CHAPTER 24

GATHERING THE THREADS TOGETHER

 

    The process of establishing reliable dates began with Phlegon of Tralles. This gave us A.D. 33 for the year of the crucifixion, based on the "Dark Day" in the 4th year of the 202nd Olympiad. We saw that only in that year did Nisan 14th, Passover Day, fall on a Friday.

    Having established this as a reliable benchmark for the chronology, we next found that the 15th year of Tiberius was A.D. 29, proving that Jesus’ ministry was indeed 3½ years. And although at this late stage of "gathering the threads together" it might seem tangential, I would call to mind the parable Jesus related to the Jews in Luke 13. The fig tree (always a symbol of the Jewish nation) bore no fruit. The owner complained that for three years he had sought fruit but found none. The gardener suggested a further year of probation, and this was agreed. Symbolically, Jesus cursed a fig tree just before Passover, showing that the “gardener’s” efforts had been in vain. About 40 years later Jerusalem was destroyed. The theological conclusion reached here is interesting, but not the subject of this work. The point I want to emphasise is the time factor. Jesus was showing that His ministry lasted 3½ years.

    Moving on to the vexed question of Quirinius, we found that rather than it being an impossible situation, it yielded a satisfactory solution, but only if Jesus was born in B.C. 2 as demanded by Patristic evidence.

    Herod’s dates were then investigated on the basis of the previously established chronology, and found to be satisfactory as long as the writings of Josephus were examined carefully, revealing a time-lapse of three years between the collapse of Jerusalem under Sosius and the death of Antigonus. Once this problem was resolved, and the correct lunar eclipse chosen, the Megillath Ta’anith yielded the true date of Herod’s death in January A.D. 1.

    After finding the year of Christ’s birth, the further investigation about climate revealed the approximate time of the year, and this coupled with the "fossilised dates" within the Anglican Calendar, gave September 29th as the actual day, the "Feast of Michael and All Angels."

   The "Course of Abijah" further helped in this enquiry, by showing that the miraculous conception of John the Baptist occurred exactly when it had to be, based on the growing certainty of other dates.

    And finally, the romantic study of the "Star of Bethlehem" (which had to be left to the last, rather than attacking it on a floating calendar) yielded exciting information in respect of Jupiter, Venus, and the Royal Star called Regulus. We even saw that the second appearance of the Star was within the Sign of Virgo, thus "the heavens declare the glory of God" (Psalm 19:1)

       And so the task is now complete. I have claimed that it is possible to resolve all the "impossible difficulties" attached to this study, and I ask my readers to ponder all the facts presented in this document. For example, it doesn’t really matter how much additional time passes subsequent to the writing of the original texts, from which we obtain our information. They are like the fossils we pick up from the beach. They tell the same story after 20 years, 200 years, or even 2000 years. And so it is here. Everyone who tackles the problem of the chronology of Jesus’ birth has to use the same documents. It’s just a matter of how they are handled.

    But there has been one additional avenue of assistance granted to us in these latter years, that of computer-astronomy, our ability to put the clock back and see what the Sun, the Moon, and the Planets were doing during the years in which this history occurred. But here again, different investigators have selected different items, based on what they considered important. I have done likewise.

    The most persuasive aspect of this work, in my opinion, has been the degree of consistency achieved with a large percentage of the ancient documents, without forcing them unnecessarily. The pieces of the jig-saw puzzle have fitted together with a much greater ease, I do believe, than has hitherto been achieved. In this respect I submit my findings to close scrutiny, in the hope that the over-dogmatic assertions of some scholars, in saying that nobody will ever be able to find a solution, may be silenced. When my friend Alan first spoke to me in Hong Kong, he expressed what many had expressed before him, that it was an impossible task, inviting academic ridicule towards anyone who even attempted to find a solution. He was concerned for my reputation as a scientist and as a believer in the Gospel records. Sadly his early demise meant that he was no longer around to know the outcome of my work. But I commend this thesis to all those who still feel it is a proven impossibility to cut the Gordian knot. I have shown that there is a way through, and it gives a satisfying ring of reality when put together as a whole.

    I am acutely aware of the pressures being applied from various directions today to establish a literal three-day-three-night structure for the death and resurrection of Christ. I have recently watched a Video of an address given by a most amiable and gracious Jewish Christian author, one Abi Ben-Mordecai, who has strong inclinations in this direction, saying that it has to be so because of certain patterns in the Old Testament. But although many Gentile Christians honour him with greater authenticity because of his Hebrew background, I must confess that I found some of his logic unacceptable. There are too many patristic evidences to the fact that Jesus died on Friday and rose on Sunday. Surely one cannot just dismiss the whole lot as spurious? Were they all so stupid that they simply copied each other without caring for the accuracy of their testimony? I think not. However, I must say that Ben-Mordecai’s computer graphics of the planetary settings were most compelling, and I very much enjoyed his presentation.

    One last point comes from the writings of Adam Rutherford, which I found most intriguing. It is as follows. If we calculate the Julian Day Numbers of the birth and death and Jesus Christ, they come out as follows -

        Birth - 29th September B.C. 2 = 1st Marchesvan, 8th Month, J.D.N. 1720964

        Death - 3rd April A.D. 33 = 14th Nisan, 1st Month, J.D.N. 1733204

        Number of days of Jesus’ earthly life = 1733204 - 1720964 = 12,240.

    This is a remarkable number, because its factors may be expressed in a variety of ways, all of them significant to anyone who has studied Biblical numerology. Here are two.

    12,240 = 5 × 17 × 144, where 5 is the number of God’s grace to man, 17 is the number of ascension, and 144 is 12 × 12, perfect government.

    But 12,240 is also 8 × 10 × 153, where 8 is the number of resurrection, 10 is perfect order, and 153 is that strange number found in John’s Gospel, where after the resurrection Peter hauled ashore the catch of "great fishes" numbering "one hundred and fifty three." This number could hardly have come about by "chance", because it already had a meaning well-known in Jesus’ day, deriving from the Gematria of certain words. The Hebrew for "sons of God" is b’nai ha-elohim and by adding up the numerical values of all the letters, it is found to be 153. It would seem as though Jesus was giving His disciples a cryptic lesson on this occasion. The One who was The Son of God, was commissioning His workers to seek out all those who were to become sons of God by faith.

   Rutherford’s finding puts an unexpected seal on the final outcome of the research.

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Footnote to the text.

In my introduction, I recorded what Alan said about all the difficulties he encountered in his study of the subject. In my theses, I believe I have covered all of the points he raised, with one exception.

To quote his words, “The account of the three wise men is an anachronism, and doesn’t fit the story in respect of Joseph’s travels. One says he went back to Nazareth, the other to Egypt. Try as you may, you’ll find yourself in a fix.”

It is the apparent contradiction between Matthew’s account and Luke’s that needs to be cleared up before finally closing this account. The problem has been solved already, but it needs to be shown within the chronological context of this thesis.

On the next page I have drawn up a time chart, on which all the relevant information has been included. The problems have arisen over the years because people will try to cram everything into a few hours at the birth of Jesus, rather than realise that the wise men only arrived some months later, when he was a small boy, just able to stand up clutching his mother’s knee. And his parents were in a house, not in a stable.

Year

Month

                                    Events

B.C.2

Mar

Birth of John the Baptist

 

Apr

 

 

May

 

 

June

June 17th. Very close conjunction of Venus and Jupiter in the West. The wise men see this in the direction of Jerusalem.

 

July

 

 

Aug

 

 

Sep

Birth of Jesus. September 29th. “The Feast of Michael and all angels.” Luke 2:7, Matthew 2:1. Shepherds visit the baby in a manger, as directed by the angelic choir.

 

Oct

Circumcision of Jesus on the 8th day. October 7th. Luke 2:21

 

Nov

Presentation at the Temple after 40 days. November 8th. Luke 2:22. This is in accordance with O.T. law, in Leviticus 12:2-4

 

Dec

Return to Galilee, beginning of December. Luke 2:39

B.C.1

Jan

Eclipse of the Moon, 10th January

 

Feb

 

 

Mar

 

 

Apr

Passover, 8th April. Magi visit Herod and then Mary. Matt.2:11 This time Jesus is in a house. The Magi eventually return a different way, Matt.2:12, and Joseph goes to Egypt. Matt.2:13

 

May

 

 

Jun

 

 

Jul

 

 

Aug

 

 

Sep

 

 

Oct

 

 

Nov

 

 

Dec

Eclipse of the Moon, December 29th. Herod finally learns that he has been cheated by the Magi, and orders the massacre of the Bethlehem infants.

A.D.1

Jan

Death of Herod the Great, January 16th, 72 days before Passover.

 

Feb

Joseph returns from Egypt just before Passover.

 

Mar

Passover, Monday 28th March. Joseph and Mary stay in Jerusalem for the Passover, but learn that Archelaus reigns in place of his father, and they make haste to return to Galilee.

 

Apr