I have one of those ‘what if’ questions for you this week.
What would you think if…
After the terrible events of the great flood, Noah and his family kept a vigil each year on its anniversary to remember friends and family who wouldn’t listen to their warning that God’s judgment was coming.
What if, century after century each generation carried on that tradition of remembering their lost loved ones, until Noah’s descendants no longer even understood the reasons for those traditions?
Then came a generation who were no longer satisfied with honoring a tradition they didn’t understand so they changed that tradition into a day of wickedness, revelry, and fun.
What would you say to that generation who dishonored the memories of the dead and instead Continue reading →
This week I’d like to share with you a bit of intriguing Americana with an unusual religious twist. It’s a true story about a famous Christian soap maker of early America and his brick cipher which The New Yorker magazine called the “Mystery on Pearl Street”.
Our story begins with William Colgate, one of America’s early success stories. When you think of Colgate you’re probably thinking of toothpaste, but Mr. Colgate actually began his entrepreneurial endeavors as a soap and candle maker in Baltimore, Maryland. Eventually Mr. Colgate moved to New York and became one of the most influential and wealthy men of that era. But that is only the most well-known part of the story. Continue reading →
Author’s Note:My recent article The 14th Sacrifice looked at the gospel accounts pertaining to Yeshua’s Passover supper. That article concluded that Yeshua was not crucified on the 14th of Nisan but instead the most plain reading of the New Testament record shows he was crucified on the feast day proper. (i.e. 15th Nisan, the 1st day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread) My next few articles will look at Yeshua’s Passover week chronology in light of some of the objections which are often raised by those who believe Yeshua was crucified on the 14th of Nisan.
Defiled on the “Passover”
In my previous article “The Feast Day”: Judas’ Betrayal we looked at the reason the disciples might have assumed Judas went to buy provisions for the “feast” day. In this article we will look at a different aspect of the Passover week chronology. After the Passover supper Yeshua and his disciples go into the garden to pray and then Judas comes with a “multitude” to arrest him. Yeshua is taken to the high priest’s house where he is questioned and subsequently taken to Pilate’s judgment hall where he is questioned again. As John 18:28 explains the Jewish leaders refuse to enter the hall because they fear being defiled and thus preventing them from eating the “Passover”.
John 18:2828 Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the Passover.
Here again we have a statement used by some to reject Yeshua’s crucifixion on the “feast” day (i.e. the 15th of Nisan). Obviously if the “Passover” of John 18:28 is referring to the Passover supper then the day in question was clearly the 14th of Nisan.
First we need to determine if this reference to the “Passover” is used in the specific sense regarding the Passover supper or a more general sense regarding the Feast of Unleavened Bread. (See my article The 14th Sacrifice for examples of the specific and general use of the term “Passover”.) The answer to this question interestingly is found in the Old Testament. (Lev. 7; 11; 15 & Num. 19) In Leviticus and Numbers it states that if one is defiled by various means they are unclean – until – “even”. This reference of John 18:28 to eating the “Passover” then could not have been in reference to the Passover supper proper because the Jewish leader’s defilement would only have lasted until “even” and they would have been free to eat the Passover supper. This proves their concern must have been in regards to the events during the daylight hours of the 15th of Nisan and the “Passover” feast in general.
At the Feast Day
Further confirmation of the above is found in Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, Johh18. In these passages it states that traditionally Pilate would release one prisoner every year “at the feast”. Again taken at face value these verses show that Yeshua was tried on the feast day and that Pilate tried to release him “at the feast”. Remember the feast of “Passover”/Unleavened Bread did not begin until the 15th of Nisan.
Matthew 27:15-17 15 Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would. 16 And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas. 17 Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ?
Mark 15:66Now at that feast he released unto them one prisoner, whomsoever they desired.
Luke 23:16-1716 I will therefore chastise him, and release him. 17(For of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast.)
John 18:39-4039But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews? 40 Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber.
Authors Note: This chart shows the chronology described above. For those looking to search this out for yourself you will find Scriptural references provided for each event. I know this is a little different format than most are use to but it helped me organize the events in a way which allows me to take the New Testament events at face value in their most natural and plain reading.
Click on the Image to enlarge:
For more on Yeshua’s Passover Week chronology please see the following articles:
The Jubilee Code -
"A book that will show you real Biblical evidence for Yahweh's guiding in hand history bringing about His redemptive plan for mankind."
You are probably wondering why I’d concern myself with writing about the day of the Exodus, especially when Numbers 33:3-8 spells it out so precisely:
And they departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the morrow after the passover the children of Israel went out with an high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians. Numbers 33:3-8
Truthfully, I like to explore these subjects simply because I enjoy trying to figure out the details of Biblical history, but in this case there is a lot more to the subject which intrigues me.
Destruction of Pharaoh’s Army – Poussin
First of all, I wondered if it was possible to ascertain not the day of the month of the Exodus but the day of week. I realize this is a theoretical exercise because YHWH didn’t give Moses instructions for 6 days of labor and a day of rest until after the Exodus. In fact it was not until the middle of the 2nd month, in the Land of Sin, that YHWH instructed Israel on the Sabbath cycle.
That being said I still wondered if we could not count the cycles retrospectively and still arrive a reasonable conclusion regarding the day of week upon which Israel left Egypt. After all, I figure that even though YHWH did not instruct Israel regarding the Sabbath cycle until after the Exodus, He did in fact set the example for 6 days of labor and one day of rest all the way back in Genesis. To my way of looking at it, if he had set this pattern up in the very beginning it was not beyond His abilities to later synchronize and continue that pattern at the Exodus.
The second reason this subject interests me is that the New Testament describes Yeshua’s (Jesus’) death and resurrection as a “shadow” picture of the Exodus events. John the Baptist testified that Yeshua was:
“The Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world”.
The apostle Paul when describing Yeshua’s sacrificial atonement on our behalf stated: “ “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.” Heb. 9:28-10:1
So if Yeshua’s death and resurrection is a “shadow” picture of the Exodus events, surely understanding the precise chronology of the Exodus might provide valuable context to the New Testament events. With these interests in mind the following is what I believe is a reasonable outline of events based upon the Biblical record.
Israel was commanded to kill the “Passover” lamb on the 14th day at “even”. My article Even to Even explains that when the “even” of a day is mentioned it designates the end of that day and the beginning of the next. For example when Lev. 23 mentioned the “ninth day at even” it was specifically designating the start of the 10th day. In like manner the Exodus events show that the 14th day at “even” was in fact the start of the 15th day. I’ve included the passage from Exodus 12 at the end of this article.
Israel was to eat the lamb in readiness to depart Egypt: And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is YHWH’s Passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night. Exo.12:11
The Angel of Death passed over the land of Egypt that night. (the 15th) “And it came to pass, that at midnight YHWH smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt,…” Exo. 12:29
The following morning all Israel departed Egypt. This was the 1st day of the feast of Unleavened Bread. And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to YHWH…. Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; ….And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; …And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Exo. 12
In summary, the above chronology clearly shows that Israel killed their Passover lambs on the 14th day at “even” just before sundown which began the 15th. The night beginning the 15th of Nisan they ate the Passover, leaving nothing of it until the morning, as they were commanded. When the morning of the 15th came, Israel, fully dressed, shod, and with much treasure from their Egyptian neighbors, departed Rameses.
And they departed from Rameses in the first month, on the 15 day of the first month; on the morrow after the passover the children of Israel went out with an high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians.Numbers 33:3-8
* * *
Gathering Manna – Poussin
Having established a reasonable chronology of the Exodus it is necessary to turn to Exodus 16 in order to establish a basis for the weekly Sabbath cycle.
And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt.Exodus 16:1
After arriving in the land of Sin, one month after the Exodus, Israel was now fully aware of the reality of their new life. The certainty of servitude had been replaced with the uncertainty of a life which required faith.
And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: 3 And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of YHWH in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.Exodus 16:2-3
So YHWH sent them the “bread from heaven”. But the gift came with conditions. They were only allowed to gather the “manna” for 6 days. On the seventh day they were required to rest:
22 And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread….. And he said unto them, This is that which YHWH hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto YHWH: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning…. And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto YHWH: to day ye shall not find it in the field. 26 Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none. Exodus 16:22-26
So the people rested on the seventh day. Exo.16:30
In summary, Israel came into the land of Sin on the 15th day of the 2nd month. The following morning YHWH gave them “manna”. For 6 days they gathered this bread of heaven and rested on the 7th day. So the 16th day of the 2nd month was the 1st day of the week.
Now turning back to the Exodus chronology we can count these days of the weeks backwards to the 1st month. By this reckoning the Passover lambs were killed just before sundown on the 5th day of the week (14th Nisan). A few hours later on the 15th of Nisan, the Feast of Unleavened Bread began with the Passover supper, thus beginning the 6th day of the week.
Click on the image to enlarge:
Book 1
Book I - Description
The 13th Enumeration
"A book that will change how you look at the Bible's Messianic Symbolism."
The Jubilee Code -
"A book that will show you real Biblical evidence for Yahweh's guiding in hand history bringing about His redemptive plan for mankind."
Christian scholars often point to the first century Jewish historian, Josephus, when trying to determine the year of Yeshua’s (Jesus’) birth. Josephus’ book Antiquities of the Jews, thought not considered Scripture, is full of interesting chronological details which add context to that era. One of the more famous passages from Josephus’ works concerns an eclipse of the moon and the subsequent death of Herod. Since Matthew 2 & Luke 1 indicate that Yeshua’s birth proceeded the death of Herod it is worth considering Josephus’ account to see if it provides any chronological insights. The following is an excerpt from Ant. 17:167-191.
Antiquities of the Jews 17:167-191 167 But Herod deprived this Matthias of the high priesthood, and burnt the other Matthias, who had raised the sedition, with his companions, alive. And that very night there was an eclipse of the moon. {c} 168 But now Herod’s distemper greatly increased upon him after a severe manner, and this by God’s judgment upon him for his sins; for a fire glowed in him slowly, which did not so much appear to the touch outwardly, as it augmented his pains inwardly; ………..191 When he had done these things, he died, the fifth day after he had caused Antipater to be slain; having reigned, since he had procured Antigonus to be slain, thirty-four years; but since he had been declared king by the Romans, thirty-seven. {b} A man he was of great barbarity toward all men equally, and a slave to his passion; but above the consideration of what was right;….
The passage goes on to describe Herod’s funeral preparations, his funeral, and a revolt of the Jewish people during Passover. All of these events provide clues which help us limit the possible year of Herod’s death and by development of that information the latest possible date for Yeshua’s birth. Josephus in Ant. 14 describes the ascendancy of Herod to the throne in Jerusalem (about 40 BC). According to Ant. 17 above, Herod ruled for 37 years from the point he was declared “king” by the Romans. Conservatively, this places the death of Herod in the year 4-3 BC. The following chart illustrates Josephus’ chronology of Herod. Click on Image to enlarge:
A couple of important points to remember when looking at the chart: 1.The Roman A.U.C. (Anno Urbis Conditae) was the dating system in use at the time. (Not BC/AD) The A.U.C. year began and ended in spring.(March/April) For example if Herod died in 750 A.U.C. this year would run from spring of 4 BC to the spring of 3 BC. 2. Josephus gives two dates for the begining of Archelaus’ rule. This should be read in conjunction with Dio Cassius XV, 27.
Now if Josephus dated the death of Herod to sometime in the years 4 or 3 BC then the eclipse he mentioned must have proceed this date by an amount of time adequate to fulfill all the events which transpired between the eclipse and the following Passover. The partial eclipse of March 13, 4 BC seems to best fulfill the above evidence. In the following chart I have proposed what I believe to be a reasonable minimum and maximum timeline for the events mentioned by Josephus.
(Click on image to enlarge:)
As you can see Joseophus gave quite an outline of events leading up to and immediately following the death of Herod. The question before us now is; can the events described above reasonably fit into the period of time between the eclipse of 4 BC and the following Passover? In the first chart below I have laid out what I believe is a reasonable rendering of the evidence in relation to a Biblical reckoning of time as well as the our modern calendar.
One other piece of important chronological information related to Herod’s death is worth noting here. The Megillath Ta’anith, also called the Scroll of Fasting, which was written during the 1st century indicates that Herod died on the 1st Shevat. (Megillath Taanith xi, 1 – Warsh Edition) In the chart below (left) you will see this date noted relative to the other chronological information. (Please click on (left lower) image to enlarge)
In conclusion I believe the eclipse mentioned by Josephus is the astronomical event which occurred on March 13, 4 BC. Following this eclipse Herod’s illness progressed and resulted in his death early in the year 3 BC. Shortly thereafter the Jewish people revolted during the Passover of 3 BC. This evidence adds weight to the Biblical evidence developed in The Messiah Factors (Part 1 & 2) which shows that Yeshua was conceived in the winter of 5 BC and was born nine months later in the fall of 4 BC. For more on the month of Yeshua’s birth see my article The Course of Abijah.
* * *
I should note here that scholars have proposed a total of four eclipses which for various reasons might fulfill the record mentioned in Ant. 17. They are as follows:
The Jubilee Code -
"A book that will show you real Biblical evidence for Yahweh's guiding in hand history bringing about His redemptive plan for mankind."
The phoenix is a fantastic legend which has captured the imaginations of people down through the millenniums. Is it only a myth or is it like many such stories based on some ancient event? In my blog post today we will explore the history of this ancient legend. The truth may surprise you. (Authors note: This is another in a series of articles I wrote several years ago. Because it is graphically rich I have reproduced it here as a series of images. If you need to increase the text size just use (Ctrl +) or click on each image. I hope you enjoy the article. – William Struse)
Book 1
Book I - Description
The 13th Enumeration
"A book that will change how you look at the Bible's Messianic Symbolism."
The Jubilee Code -
"A book that will show you real Biblical evidence for Yahweh's guiding in hand history bringing about His redemptive plan for mankind."
“But certainly our hands are still at liberty, and have a sword in them: let them then be subservient to us in our glorious design; let us die before we become slaves under our enemies, and let us go out of the world, together with our children and our wives, in a state of freedom.”
Enjoy Our Liberty
“Is it not that we may enjoy our liberty? Besides, shall we not bear the lords of the habitable earth to be lords over us, and yet bear tyrants of our own country? Although I must say that submission to foreigners may be borne, because fortune has already doomed us to it, while submission to wicked people of our own nation is too unmanly, and brought upon us by our own consent.”
A Venerable and Just Man
“He was on other accounts also a venerable, and a very just man; and besides the grandeur of that nobility, and dignity, and honour of which he was possessed, he had been a lover of a kind of equality; even with regard to the lowest of the people; he was a prodigious lover of liberty, and an admirer of a democracy in government; and did ever prefer the public welfare before his own advantage, and preferred peace above all things; for he was thoroughly sensible…….”
Preserving Our Freedom
“To be sure, we weakly hoped to have preserved ourselves, and ourselves alone, still in a state of freedom, as if we had been guilty of no sins ourselves against God, nor been partners with those of others; we also taught other men to preserve their liberty. Therefore, consider how God has convinced us that our hopes were in vain, by bringing such distress upon us in the desperate state we are now in, and which is beyond all our expectations;”
Brave Men Who Struggled for Liberty?
“Truly, I was greatly mistaken when I thought to be assisting to brave men who struggled hard for their liberty, and to such as were resolved either to live with honour, or else to die; but I find that you are such people as are no better than others, either in virtue or in courage, and are afraid of dying, though you be delivered thereby from the greatest miseries, while you ought to make no delay in this matter, nor to await anyone to give you good advice; for the laws of our country, and of God himself, have, from ancient times, and as soon as ever we could use our reason, continually taught us, and our forefathers have corroborated the same doctrine by their actions and by their bravery of mind, that it is life that is a calamity to men, and not death; for this last affords our souls their liberty,……..
Recovering Liberty:
“However, as to the desire of recovering your liberty, it is unseasonable to indulge it so late; whereas you ought to have laboured earnestly in olden time that you might never have lost it; for the first experience of slavery was hard to be endured, and the struggle that you might never have been subject to it would have been just; but that slave who has been once brought into subjection, and then runs away, is rather a refractory slave than a lover of liberty;”
Book 1
Book I - Description
The 13th Enumeration
"A book that will change how you look at the Bible's Messianic Symbolism."
The Jubilee Code -
"A book that will show you real Biblical evidence for Yahweh's guiding in hand history bringing about His redemptive plan for mankind."
The Jubilee Code -
"A book that will show you real Biblical evidence for Yahweh's guiding in hand history bringing about His redemptive plan for mankind."
I have one of those ‘what if’ questions for you this week.![211_Pearl_Street_Symbol[1]](https://www.the13thenumeration.com/Blog13/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/211_Pearl_Street_Symbol1.gif)
