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Updated 5923[(*??*)] 06 08 2027 [2011-10-07]
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Cross
Correlating the
Recorded
History
of
the New Testament Era vs.
Exactly
Dated Astronomical Events
A
listing of more than 45± celestial and 4 other events, one dated in 1043 BCE,
or more likely 1028 BCE, that is being matched to the death of Saul, King of
Israel, one dated in 588 BCE, one of two key anchor points for the Olympic
Calendar, eleven in the Greek era, and the remainder mostly from 222 BCE thru 212
CE, matched to historical records tied to the reigns of various Roman Emperors
and other dated historical events.
Abstract:
Below is a table of eleven (11) comets, seventeen (17) solar eclipses, eleven (11) lunar eclipses, five (5) meteor showers, one (1) unexplained 16 hour long darkness over the New England area, two (2) earth quakes, one (1) or possibly two volcanic eruptions, and one (1) dated lunar zodiac constellation, each of which has been matched to key historical events from 1043 BCE, or 1028 BCE, through 400 CE. And in addition to that there are the many and numerous celestial events recorded on the Babylonian clay tablet VAT4956… Based upon these matches, plus a large number of matches based upon the New Moons of the biblical calendar as referenced in the New Testament and by Josephus, I cannot avoid concluding that…
It is time
for a paradigm shift re the dating of historical events, not only surrounding
the beginning of the Christian era, but re most of ancient history prior to 300±
CE!
In order to arrive at a
more correct and reliable chronology of history many dates presently considered
well known and well established by conventional historians - though without
matches to celestial events described in historical records - must be shifted
back in time between five and fifteen years relative to the dates usually
provided within conventional historical works. This applies to all the events
in the New Testament as well as to the regnal periods of the Roman Emperors.
Josephus, Suetonius and Tacitus constitute three apparently independent witnesses agreeing with one another perfectly in most instances, while also being more or less concurrent in time with the events here described.
Josephus is describing a
number of exactly dated events which presently seem to have been nailed down
fairly solidly upon the cross of exact astronomical tables of solar and lunar
eclipses and phases of the moon. Josephus is referencing one important lunar
eclipse (9 BCE) and one comet (54 CE) within the period of time here
considered.
One
historical fingerprint with many particulars is the period of time surrounding
Herod the Great’s reign.
I gratefully acknowledge
the tremendous work done by Ronald L. Conte Jr. in identifying perhaps half of
the within correlations between historical and celestial events, or most of the
18 or so correlations that I was aware of when I began this article. One part
of the within work consists merely in consolidating the astronomical events
already identified by Ronald L. Conte Jr., and in further establishing and
revising the exact dates based [primarily] upon Josephus’ works and upon the
available quotes from Suetonius and
Tacitus. Another most important part of
the within work is based [primarily] upon the most reliable Greek manuscripts
of the New Testament, the Textus Receptus, and the references to time as there
specified. Further verification has been found in Shem Tov’s Hebrew Matthew,
which is a late transcript of an original Hebrew text of the Gospel of Matthew
from which the Greek manuscripts of Matthew are obviously translated (cf. this link!)
For
additional detail of the below table please click here!.
For
a listing of dated New Testament events and the supporting
calculations and references click here.
For
a listing of the starting and ending dates of the twelve Roman Emperors
from Julius Caesar through Domitian, and the supporting calculations
and references, click here.
For
an outline of the events of the War and the Destruction of Jerusalem by
Titus, and the supporting calculations and references, click here.
In contrast to data
presented in the table below, please notice the glaring absence of any significant correlations between exactly dated celestial events
and conventional Roman and New Testament chronologies.
NOTICE: To see the movies you may need to download the free Quicktime 6.0 or later software. Or else go get your copy of the Starry Night Backyard software,
per chance you’ll find a
free trial offer
(Mac;
and please, if you have trouble getting your free trial version to work, send me an email! Perhaps I can help…,) and make your own studies of
the starry skies as I did mine.
|
# |
What: |
When: |
References and Quotes: |
|
Cf.
#1 below! |
If there
has been no significant pole shift since the time of King Saul: - Tied (?) in the Holy
Scriptures to the sunrise of a Seventh-day Sabbath further defined by a
certain numbered month of the Scriptural calendar year, which month is identified
by the record found in 1 Samuel 27:7. More… |
Quoting the Holy Scriptures: Tied to the death of King
Saul of “I saw gods ascending
out of the earth… An old man cometh up; and he is covered with
a mantle…,” which words are
probably better translated (TLT ©) “I saw gods [the
sun and the moon] being above the
horizon of the earth… A waxing old [mature and/or setting] entity [the ‘old
moon’] above [the horizon of the earth]; and it was covered with
a cover[ing shadow, i.e. a lunar eclipse.]” For a detailed study,
please cf. this link
to another article of mine. |
|
|
1 |
If the solar event in the 15th year
of Hezekiah, King of Judah, was a
pole-shift, then Mt. Tabor, at the time of King Saul, may have been located
at about 13 S; 41 W, and… - Tied (?) in the Holy
Scriptures to the sunrise of a Seventh-day Sabbath further defined by a
certain numbered month of the Scriptural calendar year, which month is
identified by the record found in 1 Samuel 27:7. More… |
March 23, 1028 BCE |
Quoting the Holy Scriptures: Tied to the death of King
Saul of “I saw gods ascending
out of the earth… An old man cometh up; and he is covered with
a mantle…,” which words are
probably better translated (TLT ©) “I saw gods [the
sun and the moon] being above the
horizon of the earth… A waxing old [mature and/or setting] entity [the
‘old moon’] above [the horizon of the earth]; and it was covered with
a cover[ing shadow, i.e. a lunar eclipse.]” For a detailed study,
please cf. this link
to another article of mine. |
|
2 |
Solar eclipse prediction |
|
Notice: This solar
eclipse is one of two very important anchor points for the Olympic
calendar and its use in ancient times. The second
one is the November 24, 29 CE total
solar eclipse. (A third one, August 15, 310 BCE, is being claimed by some as
an anchor point for the ancient Olympiad calendar, but this one was not
specifically dated by the original source in terms of Olympiad years and
cannot be relied upon as a certain anchor point in time. Please cf. my
article at this link
for further details!) Notice: This total solar eclipse is, more than likely, the
one being referenced by Pliny as having occurred in the 4th year of the 48th
Olympiad, which year began Quoting MrEclipse.com: "The
original discovery (of the cause of eclipses) was made in “Probably refers to the total solar eclipse of Click here
and here
for Fred Espenak's maps of the 585 BC eclipse. |
|
3 |
Numerous celestial events
observed and recorded upon the Babylonian clay tablet VAT 4956 |
|
The Babylonian clay
tablet originally recorded in Nebuchadnezzar’s 37th and 38th year of reign. For
details and links to screen shots from my astronomy software re the
particulars of the observations upon the clay tablet, please cf. my analysis
and comments at this link. |
|
? |
A total lunar eclipse |
|
Notice:
This eclipse correlation is based solely upon the below reference and has no
correlation, that I am so far aware of, with my chronology. Accordingly, so
far as I am concerned, this may well be a flawed correlation! I am retaining
the reference for potential future use… Cf. Nicias’ eclipse below! Quoting a recent conventional authority: But
on that very night, the moon, being full, was totally eclipsed,b
and not only Nicias himself, but all the Greeks with him, were paralyzed with
fear by what they considered a terrific portent. After consulting a diviner,
Nicias declared that the army could not embark until the moon had completed
another revolution. He was approaching his destruction, and even nature
seemed to conspire with ill fortune to ruin him. In total inactivity he
passed his time in sacrificing to the gods, while his diviner consulted the
auguries presented by the victims. His ships lay idly at anchor, their seams
opening under the blazing sun; his disheartened soldiers made no attempt to
prevent the Syracusans from hemming them in; hundreds died of the malarial
sickness spread by the pestilential swamp. b ) The eclipse dates the battle: (Crawford, Francis Marion, The Rulers of the South, Part 2 of 3, p. 143.) |
|
4 |
Total solar eclipse |
2.
Saros map 3.
Total and Annular Solar Eclipse Paths 320-301 BCE 4.
Index to colored Saros maps of all solar eclipses
from 2000 BCE through 3000 CE |
Quoting Thucydides re Pericles’ eclipse: “28. Also the same summer, on the first
day of the month according to the moon (at which time it seems only
possible), in the afternoon happened an eclipse of the sun. The which, after it had appeared in the form of a
crescent and withal some stars had been discerned, came afterwards again to the
former brightness.” History
of the Peloponnesian War, Book II, Thucydides 2.47 Quoting Plutarch re Pericles’ eclipse: “But
when the ships were already manned, and Pericles had gone aboard his own
trireme, it chanced that the sun was eclipsed and darkness came on, and all were thoroughly frightened,
looking upon it as a great portent. 2 Accordingly,
seeing that his steersman was timorous and utterly perplexed, held up his
cloak before the man's eyes, and, thus covering them, asked him if he thought
it anything dreadful, or portentous of anything dreadful. "No,"
said the steersman. "How then," said Pericles, "is yonder
event different from this, except that it is something rather larger than my
cloak which has caused the obscurity?" At any rate, this tale is told in
the schools of philosophy.” Plutarch, The
Parallel Lives, Vol III., The Life of Pericles Notice: For a detailed
analysis of this placement in time of the above quoted events re Pericles’
eclipse in the latter part of the 1st year of the Peloponnesian
War, that is, vs. the common placement some thirty years prior, please cf. my
article at this link! For as brief and to the point analysis of the fundamental
error behind conventional dating, please follow this
link! |
|
5 |
Total lunar eclipse |
|
Quoting Plutarch re Nicias’ eclipse: “23 But just as
everything was prepared for this and none of the enemy were on the watch,
since they did not expect the move at all, there came an
eclipse of the moon by night.” Plutarch,
Parallel Lives, The Life of Nicias, Vol
III:23 For details of this identification, please follow this
link! For as brief and to the point analysis of the fundamental
error behind conventional dating, please follow this
link! |
|
6 |
Hybrid solar eclipse |
|
Quoting Plutarch re Agesilaüs’ eclipse: “17… 2 Agesilaüs now marched through the pass of
Thermopylae, traversed Phocis, which was friendly to Plutarch,
Parallel Lives, The Life of Agesilaüs, Vol
V:17 For details of this identification, please follow this
link! For as brief and to the point analysis of the fundamental
error behind conventional dating, please follow this
link! |
|
7 |
Annular solar eclipse |
|
Quoting Plutarch re Pelopidas’ eclipse: “31. .
. 2 The Thebans readily decreed
what they desired, and soon everything was in readiness and the commander about to set out, when the sun was eclipsed and the city was
covered with darkness in the day-time.[1]” Plutarch, Parallel Lives, The
Life of Pelopidas, 31:2 For details of this identification, please follow this
link! For as brief and to the point analysis of the fundamental
error behind conventional dating, please follow this
link! |
|
8 |
Total solar eclipse |
|
Quoting Plutarch re “Helicon of
Cyzicus, one of Plato's intimates, predicted an eclipse of the
sun. This took place as he had predicted, in consequence of which he was
admired by the tyrant and presented with a talent of silver.” Plutarch,
Parallel Lives, The
Life of Dion, 19:6 For details of this identification, please follow this
link! For as brief and to the point analysis of the fundamental
error behind conventional dating, please follow this
link! |
|
9 |
Total lunar eclipse |
|
Quoting Plutarch re Alexander the Great’s eclipse: 6 Now,
the great battle against Dareius was not fought at Arbela, as most writers
state, but at Gaugamela.59 7 The word signifies, we are told,
"camel's house," since one of the ancient kings of the country,
after escaping from his enemies on a swift camel, gave the animal a home
here, assigning certain villages and revenues for its maintenance. 8 It
so happened that in the month Boëdromion
the moon suffered an eclipse,[2] about the beginning of
the Mysteries at Athens, and on the eleventh night after the eclipse, the
armies being now in sight of one another, Dareius kept his forces under arms,
and held a review of them by torch-light; 9 but Alexander, while his
Macedonians slept, himself passed the night in front of his tent with his
seer Aristander, celebrating certain mysterious sacred rites and sacrificing
to the god Fear. (Plutarch, Parallel Lives, The
Life of Alexander, Vol 4:6) Quoting Plutarch re Dion’s eclipse: 23…
4 It was not until later times that the radiant repute of Plato, because
of the life the man led, and because he subjected the compulsions of the
physical world to divine and more sovereign principles, took away the obloquy
of such doctrines as these, and gave their science free course among all men.
At any rate, his friend Dion, although the moon suffered an eclipse at the time when he was
about to set out from Zacynthus on his voyage against Dionysius, was in no wise disturbed, but put to sea, landed at Syracuse, and
drove out the tyrant.[3] (Plutarch, Parallel
Lives, The
Life of Nicias) 24
But after the libations and the customary prayers, the moon was
eclipsed.[4] 25:
6 Thereupon a boisterous wind from the north rushed down upon them,
raised a great sea, and drove the ships away from (Plutarch, Parallel
Lives, The
Life of Dion) Quoting Plinivs Secundus re both Alexander’s and Dion’s
eclipse: “CHAP. LXX. “Of the unequall rising of the Starres: of the Eclipse, both where and
how it commeth. “...At what time as Alexander the Great wan that famous victorie at (C. Plinivs Secvndvs, The Second Booke of
the Historie of Natvre, Chapter LXX) “LXXII “Ideo defectus solis ac lunae vespertinos orientis incolae non
sentiunt nec matutinos ad occasum habitantes, meridianos vero serius nobis
illi. apud Arbilam Magni Alexandri victoria luna defecisse noctis
secunda hora est prodita eademque in Sicilia exoriens.” (C. Plinivs Secvndvs, Liber II, Chapter LXXII) For details of this identification, please follow this
link! For as brief and to the point analysis of the fundamental
error behind conventional dating, please follow this
link! |
|
10 |
Total solar eclipse |
2.
Saros map |
Quoting Diodorus Sicilus re Agathocles’ eclipse of the sun: “5…
5 On the next day there occurred such an
eclipse of the sun that utter darkness set in and the stars were seen
everywhere;** wherefore Agathocles' men, believing that the prodigy
portended misfortune for them, fell into even greater anxiety about the
future…” Diodorus Sicilus, Library of History, Book XX, with original
editor’s footnotes. There are two reliable
anchor points for the ancient Olympiad calendar: 1) July 29, 588 BCE, and 2) Nov 24, 29 CE. Notice: Although this solar
eclipse is no doubt the one experienced by Agathocles, it is being
incorrectly associated with “Ol. 117, 3” and can definitely not be relied
upon as a certain anchor point for the reckoning of Olympiad years! For
details, please cf. my article under this link! For as brief and to the point analysis of the fundamental
error behind conventional dating, please follow this
link! |
|
11 |
Total lunar eclipse |
|
Quoting Polybius re Attalus’ eclipse of the moon: 78 While he [Attalus] was here, an eclipse of the moon
took place,[6] and the Gauls,
who had all along been aggrieved by the hardships of the march — since they
made the campaign accompanied by their wives and children, who followed them
in wagons — 2 considering this a bad omen, refused to advance further.
3 King Attalus, to whom they rendered no service of vital importance, and
who noticed that they detached themselves from the column on the march and
encamped by themselves and were altogether most insubordinate and self-assertive,
found himself in no little perplexity. (Polybius, The Histories, Book
V) For details of this identification, please follow this
link! For as brief and to the point analysis of the fundamental
error behind conventional dating, please follow this
link! |
|
12 |
Total solar eclipse |
Quoting Cassius Dio re “Accordingly, the Romans entered the
conflict well marshalled and eager, but (Cassius Dio, Roman History, Vol. II:14,
p. 264) For details of this identification, please follow this
link! For as brief and to the point analysis of the fundamental
error behind conventional dating, please follow this
link! |
|
|
13 |
Partial lunar eclipse |
|
Quoting A. T. Olmstead,
Cuneiform
Texts and Hellenistic Chronology: “Mithradates I conquered (A. T. Olmstead, Cuneiform
Texts and Hellenistic Chronology, Classical Philology, Vol. 32, No. 1
(Jan. 1937,) pp 1-14.) For details of this identification, please follow this
link! For as brief and to the point analysis of the fundamental
error behind conventional dating, please follow this
link! |
|
14 |
Total lunar eclipse |
|
Quoting
Plutarch: “7 Now,
when night had come, and the soldiers, after supper, were betaking themselves
to rest and sleep, on a sudden the moon, which was full and high in the
heavens, grew dark, lost its light, took on all sorts of colours in
succession, and finally disappeared. 8 The
Romans, according to their custom, tried to call
her light back by the clashing of bronze utensils and by holding up many
blazing fire-brands and torches towards the heavens; the
Macedonians, however, did nothing of this sort, but amazement and terror
possessed their camp, and a rumour quietly spread among many of them that the
portent signified an eclipse of a king. 9 Now, Aemilius was not
altogether without knowledge and experiences of the irregularities of
eclipses, which, at fixed periods, carry the moon in her course into the
shadow of the earth and conceal her from sight,
until she passes beyond the region of shadow and reflects again
the light of the sun; 10 however, since he was very devout and given to
sacrifices and divination, as soon as he saw the
moon beginning to emerge from the shadow, he sacrificed eleven
heifers to her…” Plutarch, The Life of Aemilius 17.7 Quoting C. Plinivs
Secvndvs: “The
reason verily of both eclipses, the first Romane that published abroad and
divulged, was Sulpitius Gallus, who
afterwards was Consul, together with M. Marcellus: but at that time being a
Colonell, the day before that king
Perseus was vanquished by Paulus,
he was brought forth by the Generall into open audience before the whole
hoast, to fore-tell the eclipse which should happen the next morrow: whereby he delivered the armie from all pensivenesse and fear, which
might have troubled them in the time of battaile, and within a while after
hee compiled also a booke thereof. But among the Greekes, Thales Milosius was
the first that found it out, who in the 48 Olympias, and the fourth yeere
thereof, did prognosticate and foreshew the Sunnes eclipse that happened in
the raigne of Halyattes, and in the 170 yeere after the foundation of the
citie of C. Plinivs
Secvndvs, The
Second Booke of the Historie of Natvre, Chap. VII Notice: For a detailed analysis of this placement in time of the above
quoted events re the For
as brief and to the point analysis of the fundamental error behind
conventional dating, please follow this
link! |
|
15 |
A partial lunar eclipse
(Maximum magnitude: 0.5098.) |
As seen from the Numantine
horizon in |
Quotes re Aemilius Lepidus’ lunar eclipse: “[§82] The siege of Pallantia was long protracted, the food supply
of the Romans failed, and they began to suffer from hunger. All their animals
perished and many of the men died of want. The generals, Aemilius and Brutus, kept heart for a long time. Being compelled to
yield at last, they gave an order suddenly one night, about the last watch,
to retreat. The tribunes and centurions ran hither and thither to hasten the
movement, so as to get them all away before daylight. Such was the confusion
that they left behind everything, and even the sick and wounded, who clung to
them and besought them not to abandon them. Their retreat was
disorderly and confused and much like a flight, the Pallantines hanging on
their flanks and rear and doing great damage from early dawn till evening. When night came,
the Romans, worn with toil and hunger, threw themselves on the ground by
companies just as it happened, and the Pallantines, moved by some divine interposition,
went back to their own country. And this was what happened to Aemilius.“ (Appian’s History of Rome) “Suffering
from a lack of food, the Romans were compelled to retreat and desperately
tried to decamp under cover of darkness. "Such was the confusion that
they left behind everything, and even the sick and wounded, who clung to them
and besought them not to abandon them." Only a lunar eclipse saved the Romans from being pursued. Lepidus was
deprived of his command while still in the field (the first time that such an
abrogation ever had occurred) and recalled to Notice: For a detailed analysis of this placement in time of the above
quoted events re the Aemilius Lepidus’ lunar eclipse, please cf. my article
at this link! For
as brief and to the point analysis of the fundamental error behind
conventional dating, please follow this
link! |
|
16 |
A comet |
49 BCE, April 14 – May 12 |
Pliny quoting Augustus: “ ‘On the very days of my Games a comet
was visible for seven days in the northern part of the sky. It was [in “the
eleventh hour of the day”], and was a bright star visible from all lands.’ ” (Pliny, Natural History, 2.23.) Quoting Ronald L.
Conte Jr.: “This comet is often
depicted in ancient images of Julius Caesar. “In 49 B.C., Chinese
astronomers recorded seeing a comet during the lunar month of April 14 to May
12 in the constellation Cassiopeia.819 This constellation, as seen
from “The comet associated
with the death of Julius Caesar was seen either an hour before, or a little
after, sunset. This time frame for the visibility of the comet fits the 49
B.C. comet. During this time period (April 14 to May 12), the constellation
Cassiopeia was above the horizon and clearly visible from “Based on the above
information, the comet of 49 B.C. is the only fit for the information given
by Pliny and Augustus for the comet following the death of Julius Caesar.
This comet was located in the northern part of the sky, was visible about the
eleventh hour of the day, and could well have been rising at that time of
day. “The above information on
both comets and solar eclipses points to the same conclusion… Julius Caesar
died in mid March of 49 B.C...” 810 Pliny, Natural History, 2.23. The
same comet is also mentioned by numerous other ancient writers. See Kronk, Cometography, p. 22, for
a listing. 819 Kronk, Cometography, p. 21. 820 RedShift
3 astronomy software. Cometary data are from Gary W. Kronk, Cometography, A Catalog of Comets, (Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 1999) |
|
17 |
Solar eclipse |
49 BCE, August 9, at |
Pliny: “Portentous and protracted eclipses of the sun occur, such as the
one after the murder of Caesar the dictator….” Pliny, Natural History, 2.30. Julius Caesar
is obviously the one referred to as the dictator who was murdered. The
circumstances of his death, described by Suetonius, Josephus, and others make
it clear Julius Caesar was murdered. And he was long thought of, and referred
to, in ancient |
|
18 |
A comet |
32 BCE, in the lunar month beginning on
February 6 |
Dio: “…and for many days a flaming torch was seen to rise over the sea
in the direction of |
|
19 |
“The
Star of Matthew 2:1-9… - A partial lunar eclipse
and a series of conjunctions between Jupiter, Venus, Mercury, the Moon, the
star Regulus in the Lion constellation, the eastern horizon; with Jupiter on
one occasion “standing in the south,” while turning to retro-grade motion
while being positioned 10 degrees straight south from zenith… that is, in the
direction of Bethlehem (as perceived from Jerusalem…) |
16 BCE thru 14 BCE: 1)
July 31, 16 BCE at 2)
about 3 AM, on Sept 1, 16 BCE; 3)
mid-July, 15 BCE; 4)
Oct 6, 15 BCE
– 2 separate eclipses!; 5)
November 17, 15 BCE; and 6)
Jan 10, 14 BCE… |
This item was created shortly after on the incentive of a good friend; after listening to Rick Larson’s
presentation [on God Channel] of certain celestial events in 3 BCE and 2 BCE, purportedly The Star of
Bethlehem, which events, in many particulars, are reminiscent of the series of
events here being presented; and after reviewing once again the
productions of Earnest L. Martin. The Star of On July 31, 16 BCE
there was at 1:52 AM rising above the eastern horizon a conjunction of
Jupiter and Venus in the constellation Gemini, the Twins, and two days later
at the same time the two of them, the planets, were joined by the aging moon.
This would be at the time of the (4th or) 5th moon of the Scripture year and
also at the time of the (4th or) 5th month of Elizabeth's pregnancy. Cf. Luke 1:24, 36! At the time when
the cock crows, about After the middle of
July, 15 BCE, within (a few days, or) a month of Yeshua's delivery, Jupiter became visible rising over the eastern horizon shortly
before sunrise (thus becoming the ruler of the day, so to speak) while
located quite close to the mouth of the Lion, the mouth of the Hydra, and the
mouth of the Crab (cf. Rev 12:4!) and while on its way towards Regulus, with
which it was in conjunction on Oct 6, 15 BCE, while there was on the very
same evening also a 60% partial lunar eclipse with its maximum at the time of
moonrise.[7] A short distance
after passing Regulus, Jupiter would then appear to stand still on November
17, 15 BCE at about 4:45 AM before turning back, and then again coming into
conjunction with Regulus on Jan 11, 14 BCE. Obviously these latter dates,
October through January, would correspond to a time when Yeshua had been nursing
his mother for 4-7 months’ time, thus being also within the correct time
frame for the visiting men from the East as recorded in Matthew. At about On another cue, I
notice that the conjunction between Jupiter and Regulus was less intimate on
Jan 11, 14 BCE than on its first approach on Oct 6, 15 BCE. Could it be that
the wise men took this as a clue from the Almighty that it would be better
not to approach Herod so closely upon their returning home? (For those who
perhaps didn’t already know:) Jupiter and Regulus are both being associated
with kingship, while Venus and the Moon are both being associated with
motherhood and fertility. How's that for a
variety show and for the smiles of the One Most High of all, the Almighty! Praise the Lord of
Hosts, the Creator of the Universe! |
|
20 |
A comet |
15/16 BCE, most likely sometime between March and
December |
Associated historical
events: 1. After Agrippa died. 2.
Yeshua’s birth / Quirinius – at the time of the census / Augustus. “…connected with Agrippa’s death.” Dio, Roman History, Volume VI, Loeb Classical
Library, 54.30.1. |
|
21 |
A total lunar eclipse |
9 BCE, “Nov 28
|
Josephus: “But Herod deprived this Matthias of the
high priesthood, and burnt the other Matthias, who had raised the sedition,
with his companions, alive. And that very night there was an eclipse of the moon.” Josephus, Antiquties, XVII:6:4. |
|
22 |
“The sun suffered a total
eclipse” |
5 CE, March 28 (hybrid) and
September 22 (Annular) – both eclipses visible in north east Africa, or… 9 CE, January 15 (annular) visible on the African east coast and Madagascar, or… 10 CE, June 30 at |
Dio Cassius describes a
solar eclipse as one of the portents occurring before the death of Caesar
Augustus: “During
a horse-race at the Augustalia, which were celebrated in honour of
his birthday [Caesar Augustus’ birthday was September 23 (pre-Julian revision
date,)] a madman seated himself in the chair which was dedicated to Julius
Caesar, and taking his crown, put it on. This incident disturbed everybody,
for it seemed to have some bearing upon Augustus, as, indeed, proved true.
For in the following year, when Sextus Apuleius and Sextus Pompeius
were consuls, Augustus set out for Campania, and after
superintending the games at Neapolis, passed away shortly afterward at Nola.
Indeed, not a few omens
had appeared,
and these by no means difficult of interpretation, all pointing to this fate
for him. Thus, the sun
suffered a total eclipse and most of the sky seemed to be on fire; glowing embers
appeared to be falling from it and blood-red comets were seen.” (Dio,
Roman History, Volume VII, Loeb Classical Library, 56.29.3.) |
|
23 |
A total lunar eclipse |
10 CE, December 10 at 03:30 UTC (04:44± solar
time in |
Dio : “For the
troops in Pannonia
had mutinied as soon as they learned of the death of Augustus…But when the moon suffered eclipse, they took the omen to heart and their spirit
abated, so that they did no further harm to this detachment and dispatched
envoys again to Tiberius.” (Cassius Dio, Roman History, LVII, 4, Loeb Classical Library, Translation by
Earnest |
|
24 |
A solar eclipse |
April 8, 4 CE; March 28, 5
CE; September 22, 5 CE; February 15, 17 CE; or June 29, 19 CE. |
Origen (“ca 185 - ca 254 A.D.,”) "Contra
Celsus" (248 A.D.:) "And
with regard to the eclipse in the time of Tiberius Caesar, in whose reign
Jesus appears to have been crucified, and the great earthquakes which then
took place, Phlegon too, I think, has written in the thirteenth or fourteenth
book of his Chronicles;" (Origen,
Contra Celsum, II:33 (Google Book search;) Origen, Contra Celsus, Book II, Chapter 33 (New Advent)) "Phlegon
mentioned the eclipse which took place
during the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus and no other (eclipse); it is
clear that he did not know from his sources about any (similar) eclipse in
previous times . . . and this is shown by the historical account of Tiberius
Caesar." - Phiopon, De. opif. mund. II21 "Phlegon
records that, in the time of Tiberius Cæsar, at full moon, there was a full
eclipse of the sun
from the sixth hour to the ninth - manifestly that one of which we speak. But
what has an eclipse in common with an earthquake, the rending rocks, and the
resurrection of the dead, and so great a perturbation throughout the universe?
. . . And calculation makes out that the period of 70 weeks, as noted
in Daniel, is completed at this time." - Julius Africanus,
Chronography, 18.1 "In
the fourth year, however, of Olympiad 202, an eclipse of the sun happened,
greater and more excellent than any that had happened before it; at the sixth
hour, day turned into dark night, so that the stars were seen in the sky, and
an earthquake in (The
last three quotes above were found at Never Thirsty) About
about A.D. 52 [1] Thallus wrote a history about the "On
the whole world there pressed a most fearful darkness; and the rocks were rent by an earthquake, and many
places in (The
last two quotes above were found at Never Thirsty) |
|
25 |
Albeit having taken place
40 days after the actual day of Yeshua’s crucifixion on Friday May 12, 19 CE, this solar eclipse fits
the records of Matthew, Mark, and Luke as recorded in these passages: Matthew 27:45 KJV Now from the sixth hour there was darkness
over all the land unto the ninth hour. Mark Luke As
best I can tell there must have been an early error either
in the transcription of the original Hebrew manuscripts of the Gospels, if
those were accurately quoting a Roman/Latin date, such as “XI. Kal. Iul.,” or
else even earlier, in an official Hebrew translation of a Roman report of the
solar eclipse issued in the Latin language, which report was subsequently
used by Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Please
note that such and error as the above said does not in any way deter from the
truthfulness of the above passages so far as the direct observations of the
firsthand witnesses are concerned, provided only that the local weather
situation created a scenario such as reported by said Gospel authors. More… |
||
|
26 |
Phases of the moon
correlations |
1) Tishri 1, 1 BCE [Common
Jewish calendar] vs. September 19, 1 BCE. 2) Adar 4, 23 CE vs. March 16, 23 CE. |
Two examples out of many, too numerous to
count, within this revised chronology: Re Caesar Tiberius’ reign: 1) “Dio… states that Tiberius died
on March 26, after a reign of 22 years, 7 months, and 7 days.977.“ 977 Dio, Roman History, Volume VII,
Loeb Classical Library, 58.28.5. (From Conte, Important
Dates in the Lives of Jesus and Mary.) An important
confirmation and a note re Dio: If
Dio’s statement above is correct and if he is using a Julian calendar and if
Tiberius died March 26, 23 CE, then, per the above quote, Tiberius’ reign
began September 19 or 20, 1 BCE depending upon whether or not Dio is counting
the days inclusively. It is important to notice that Tishri 1, 1 BCE (the
beginning Tiberius 1st civil year of reign as reckoned by a Jewish
calendar, but not including his accession year) may well correspond to September 19, 1 BCE, which is evidence that Dio is basing his count of
Tiberius’ reign upon a Jewish source, very possibly upon Josephus?, while
probably not fully comprehending all the intricacies of the time reckoning
used by his Jewish source. However, the fact that Dio’s date falls on Tishri
1 is strong confirmation that indeed Tiberius’ reign began in 1 BCE, because
from 11 BCE through 18 CE only 1 BCE
and 8 CE allows for Tishri 1 falling on either September 19 or 20, i.e. it is
a relatively rare incidence. 2)
A.
“This was told to
Tiberius by one of Agrippa's domestics, who thereupon was very angry, and
ordered Agrippa to be bound, and had him very ill-treated in the prison for
six months, until Tiberius died, after he had reigned
twenty-two years, six months, and three days.” (Josephus, Wars of the
Jews, II, Ch. 9:5.)
B.
“Suetonius states that Tiberius died
on March 16. 976” 976 Suetonius, The Twelve Caesars, p. 150.
See also: Suetonius, Lives of the Caesars, Loeb Classical Library,
3.73.1. (Conte, Important Dates in the Lives of Jesus and
Mary.) Notice: For the years 16 CE until 42 CE, 23 CE, the only
year where the 4th day of a biblical month may possibly fall on
March 16 is 23 CE. This fact is strong confirmation for this being the
correct year of Tiberius’ death. Dio provides further confirmation, cf.
above! |
|
[Cf. #28!] |
A solar eclipse and a
proclamation issued by Caesar Claudius. |
Cf. item #28below! Shortly before the death of
Caesar Caius [Caius died on January 24, 27 CE] there was a total solar eclipse on the birthday
(August 1) of Claudius (who was then probably a Roman consul and) who was to
become the next emperor on the Roman throne. Although Claudius may or may not
have been aware of this celestial event at the time it occurred, it might
have had an impact upon him at a later date.
Dio states: “In
mental ability he [Claudius] was by no means inferior, as his faculties had
been in constant training (in fact, he had actually written some historical
treatises); but he was sickly in body, so that his head and hands shook
slightly.” (Cassius Dio, Roman History, Book LX.) |
|
|
27 |
A solar eclipse |
NASA: Path, timing (path cashed;
for Photo of total eclipse as viewed from W Turkey 12 min (real eclipse time) movie of total eclipse as
viewed from W Turkey |
Notice:
This solar eclipse is one of two very important anchor points for the Olympic
calendar and its use in ancient times. The
first one is the Quoting
Origen (“ca 185 - ca 254 AD:”)
"And
Phlegon also who compiled the Olympiads writes about the same things
in his 13th book in the following words: 'In the fourth year of the 202nd
Olympiad, an eclipse of the Sun took place greater than any previously
known, and night came on at the sixth hour of
the day, so that stars actually appeared in the sky; and a great
earthquake took place in Bithynia and overthrew the greater part of
Niceaea;" (“From: Phlegon, Olympiades, fragment 17.
Quoted in Historical Eclipses and Earth's Rotation, by F Richard Stephenson,
Cambridge University Press, 1997, page 359.v;” Solar
Eclipse Newsletter, Vol. 8:11, Nov 2003. Cf. Google
Book Search and MrEclipse.com.) Quoting
Paul, the Apostle: “Salute…
Phlegon… and the brethren which are with them.” (From The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the
Romans, Chapter 16, verse 14, KJV.) Notice: Considering the date of this event (29
CE) while considering also the date of Paul’s Epistle of the Romans (43
CE,) I find no good reason for not believing that this Phlegon of Paul is
the very same one as is being referenced by Origen above, do you? Indeed,
considering the timing specified by Phlegon, “at the sixth hour of the day,”
I find it plausible that either Phlegon himself was one among Saul’s party,
or else that he received his report from one who was among those men traveling
with Saul to Notice that for someone to have experienced
firsthand this solar eclipse within the 6th hour of the day, local time, he
must have been located somewhere along the path of the solar eclipse shadow
between the point where said solar eclipse path intersects longitude 35° E
and 44° E, that is, no further west than Mersin or Adana on the southern
coast of Turkey and no further east than Hafar Al Batin in Saudi Arabia (cf.
the interactive Google map at this
link!) That is, said report of Phlegon did indeed originate somewhere not
far from Notice
and disclaimer re the below TLT translations re Saul’s conversion experience
as quoted from Acts: Although I’ve tried my best to get appropriate
help with the below translations re Saul’s conversion experience, I have yet
to find someone fluent in Greek, especially
ancient Greek, who is willing to confirm or agree with me that these
texts do indeed represent a solar eclipse. May I suggest that you, the
reader, make your own assessment based upon the best text material available
below and elsewhere? In the mean time I very much do appreciate all
the help I have been getting with these translations! Please notice that all
responsibility for any errors in the TLT translations, not also inherent in
the KJV translations, are on me and on none other. Cf. Saul’s conversion experience: Acts 9:3 TLT And as he journeyed, he came near Act 9:3 KJV And
as he journeyed, he came near Act 9:3 GNT-TR+ εν1722 PREP δε1161 CONJ τω3588 T-DSM πορευεσθαι4198 V-PNN εγενετο1096 V-2ADI-3S αυτον846 P-ASM εγγιζειν1448 V-PAN τη3588 T-DSF δαμασκω1154 N-DSF και2532 CONJ εξαιφνης1810 ADV περιηστραψεν4015 V-AAI-3S αυτον846 P-ASM φως5457 N-NSN απο575 PREP του3588 T-GSM ουρανου3772 N-GSM Acts 22:6 TLT And it came to pass, that, as I made my
journey, and was come nigh unto Act 22:6 KJV And it came to pass, that, as
I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Act 22:6 GNT-TR+ εγενετο1096 V-2ADI-3S δε1161 CONJ μοι3427 P-1DS πορευομενω4198 V-PNP-DSM και2532 CONJ εγγιζοντι1448 V-PAP-DSM τη3588 T-DSF δαμασκω1154 N-DSF περι4012 PREP μεσημβριαν3314 N-ASF εξαιφνης1810 ADV εκ1537 PREP του3588 T-GSM ουρανου3772 N-GSM περιαστραψαι4015 V-AAN φως5457 N-NSN ικανον2425 A-NSN περι4012 PREP εμε1691 P-1AS Translating Acts 26:13, Paul’s own quoted words,
word for word from the Greek: Acts 26:13 TLT
ημέρας μέσης (At midday) κατά την
οδόν (while on route) είδον (I saw)
βασιλεύ (Your Majesty)
ουρανόθεν (from heaven) υπέρ (covering) [or] (the
upper portion of)
την
λαμπρότητα
του ηλίου (the solar disc)
περιλάμψαν με (investing-me-…)
και τους (and those) συν
εμοί
πορευομένους
(journeying with me) (…with-a-glorious) φως (light.) Or… Acts 26:13 TLT
At midday while traveling I saw the moon covering the brilliancy of the sun light that was shining around me and those journeying with me. Or… Acts 26:13 TLT
At Or perhaps something like my
first impression of this passage: Acts 26:13 TLT At Act 26:13 KJV At Act 26:13 GNT-TR+ ημερας2250 N-GSF μεσης3319 A-GSF κατα2596 PREP την3588 T-ASF οδον3598 N-ASF ειδον1492 V-2AAI-1S βασιλευ935 N-VSM ουρανοθεν3771 ADV υπερ5228 PREP την3588 T-ASF λαμπροτητα2987 N-ASF του3588 T-GSM ηλιου2246 N-GSM περιλαμψαν4034 V-AAP-ASN με3165 P-1AS φως5457 N-ASN και2532 CONJ τους3588 T-APM συν4862 PREP εμοι1698 P-1DS πορευομενους4198 V-PNP-APM |
|
28 |
A proclamation by Caesar
Claudius: - Re a potentially visible total
solar eclipse on his birthday. |
Proclamation: Issued some time between 29‑38 CE. Solar eclipse: |
A Solar Eclipse
was Predicted on Caesar Claudius’ Birthday Quoting Dio: “Since there was to be an eclipse of the sun on his birthday, he feared that there might be
some disturbance in consequence, inasmuch as some other portents had already occurred; he therefore issued a
proclamation in which he stated not only the fact that there was to be an eclipse, and when, and for how long, but
also the reasons for which this was bound to happen… This, then, is what
happens to the sun, and it was made public by Claudius at that time.” (Dio, Roman History, Volume VII, Loeb
Classical Library, 60.26.1.) -
Dio’s statement re Claudius’ proclamation re a future solar eclipse
on his birthday is found in a context that makes it apparent that the
proclamation was made no earlier than in Claudius’ 3rd year of
reign (29 CE) and no later than two years prior to his being poisoned and
killed (38 CE; cf. footnote 1.) -
Notice that there is nothing in Dio’s statement implying that said
solar eclipse was expected to occur in the year of Claudius’ proclamation
about it! It was a (potentially visible) future event several years yet in
the future:” -
The only years in the entire first century CE when an August 1 solar eclipse occurred, were 7, 26, 45, and 64 CE.
There are no August 1 astronomical new moons (and thus no
potential August 1 solar eclipses) between the 26 CE and 45 CE total solar
eclipses! (The only July 31 solar
eclipse during the 1st century occurred in 18 CE.) -
Dio’s statement, “some other portents had already
occurred,” could refer to just about
anything. Based upon the within chronology the following are potentially
visible solar eclipses and lunar eclipses that occurred during those years of
Claudius’ reign (29-38 CE:) ·
Cf. footnote 2! ·
In 36 CE
there were two total lunar eclipses in one calendar year, both visible from Footnote: Cf. the following sequence of words from Cassius Dio, Roman History, Book LX: “He was in his fiftieth year…,” “The next year…,”
“The next year…,” “there was to be an eclipse of the sun on his birthday…,” “at
the close of that year…,” and Book
LXI: “In the following year, which was the eight hundredth
year of Rome…,” and “during the night the poison took effect and he passed
away…” Footnote 2: Cf. the following solar eclipses, each of which occurred during Rome daylight hours,
and which may accordingly have been a cause for concern if known of by
Claudius in advance: 1) Nov 24, 29 CE (total;) 2) Apr 28, 32 CE (partial;) 3) Sept 23, 32
CE (partial;) 4) Mar 19, 33 CE (total;) 5) Sept 12, 33 CE (annular; cf. August 1, 2008!) 6) Sept 1, 34 CE (annular;) 7) Aug 10, 36 CE (partial;) 8) Dec 25, 37 CE
(annular;) and 9) Jun 21, 38 CE (hybrid.) |
|
29 |
39 CE, March 13 to April 30 |
Gary W. Kronk: “The Hou Han shu (445) is the oldest source
describing this "broom star". The object appeared in the Mao [the Pleiades]
on 39 March 13.
The date and location indicate it was in the evening sky, implying a UT of
March 13.5. The object is described as exhibiting "rays measuring
30°."
The text adds, "It moved slightly toward the northwest and entered
Ying–Shih [α and
β Pegasi].
It then trespassed against Li–Kung [η, λ, μ, ο, τ,
and υ Pegasi]." The comet was last detected after it had reached
Tung–Pi [α Andromedae
and γ Pegasi] on April 30. The date and location
indicate it was in the morning sky, implying a UT of April 29.8. It
"went out of sight after an appearance of 49 days." “Full moon: March 28, April 27 “Sources: Hou Han shu (445), pp. 148–9; A. G. Pingré (1783), pp. 284, 581–2; J. Williams (1871), p. 11; Ho Peng Yoke (1962), pp. 148–9; I. Hasegawa (1980), p. 66.” Kronk, Cometography, Vol 1. Conte quoting Gary W. Kronk: “A comet sighting was recorded by the ancient Chinese astronomers in A.D. 39, from March 13 to April 30. This comet had a conspicuous tail, with rays as long as 30 degrees. [Kronk, Cometography, p. 27. ]” (Conte Jr., Ronald L., Important Dates in the Lives of Jesus and Mary.) Suetonius: “main omens of Claudius’ death included the
rise of a long-haired star, known as a comet….” Suetonius, The Twelve Caesars, Penguin
Books, 5.46. “a
long-haired star, known as a comet.” Suetonius, The Twelve Caesars, Penguin Books, 5.46. “exortus[9] crinitae[10] stellae,[11] quam[12] cometen[13] uocant[14] ” (C. Suetonius Tranquillus, De Vita
Caesarum
(ed. Maximilian Ihm) life cl., chapter
46, section 1) Pliny the Elder: “Pliny the Elder lists four comets which were seen (during the
reigns of various emperors) “in the western sky,”
including the comet seen “about the time of the poisoning” of Claudius
Caesar. [Pliny, Natural History, 2.23.]” (Conte Jr., Ronald
L., Important Dates in the Lives of Jesus and Mary.) Dio: |
![the Pleiades] on 39 March 13](file:///C:\Users\I%20am%20Whom%20I%20am\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Word\39CEComet\0390313PleiadesWith30degreesDirectedAwayFromSun.JPG){kind=link}
![[α Andromedae and γ Pegasi]](file:///C:\Users\I%20am%20Whom%20I%20am\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Word\39CEComet\0390430-AlpheratzAlphaAndromeda-AlgenibGammaPegasi.JPG){kind=link}