The Reign of King Herod 

burning of the Jewish martyrs and preceded the death of Herod, could not have occurred during the month of 

Tishri. 

    Thus the lunar eclipse must have occurred sometime after the month of Tishri, but before the month of 

Nisan (when Passover occurs). There are usually 6 lunar months from the full moon of Tishri to the full moon 

of Nisan, though in a Jewish leap year (when a 13th month is added to the calendar) there would be 7 lunar 

months. Since the lunar eclipse must have occurred sometime after Tishri, at most there would be 5 lunar 

months, or 6 in a Jewish leap year, from the eclipse to the Passover. 

    So the length of time from the lunar eclipse to the Passover could be no more than 6 lunar months, at the 

very most. And, because of the number of events described by Josephus between the eclipse and the Passover, 

the length of time would have to be a minimum of 3 lunar months. Therefore the lunar eclipse most likely 

occurred in one of the 4 Jewish months following Tishri:  Heshvan, Kislev, Tevet, or Shevat. However, Shevat 

is only a possibility during in a leap year, when AdarII is added to the calendar just before Nisan. Thus, there 

would be at least 3, and at most 6, lunar months between the lunar eclipse and the Passover. 

    In addition, Herod's death probably happened closer to the Passover than to the eclipse because the more 

time consuming events Herod seeking a life saving treatment, the gathering of all the Jewish leaders in the 

hippodrome were completed before Herod died. So, if the eclipse occurred at the earliest in the middle of 

Heshvan (lunar eclipses always occur in the middle of the Jewish lunar month), then Herod's death most likely 

occurred, after at least 2 or 3 months had passed, in late Tevet, or in the months of Shevat or AdarI (or, in a 

leap year and at the latest, in early AdarII). Also, at least a couple of weeks, and more probably a month or so, 

is required for the events between Herod's death and the Passover. For these reasons, Herod's death most 

likely occurred in January or February (not in November, December, or March). 

The Usual Dates 

    The most often cited lunar eclipse, which many consider to be the eclipse before Herod's death, is the lunar 

eclipse of March 13, in 4 

B.C.

 However, this eclipse occurred only one lunar month before  the Passover of 

April 11 that year. It is inconceivable that so many events as are described by Josephus could possibly be fit 

into one month. This is one of the most ridiculous assertions of chronologists, second only to the conclusions 

of some that there might be errors in Sacred Scripture, that so many events could have taken place in so small 

a space of time. Nevertheless, many scholars insist that Herod died in 4 

B.C.

770

    There are additional reasons why the lunar eclipse of March 13, in 4 

B.C.

 could not be the eclipse which 

preceded Herod's death. This eclipse began about 1:42 a.m. JST (Jerusalem Standard Time) and ended 2 hours 

and 20 minutes later about 4:02 a.m.

771

 As John Pratt points out, at that late hour few people would have 

viewed the eclipse and it would have been unlikely to be remembered and associated with the death of the 

Jewish martyrs.

772

    Another theory is that the lunar eclipse of September 15 of 5 

B.C.

 was the lunar eclipse preceding the death 

of Herod. That eclipse occurred 7 lunar months before the Passover of 4 

B.C.

 Thus the eclipse either occurred 

in the month of Elul (the month before Tishri) or in the month of Tishri, but with the addition of the month of 

AdarII before the Nisan of 4 

B.C.

    In 5 

B.C.

, with the calendar determined by calculation of the new moon date, the Passover began on March 

21, two days before the Spring Equinox. In such cases, the Jewish religious leaders usually added a leap month 

to delay the Passover one lunar month. The decision as to which years would be leap years was a human 

decision, made by the Jewish religious leaders. Their decision depended mainly on three factors, the Spring 

Equinox, and the maturity of the grain and fruit crops.

773

 These factors are not independent of one another; 

they are closely related. These crops were not likely to be ready before the Spring Equinox because they reach 

maturity in spring. Therefore, 5 

B.C.

 most likely included the leap month of AdarII, so that the eclipse of Sept. 

15, 5 

B.C.

, occurred during the month of Elul. 

    But if this lunar eclipse had occurred in Elul, the month before Tishri, it could not have been the eclipse 

mentioned by Josephus. For that eclipse clearly occurred at the same time as the removal from office of the 

high priest the same high priest whom Josephus describes as still being in office on the fast day of Tishri 10. 

    The other possibility is that the Passover of 5 

B.C.

 was allowed to occur earlier than the Spring Equinox, 

resulting in an earlier than usual start of the month of Tishri. The  Jewish religious leaders would then have 

177