Did Jesus rise with the sun or with the moon?

Traditionally, in the West, we think of Jesus rising at dawn on the Sunday after Good Friday. This does not this fit with the evidence recorded in the Bible. Neither does this concept fit with the historic practice of the ancient churches. This article looks at some of the cultural factors that we often miss and reexamines the Gospel narratives in an attempt to fit the data together.

Three days: which days are they?

One of the first problems that people encounter when looking at the resurrection stories is trying to fit three days between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. There is only one day in between! This has led some people to postulate that Jesus was crucified on Thursday and that there were two Sabbaths in between; the first being the Passover (a special Sabbath), the second being the [regular] weekly Sabbath. This is an understandable problem viewed from a modern, Western standpoint. To us a day is a 24-hour period; after three days means 72 hours later; so three days after Monday morning would be Thursday morning, for example. For most people in the first century, days began and ended at fixed times and the concept of a 24-hour period starting in the middle of one day and extending into a second day was not one that they were familiar with. Days began and ended at sunrise or (in Jewish society) at sunset*. This is clearly seen in a passage in Luke 13!", where Jesus says I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal. This may be a cryptic reference to his death and resurrection as it appears in a passage where he is foretelling his passion but it also seems to refer to actual temporal events. The third day is the day after tomorrow. The following sentence says In any case, I need to keep going today and tomorrow and the next day . The third day contained some traveling but also contained the arrival. The term on the third day does not indicate when in the day it happened, but on which day of the week it happened. Another clear example of this type of day counting is seen in John!20"#, the Thomas incident, when the second appearance happens after eight days or a week later. We understand that this was also the first day of the week. This is how the days were counted; we would use one less day when using our modern reckoning of days. (There is also numeric significance here as eight is the number of resurrection.) Let us look at the events in terms of Jewish days:

Passover first day

evening night

Sabbath second day

night

!rst of the week third day

night morning afternoon

!"#$%

&$'"(

)"!*+

morning afternoon evening

morning afternoon evening

Maundy Thursday
last supper

Good Friday
arrest & trial before Herod & Pilate death 9th!hour 1500

Saturday
rest ?rise
?appearances

Easter "Sunday#
?rise
?appearances

!!!
As soon as we do this we see several things: The Last Supper and Jesuss death (the symbolic and physical versions of the same thing) occurred on the same dayPassover, the ancient prefiguring of this. Gods firstborn son died on the day that the Jews remembered the death of the firstborn males in Egypt. On the day

*This common way of counting days is present right from the creation stories, where each day is described: and there was

evening, and there was morningthe rst day. The Romans introduced the idea of starting the new day at midnight as they had developed methods for marking time apart from the sun and they operated further away from the equator, where the hours of sunlight vary more.
!"# $!"%&' ()*+ cf the eight people resurrected from the Flood, Genesis!8!", 1!Peter!3#$, 2!Peter!2%.

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that they slaughtered a young [one year old] lamb [or kid]* , Christ, our Passover lamb, [was] sacrificed for us. Whether Jesus rose soon after sundown on Saturday night (as we reckon it) or on Sunday morning, it is the same [Jewish] day, which is indeed the third day of events. Jesus rested (in the grave) during the Sabbathas any good Jew would. The women who watched him die and wanted to anoint his body also rested during Sabbath. Immediately after the day of rest, things started to happen again; the third day had begun.

$A%er three days& or $on the third day&?

There is concern that Mark uses the term after three days rather than on the third day. This seems to fit more with our Western concept of three 24-hour periods. Matthew is the only Gospel writer to use both terms in his resurrection narrative. Does his use substantiate our perception that after three days is a longer period of time than on the third day? Matthews more common expression is on the third day. The passage where he uses both terms together is Matthew 27#"$#%. The chief priests and Pharisees quote Jesus as saying that he would rise after three days and they ask for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. If, in Matthews mind, after three days was a longer period of time than until the third day, the request would be inadequate because the watch on the grave would finish before the foretold time occurred! These two terms are synonymous and interchangeable.

Why three?
Another cultural clue that we usually miss is the importance of numbers. Numbers are significant in Jewish theology and often give a clue to the significance and meaning of a passage. For example, the golden statue that Nebuchadnezzar built was six cubits wide and 60 tall. This is not just to indicate how large it was but also to mark it as a symbol of rebellion; six is the number of man's rebellion. Three is the number of salvation and can be seen in Noah's Ark (three storeys and three sons), Daniel's friends thrown into the furnace (three men), the crucifixion (three crosses), the resurrection (three days). Whether the actual time in the grave was 25 hours or 72 hours the important thing is that it is three days as it has to do with salvation.

Which day was Pesach?

In Johns account of events, Jesuss last meal with his disciples before his death is not referred to as the Passover meal. It also does not contain a description of the Institution of the Lords Supper. When Caiaphas and his henchmen take Jesus to Pilate, to avoid ceremonial uncleanness the Jews did not enter the palace; they wanted to be able to eat the Passover. ** This suggests that Passover was yet to come and gives weight to the idea that the crucifixion happened on a Thursday or that the Passover fell on the Saturday (Sabbath). Matthew sets the Last Supper as being the Passover meal although the details are somewhat confused inasmuch as he starts on the rst day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread and slightly later, when evening came, he had the Passover meal with them. The seven-day feast of Unleavened Bread starts with Passover; the first day of Unleavened Bread is the same as Passover day and
*The story of the original Passover is recounted in Exodus!12!&'$. 1!Corinthians!5(b See also the ratification of Gods covenant with Abram (Genesis!15)) where three, three-year-old animals were

sacrificed (along with a couple of birdswitness), the cities of refuge (Numbers!35*&'+; Deuteronomy!19!&!', esp. 19").
John!13!&# It was just before the Passover Feast.The evening meal was being served. ** John!18#"

See http://www.themoorings.org/apologetics/69weeks/weeks4.html for arguments on why the crucifixion happened on a Friday as well as explanations about the Jewish inclusive reckoning of dates and http://mb-soft.com/public/ crucif.html on why it had to be a Thursday or even a Wednesday: http://www.judaismvschristianity.com/ Passover_dates.htm !

Matthew!26!(&#$

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starts at evening time. Is it possible that Matthew, writing to an audience that was religiously Jewish but culturally Greek or Roman, is adjusting his terms to fit in with a Graeco-Roman concept of day division? Mark has an even stronger reference *, where he explains: on the rst day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrice the Passover lamb they made preparations and then when evening came they had the meal together. Luke has a similar set of descriptions and Jesus describes the meal as this Passover and then goes on to institute the Lords Supper. Quite apart from the confusion over the Feast of Unleavened Bread starting before Passover, there seems to be a divergence in opinion over when Passover itself happened. Was it the Friday or the Saturday? One suggestion is that there were two sects that looked to different authorities to declare the new moon and hence all other dates, including Passover.

What date was Pesach?

We know that the Feast of Unleavened Bread lasts from 15 to 21 Nisan (or Abib), but when did that occur in terms of our calendar? The Jewish Calendar, in common with most traditional societies, was based on lunar months. Each time a new moon occurred, a new month began. There was a regular festival for the New Moon. There were therefore 12 or 13 months in each year. Nisan was the first month of the year **; the last being Adar. There are historical references to Second Adar, a leap-month added in every third year or so to correct for a non-integral number of lunar months in a year. The start of the year was reckoned to be spring, variously translated as the (re)turn of the year, the start of the year, or spring. We have no record of how they measured the turn of the year but it is safe to assume that if the new moon at the end of Adar occurred before the turn of the year (the equinox) then the new month would be Second Adar, but if the equinox had already passed the new month would be Nisan, the first month of the year. This means that Nisan would always start between March 21 and April 20. The 15th of Nisan would therefore fall somewhere between 4 April and 4 May. From astronomical data it is be possible to calculate when the new moon occurred after the spring equinox 33AD . Friday 3 !April!33AD is commonly accepted as the date of the crucifixion but Friday!7!April!30AD and other dates and years have also been mooted.***

The sign of Jonah

A major source of confusion has been introduced by certain understandings of Matthew 12%&. For as Jonah was in the belly of the sh for three days and three nights, so the son of man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. Matthew is the only Gospel to have this explanation. Please refer to the authors other article The Sign of Jonah for a thorough explanation of this passage and why it does not refer to Jesuss time in the grave.

* Mark!14!#&!( Luke!22(&!+ Luke!22!%

The start of the month is based on the first visible crescent of the moon. By this stage in history, there were enough recorded sightings and sufficiently developed mathematics that they accurately predicted the turn of the month and didi not rely of clear skies to be able to declare the new month.

** Exodus!12# 2!Samuel!11!, 1!Kings!20##, 20#*, 1!Chronicles!20!, 2!Chronicles!36!$.

Sir Isaac Newton calculated this in the 18th century. See http://www.johnpratt.com/items/docs/newton.html or 1st according to our modern Gregorian calendar. *** A table of dates is available at http://www.usno.navy.mil/USNO/astronomical-applications/data-services/spring-phenom

Matthew!12')&+!, 16!&+, Mark!8!!&!#, Luke!11#)&'#

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The resurrection appearances

Jesus appeared to various people shortly after his resurrection. The various times quoted give us clues to the timing of the resurrection itself. I have put approximate times that these events might have happened, based on sunset at 18:00.

at the tomb'():**+(,:**
Matthew!28'$(, Mark!16'$(, Mark!16)$'', Luke!23*#24), Luke!24'", John!20'f, John!20!$'&, John!20''$'( These were the first appearances and happened as soon as the Sabbath had ended. The women, who had rushed off to prepare burial spices after the burial, came as soon as they could to complete the burial anointing that there wasnt time to do on Friday before the sun set. After the women reported back, the [male] disciples went to check out the tomb for themselves. We do not know how far it was from the tomb to the house[s] where the disciples were staying but it is likely to be about a mile or so. It could have taken 20 minutes to walk the route although some of the narratives record the disciples (male and female) running, so it may have taken less than ten minutes to move between the two places. All of these events could easily have taken place in the first hour after sunset.

to Emmaus'():-*+..:**
Mark!16'"f, Luke!24'!$!! Later the same day, two disciples set off back to Emmaus, seven miles out of the city. The journey would take about two or three hours. When they get to the hamlet, they press Jesus to have some food with them before staying the night and as he blesses the bread, they realise who he is. At this stage, Jesus disappears and the two run back to Jerusalem, perhaps taking about an hour to do so.

behind locked doors'..:**+.-:**

Matthew!28(b$'&, Mark!16'%$'(?, Luke!24!!$%!, John!20')$"! While these two disciples were recounting their encounter with Jesus on the road, he appears in the room with them and show them his injured hands and feet.

When is evening?
How we interpret the timing of these events, and hence the resurrection itself, depends largely on when evening happens. By Hebrew reckoning, the day starts at sunset with evening (+,-) and then proceeds to morning (,.+) and the daylight portion of the day. Evening is the beginning of the new day and starts with the setting of the sun.

Greek terms
Much of the confusion over the timing of these events has come from the Greek terms used in the texts and the various English terms used to translate them. We cannot rely simply on dawn in the [English] text meaning sunrise, as we will see Tradition, culture, and precedent all influence translationsnot necessarily to their detrimentbut their influence needs to be understood. The situation is complicated further by the fact that the Gospel narratives were [mainly] written by Hebrew-speakers, and perhaps originally penned in Hebrew. The tabulated accounts* show how the different Gospel writers versions relate to each other.

* Appendix A

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,/-./01/
Matthew!28'

28! "#$ %$ &'((')*+ ), !!"#$%&'(%) $-. /-'+ &'((')*+ ,01$+ /'2-' /'2-'/ , /'3%'0,+, 4'- , '00, /'2-' 1$*2,&'- )"+ )'5"+
After the Sabbath, at dawn on the rst day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. This word appears in Matthews account and is generally translated as dawn. The only other place where this Greek word is used is earlier, in Lukes account of the burial: Luke 23*%

4'- ,/$2' ,+ !'2'&4$6,. 4'- &'((')"+ !!!#$%&!*

It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin. It is clear in this passage that the sun was about to set. The new day was about to appear. In the resurrection story, it even spells out which day had just appearedthe first day of the week, our Sunday.

2324,-523467 468 95-68

Mark 16"

167 4'- 0-'+ !2*- ), /-' )*+ &'((')*+ $28"+)'- $!- )" /+,/$-"+ +*+,!"-+*,'. ,'( )-"'(
Very early on the rst day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb The core meaning of !"!#$%%& is arrival; reaching the destination. In some places, this means sunrise, as the sun reaches its rising; in others, midday as the sun reaches its zenith; in this instance, the sun has reached its setting.

5-23 /:/Mark 1!*

19: 4'- !/$" $++68' -"+* '+'&)'. $;,01$+ [4'- '!,01$+] $-. $2,/"+ )"!"+ 4'4$!2"&,68$)"
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed Mark 16",

167 4'- -"+* !/$" ), /-' )*+ &'((')*+ $28"+)'- $!- )" /+,/$-"+ '+')$-0'+)". )"6 ,0-"6
Very early on the rst day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb It may seem that this gives weight to the idea that it is early morning rather than in the evening. %'!" means very and ()&' means morning or early. The trouble is that very early in the morning is, as we see in the first text, well before dawn. We are told that the sun had already reached a particular place, typically translated dawn. By the time the sun has risen, it is no longer early in the morning in these terms. In the resurrection story, this term means very early in the day, ie, just after sunset.

/:/- 0164-27
John 201

201 ), %$ /-' )*+ &'((')*+ /'2-' , /'3%'0,+, $28$)'- !/$" %&',"+. $)- "6&,. $-. )" /+,/$-"+ 4'- (0$!$- )"+ 0-1"+ ,2/$+"+ $4 )"6 /+,/$-"6

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Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary from Magdala went to the tomb. She saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb's entrance. This is early darkness that has been translated as very early, as in Mark 1 above, and [while it was still] dark. If we translate it as early on in the period of darkness, we see that it fits with the other references to immediately after the start of the day at sunset.

What happens at sunset?

We, in the West, are used to the idea that evening is a time for being indoors, at home with your family. Perhaps we sometimes jump into the car and go out to a film, a restaurant, a pub, or some entertainment. Nearer the equator, the dynamic is very different. The afternoon is the time to stay at home to avoid the blistering sun. Once the sun sets, you can go out and shop, meet people, and travel as you need.

What happens when the Sabbath ends?

If you visit Israel you will notice that Sabbath is very strictly observed. The streets are quiet; no busses run; shops are shut; cafs are closed; a few people may be walking slowly or sitting enjoying the quiet. As the sun sets at the end of Saturday afternoon, the whole place springs to life: busses start their engines; cafs open for business; people come out of their houses; shops reopen; and the bustle of the cool evening begins. This is the same dynamic that Jewish society has had for millennia. It was the same in Jesuss day; as soon as the sun set and Sabbath ended, everything sprang to life and people went about their business. This is when the women went out to buy extra spices (Mark 162), went to the tomb to anoint Jesuss body, or head back to their home in Emmaus.

Where was the moon?

Another dynamic that we, in the West, usually miss entirely, is that of the moon. We are not generally aware of the phase of the moon or when or how much we might expect it to light the night. Most traditional societies are still

Church traditions
Both the Orthodox and Catholic churches celebrate an Easter vigil at midnight, the start of the [roman] day. Sunrise services are a modern invention, to which we have attached the symbolism of the rising sun.

Does it matter anyway?

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