Dr. balmon, in the article cited, said it was doubtful if lIippol.\tu3 had any historical authority for fixing on the year 29 over and ahove the reason 'that the day which his cvcle exhibited as the Crucifixion Day should be a" Friday,' and that ' the only years he would find fulfilling this condition were, 26, 29, 32, and of these 29 is chronologically the most probable.' Baron H. von Soden prefers A.D. 30, in which Nisan 15 would fall on Friday April 7, .and opposes A.D. 29 on the ground that Nisan 15 fell on April 16 in that year. But the previous luna- tion, March 4-5, with 14th on March 18, would be more in keeping with the ripening of the barley harvest, and would have a prior claim.
The following table of dates is based on the argu- ments in the preceding pages, the years, months, and days especially, in each case, being ottered as merely approximate.
Table of Dates of Events in the Gospels.
Herod's reign ii.c. 37-4.
Restoration of temple connnenced . . u.c. 19-18.
Star in the east B.C. 7-5.
Courses of Abia in temple .... n.c. 6, April IS-
24, Oct. 3-9. Conception of Elisabeth b.c. 6, Oct. [or
April (25)]. Annunciation (G months after) . . . b.c 5, March (25)
[or Sept. (19)1. Birth of Baptist n.c. 5, June (24)
[orB.c.5,Jan.l.
Birth of the Christ at Bethlehem during an B.C. 5, Dec. (2.^)
enrolment [orB.c. 5,June).
Circumcision ii.c. 4, Jan. (1).
Visit of Magi B.C. 4, Jan. (6
Presentation in temple 40 days after Nativity B.C. 4, Feb. {1 circa).
Herod plans massacre b.c. 4, Feb.
Flight into Egvpt, apparently from Jerusalem B.C. 4, Feb. Death of Herod B.C. 4, M.arch (be- fore Passover). Archelaus ethnarch of Judaja . . . . b.c 4-A.n. e. Herod Antipas tetrarch of Galilee . . . B.C. 4-a.d. 37. P.uturn of Holy Family to Nazareth . . B.C. 3. The child Jesus in temple (12 years old) . A.D. 7.
Annas high priest a.d. 7-15.
( 'aiaphas high priest a.d. 24-34.
Pontius Pilate procurator of Judaea . . A.D. 26-36. PreachingoftheBaptist(16thyearofTibcrius), A.D. 26-27.
'beyond Jordan,' in the Persea, 'where
John at first baptized' (Jn 10-"i), 'the
country about Jordan ' (Lit 33) Baptism of Jesus in Bethabara, John's second A.D. 27(Passover).
sphere of work Selection and training of disciples, and work a.d. 27-28 (Pass- in Galilee, with Nazareth for a time as head- over).
quarters(Mt 4") (early chapters of Mt. and
Mk. and Jn I2!i-2I2) Purification of the temple and work in the A.D.2S, Passoxer,
city during the Feast of Unleavened Bread March 30-April
(Jn 21 3-23) (i.
Work in Judaea broken bv conflict between April 7-14 (circct).
His disciples and the Baptist's (Jn 322-36
and 41 -J) Arrest of the Baptist by Herod (Mk 6", Mt April.
143) (probably at ^non near to Salim, his
third sphere of work) Departure of Jesus into Galilee through April 14-18
Samaria (Jn 4i-*5) (circa).
Work in Galilee, with Capernaum as centre April 18-Ma^' 14.
(Jn 4«, Jlk 111, Mt 415- 13, where His de- parture from Nazareth is noted ; see also
Lk 416) Jesus at Feast of Pentecost in Jerusalem May 20 (circa).
(Jn5) Miracles in Galilee (Nain), and consequent
fame (Lk 7"-") Injunctions to the Twelve, and their mission
(Mt 10, Mk 6, Lk 9) Deputation from the Baptist (Mt 112, Lk 71'). Jesus at Feast of Tabernacles (Jn 7) . . October. Execution of the Baptist (.Mt 14, Lk 9, Mk 6) Herod hears the fame of Jesus (iMt 141) Return of the Twelve with this and other news
(Mk G30) Jesus, in consequence, departs finally from
Galilee (.Mk 031, Mt 14", Lk 91») Work in Tvre and Sidon, Decapolis, and vil- lages of Cajsarea Philippi (Mk 72'- 3i $27,
Mt 1013) The confession of St. Peter (Mt 1616, Mk S2»,
Lk 920, Jn eiia- '«') The Transfiguration, 'six davs after' (Mt 171,
Mk 92), 'about an eight da'vs after'(Lk 929) Prediction of death (Mt 17™) The great journe> , whic-li ma>- be described
as a tour, whose final objective was Jeru-
well-nigh come that he should be received
416
DATES
up'(Lk951); given at great lenfth (Lk 9^'-
19--B) neiected bv a viUa^e of Samaria (Lk 95=) Mission of "the Seventy before His face (Lk
iniiT) (in Samaria, where He was in Roman
territory, safe from Herod, Samaria having
been added to the Province of Syria after
the banishment of Archelaus, Jos. Aitt.
xvii, xiii. 6] Sentence on Galilee and Capernaum (Lk
luia-i'i, Mt 1120=1) Journevs towards Jerusalem, teaching in the
towns and villa^'es (Lk 13-=), moving south- wards between the borders of Samaria and
Galilee (17"), the Jordan on His left hand At the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem . A.n. 2S, Dec. lu
(circa). Escapes from citv into the Persa, 3-e>«e» rou
■Ufii,c-j (Jn lOiO, Mt 191, Mk 101) Keturns to Judxa for the raising of Lazarus
at Bethany (Jn W) Withdraws to Ephrain)(Jn 11") in wilderness
Final journey towards city
Prediction of His death (Mk 1032, Lk 1831)
At Jericho : Zacchaus and blind Bartimjeus
(Lk 19111, MkltHS 52) Approaches citv, at Bethany (Mt 211, Mk 111, a.i>. 20, Nisan 9
Lk 1929, Jn 121)sixdays before the Passover (.March 12).
The clironology of the last six days Is still further complicated by the difference between the Second and Fourth Gospels regarding the Anoint- in;; at Bethany. Mk 14i'^ gives the account of the Anointing apparently in connexion with the date 'after two days was the feast of the Passover and the unleavened bread,' while Jn 12'-^ gives the account of the Supper seemingly under the note of time, 'Then Jesus six days before the Passover came to Bethany.' Two ways of getting out of the difficulty are (1) by referring the note of time in Mk. to the events of vv."- =• i"- " as giving the con- nexion of the conspiracy of the chief priests against Jesus, and the oHer of Judas, and regarding the scene of the Anointing as an intrusion of strange matter similar to Jlk 6"-2^ 725-30. (.3) \,y restrict- ing the application of the note of time Jn 12' to the arrival at Bethany. The notice of the day of the entombment (riji' -fi/iepav toO ivTa<f>ia<rtioO, v.") would come more appropriately on the date given in Mk 141, the reason of the mention of the feast in connexion with the date of Jn 12' 'six days before,' etc., being, perhaps, the fact that Jesus and His disciples made the house of Lazarus and liis sisters the headquarters of His la-st mission to the city. Against this it may be urged that it is equally probable that this feast, which was attended T)y many out of curiosity to see not only Jesus but l.azarus whom He had raised (v.^*), occasioned on the one hand the splendid reception given to Him by the multitude, and on the other the malignant opposition of the chief priests, who made plans to procure the death of Lazarus also (v.'"). And the anointing of Jesus' feet in so lavish a stj'le would be in kccpin;,' with His entry as the Messiah, the Anoiiiti'l, intij the city, which follows in the Fourih Cu,]..!. St. Mark's order of events, how- ever, i< ipiitr ilillcrent. Our Lord proceeds straight from Jericho to Jerusalem by way of Bethphage and Bethany (Mk 11'), and when He entered tlie temple and looked round on all things, the hour being late {6^iat fiin ova-qs t^s wpas, v."). He with- drew to Bethany with the Twelve. The cleansing of the temple, which immediately follows the entry in Mt 21 and Lk 19, is thus reserved for the next day, and the bamjuet for the last evening siient in Bethany. May it not be possible that there were two banquets, and two similar acts of homage ]iaid by women to Jesus, one at the begin- ning of His last mission, when His feet were anointed, and the other at the close of His mi.ssion, when His head was anointed, the former being recorded by St. John (1'22-''), who marks the com- mencement of the year's work by the imriticatidn of the temple, the latter by the Synoptists, St.