New Testament History

From the imprisonment of John the Baptist until Purim 31 AD

John the Baptist was still baptising (John 3:23-24) after the first Passover of the ministry (John 2:13, 23, in Nisan 30 AD). John was imprisoned for the first time in May 30 AD (Matt 4:12; Mark 1:14), at Callirrhoe, but he was released some time later.[1]

On 17 Tammuz 30 AD = Friday 7 July (the vision of Friday 12 July 1822, Parker and Dubberstein),[2] a fast took place.[3] The fast of 17 Tammuz commemorates Nebuchadnezzar’s attack on Jerusalem and Titus’s.[4]

John was arrested for the second time on the night of Monday/Tuesday 17/18 July 30 AD = at the start of 28 Tammuz (the vision of Monday/Tuesday 22/23 July 1822, Matt 11:2; 14:3; Mark 6:17).[5] The free ministry of John lasted 1 year and 1 month, from June 29 AD until July 30 AD. John was imprisoned at Machaerus (in Perea).[6]

On 7 Av 30 AD = Wednesday 26 July (the vision of Wednesday 31 July 1822), Christ referred to fields “ready for harvest” (John 4:35, translation by NJB).[7]

On 15 Av 30 AD = Thursday 3 August (the vision of Thursday 8 August 1822), Christ healed the son of Zerubbabel from a distance (John 4:46-53). The official who had asked Christ for this healing arrived back home after sunset, i.e. at the start of 16 Av. Since the child had been healed around the 7th hour (John 4:52,[8] i.e. around 1 p.m.), the recovery had occurred “yesterday” (John 4:52); a new Jewish day (16 Av) had begun at sunset.

On the evening of Friday 11 August 30 AD = at the start of 24 Av (the vision of Friday 16 August 1822), Christ proclaimed that the prophecy of Isa 61:1-2 had come to its fulfilment.[9]

On 10 Tishri 30 AD = Tuesday 26 September (the vision of Tuesday 1 October 1822), the high priest Annas was struck with leprosy when offering the sacrifice of the Day of Atonement.[10] The Sanhedrin had to leave the Temple 40 years before the destruction of the Temple on 10 Av 70 AD[11] (10 Tishri 30 AD-10 Av 70 AD = 40 inclusive years). The departure was due to the high priest’s impurity.[12]

15 Tishri 30 AD fell on a Sunday,[13] on Sunday 1 October 30 AD. The vision of Friday 18 October 1822 relates to 27 Tishri,[14] to 27 Tishri 30 AD = Friday 13 October. The vision of Wednesday 13 November 1822 relates to 23 Heshvan,[15] to 23 Heshvan 30 AD = Wednesday 8 November.

In 30 AD, the Festival of Hanukkah began one day earlier than ordinarily because 25 Kislev fell on a Saturday in that year; the festival started on 24 Kislev = Friday 8 December (the vision of Friday 13 December 1822).[16] The feast lasted until the end of 1 Tevet = until the sunset of Friday 15 December (the vision of Friday 20 December 1822), on which day the people also had celebrated the Festival of the New Moon.[17]

John was martyred (Matt 14:10; Mark 6:27; Luke 9:9) in the afternoon[18] of 20 Tevet 31 AD = Wednesday 3 January (the vision of Wednesday 8 January 1823).[19] John was born at the summer solstice (in the night of Thursday/Friday actual 21/22 June 1 BC), i.e. on the day with the most of light. John was martyred on 20 Tevet, i.e. on the Sabbath preparing day (Beshalah) of the Feast of Ennorum (21-23 Tevet), which feast celebrates the creation of the lights. John was “a lamp lit and shining” (John 5:35, translation by NJB). The Feast of Ennorum celebrates the end and the start of the solar year. Analogously, John was the last prophet of the Old Testament. At his martyrdom, the Old Testament came to an end, and the NT had begun.

On 4 Shevat 31 AD = Tuesday 16 January (the vision of Tuesday 21 January 1823), Pilate left for Rome in order to accuse Antipas of the collapse of an aqueduct that Pilate had been constructing (Luke 13:4).[20] Pilate’s aqueduct had been under construction for a long period by then.[21] Since Pilate began governing in 26 AD,[22] it might have taken as much as 5 (inclusive) years.

The healing related in John 5:6-9 took place on the evening of Friday 19 January 31 AD = at the start of 8 Shevat (the vision of Friday 24 January 1823).[23] In the winter of 30/31 AD the Feast of Ennorum was celebrated later than ordinarily,[24] on 9-11 Shevat 31 AD = Sunday-Tuesday 21-23 January (the visions of Sunday-Tuesday 26-28 January 1823). The feast was probably postponed because Antipas began his sensual birthday feast at the start of 20 Tevet.[25] The Jews apparently did not want their feast to coincide with it. Hence 8 Shevat (instead of 20 Tevet) was the Sabbath preparing day (Beshalah) in the year 31 AD. The feast mentioned in John 5:1 is the Feast of Ennorum.

The first miraculous feeding (Matt 14:15-21; Mark 6:35-44; Luke 9:12-17; John 6:5-13) took place on 17 Shevat 31 AD = Monday 29 January (the vision of Monday 3 February 1823).[26] Since it was the spring season, there was “grass” (Matt 14:19), “green grass” (Mark 6:39), and “much grass” (John 6:10).[27] Passover was near (John 6:4); the Festival of Passover began 2 months later, on 15 Nisan.

     The Purim Festival took place on 15-16 Adar 31 AD[28] (= Monday-Tuesday 26-27 February; the visions of Monday-Tuesday 3-4 March 1823), instead of on 14-15 Adar, because 13 Adar fell on a Saturday. Since fasting is not allowed on the Sabbath (Jdt 8:6; 2.21, 31), the Fast of Esther (ordinarily on 13 Adar) was moved to Sunday 14 Adar. As a consequence, the Purim Festival was also moved one day.