Important Dates in the Lives of Jesus and Mary 

    Now, the vast majority of Jews and Romans at that time had no time keeping devices to keep track of the 

hours, exact to the minute, as we do.

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 However, certain hours of the daytime could be determined more easily 

than others. The first hour began at sunrise, a time easily determined by observation. The sixth hour was the 

midpoint between sunrise  and sunset, when the sun reaches its highest point also easily determined by 

observation. The third hour was not a certain number of minutes after sunrise, for there was no way for the 

ordinary person to keep count of the minutes. Rather, the third hour was the approximate midpoint between 

sunrise and the sixth hour (noon sun time). Thus, the third hour referred to by Sacred Scripture was the 

midpoint between sunrise and noon, or mid morning. The third hour by sun time would be called 9:00 a.m.

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    The Gospel of Mark counts the Crucifixion as having begun immediately after the scourging, when Pilate 

delivered Jesus to be crucified, at the third hour. Pilate intended to scourge Jesus, even if he did not decide to 

hand Him over to be crucified (Lk 23:16, 22). That is why Sacred Scripture, in the Gospel of Mark, counts the 

Crucifixion as beginning at the third hour, after the scourging. Sacred Scripture says that Jesus was crucified at 

the third hour, referring to the whole process of crucifixion, including when Jesus was carrying His Cross. 

     Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover; it was about the sixth hour.  (Jn 19:14). 

    The Gospel of John counts the Crucifixion as beginning at about the sixth hour because Jesus was on the 

Cross from about the sixth hour to the ninth hour (Mt 27:45 50; Mk 15:33 37; Lk 23:44 46).

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 The Gospel of 

Mark counts the whole process of Crucifixion, including when Jesus was crowned with thorns and when Jesus 

was carrying His Cross. But the Gospel of John counts only the hours when Jesus was actually on the Cross, 

that is, the Crucifixion itself. These hours were the worst of the worst of Jesus' suffering.

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 Thus there is no 

contradiction between the Gospels of Mark and John as to when Jesus was crucified. 

The Nailing to the Cross 

     It was about a quarter past twelve when Jesus was crucified; and at the moment the cross was lifted up, the 

Temple resounded with the blast of trumpets, which were always blown to announce the sacrifice of the 

Paschal Lamb. 

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    Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich gives the time that Jesus was crucified as several minutes after noon. She 

states this after describing the nailing of Jesus to the Cross, but before describing the raising of the Cross. She 

says  about a quarter past twelve  to indicate that this is not an exact time. 

    Some people assume that important events in the lives of Jesus and Mary must have happened exactly on 

the hour (and by our way of counting the hours). But it is not necessary to God's plan that everything happen 

exactly on the hour. The Gospel of John places the Crucifixion of Jesus at  about the sixth hour.  Even Sacred 

Scripture does not reveal the exact time to the minute of various important events in the life of Christ. The 

phrase  about the sixth hour  does not mean exactly at noon. 

    The nailing of Jesus to the Cross, as is clear from Blessed Anne Catherine's description, was time 

consuming and extraordinarily painful.

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 It may have taken anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes to complete the 

whole process of nailing Jesus to the Cross. Then, about a quarter past noon, the Cross, with Jesus on it, was 

raised up. 

    Jesus was first nailed to the Cross, then the Cross was raised up. So the length of time that Jesus was on the 

Cross, if we include the time which passed as Jesus was being nailed to the Cross, was likely between 3 hours 

and 3   hours. The nailing to the Cross began sometime between 11:30 a.m. and noon (sun time).

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The Three Hours of Darkness 

    And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.  

(Mk 15:33). 

    The three hours of darkness began about the sixth hour (noon sun time) and ended about the ninth hour (3 

p.m. sun time).

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 From about noon until 3 p.m. there was darkness over the whole land. This was not caused 

by a natural event, such as an eclipse. Eclipses of the sun last only for a few minutes, not for 3 hours.

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 Also, 

Jesus was crucified at the beginning of Passover, about the time when the moon is full. Eclipses of the sun only 

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