Important Dates in the Lives of Jesus and Mary 

solemnity of the fast (Tishri 10) fell in early October.

743

 Since Tishri 10 did not fall in September in 37 

B.C.

, this 

could not have been the year that Herod captured Jerusalem. 

    Several other years can be ruled out as the year when Herod captured Jerusalem, because Tishri 10 fell in 

October in those years also. In the years 34, 37, 40, 42, and 45 

B.C.

, Tishri 10 fell in October.

744

 Therefore, 

Herod's reign over Jerusalem could not have begun in any of those years. The astronomical new moon dates 

which determine the start of Nisan in those years are: March 29 at 20:23 JST (Jerusalem Standard Time) in 34 

B.C.

, April 1 at 07:19 JST in 37 

B.C.

, April 4 at 01:08 JST in 40 

B.C.

, March 28 at 01:24 JST in 42 

B.C.

, and 

March 30 at 22:12 JST in 45 

B.C.

 From these dates we can easily see that the observation of the new crescent 

would occur a day or two later making Nisan 1 (the start of the sacred calendar year) late enough to push the 

date for Tishri 10 into early October. 

    Josephus describes the battle for the city of Jerusalem as occurring during the summertime.

745

 Next he 

explains that, in those last months of the war, the Jews  were distressed by famine and the want of necessaries, 

for this happened to be a Sabbatic Year. 

746

 In the Sabbatical Year, which occurs every seventh year, the Jews 

were forbidden by Jewish religious law from planting or harvesting (Lev 25:1 7). Sabbatical years, in later 

practice, began in the autumn, on Tishri 1, and lasted until Tishri 1 of the following year. However, until 

sometime after Herod began to rule over Jerusalem, the Sabbatical years still began, as in ancient times, in the 

springtime with the month of Nisan (see chapter 16 on this point). 

    So, the Sabbatical year was going on in the summertime, during the siege and before the capture of 

Jerusalem. However, after the city was captured on Tishri 10, Josephus again states that their distress at that 

time was caused  in part by the Sabbatic Year, which was still going on, and forced the country to lie still 

uncultivated, since we are forbidden to sow the land in that year. 

747

 If the Sabbatical year began and ended 

with Tishri 1, then the Sabbatical year would have ended before the capture of Jerusalem on Tishri 10.  

    The usual interpretation of this passage is that the Sabbatical year ended on Tishri 1, but the people were 

still in distress because it would be some time before they could plant crops and obtain food from the harvest. 

However, this interpretation is incorrect. Josephus specifically says, not merely that they still lacked food, but 

that the land still had to be left uncultivated and that they still could not sow. My interpretation is that the 

Sabbatical years during this earlier time period (up to and including this first year of Herod's reign) were 

counted from Nisan to Nisan, not from Tishri to Tishri. This interpretation makes sense of Josephus' account 

as well as the words of Sacred Scripture in the book of Leviticus (see chapter 16). Thus, when the war ended 

with the capture of Jerusalem by Herod in September, on Tishri 10, the Sabbatical year was still ongoing and 

continued until the following spring. 

    In any case, it is clear that the year in which Herod captured Jerusalem was both a Sabbatical year (which 

must include the summer before the capture of the city) and a year in which Tishri 10 fell in September. To 

determine the year of the capture of Jerusalem, we must take both these factors into consideration. 

    There are two prevalent views on the chronology of Sabbatical years during this time period.

748

 Zuckermann 

and Blosser have a Sabbatical year beginning in fall of 45 

B.C.

 and ending in fall of 44 

B.C.

 (45/44), and also, a 

Sabbatical year running from 38 to 37 

B.C.

 (38/37). The year 44 

B.C.

 was a year in which Tishri 10 fell in 

September, and may have been the end of a Sabbatical year, so this is a possible year for the capture of 

Jerusalem by Herod, if Zuckermann is correct.

749

 But 37 

B.C.

 is ruled out because Tishri 10 fell in October that 

year, as explained above. Notice that, according to Zuckermann and Blosser, the Sabbatical year began, rather 

than ended, in the autumn of both 45 and 38 

B.C.

 But Josephus states that the Jews lacked food during the 

summer of the battle for Jerusalem because it was the Sabbatical year. Thus, neither 45 

B.C.

 and 38 

B.C.

 could 

have been the year of the capture of Jerusalem, according to the chronology of Zuckermann and Blosser. 

    On the other hand, Wacholder holds that the Sabbatical years during this time period were 44/43 

B.C.

 and 

37/36 

B.C.

, a year later than Zuckermann and Blosser's dates.

750

 In both 43 

B.C.

 and 36 

B.C.

 Tishri 10 fell in 

September, and so either of these years is also a plausible year for the capture of Jerusalem by Herod. 

    My (not so prevalent) view on the chronology of the Sabbatical years is that Wacholder is generally correct, 

but that the Sabbatical years were counted from Nisan to Nisan, not Tishri to Tishri, until sometime after 

Herod captured Jerusalem. Thus, for the year of the capture itself, the Sabbatical year would begin and end in 

springtime. Changing the start of the Sabbatical year to Nisan has the effect of changing the dates given by 

172