Crucifixion of Jesus

===Chronology===
{{Main|Chronology of Jesus}}
There is no consensus regarding the exact date of the crucifixion of Jesus, although it is generally agreed by biblical scholars that it was on a [[Good Friday|Friday]] on or near [[Passover]] ([[Nisan]] 14), during the governorship of Pontius Pilate (who ruled AD 26–36).<ref name="Lémonon 1981 29–32">{{cite book |last=Lémonon |first=J.P. |title=Pilate et le gouvernement de la Judée: textes et monuments, Études bibliques |publisher=Gabalda |location=Paris |year=1981 |pages=29–32}}</ref> Various approaches have been used to estimate the year of the crucifixion, including the canonical Gospels, the chronology of the life of Paul, as well as different [[astronomy|astronomical]] models. Scholars have provided estimates in the range 30–33 AD,<ref name=ChronosPaul >[[Paul L. Maier]] "The Date of the Nativity and Chronology of Jesus" in ''Chronos, kairos, Christos: nativity and chronological studies'' by Jerry Vardaman, Edwin M. Yamauchi 1989 {{ISBN|0-931464-50-1}} pp. 113–129</ref><ref name=Kostenberger140 >''The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown: An Introduction to the New Testament'' by [[Andreas J. Köstenberger]], L. Scott Kellum 2009 {{ISBN|978-0-8054-4365-3}} p. 114</ref><ref name=Barnett19 >''Jesus & the Rise of Early Christianity: A History of New Testament Times'' by Paul Barnett 2002 {{ISBN|0-8308-2699-8}} pp. 19–21</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Davies |first1=W. D. |last2=Sanders |first2=E.P. |editor1-last=Horbury |editor1-first=William |editor2-last=Davies |editor2-first=W.D. |editor3-last=Sturdy |editor3-first=John |title=The Cambridge History of Judaism. Volume 3: The Early Roman period |date=2008 |publisher=Cambridge Univiversity Press |isbn=9780521243773 |page=621 |chapter=20. Jesus: From the Jewish Point of View |quote=The approximate period of his death (c. CE 30, plus or minus one or two years) is confirmed by the requirements of the chronology of Paul.}}</ref> with [[Rainer Riesner]] stating that "the fourteenth of Nisan (7 April) of the year 30 AD is, apparently in the opinion of the majority of contemporary scholars as well, far and away the most likely date of the crucifixion of Jesus."<ref name="Rainer Riesner 1998 page 58">Rainer Riesner, ''Paul's Early Period: Chronology, Mission Strategy, Theology'' (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1998), p. 58.</ref>  Another preferred date among scholars is Friday, 3 April 33 AD.<ref name="Maier, P.L. 1968 3–13">{{cite journal |author=Maier, P.L. |year=1968 |title=Sejanus, Pilate, and the Date of the Crucifixion |journal= Church History |volume=37 |issue=1 |pages=3–13 |doi=10.2307/3163182 |jstor=3163182|s2cid=162410612 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author=Fotheringham, J.K. |year=1934 |title=The evidence of astronomy and technical chronology for the date of the crucifixion |journal= Journal of Theological Studies |volume=35 |issue=138 |pages=146–162|doi=10.1093/jts/os-XXXV.138.146 }}</ref> 

The consensus of scholarship is that the New Testament accounts represent a crucifixion occurring on a Friday, but a Thursday or Wednesday crucifixion have also been proposed.<ref name=Nis167 /><ref name=Kellum142 >''The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown: An Introduction to the New Testament'' by Andreas J. Köstenberger, L. Scott Kellum 2009 {{ISBN|978-0-8054-4365-3}} pp. 142–143</ref> Some scholars explain a Thursday crucifixion based on a "double sabbath" caused by an extra Passover sabbath falling on Thursday dusk to Friday afternoon, ahead of the normal weekly Sabbath.<ref name=Nis167 >{{Cite web|url=https://www.google.com/search?q=Niswonger+%22which+meant+Friday%22|title=Niswonger "which meant Friday" – Google Search|website=www.google.com|access-date=April 7, 2023|archive-date=April 7, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220407220305/https://www.google.com/search?q=Niswonger+%22which+meant+Friday%22|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>Cyclopaedia of Biblical, theological, and ecclesiastical literature: Volume 7 John McClintock, James Strong – 1894 "...&nbsp;he lay in the grave on the 15th (which was a 'high day' or double Sabbath, because the weekly Sabbath coincided&nbsp;..."</ref> Some have argued that Jesus was crucified on Wednesday, not Friday, on the grounds of the mention of "three days and three nights" in {{bibleref2||Matthew|12:40}} before his resurrection, celebrated on Sunday. Others have countered by saying that this ignores the Jewish idiom by which a "day and night" may refer to any part of a 24-hour period, that the expression in Matthew is idiomatic, not a statement that Jesus was 72 hours in the tomb, and that the many references to a resurrection on the third day do not require three literal nights.<ref name=Nis167 /><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.google.ie/search?tbm=bks&q=Blomberg+%22Wednesday+crucifixion%22&btnG=|title=Blomberg "Wednesday crucifixion" – Google Search|website=www.google.ie|access-date=April 7, 2023|archive-date=April 6, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220406140311/http://www.google.ie/search?tbm=bks&q=Blomberg%20%22Wednesday%20crucifixion%22&btnG=|url-status=live}}</ref>

In [[s:Bible (American Standard)/Mark#15:25|Mark 15:25]] crucifixion takes place at the third hour (9 [[ante meridiem|a.m.]]) and  Jesus's death at the ninth hour (3 p.m.).<ref name=Harrington442>''The Gospel of Mark, Volume 2'' by John R. Donahue, Daniel J. Harrington 2002 {{ISBN|0-8146-5965-9}} p. 442</ref> In [[s:Bible (American Standard)/John#19:14|John 19:14]] Jesus is still before Pilate at the sixth hour.<ref name= KEasley323 /> Scholars have presented a number of arguments to deal with the issue, some suggesting a reconciliation, e.g., based on the use of [[Roman timekeeping]] in John, since Roman timekeeping began at midnight and this would mean being before Pilate at the 6th hour was 6 a.m., yet others have rejected the arguments.<ref name= KEasley323 /><ref name=RBrown959 >''Death of the Messiah, Volume 2'' by Raymond E. Brown 1999 {{ISBN|0-385-49449-1}} pp. 959–960</ref><ref name=Colin188 >[[Colin Humphreys]], ''The Mystery of the Last Supper'' Cambridge University Press 2011 {{ISBN|978-0-521-73200-0}}, pp. 188–190</ref> Several scholars have argued that the modern precision of marking the time of day should not be read back into the gospel accounts, written at a time when no standardization of timepieces, or exact recording of hours and minutes was available, and time was often approximated to the closest three-hour period.<ref name= KEasley323 >Steven L. Cox, Kendell H Easley, 2007 Harmony of the Gospels {{ISBN|0-8054-9444-8}} pp. 323–323</ref><ref>''New Testament History'' by Richard L. Niswonger 1992 {{ISBN|0-310-31201-9}} pp. 173–174</ref><ref name="Kellum538">''The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown: An Introduction to the New Testament'' by Andreas J. Köstenberger, L. Scott Kellum 2009 {{ISBN|978-0-8054-4365-3}} p. 538</ref>