Jesus was crucified on a Friday, which was the Day of Preparation (Nisan 14) for the Passover festival. While the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) suggest the Last Supper was the Passover meal, the Gospel of John indicates Jesus died on the day before the Passover feast, on the afternoon the lambs were sacrificed.
Key Details Regarding the Day:
- Day of the Week: Almost all scholars agree it was a Friday, known as Good Friday.
- Hebrew Date: The consensus points to Nisan 14 (the Day of Preparation) or Nisan 15 (the day of Passover), according to the Jewish calendar.
- Timing:Jesus was crucified at the third hour (9 a.m.) and died at the ninth hour (3 p.m.)
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- The "High Day": Because the Sabbath (Saturday) coincided with the first day of Passover (Nisan 15), that Sabbath was considered a "High Day," explaining the urgency of removing the body.
- Possible Dates: The most probable dates are April 7, AD 30, or April 3, AD 33.
Nisan 14 (or Abib 14) is the biblical date for the Jewish Passover, marking the start of the festival at twilight. It is a critical date in the Hebrew calendar, signifying the preparation for freedom from Egypt and, in Christian tradition, the day of Jesus Christ's Last Supper and subsequent crucifixion.
Key Aspects of Nisan 14:
- Biblical Timing: According to Exodus 12:6 and Leviticus 23:5, the Passover lamb is to be killed and the meal eaten at twilight on the 14th day of the first month (Nisan/Abib).
- Significance in Judaism:The day commemorates the exemption of Israelite firstborn from the plague in Egypt
. Traditionally, it involves removing leaven from homes and preparing for the Seder meal.
- Significance in Christianity: Jesus observed the Passover meal with his disciples at the beginning of Nisan 14 (following sunset) and was crucified later that same day (Friday, April 3, AD 33, according to some calculations).
- Calculation: As a lunar-based date, Nisan 14 generally aligns with the first full moon after the vernal equinox, calculated within the Jewish luni-solar calendar.
- 1943 Ghetto Uprising: Historically, the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising began on 14 Nisan 5703 (April 19, 1943), though it is commemorated on Nisan 27.
In 2026, 14 Nisan 5786 corresponds to April 1st.