Why 4 BC? Article and Commentary By Levi

Sept 8, 2015

Below is more from my friend Levi.

"Although there were two lunar eclipses in 1 B.C. that might match Josephus’ description of when Herod died, there are other reasons for concluding the 4 B.C. date. This article articulates this reasoning:"

When Was Jesus Born? When Did Herod Die? Q&C, BAR, January/February 2014

Professor John A. Cramer argues that Herod the Great most likely died shortly after the lunar eclipse of December 29, 1 B.C., rather than that of March 13, 4 B.C., which, as Cramer points out, is the eclipse traditionally associated with Josephus’s description in Jewish Antiquities 17.6.4 (Queries & Comments, “When Was Jesus Born?”BAR, July/August 2013) and which is used as a basis to reckon Jesus’ birth shortly before 4 B.C. Professor Cramer’s argument was made in the 19th century by scholars such as Édouard Caspari and Florian Riess.

     There are three principal reasons why the 4 B.C. date has prevailed over 1 B.C. These reasons were articulated by Emil Schürer in A History of the Jewish People in the Time of Jesus Christ, also published in the 19th century. First, Josephus informs us that Herod died shortly before a Passover (Antiquities 17.9.3, The Jewish War 2.1.3), making a lunar eclipse in March (the time of the 4 B.C. eclipse) much more likely than one in December.

     Second, Josephus writes that Herod reigned for 37 years from the time of his appointment in 40 B.C. and 34 years from his conquest of Jerusalem in 37 B.C. (Antiquities 17.8.1, War 1.33.8). Using so-called inclusive counting, this, too, places Herod’s death in 4 B.C.

     Third, we know that the reign over Samaria and Judea of Herod’s son and successor Archelaus began in 4 B.C., based on the fact that he was deposed by Caesar in A.U.C. (Anno Urbis Conditae [in the year the city was founded]) 759, or A.D. 6, in the tenth year of his reign (Dio Cassius, Roman History 55.27.6; Josephus, Antiquities 17.13.2). Counting backward his reign began in 4 B.C. In addition, from Herod the Great’s son and successor Herod Antipas, who ruled over Galilee until 39 A.D., who ordered the execution of John the Baptist (Mark 6:14–29) and who had a supporting role in Jesus’ trial (Luke 23:7–12), we have coins that make reference to the 43rd year of his rule, placing its beginning in 4 B.C. at the latest (see Morten Hørning Jensen,“Antipas—The Herod Jesus Knew,” BAR, September/October 2012).

Thus, Schürer concluded that “Herod died at Jericho in B.C. 4, unwept by those of his own house, and hated by all the people.”

Jeroen H.C. Tempelman
New York, New York

Date of the Cross / No year 0. 

     I just wanted to say that the date of the cross has been argued over by many scholars, and many believe it was April 3, 33 A.D. The general timeframe is between 29-33 A.D. The thing about this is that those who date the cross and those who date the birth do not often consider the other. The problem with a 33 A.D. date is that it would put Christ’s age at 38, when Scriptures explain that His ministry began when He was about 30, then lasted about 3 and a half years, with three Passovers mentioned in John. And according to the Old Testament laws, which Christ surely kept, a man had to be 30 before have a position of service to God. Thus, I concede that I could be 4 years too EARLY, but I think it is best to trust Scriptures rather than scholars looking back two millennia trying to fit all the pieces together. If we know Herod died 4. B.C., and Christ had to be born just before then, we must start at 6 or 5 B.C. And if Christ began to preach at 30, and He preached for 3.5 years, we should expect the cross to be around 28 or 29 A.D. At least the best I can see, but I am open to ideas and corrections.  

      CORRECTION:Birth 6-4 B.C. and Cross 29-31 A.D. I simply cannot make out the exact year, and I have gone over and over it. Perhaps 6 B.C. and 29 A.D. (Herod targeting children 2 and under) I think this was my origin conclusion. Add 2,000 years and come to 2029 A.D. Another year is needed for the beginning of the 3rd millennial day, hence 2030. Subtract 7 years for 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029, 2030.  It is really impossible to tell. We will know midpoint at the Abomination of Desolation. Perhaps the coming day is a day that God alone knows.