and a local earthquake between 26 and 36 AD that was sufficiently energetic to deform the sediments at Ein Gedi but not sufficiently energetic to produce a still extant and extra-biblical historical record.

The narrative of an earthquake in the Gospel of Matthew, if it turns out to be authentic, would indicate that the event is a form of allegory.” Expert Bible scholars and archaeologists provide in-depth study and comments on the Resurrection of Jesus in our free eBookEaster: Exploring the Resurrection of Jesus.

The geologists compared their findings to Biblical information, which included the chronology of Pontius Pilate’s reign, the Gospels’ accounts of the crucifixion taking place on a Friday evening, and the Synoptic Gospel account that Jesus died just before Passover on the 15th day of Nisan, among other things.

While there are no direct existing archaeological artifacts connected to Jesus’ crucifixion, the changes in soil deposition may be a result of the earthquake recounted by Matthew, which may have caused the disturbances.

Are you interested in learning more about the Roman crucifixion through archaeology? Learn more about the Crucified Man by reading Hershel Shanks’ “Scholars’ Corner: New Analysis of the Crucified Man,” which was published in Biblical Archaeology Review and is now available in Bible History Daily.

Notes

*Williams, Jefferson B., Markus J. Schwab, and A. Brauer are co-authors on this paper. “An earthquake in the Dead Sea that occurred in the first century AD,” International Geology Review, Volume 54, Issue 10, 2012. **”The Day of Jesus’ Crucifixion Is Believed to Have Been Set.” New discoveries are made every day at Discovery News. *** Update: When asked about the internet attention given to the geological research, geologist Jefferson Williams reacted to Bible History Daily with a response. As a result of his remarks, Bible History Daily has revised the post, and we have copied a piece of his statement below that explains the first report (you can read the complete response in the comments area below): I am the principal author of the study publication, and I believe that the original Discovery Article significantly distorted our findings.

The article examined Earthquake Geology, with particular emphasis on how we arrived at the date of this earthquake (31 AD +/- 5 years) and other aspects of the event.

A study by Humphreys and Waddington was utilized to compare our earthquake date with the time period around the Crucifixion, as well as the two years most usually mentioned, which were 30AD and 33AD, respectively.

We are not New Testament scholars, and we made no attempt to supplement the text with other evidence in order to determine an accurate date.

The Day the Earth Trembled

CBN.com- Paid in Full is an excerpt from the book. During the time of Jesus’ crucifixion, the historians Phlegon, Thaddus, and Julius Africanus all made reference to a blanket of darkness that blanketed the planet. Critics of the Bible have attempted to explain away this supernatural darkness by claiming that it was caused by a solar eclipse, which they claim is false. This is not conceivable, however, because the Passover fell on a full moon, which makes it impossible. Approximately six hours before sundown, the Bible tells us that the sky began to darken (seeMatthew 27:45; Mark 15:33; Luke 23:45).

  1. A large number of spotless lambs were sacrificed in the temple courts during those hours of darkness – one lamb was slaughtered for every Israeli family during those hours of darkness, in fact (unless, of course, the household was too small).
  2. It was a terrifying experience.
  3. His mission has been completed!
  4. What Matthew tells us after that is just incredible!
  5. “.
  6. This word is most frequently translated as “behold” in the King James Version.
  7. This wordidou conveys the emotions of surprise, awe, and wonder.

Is it possible to believe it?

The fact that Matthew wrote about this occurrence several years after the fact shows that he was still as taken aback by what happened that day as he was when it happened.

The second curtain was only opened once a year, during the Festival of Atonement, and only the high priest was permitted to pass through it.

According to one ancient Jewish literature, the veil was so thick that it required 300 priests to move or control it.

Caiaphas, the high priest, was standing at his post in the inner court of the temple, concluding the sacrifices of the immaculate Passover lambs at the same time Jesus took His last breath on the cross at Golgotha.

“It is completed!” shouted Jesus at the same time that he spoke, “It is finished!” There was an unexplainable, perplexing supernatural incident that occurred inside the temple in Jerusalem, miles distant from the site of Golgotha.

That veil ripping and torn must have been deafeningly loud as it ripped and tore, starting at the apex and continuing all the way down to the floor.

You can imagine how astonished Caiaphas must have been when he heard the tearing sounds coming from inside the temple and then saw as the veil was split in half, leaving two parts of the once-massive curtain laying crumpled to his right and left, respectively.

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To explain further, as Jesus was hoisted up on the Cross, that Cross was transformed into the eternal mercy seat, upon which the blood of the ultimate Sacrifice was sprinkled.

God Himself, in response to this, tore the curtain of the temple in half, revealing that the door to the Holy of Holies was now open to everyone who came to Him through the shed blood of Jesus!

Jesus’ death was such a spectacular occurrence that it elicited a response from the entire world.

In the English language, the word “earth” refers to the entire globe of the planet.

Interestingly, Origen, an early Christian leader, noted that there were “huge earthquakes” at the time of Jesus’ crucifixion, which is significant to note.

His time on this planet was marked by many miracles: the waves followed Him, the water changed to wine at His command, fish and food multiplied at His touch, the atoms in water cemented, allowing Him to walk across it, and the wind stopped blowing when He spoke to it.

The earth shook, trembled, and shivered in response to the death of its Creator, as if it could sense its own sorrow at that moment.

The term “rocks” comes from the Greek word petra, which means “big rocks.” There was another term for rocks that might have been used instead: lithos, which literally translated as “little stones.” Nevertheless, Matthew informs us that great, massive rocks were “rent” as a result of the earthquake.

  • This was a significant earthquake!
  • As a result of Jesus’ blood being accepted at the Cross as full and final payment for man’s sin, there is no longer any need to give sacrifices on a regular basis year after year.
  • As “believer-priests,” everyone of us now has the opportunity to experience God’s presence on a daily basis.
  • Please come near to us with a real heart and complete confidence of faith, and let us do so with our hearts washed from an evil conscience.” The door to the Holy of Holies has been flung open for us to enter freely.
  • Jesus died for us so that we may “.approach boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may get mercy, and find grace to assist us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).
  • He has fulfilled His responsibilities.
  • How to give your life to Christ is as follows: 1.

2.

Through prayer, acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the only way to God and make a commitment to devote your life in His service the rest of your life.

It is my belief that You died on the cross to atone for my sins and rose from the grave to give me new life.

Please forgive me, change my life, and teach me how to get to know You better.

Amen.

Alternatively, you can contact our CBN Prayer Counseling Center by phone at (800) 759-0700.

What you can do to know if you have been forgiven: The Bible, which is God’s Word, states that you were saved through faith in God, who treats us far better than we are entitled to.

For those who put their faith in Jesus, he granted them the right to be considered God’s adopted children.

More information can be found in the Easter Resources section of CBN.com.

Gordon Robertson (Gordon Robertson): Exactly what does it mean to be a “new creation?” Christian Life: A Higher Calling: A Guide to the Christian Way of Life Order your copy of Paid in Full by clicking here.

Carrier (1999).

Eusebius quotes Phelgon.

He is the author of more than ten books including the best-sellers,Dressed to Kill,Sparkling Gems from the Greek,Ten Guidelines to Help You Achieve Your Long-Awaited Promotion,Dynamic Duo: The Holy SpiritYou,and more.

His daily television broadcast, “Good News with Rick Renner” can be seen by a potential 100 million viewers across Russia.

Jesus ‘died on Friday, April 3, 33AD’ claims study that matches crucifixion to earthquake mentioned in gospel

Published on: |Revised on: According to an inquiry, Jesus died on Friday, April 3, 33AD, as a result of an earthquake, which was confirmed by other sources. According to the International Geology Review, the inquiry examined earthquake activity in the area surrounding the Dead Sea, which is approximately 13 miles from Jerusalem. According to the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 27, as Jesus was dying on the cross, an earthquake rocked the surrounding countryside, scattering tombs and causing the sky to go pitch black.

1500) To determine the most plausible date for Jesus’ death, experts examined scriptural evidence, geological records, and astronomical data.

A team led by Supersonic Geophysical’s Jefferson Williams and colleagues from Germany’s German Research Center for Geosciences examined soil samples collected from the beach of Ein Gedi Spa, which is located near the Dead Sea.

A significant earthquake is known to have occurred in 31BC, and a second earthquake has been identified, which must have occurred between 26AD and 36AD, according to historical records.

Suddenly, the temple curtain was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth trembled, and the rocks were split; and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had lain in tombs rose from their graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared to a great number of people.

While the day and date of Jesus’ crucifixion are known with reasonable certainty, the year has been called into question, according to the historian.

  • All four gospels, as well as Tacitus’ Annals (XV,44), agree that the crucifixion took place during Pontius Pilate’s tenure as procurator of Judea, which lasted from 26 to 36 AD. Every one of the four gospels claims that Jesus was crucified on a Friday. Each of the four gospels agrees that Jesus died a few hours before sunset on Friday, marking the beginning of the Jewish Sabbath. Christ’s death, according to the three synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke), took just before dusk on the 14th of Nisan, just before the commencement of the Passover dinner. As opposed to the ‘Synoptic Gospels,’ the gospel of John has information that appears to indicate that Jesus died on the 15th of Nisan, before the time of sunset.

According to the experts, when these indications are paired with information from the Jewish calendar and astronomy, they show that Friday, April 3, 33 AD, is the most likely match. Evidence buried beneath the Dead Sea’s shoreline can be used to determine when and where earthquakes occurred there. In addition, three of the four canonical gospels state that it was dark from noon to 3 p.m.

on the day after the crucifixion, which may lend credibility to this argument. Williams told Discovery that this may have been produced by a dust storm, and he is currently digging through soil samples to see if he can uncover any proof of this as well as the other possibility.

» 01 Was there a Crucifixion Quake ? Dead Sea Quake.info

Chapters 1-8 have a musical accompaniment of 50 minutes. And when Jesus cried out in a loud voice for the third time, he surrendered his spirit. 51 The temple’s curtain was split in half from top to bottom at that same time. The ground trembled, the rocks split52, and the tombs shattered open as a result. – The Book of Matthew, Chapter 27 Is it true that there was an earthquake on the day of Jesus’ death? My name is Jefferson Williams, and I’d like to introduce myself. In my professional life, I am a geologist who has been researching Dead Sea seismites since 1999.

  • In the course of researching seismites, I’ve also been attempting to find an answer to that issue.
  • To view a satellite image, please visit this page.
  • In normal circumstances, sediments build up in the Dead Sea layer by layer, resulting in a continuously increasing thickness of Dead Sea mud.
  • The seismite identified as Event B in the diagram below occurred in 31 BC.

XIX) While he was avenging himself on his enemies, another providential calamity befell him: in the seventh year of his reign, when the war around Actium was at its height, the earth was shaken at the beginning of spring, destroying an enormous number of cattle and thirty thousand men; but the army was unharmed because it had taken up position in the open air.

Following that, there are a couple of aftershocks.

The Earthquake and Jesus’ Crucifixion

I made a comment on a Discover News article, Quake Reveals Day of Jesus’ Crucifixion, on Friday (Earthquake Research and the Day of Jesus’ Crucifixion), which was published on Saturday. Not only because the article appeared to suggest a ten-year window for the earthquake in question (26-36 CE), but also because of all the passages in Matthew’s Gospel that cause historians to raise an eyebrow, I was a little skeptical of the article’s claim that earthquake research had helped to pinpoint the day of the crucifixion.

  1. And it’s been a delight, over the last few days, to exchange emails with him and gain a sense of his current research project.
  2. Following my correspondence with Dr.
  3. It is evident that this is not an attempt to do thorough scientific inquiry with the goal of proving or disproving the accuracy of biblical information.
  4. The authors of the article are Jefferson B.
  5. Schwab, and their affiliations are as follows: A.
  6. 54, no.
  7. 1219–1228 (in English).
  8. The abstract is as follows: According to a story in the 27th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, which is found in the New Testament, on the day of Jesus’ crucifixion, an earthquake was felt in Jerusalem.
  9. Our research team has compiled a varved chronology from a core taken from Ein Gedi on the western bank of the Dead Sea, which shows a relationship between deformed sediments caused by a broad earthquake in 31 BC and deformed sediments caused by an earthquake in the early first century.

Some plausible candidates include the earthquake described in the Gospel of Matthew, an earthquake that occurred sometime before or after the crucifixion and was in effect ‘borrowed’ by the author of the Gospel of Matthew, and a local earthquake that occurred between 26 and 36 AD that was sufficiently energetic to deform the sediments at Ein Gedi but not sufficiently energetic to produce an extra-biblical historical record that is still extant.

  1. Assuming the third and final hypothesis is correct, it would follow that the narrative of an earthquake in the Gospel of Matthew represents a form of allegory of some sort.
  2. However, it appears that the information in the Discovery News piece was correct in its reporting.
  3. In fact, the flow of interpretation is in the inverse direction of that of the text.
  4. 27.51.
  5. 27.51 occurred in 31 AD.
  6. That is, the paper is not an attempt to establish scientific confirmation for the events depicted in such apocalyptic detail in Matthew 27, as some have claimed.
  7. It is fascinating to consider the possibility that Matthew was redacting Mark with some type of prior knowledge of an earthquake that had occurred at the time.
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I have to concede that it is an appealing notion in some respects.

The fact that he adds another in 28.2, at the time of the resurrection, leads one to believe that this is simply the way Matthew writes in this particular style.

Nevertheless, because Matthew also employs the same term (seismos) in his account of the Stilling of the Storm (Matt.

There is a certain amount of etymological thrill in seeing a term like seismosthat is so identifiable to us because of its link to contemporary terms like seismicthat are derived from it, which can make it harder to analyze ancient texts for material that is useful to scientific research.

In situations like these, a great deal is dependent on the circumstances.

Indeed, this event is referred to as the “anchor earthquake” because Josephus dates it to the “seventh year” of Herod’s reign (Jewish War1.370).

However, some caution should be exercised in determining the precise date of 31 BCE; for example, Daniel Schwartz, in comparing the account in Warits parallel inAntiquities15.121, dates it to the Spring of 30 BCE. 1)

Are there any secular historical references to the natural phenomena that occurred at the crucifixion and resurrection?

“International Geology Review study” by Jefferson B. Williamsa, Markus J. Schwabb, and A. Brauerb was published by TaylorFrancis, a publisher specializing in the publication of scholarly information of the highest quality and publishing books in Science, Built Environment, Humanities, Social Science, Education, Health, Behavioral Science, and other professional subjects. The study was authored by Jefferson B. Williamsa, Markus J. Schwabb, and A. Brauerb and confirms an earthquake in the A story in the 27th chapter of Matthew’s Gospel, which appears in the New Testament, claims that an earthquake was felt in Jerusalem on the day of Jesus of Nazareth’s crucifixion.

Our research team has compiled a varved chronology from a core taken from Ein Gedi on the western bank of the Dead Sea, which shows a relationship between deformed sediments caused by a broad earthquake in 31 BC and deformed sediments caused by an earthquake in the early first century.

Some plausible candidates include the earthquake described in the Gospel of Matthew, an earthquake that occurred sometime before or after the crucifixion and was in effect ‘borrowed’ by the author of the Gospel of Matthew, and a local earthquake that occurred between 26 and 36 AD that was sufficiently energetic to deform the sediments at Ein Gedi but not sufficiently energetic to produce an extra-biblical historical record that is still extant.

Assuming the third and final hypothesis is correct, it would follow that the narrative of an earthquake in the Gospel of Matthew represents a form of allegory of some sort.

  1. According to Discovery News, Jefferson B. Williamsa intended to investigate whether dust storm deposits coincided with the earthquake that struck the Jerusalem region in the early first century AD, which resulted in the darkness. According to Wiki, Humphreys and Waddington of Oxford University reconstructed the Jewish calendar in the first century AD and came to the conclusion that Friday, April 3, 33AD, was the date of the Crucifixion. Humphreys and Waddington went one step farther and rebuilt the scenario for a lunar eclipse that would occur on that particular day. They came to the following conclusions:

“This eclipse was visible from Jerusalem at the time of moonrise. Because it began below the horizon, the beginning of the eclipse was inaccessible from Jerusalem. In the evening, the eclipse began at 3:40 p.m. and reached its peak at 5:15 p.m., when 60 percent of the moon was covered by the sun. This was likewise below the horizon when viewed from the city of Jerusalem. After rising above the horizon and becoming visible from Jerusalem at approximately 6:20pm (the start of the Jewish Sabbath and also the beginning of Passover day in A.D.

The eclipse came to a close around 6:50 p.m., almost thirty minutes after it began.” The following are the counter-arguments:

  1. However, eclipses are too brief to account for the darkness surrounding the crucifixion. It is estimated that the length of the crucifixion darkness described by biblical and extra-biblical sources was more than an order of magnitude longer than the length of the totality of eclipses
  2. Jesus’ crucifixion occurred around Passover, the middle of a lunar month, and at the time of a full moon at the time of the crucifixion. Solar eclipses naturally occur only during the period of the new moon
  3. However, this is not always the case.

Miracle Consequently, medieval commentators considered the darkness to be a supernatural event, as opposed to something that occurred naturally. The fact that it was understood in medieval times that a solar eclipse could not occur during Passover led to the belief that it was a supernatural sign rather than a natural occurrence. To a certain extent, we have circumstantial proof that these two events did indeed take place in 33 AD. Even in that case, as both of these explanations imply, they are impossible to adequately describe in scientific terms in their whole.

Day of Jesus’ Crucifixion Believed Determined

– According to researchers, Jesus was crucified on Friday, April 3, 33 A.D., as stated in the New Testament. – Support for the date comes from textual and geological indicators, as well as astronomical data. – A growing number of scientists believe that natural occurrences depicted in the Bible may be metaphorical in nature. According to the New Testament, Jesus was most likely crucified on Friday, April 3, 33 A.D., according to the historical record. The most recent analysis, which was published in the journal International Geology Review, was focused on earthquake activity near the Dead Sea, which is located 13 miles from the Israeli capital of Jerusalem.

  1. The temple’s curtain was split in half from top to bottom at that same time.
  2. The results were published in the journal Nature Geoscience.
  3. and a seismic event that occurred between 26 and 36 AD in the early first century, both of which occurred in the core.
  4. However, the year has been a source of contention.
  5. Williams provided the following summary of their work: – All four gospels, as well as Tacitus’ Annals (XV,44), agree that the crucifixion took place during the time period of 26-36 AD while Pontius Pilate was procurator of Judea.
  6. – All four gospels agree that Jesus died a few hours before the Jewish Sabbath began, according to the Hebrew calendar (nightfall on a Friday).
  7. – John’s gospel varies from the synoptics in that it appears to indicate that Jesus died before the end of the day on the 14th of Nisan (Nisan 14).

For the sake of simplicity, Williams and his team acknowledge that the seismic activity associated with the crucifixion could refer to “an earthquake that occurred sometime before or after the crucifixion and was in effect ‘borrowed’ by the author of the Gospel of Matthew, and a local earthquake between 26 and 36 A.D.

  • According to three of the four canonical gospels, there was complete darkness from midday to 3 PM following the crucifixion.
  • Williams is looking at whether or not there are dust storm deposits in the sediments associated with the earthquake that struck the Jerusalem region in the early first century.
  • 1st of March, 2012- It has been suggested that Jesus’ tomb, which was cut out of rock, may be “directly tied to Jesus’ initial disciples, those who knew him intimately, and to Jesus himself” by researchers.
  • It is only 200 feet away from a second tomb, known as the “Jesus Family Tomb,” which is also located beneath a modern condominium complex.
  • It included a total of ten ossuaries, six of which were engraved with names related with Jesus and his family, including Mary and Joseph.

“The purpose of our investigation was to determine whether the ‘patio tomb,’ which was still intact, might contain names or other evidence that would provide us with additional data that could conceivably shed light on the adjacent ‘garden tomb,’ which contained an intriguing cluster of names,” James D.

“The object of our investigation was to determine whether the He collaborated with documentary filmmaker Simcha Jacobovici to examine the “patio tomb.” Jacobovici near the entrance to the locked “patio tomb.” A new discovery has reignited the search for the “Jesus Tomb.” Tabor and Jacobovici made their way into the locked tomb in 2010, but they didn’t actually open it.

  1. The team used 8-inch diamond tooth drills that were custom-made for the job to drill two holes through the basement floor above the burial site.
  2. Besides the primary camera positioned on its tip, the robotic arm also included a snake camera with a light that could stretch around 4 feet beyond the main probe “to allow recording of some of the ostia that were deep in the depths of the niches,” according to Tabor.
  3. Photograph of a robotic arm Fortunately, the investigation was a success and the researchers were able to reach every part of the tomb.
  4. to 70 AD, the tomb featured a single central square chamber with a relatively shallow “standing pit” area, which was typical of Jerusalem during that time period.
  5. A map of the tomb is seen in this photograph.
  6. A portrayal of Jonah and the “huge fish,” according to him, was depicted in the picture.
  7. “Just as Jonah was imprisoned in the fish for three days and three nights but came out alive, Jesus will also come out of the tomb/death,” writes Tabor in his book.
  8. According to this interpretation, the fish represents the first Christian art ever unearthed, having existed at least 200 years before the discovery of the earliest Christian emblem in the catacombs of Rome.
  9. The four-word Greek inscription found on another beautifully adorned ossuary was very appealing to me.
  10. For example, “The Divine Jehovah raises up from (the dead)” or “The Divine Jehovah raises up to the Holy Place” or “God, Jehovah, Raise up!” or “Lord, Jesus, Rise up!

According to Tabor, “we are dealing here with a family or clan that is courageous enough to write down the holy name of God in the tomb, together with a proclamation about’raising up’ or resurrection – something that is completely unprecedented in any of the 900 tombs from the era known in Jerusalem.” Photo: The Turin Shroud’s authenticity is called into question by the distinctive four-line Greek inscription “Jesus-Era” on a burial cloth.

According to Tabor, the family buried in the tomb was unquestionably of Jewish descent.

The fish picture and inscription combined offer the first archaeological proof of belief in Jesus’ resurrection, the first testimony to a statement of Jesus that precedes the New Testament narratives, and the earliest piece of Christian art ever uncovered, according to archaeologists.

“What we evidently have is a family associated to the Jesus movement who extends above the usual burial standards of the Jewish culture of the era to express itself uniquely in these distinctive ways,” he added. Photo: Complete Findings from the Patio Tomb Explore Evidence for the Lost Tomb of Jesus

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