163 A. M. W. D0WXESG, M.A. ; D.SC V F.R.S.. OH 



impossible to observe them properly without infringing some 

 precept of the law. But the point to Avhich it is desired to 

 direct attention is that, if it were found that Xisan 15 would, 

 iu the ordinary course, fall on a Friday, then the celebration of 

 the First Day of the Passover was postponed to the following 

 day. The bearing of this rule on the much debated question of 

 the date of the Crucifixion of our Lord is obvious, and it is 

 proposed to add a few remarks on the subject, strictly from the 

 astronomical point of view. Assuming that the day of the 

 Crucifixion was a Friday — though even this has been contro- 

 verted — we have to find in what years within practical limits 

 (say between a.d. 29 and a.d. 34) the date of Xisan 14, counted 

 from first visibility of the moon, would have fallen on a 

 Thursday or on a Friday. A number of computers have applied 

 themselves, from time to time, to the elucidation of this problem, 

 some uncertainty necessarily being attached to the actual day of 

 first visibility of the moon, in any particular case. On the 

 whole it appears, however, that, so far as astronomy can help us 

 in the matter, the evidence available seems to point to the 

 years a.d. 30 and a.d. 33 as being possible years, and, moreover, 

 as being the most probable years, of those, that may be 

 considered possible on historical grounds. In a.d. 30 a 

 new moon would possibly have been visible on the evening 

 of March 23. As the Jewish day commenced at sunset, 

 Xisan 1 would accordingly fall on March 24, and Xisan 14 

 on April 6, Thursday. But it is more probable that this 

 moon would not have been seen until the evening of March 24, 

 thus making Xisau 14 to occur on April 7, Friday. In 

 A.D. 33 a new moon would pretty certainly have been visible on 

 the evening of March 20. Xisan 1 would therefore fall on 

 March 21, and Xisan 14 on April 3, Friday. But the year 

 A.D. 29, which has often been quoted by writers with apparent 

 confidence, as being the year of the Crucifixion, is an 

 impossible one from the astronomical point of view. Xisan 

 14 fell in that year on either a Saturday or a Simday, 

 according to the lunation that may be adopted as being the 

 Paschal lunation. It will thus be seen how inconclusive the 

 astronomical evidence necessarily is, but, so far as it goes, it sup- 

 ports the supposition that the Crucifixion occurred on Xisan 14. 



We have already seen that the observance on a Friday of 

 the religious ceremonies appropriate to Xisan 15 was prohibited 

 by rule. "We now find that independent evidence points to the 

 conclusion that the original Good Friday did not clash with the 

 First Day of the Passover, but did coincide with the day on 



