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Topics: News, World News, Religion
Gerrard Kaonga
Topics: News, World News, Religion
A new book claims to have narrowed down the day and time that Jesus was crucified, using both science and references from the Bible.
For Christians, the death of Jesus Christ is one of the key moments described in the Bible.
However, the religious text does not offer a specific date and has long been a point of contention and curiosity for Christians and theologians alike.
While many Christians consider the exact details in the Bible to be less important, others have dedicated their lives to understanding more information about it.
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Woodrow Michael Kroll is one such person. He is a preacher and radio host and has written a book claiming he has worked out when Jesus died.
Kroll’s book The Day Jesus Died: Discovering the Year, Date, Day, and Time of Jesus' Crucifixion, which was released earlier this year, argues that he has found evidence that aligns with what is written in the Bible to conclude when Jesus died.
Some historians have concluded that Jesus died at 3.00pm on Friday, April 3, 33 AD and Kroll’s book highlights the data he believes supports this conclusion.
The gospel book of Mark, 15:34, claims that Jesus died at the ‘ninth hour’, but experts have concluded that this does not mean 9.00am.
The Jewish day at the time was divided into twelve hours, starting at sunrise, around 6:00am, making the ninth hour mid-afternoon.
Kroll also noted that Jesus would have died on a Friday because all four gospels that describe the crucifixion say it was taking place on the ‘Day of Preparation’. This would be the day before the Sabbath, on Saturday.
Kroll’s conclusions also stem from astronomical data he has researched regarding the timing of the crucifixion.
Another verse in the Bible, Acts 2:20, also references ‘the moon turning to blood’ following Jesus’ crucifixion, and Kroll found that on April 3, 33 AD, a full moon consistent with Passover illuminated Jerusalem, followed by a partial lunar eclipse visible that evening.
Kroll also dismissed the idea that Jesus was crucified on a Wednesday and argued that it simply contradicts what is written in the Bible as well as the Jewish practices at the time.
In his book, the author was rather confident in his conclusion.
He wrote: “Based on eyewitness, historical, and literary accounts, readers can pinpoint the hour Jesus said: 'It is finished'. It's almost like being there.”