Date of the Crucifixion

Do you know the date Jesus was crucified?

There are some significant facts in biblical and non-biblical literature to narrow the date of the crucifixion of Christ. Most of this information can be found in three sources: the Bible, the writings of Josephus, and the Jewish Encyclopedia. Here are some of the facts:

Caiaphas was the High Priest: That puts the crucifixion between 18-36 AD.

Pontius Pilate was the Governor: That narrows the date to between 26-36 AD.

The crucifixion occurred after the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar: John the Baptizer began his ministry in the fifteenth year of Tiberius’ reign, which was 29 AD.

The crucifixion happened on a Friday: that eliminates all other days of the week.

The crucifixion happened on a Friday in conjunction with the feast of Passover.

That lets us narrow down the range of possible dates. Here is a complete list of the days Passover began between 29-36 AD:

                       

Monday, April 18, A.D. 29

Friday, April 7, A.D. 30

Tuesday, March 27, A.D. 31

Monday, April 14, A.D. 32

Friday, April 3, A.D. 33

Wednesday, March 24, A.D. 34

Tuesday, April 12, A.D. 35

Saturday, March 31, A.D. 36

As you can see from the list above, there are two possible days that fit all five facts we know about the crucifixion. Allowing time for Jesus to have a few years of ministry after John the Baptizer, leaves us with the best option: Jesus was crucified at 3:00 PM on Friday, April 3, 33 AD.