Monday Musings: How Old Was Jesus When He was Crucified?

 Today's is: How Old Was Jesus When He Was Crucified?

The year of the crucifixion is set from AD 30 to 33. Pilate was governor from AD 26-36. There are records of his problems with the Jewish leaders the first couple of years and things settled down, until the Samaritans revolted in AD 36. He was recalled on charges of tyranny, brutality and executing men without cause. Seems Pilate didn't cover his ass as much as he thought by washing his hands.

Christian tradition maintains that Jesus was 32 and half years old at crucifixion. This is based on the year AD 1 was his birth and there is historical reference to his death by Josephus and Roman records on Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea at the time.

Problem 1.

Setting the dates. Pope Gregory set the dates, which is why we call it the Gregorian Calendar, a thousand years after Christ died. He had little historical record to base his dating.

Josephus recorded that Herod the Great died in the year of an eclipse. There was a solar eclipse in the Roman year 752, dated from the founding of Rome.

This is why Gregory chose the Roman year 752 as the birth of Jesus. 

Off by four years. Roman records later discovered pointing to the year 748 for Herod's death and his kingdom divided. There was a lunar eclipse that year. 

Quinctillius Varus was governor of Syria at the time and when Herod died. The Jews revolted and Varus crucified 2,000 of the Jewish leaders to settle things down. Luke gives the name Quintus as governor of Syria, but Quintus was governor there in AD 7. Luke got it wrong, but then 60 years later the names were most likely mixed up by the people he interviewed.

Star of Bethlehem. Astronomy has looked at the phenomenon that called the wise men to come to Judea. It was a conjunction of Venus, Mars and Jupiter aligning. This happened a few months ago and from Albuquerque we could see these bright objects on the lower horizon in the west.

The wise men were most likely Astrologers and triangulated the "star's" position. They saw it coming over a period of time and coordinated a meeting to be there when the final confluence happened. This happened in 7 BC.

Three dates for the birth of Jesus. This gives us the Roman years 752, 748 and 745.

Problem 2.   

The main source of information about Jesus's ministry comes from Luke 3:23. It says Jesus was "About 30 years of age."

If you take 30 years "literally" Jesus was born in year 1 He was crucified at age 32 or 33 calendar years. Four years after Herod died.

If you take it "figuratively" you can round down to his birth at AD 4 and crucified at age 36.

AD 7 is a bit of a stretch figuratively for his ministry starting in AD 30. His age at crucifixion would have been either 39 or 40.

AD 1 Jesus was 32 or 33 when crucified in AD 32 or 33, that's the Christian tradition, but four years after Herod's death. 

AD 4 is viable, "About" could be rounded down to age 28 and crucifixion at age 31 0r 32. 

AD 7 would makes him 39 or 40.

I have a problem with AD 4 being the year of his birth. That's when Herod died. He ordered the slaughter of boys in Bethlehem from two years and under. Maybe he was playing it safe, but it points that Jesus wasn't in the cradle when Herod died.

The wise men found him in a house, and he's referred to as a child not a babe or baby.

Matthew 1:10-12. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

AD 4 is too early and that only leaves AD 7.

Now let's do the math.

Jesus is born in 7 BC, his family flees to Egypt before Herod can kill him. Herod dies in 4 BC and the family returns to Nazareth.

He starts his ministry at age 30 in AD 23. He's crucified in AD 32 or making him 39 or 40.

Jesus's ministry is divided in two parts. His beginning ministry and his public ministry.

Is this biblical? No, but it is logical without having to defy historical facts and a timeline. All the pieces of the puzzle of the life of Jesus fits.

1. AD 23-30: He didn't just out of the blue start calling disciples. He had to build a reputation as a noted rabbi. For seven years he taught in the synagogues making a name for himself and impressing on the people in Judea and Galilee his knowledge. He planted the seeds.

2. AD 30-32 or 33: 

A) He dedicates his public ministry by going into the wilderness and fasting for 40 days. He's tempted by Satan, resists and then is nourished back to health by the Archangel Michael. 

B) He's baptized by John the Baptizer. From here he gathers his disciples and for three years has his public ministry. Five thousand people didn't flock to hear him out of the blue. He had a reputation of a teacher they wanted to hear.

c). He's crucified, rises from the grave after three days, shows himself for a time and then ascends to heaven.

Conclusion: Jesus was 40 when he was crucified. The number of completion in the Bible.