Jesus was crucified in 17 A.D.

[KeithAlan]

Originally Posted by RabbiKnife

1. You are wrong.
2. Your point is?

Hi, RabbiKnife. Nice to meet you.

In all due respect, I do not believe I am wrong. Maybe a year or two off, perhaps. The point is, nobody seems to know when He was crucified. Nobody knows when He was born. It's always "about this year or that year" many say. But I want to know everything about Him. He is our Lord, after all. Nonetheless, it doesn't really matter when He was crucified, but a desire to know persisted, so the matter was researched. If anybody is interested in how the year 17 was arrived at, here it is in very small part:

Historians use Pilate's ten year reign in Judea as one marker to determine when Jesus' ministry and crucifixion occurred. They quote "Antiquities of the Jews" by Josephus in book 18, 18.89 who wrote, "...So Vitellius sent Marcellus, a friend of his, to take care of the affairs of Judea, and ordered Pilate to go to Rome, to answer before the emperor to the accusations of the Jews. So Pilate, when he had tarried ten years in Judea, made haste to Rome, and this in obedience to the orders of Vitellius, which he durst not contradict; but before he could get to Rome Tiberius was dead."

Since Tiberius died in March of 37, scholars and historians assert Pilate went to Rome in that year. And since Pilate reigned 10 years, they back up 10 from 37 and put his reign and Christ's crucifixion between 27-37. There is one big problem, however. Pilate never would have gone to Rome in 37 A.D. to see Tiberius. Because about a dozen years earlier, Tiberius moved to the island of Capri and never set foot in Rome again. That was around 25 A.D.

For an explanation, look at the word, "dead". It's translated from the Greek word, "methistemi" Strong's number: 3179. Thayer's lexicon gives the most concise definitions:
1. to transpose, transfer, remove from one place to another
a. of change of situation or place
b. to remove from the office of a steward
c. to depart from life, to die

In a nutshell, Methistemi means to move or to die.

Instead of translating it, "...before he could get to Rome, Tiberius was dead." It should be, "before he could get to Rome, Tiberius had moved (to Capri).

Pilate was in office between 13 or 14 A.D. until 23 or 24 and then hurried to Rome to find Tiberius had moved to Capri, and not dead. Furthermore, why is Tiberius still alive and well in subsequent paragraphs if he is supposed to be dead? Read "Antiquities of the Jews" book 18, 18.90 onward and see for yourself.

Pilate began his reign about the same time John began his ministry which is the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar's reign. Emperors from Augustus until before Vespasian dated their reigns by the number of years they had tribunicia potestas. The fifteenth year of Tiberius is June 25, 13 A.D. until June 25, 14 A.D. and not the year 29 (15 years from the death of Augustus).

Furthermore, Vitellius, the governor of Syria who dismissed Pilate and ordered him to Rome, was not only governor between the years 35 and 39, but he was the real, acting governor of Syria from 22 until 39, not Lamia who is officially listed as governor between 22-32. Historian Tacitus in "The Annals" agrees Lamia was never the real governor of Syria. Book 6, 6.27:
"...At the end of the year the death of Aelius Lamia, who, after being at last released from the farce of governing Syria, had become city-prefect, was celebrated with the honours of a censor's funeral. He was a man of illustrious descent, and in a hale old age; and the fact of the province having been withheld gained him additional esteem. ".

This might be confusing for some, but if y'all hang in there, it clears up and becomes interesting. For now, this post is getting a little long-winded so more later. Thanks, RabbiKnife.