Important Dates in the Lives of Jesus and Mary 

    In this revised chronology, the reign of Vespasian is counted from July 1 of 

A.D.

 54, overlapping with the 

reign of Vitellius, rather than from the death of Vitellius in Dec. 

A.D.

 54. The usual year for the start of 

Vespasian's antedated reign is 

A.D.

 69. 

    According to Suetonius, Vespasian's reign ended with his death on June 23.

1017

 Dio gives the length of his 

reign as  ten years lacking six days. 

1018

 Both Suetonius and Dio count Vespasian's reign as beginning on July 

1 (before the death of Vitellius), so they are in agreement that Vespasian died in June. In the usual chronology, 

Vespasian's antedated reign began in 

A.D.

 69 and ended in 

A.D.

 79. In this revised chronology, Vespasian's 

reign began on July 1 of 

A.D.

 54, but ended in June of 

A.D.

 66, a length of nearly 12 years from the antedated 

start of his reign on July 1, but a length of just over 11 years when not antedated. 

    Several pieces of evidences support the conclusion that Vespasian's reign was two years longer than Dio 

stated it to be. First, the summer of Vitellius' reign included a comet sighting followed by a lunar eclipse on the 

4th or 7th day of the month (see above). The only year fitting these criteria is 

A.D.

 54; consequently, 

Vespasian's antedated reign must have begun in 

A.D.

 54. Second, Suetonius places the birth of Titus 

(Vespasian's son) in the same year as the death of Gaius (Caligula), and he states that Titus died at the age of 

41.

1019

 This information gives us two additional years to account for between the deaths of Gaius and Titus (as 

explained below in the section on Titus' reign). Third, the comet data presents us with a very good fit for the 

comet preceding the death of Vespasian if he died after a reign of nearly 12 years, rather than nearly 10 years 

(see section 17 above). Fourth, information concerning the date of the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem 

points to the year 

A.D.

 56 (see chapter 14). A reign of 12 years, rather than 10 years, for Vespasian brings all of 

these points into agreement. 

Titus (June 

A.D.

 66 to Sept. 

A.D.

 68) 

    The emperor Titus was one of the sons of Vespasian. His reign was brief and both Suetonius and Dio agree 

on its length:  2 years, 2 months, 20 days.

1020

 Suetonius also gives the day and month of the end of Titus' reign 

at his death as September 13. This determination agrees with the date for the death of Vespasian on June 23 

there are 2 months and 20 days from June 23 to September 13. Thus, the emperor Titus died in the month of 

September after a reign of just over 2 years. This revised chronology, therefore, places his death in the year 

A.D.

 68; whereas the usual year for his death is given as 

A.D.

 81. 

    Notice that the difference between the usual and revised chronologies is now 13 years, not 15 years. The 

reason is that Vespasian's reign in this revised chronology is 2 years longer than in the usual chronology. 

    Suetonius states Titus was born on Dec. 30 of the year that the emperor Gaius (Caligula) died, and that 

Titus died in Sept. at the age of 41 years.

1021

 In the usual chronology, Gaius died in January of 

A.D.

 41. If Titus 

was born in Dec. of that year (11 months later), then he would then turn 41 in Dec. of 

A.D.

 82, and he would 

still be 41 years of age if he died the following Sept., in 

A.D.

 83. But the usual chronology places Titus' death 

in Sept. of 

A.D.

 81. Thus, there is a two year error in the usual chronology between the death of Gaius and the 

death of Titus. 

    My revised chronology has the death of Gaius in 

A.D.

 26. If Titus were born in Dec. of 

A.D.

 26, then he 

would turn 41 in Dec. of 

A.D.

 67 and would still be 41 (plus about 9 months) when he died in Sept. of 

A.D.

 68. 

Since Titus' reign was only 2 years, 2 months, 20 days long, this line of reasoning further supports the date for 

the end of Vespasian's reign as June of 

A.D.

 66. That date for Vespasian's death  also follows closely the 

recorded observations of Chinese astronomers of two very conspicuous comets: Halley's Comet (Jan. April of 

A.D.

 66) and another  long tailed star  (July Sept.) 

A.D.

 65. Thus the comet information and the information 

on the length of Titus' life both support the same year for the death of Vespasian 

A.D.

 66. 

    The two year error in the usual chronology is found in the length of the reign of Vespasian. The generally 

accepted length for Vespasian's reign is based on Dio's plain statement that he reigned for  ten years lacking 

six days. 

1022

 However, a reign of just under 12 years (counting from Vespasian's antedated accession to the 

throne on July 1) is necessary to account for the comet data and the length of Titus' life and reign. By 

comparison, the usual chronology cannot make these two criteria fit together. If Vespasian's reign were 2 years 

longer in the usual chronology, there would be no comet preceding his death. But if Vespasian's reign is kept 

the usual length of about 10 years, the length of Titus' life does not fit. Furthermore, the comet that coincided 

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