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New Testament History |
The
martyrdom of James the Greater and Peter’s
imprisonment
According to A.C.E., James the Greater left Spain after a first sojourn of 3 years (33-36 AD), in order to attend the death of the Holy Virgin.[1] Since James died before the Holy Virgin, he returned in order to attend the first reunion in Jerusalem of 14 June 36 AD rather than to attend the death of the Holy Virgin. “After the death of the Holy Virgin,” James lived for 1⅓ year in Jerusalem, for 1 year in Samaria, for 2 years in Joppa, and had a second sojourn in Spain of 2½ years.[2] The reckoning began with the first reunion in Jerusalem: the 1⅓ year in Jerusalem = June 36 AD-September/October 37 AD, the 1 year in Samaria = September/October 37 AD-August/September 38 AD,[3] the 2 years in Joppa = August/September 38 AD-August 40 AD, and the 2½ years in Spain = August 40 AD-February 43 AD. The apostolate in Spain lasted a bit more than 4 years:[4] the period extending from after Tishri 33 AD until the end of 35 AD + the period extending from August 40 AD until February 43 AD. Maria of Agreda dates James’s departure for Spain to 20 August 34 AD.[5] This is apparently the right time of year, but an erroneous year.[6] James departed on Saturday 20 August 40 AD = 23 Av (Reingold and Dershowitz;[7] the New Moon occurred on Wednesday 27 July at 19:10 UT). James had a
glorious apparition of the Holy Virgin in Saragossa. Maria de Agreda
dates the apparition to the night of 2/3 January 39 AD – with the Holy Virgin leaving
for Ephesus on the fourth day after that[8]
– and James’s
martyrdom to 25 March 40 AD.[9]
The date of 25 March concerns the apparition on 25 March 42 AD, 1 year before James’s martyrdom on 5 March 43 AD
(see below). The Holy Virgin appeared on Easter Sunday, 15
Nisan.[10] When the Holy Virgin appeared to James in Saragossa, she asked him to go to Jerusalem to be martyred.[11] Since James was martyred in Jerusalem and during the rule of Agrippa I, the martyrdom took place no earlier than 41 AD, when Claudius gave Judea to Agrippa I.[12] James was imprisoned before Passover.[13] The Passover pilgrims were already present in Jerusalem, and the martyrdom came not long after the imprisonment.[14] James was martyred some weeks[15] before Peter was imprisoned at Passover 43 AD. It was 1 year after Paul’s second visit in 42 AD.[16] It was about 8 years after the ascension,[17] the 11th year after the ascension,[18] and the 12th year after the crucifixion.[19] James was martyred on Tuesday 5 March 43 AD = 5 Adar II (Reingold and Dershowitz).[20] He died after the third New Moon and in the first quarter of the moon.[21] The first quarter occurred on Wednesday 6 March 43 AD at 18:01 UT. The New Moon of Thursday 28 February 43 AD at 02:48 UT was the third New Moon since the New Moon of Monday 31 December 42 AD at 02:53 UT (at New Year).[22] 5 March 43 AD fell 50 years (i.e. two Roman silver jubilees of 25 years) after Caesarea’s dedication on factual Julian 5 March 8 BC.[23] When Agrippa I read the Torah before the crowd in Tishri 42 AD,[24] he came to the passage that states that the king must belong to the house of Israel (Deut 17:15),[25] which made him realise his need of a good relationship with the Jews because only by his Hasmonean grandmother, Mariamme I, he had a right to the throne, not by his Idumean grandfather, Herod the Great.[26] When Agrippa I executed James in early 43 AD, he saw that this pleased the Jews (Acts 12:3). He thus found a means to win the Jews’ favour.[27] Peter was imprisoned at Passover 43 AD (Acts 12:3)[28] = 14 Nisan = Friday 12 April (Reingold and Dershowitz;[29] the New Moon occurred on Friday 29 March at 11:41 UT). The Holy Virgin lived in Ephesus at that time.[30] The Holy Virgin lived there in 39-48 AD. Peter
escaped from prison and went to Caesarea (Acts 12:19), where he
stayed for a while (Acts 12:19, the Greek verb dietriben)
before departing for Rome. Since Peter was bishop of Rome for 25
years, 1 month, and 8 days[31]
or 9 days[32] (with 8 non-inclusive days = 9 inclusive days)
and since he was buried on 29
June 68 AD, his bishopric began on Tuesday 21 May 43 AD =
23 Iyar (Reingold and Dershowitz, and Parker and Dubberstein;
the New Moon occurred on Saturday 27 April at 19:13 UT).[33]
Since Peter was in prison at Passover 43 AD, he could not
celebrate the festival there and therefore celebrated the Second
Passover, on 14 Iyar (Num 9:10-12). Peter arrived in Rome after
a long voyage,[34]
on 18 January (the liturgical feast of the Chair of Saint Peter
in Rome)[35]
of the year 44[36] = Saturday 18 January 44 AD = 28 Tevet
(Reingold and Dershowitz, and Parker and Dubberstein). Agrippa’s death occurred soon after James’s martyrdom[37] and Peter’s imprisonment[38] in 43 AD. It was one year later, in 44 AD.[39] Agrippa I became ill in Caesarea on the second day of celebrations in honour of Claudius and died 5 days later.[40] Since the festivities started on Claudius’s birthday of 1 August,[41] Agrippa I died on Julian 7 August = actual 4 August. His death occurred on account of a prayer of the Holy Virgin.[42] He died on her 60th birthday (actual 4 August 17 BC-actual 4 August 44 AD). Agrippa’s death was kept secret for some time.[43]
[1] A.C.E., Visionen Juli 1821, 92. [2] A.C.E., Visionen Juli 1821, 92. A.C.E., Visionen Juli 1821, 121: “Jakobus Major sei bei Mariä Tod gewesen und nachher noch drei Jahre in Jerusalem, Samaria und Joppe, und dann nicht volle drei Jahre zum zweiten Mal in Spanien.” [3] Though the sojourn in Samaria is paralleled to Peter’s activity in Joppa and Caesarea (A.C.E., Visionen Juli 1821, 92; A.C.E., Vie, 6:323, in the second half of 36 AD), James was a bit later in Samaria. Thomas is the Apostle present in Samaria in the second half of 36 AD (A.C.E., Vie, 6:292, 293, 295). [4] A.C.E., Vie, 6:328. [5] Maria de Agreda, Cité, 6:157, 201 (though with only one sojourn in Spain). [6] The date of 20 August cannot relate to James’s first departure for Spain since he still went to the north of Capernaum in Tishri 33 AD. [7] Parker and Dubberstein (1956: 47) have 22 Av. [8] Maria de Agreda, Cité, 6:201. [9] Maria de Agreda, Cité, 6:201, 244. [10] The Feast of Our Lady of the Pillar (at Saragossa) is celebrated on 12 October because Columbus reached the Americas on that day: Cano 2003: 3:442. [11] A.C.E., Vie, 6:331-332: “Après avoir exécuté à Saragosse les ordres de la très-sainte Vierge, Jacques choisit douze de ses disciples […] qu’il chargea de continuer l’œuvre qu’il avait commencée au milieu d’épreuves si grandes. Saint Jacques quitta aussitôt l’Espagne pour se rendre à Jérusalem, conformément aux ordres qu’il avait reçus de Marie. Dans ce voyage, il la visita à Ephèse […].” [12] Mahieu 2012: 277-278. [13] A.C.E., Visionen Juli 1820, 213. [14] A.C.E., Life, 4:449. [15] A.C.E., Visionen Juni 1821, 9/2 (Nachtrag); A.C.E., Vie, 6:323-324. [16] Maria de Agreda, Cité, 6:235, states that, at the time of James’s arrival, people were still agitated on account of Paul, who had recently left Jerusalem after his first visit there. Maria of Agreda dates Paul’s first visit to February 39 AD (ibid., 6:219) and James’s martyrdom to 25 March 40 AD. She does not report Paul’s second visit (only his first, fourth, and sixth). She therefore connects James’s arrival with Paul’s first visit instead of with his second. The agitation caused by Paul’s visit in 42 AD was still raging at the time of James’s arrival in early 43 AD. [17] A.C.E., Vie, 6:337. [18] A.C.E., Visionen Juli 1820, 225. [19] A.C.E., Life, 4:450. [20] Parker and Dubberstein (1956: 47) have 4 Adar. [21] A.C.E., Visionen August 1821, 33: “Jakob ist nach dem dritten Neumond, im ersten Viertel gemartert, da verschworen sich alle Juden. Ich sehe es immer nach Neumonden.” [23] Mahieu 2012: 166-167. [24] Mahieu 2012: 278. [25] m. Soṭah 7.8. [26] Agrippa I is the grandson of Herod the Great and Mariamme I: Josephus, B.J. 2.222. [27] A.C.E., Visionen Juli 1821, 121: “Herodes habe durch Feste und Verfolgung der Christen die Juden an sich ziehen wollen.” A.C.E., Visionen August 1821, 166, situates James’s martyrdom after Agrippa’s death and during the governorship of Cuspius Fadus (44-46 AD): “[Jakobus wurde] zwei Jahre nach Mariä Tod gemartert unter Cuspius Fadus, der mit den Juden zugehalten habe. Herodes [Agrippa I] sei tot gewesen.” The martyrdom preceded the office of Cuspius Fadus, who was appointed after Agrippa’s death (Josephus, B.J. 2.220; Josephus, A.J. 15.406; 19.363; 20.2). [28] A.C.E., Vie, 6:323. [29] Parker and Dubberstein (1956: 47) have Saturday 13 April. [30] Maria de Agreda, Cité, 6:246. [31] Lib. pont. 1 (a variant reads 25 years, 2 months, and 3 days). Jerome, Vir. ill. 1.1: 25 years; A.C.E., Visionen Juli 1821, 120: “fünfundzwanzig Jahre.” [32] Cat. Lib. (though with a different reconstruction: 30-55 AD).
[34] A.C.E., Visionen Juli 1821, 132: “Er war von Antiochia in Jerusalem, glaube ich, gewesen, wo Verfolgung war, und von da hierher gereist. Er kam nicht gerade hierher, ich meine, er ist erst in Neapel und mehreren anderen Orten gewesen.” [35] Mart. Rom. (Collins 1946: 13). [36] A.C.E., Visionen Juli 1821, 132: “Es war im Winter am 18. Januar anno XLIV, als er dort ankam”; A.C.E., Vie, 6:320. A.C.E., Visionen Juli 1821, 130: “Petrus kam, ich meine, anno 44.” [37] A.C.E., Vie, 6:333. [38] Maria de Agreda, Cité, 6:263-264. [39] Josephus, B.J. 2.219; A.J. 19.343, 351. [40] Josephus, A.J. 19.343-346, 350; cf. Acts 12:21-23. [41] Mahieu 2012: 172-174. [42] Maria de Agreda, Cité, 6:263. [43] A.C.E., Visionen August 1821, 166: “Herodes sei tot gewesen, aber es sei verheimlicht worden”; A.C.E., Vie, 6:334: “On tint pendant quelque temps sa mort cachée.” A.C.E., Visionen August 1821, 32-33: “Er [i.e., Agrippa’s death] ist wohl neun Jahre heimlich gehalten worden und war etwas wegen einem minderjährigen Sohn dabei. […] Herodes sagte man lebendig und er war tot; einen anderen nennt man tot und er kann noch lange regieren.” Agrippa II was in his 17th year at the time of Agrippa’s death (Josephus, A.J. 19.354) and was refused the kingship because of his young age (A.J. 19.362). The 9 years mentioned by A.C.E. are the period between Agrippa I’s death in 44 AD and the year 53 AD, when Agrippa II had to surrender the small kingdom of Chalcis (which he had ruled since about the year 50 AD) and received the territories of Philip, Lysanias, and Varus (Josephus, B.J. 2.247; A.J. 20.138; see Schürer 1973: 1:472).
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