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New Testament History |
Passover 31 ADAt Passover 31 AD, Pilate ordered a cult for the emperor and a tax on the Temple (to pay a statue and a new aqueduct).[1] The event took place after the incident with the Roman ensigns on 3 Kislev 29 AD.[2] On 12 Nisan 31 AD = Sunday 25 March (the vision of Sunday 30 March 1823), Judas the Gaulonite and his Galilean partisans protested, on the forum situated before the Antonia, against Pilate’s decision to use money of the Temple treasury.[3] On Sunday 19 Nisan 31 AD = 1 April (the vision of 6 April 1823), Pilate had the Galileans killed in the Temple when they were offering their money and animals (Luke 13:1). Judas the Gaulonite was killed (Acts 5:37b).[4] The opposition of Judas started at the tax collection of 6 AD (Acts 5:37a) and ended with his death, 25 years later in 31 AD.[5] Christ taught about self-denial on 15 Nisan 31 AD = Wednesday 28 March (the vision of Wednesday 2 April 1823, Matt 16:24-28; Mark 8:34-9:1).[6] The disciples plucked ears on 18 Nisan 31 AD = Saturday 31 March (Matt 12:1; Mark 2:23; Luke 6:1).[7] The Jews are allowed to eat grain beginning from 16 Nisan (Lev 23:11, 14).[8] The count of weeks (until Pentecost, on 6 Sivan) began on that day (Lev 23:15-16). The period between 16 Nisan and Pentecost is the only period during which weeks were counted. 18 Nisan fell “on the second first Sabbath” (the Greek expression sabbatôi deuteroprôtôi, Luke 6:1), i.e. on the first Sabbath after 16 Nisan (on which day the count began) in the second year of the ministry (i.e. it was the second time that such a first Sabbath occurred during the ministry). The transfiguration on Mount Tabor took place on the midnight[9] of Tuesday/Wednesday 3/4 April 31 AD = at the start of 22 Nisan (the vision of Tuesday/Wednesday 8/9 April 1823). It was 6 days (Matt 17:1; Mark 9:2) after the teaching about self-denial, 28 March-3 April. It was 8 (inclusive) days (Luke 9:28) after that teaching (Luke 9:23-27), 15-22 Nisan.[10] On 24 Nisan 31 AD = Friday 6 April (the vision of Friday 11 April 1823), Christ had not yet paid the two-drachma tax (Matt 17:24-27).[11] The two-drachma tax was ordinarily collected on 15 Adar in the country,[12] and on 24 Adar in the Temple of Jerusalem.[13] According to the Mishnah, it was collected beginning from 15 Adar in the country and beginning from 25 Adar in the Temple.[14] Ignatius of Antioch was 4 years old by the time of 24 Nisan 31 AD.[15]
[1] A.C.E., Life, 3:272, 275. Josephus relates the issue in B.J. 2.175-177; A.J. 18.60-62. [2] Josephus, B.J. 2.175 “on a later occasion” (translation by Thackeray). [3] A.C.E., Life, 3:277. [4] A.C.E., Life, 3:294. [5] Judas’s sons James and Simon were killed around 46-48 AD (Josephus, A.J. 20.102; Schürer 1973: 1:456-457). A further son, Manahem, died during the First Jewish-Roman War (Josephus, B.J. 2.433, 448), in 66 AD (Schürer 1973: 1:382 n. 129; 2:600). [6] A.C.E., Life, 3:288. [7] The incident is referred to on Thursday 23 Nisan 31 AD (the vision of Thursday 10 April 1823): A.C.E., Life, 3:304. [8] Philo, Spec. 2.162; Josephus, A.J. 3.250. [9] A.C.E., Life, 3:297. [10] Luke apparently mentions 8 days in order to link the event with the 8 days that the Festival of Passover lasts (15-22 Nisan). Passover lasts from 15 until 21 Nisan (Ex 12:15, 18-19; 23:15; Lev 23:6; Num 28:17), but tradition added an extra festival day, on 22 Nisan (Baskin 2007: 769). [11] A.C.E., Life, 3:304-305. [12] A.C.E., Life, 2:101 (the vision of Wednesday 13 March 1822 = Wednesday 8 March 30 AD = 15 Adar): “I saw also on that day men going around and taking up a tax”; 3:249 (the vision of Monday 3 March 1823 = Monday 26 February 31 AD = 15 Adar): “The money presented by Jesus was perhaps the customary Temple tax usually paid on that day, or merely a gift usual at the time [of the Purim Festival].” [13] A.C.E., Vie, 2:66: “C’est aujourd’hui, vingt-quatrième jour du mois d’Adar, que l’on perçoit au temple l’impôt qui, à Nazareth et ailleurs, était levé le jour de la fête des Purim.” In the year 31 AD, a collection of the two-drachma tax started on 23 Nisan: A.C.E., Vie, 4:287-288 (the vision of Friday 11 April 1823 = Friday 6 April 31 AD = 24 Nisan): “Dès hier, j’avais vu les pharisiens aller de maison en maison pour recueillir un impôt destiné au temple. […] les habitants vinrent demander à l’apôtre, à l’entrée de sa maison, si son maître ne paierait pas les deux drachmes.” The yearly tithes were collected between the Festival of Pentecost and the Feast of Tabernacles (A.C.E., Life, 3:438). [14] m. Šeqal. 1.1-3 (translation by Danby): “On the first day of Adar they give warning of the Shekel dues (i.e. the half-shekel) […]. On the 15th thereof the tables [of the money-changers] were set up in the provinces; and on the 25th thereof they were set up in the Temple. After they were set up in the Temple, they began to exact pledges (From such as had not paid)” (square brackets by Danby). [15] A.C.E., Life, 3:306: “four-year-old”; 3:445: “about four years”; A.C.E., Vie, 6:413 (the vision of 4 August 1820): “trois à quatre ans.” |