Hebrew and Western Dates for Passover AD 30.

A compilation of Jewish Passover days in the month of Nisan, AD 30, with Gregorian calendar days

Passover falls in the spring month of Nisan in the Northern Hemisphere. The first of Nisan was determined by two witnesses who observed the first sliver of the crescent New Moon—closest to the Spring Equinox, when the Barley is ripe (called Avid)—and reported it to the High Priest. Nisan 1 was not a fixed date in the old Jewish calendar, and if the New Moon was not seen at dusk on the expected day, Nisan 1 would be declared on the next! The next month could be shorter, depending on a sighting, or the anomaly might continue.

With today’s technology the Jewish Lunar Calendar is predictive. But the Jewish year frequently has a 13th month inserted to keep the agricultural seasons on track. This meant some of their Feasts were moveable, but other rules kept the main Feasts in order, and Passover could not fall on a Monday, Wednesday or Friday, or it would put Rosh Hashanah, Jewish New Year (in September), out of kilter with the 10 days of Penitence and the Day of Atonement. The year that most closely matches the New Testament record of the crucifixion occurred in AD 30.

The astronomical data for first visibility of the new crescent implies a Thursday Passover day for 30 A.D PASSOVER DATES FOR 30 A.D. AND FOR 31 A.D. - franknelte.net

Many people have tried to reconcile the Jewish calendar with our Gregorian calendar, but any years beyond the 16th Century AD might have a + or – of one or two years. The url above makes a pretty good job of fixing the crucifixion in AD 30 (with a lot of calculations)! The Jewish Passover and Christian Easter rarely fit together neatly on the two different calendars... My chart on the page below attempts to show how the Jewish Passover in AD 30 connected to the weekly Gregorian calendar.

The Hebrews/Jews met in the Temple/Synagogue for their Sabbath on the 7th day of the week—part of our Saturday—because it was God’s 7th ‘Day of Rest.’ (Genesis : 1:5; 2:2–3) Jewish days begin after sunset. Their Sabbaths begin on Friday evenings at twilight and continue until sunset on Saturday evening. (See Genesis 1:5,8,13,19,23,31 and 2:1–3)

New Testament Christians started meeting together on the 1st day of the week – i.e., Sunday morning/afternoon/evening – because of the Resurrection. (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:1–2)

In advance of the Jewish Passover, a lamb was chosen on the 10th day of Nisan. The lamb was killed on Nisan 14 at ‘twilight’, which was the beginning of the Day of Preparation for the Passover. The Lamb was roasted during the next 24-hour period, and eaten to memorialize the Jews’ Exodus from Egypt on Nisan 15, which began after sunset (twilight) and continued into the midnight ‘hour of death’ for the first-born Egyptians. This 24-hour period comprised the Passover, a Holy Convocation when no work could be done.

So, if Jesus was in the grave 3 nights and 3 days, and the tomb was empty on the 1st day of the week, then He died on Wednesday afternoon/evening, on the Day of preparation, Nisan 14, which ended at sunset in AD 30. Thus, when the women came to the tomb (3 days later)—while ‘it was still dark/before dawn/near sunrise’—they would have arrived at the tomb around 5–7 a.m. in the middle hours of the Jewish 1st day of the following week. Therefore, Jesus must have risen from the dead in the dark after midnight prior to 5-7 a.m. on Sunday (Western time). This was three full days after his crucifixion. The Sabbath ‘when the women rested’ was the normal weekly sabbath (Friday twilight to Saturday sunset), which intervened and upset their plans to properly anoint Jesus’ body with funeral spices for burial. (See the explanation below.)

The diagram on the next page shows how the Jewish and Christian days are offset and overlap. I have marked the days in 6-hour segments, with the relevant scripture verses covering Jesus’ death and resurrection.

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N.B. The scripture says the lambs were to be killed at ‘twilight’ on Nisan 14. The interpretation of ‘twilight’ is pivotal to understanding how the Passover program works out. ‘Twilight’ is the fading light after the sun has set... so ‘twilight’ actually begins each Jewish 24-hour day (e.g., Nisan 14), the Preparation Day for the Passover. This means the lambs would be killed after the sun had set on Nisan 13, i.e., in the ‘twilight’ hours that marked the beginning of Nisan 14 (leading into darkness and then light for the Jewish 24-hour

At the First Council of Nicaea in 325 CE, the Church decided to set its own day for Easter.

Today, most Christian communities celebrate Easter on the first Sunday after the first full moon after March 21. (Google)

period). The lambs would be killed at ‘twilight’ and prepared for roasting in the daylight hours that followed on Nisan 14, ready for the ‘beginning of Passover night on Nisan 15’ when no work was to be done during that 24-hour period.

Gregorian calendar days, showing the overlap and offset with Jewish days marked below. Our days start midnight to midnight, showing relevant 6-hours segments for ‘convenience’ and comparison. Day and night are of equal length around the equinox.

WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY (----------------------------------------------) (--------------------------------------------) (-------------------------------------------) (----------------------------------------------) (---------------------------- ()()()()(

6pm midnight 6am noon 6pm

1st day of the week

Day of Preparation.
Jesus ate PASSOVER meal with His disciples in the ‘twilight’ hours.
Judas left when it was dark! Jesus to the Mt. of Olives Jesus arrested in the garden, Trial in the night.

Jesus was crucified at 9am (on the cross for 6 hours) and died at 3pm on this day. The lambs had been killed at ‘twilight’ on this day.

Jesus was hurriedly placed in the tomb at dusk (before sunset), wrapped in linen.

Matt, 27:62 Mark 15:42 Luke 23:54 John 19:14–42

Normal (Saturday) Sabbath

17 Nisan

The women rested on the sabbath

3rd night 3rd day

Luke 23:55–24:1

Special Sabbath – 15 Nisan 1st day of seven days
Feast of Unleavened Bread HOLY CONVOCATION

No work can be done

1st night 1st day

Jonah 1:17 Matt. 12:40

Shops open - 16 Nisan

The women bought spices, in the daylight hours and prepared them in the afternoon

2nd night 2nd day

Mark 16:1
Luke 23:55–24:1

Tues. 14 Nisan→ Wed. Wed. 15 Nisan→ Thurs. Thurs. 16 Nisan→ Fri. Fri. Sabbath→ Sat. Sat. 1st day of the week→ Sun. Hebrew calendar showing Jewish days starting in the evening twilight, and overlapping two Gregorian calendar days

18 Nisan

Jesus rose up in the night

Women came before dawn to the tomb with the spices they had prepared before the Sabbath

Matt. 28:1–6 Mark 16:2–7 Luke 24:1–3