Important Dates in the Lives of Jesus and Mary 

    The planting, which did not produce well because of the drought, was the seed sown in Nov/Dec of 31 

B.C.

(late in Herod's 12th year). This crop was to be harvested in April/May of 30 

B.C.

 (13th year). When it did not 

produce well, after the food that had been in storage was used up, there was a famine beginning in Herod's 

13th year. So, 31/30 

B.C.

 could not have been a Sabbatical year (as Zuckermann has it), because seed was 

sown and expected to be harvested in that civil calendar year. 

    Furthermore, Herod's attempts to relieve the famine included sending seed to the Syrians.

1198

 Yet there is no 

mention of seed being given to the Israelites, whom Herod most wanted to help. There was no sense in giving 

seed to the Israelites at that time, because they would not sow the seed in a Sabbatical year. Instead, he gave 

them grain to make bread with, and for those who were unable to prepare the grain, he hired others to bake 

bread for them.

1199

    Then, when the next harvest time was approaching (this would be spring of 29 

B.C.

, still within the 

Sabbatical year of 30/29 

B.C.

), Herod send 50,000 of his Roman men to harvest the fields.

1200

  So many men 

were needed because it was a Sabbatical year and the Jews could not harvest the fields themselves. These men 

could harvest whatever lesser amount of grain the fields did produce, since they were not bound by Jewish 

Law. Perhaps Herod also sent out Romans (non Jews) to sow seed in the Sabbatical year. Since he sent out 

men to harvest, he may well have sent out men to sow (though Josephus does not mention the sowing, only 

the harvest). 

    Wacholder's chronology of the Sabbatical years also fits certain events in the early Church. Food shortages 

due to the Sabbatical year (

A.D.

 20/21) caused tensions between Hebraic Christians and Greek Christians 

about the distribution of food to those in need (Acts 6:1). The solution was the appointment of the first 

Deacons. Subsequently, a Sabbatical year during Claudius' reign (

A.D.

 27/28) caused food shortages which 

brought Barnabas and Saul to Judea (Acts 11:28 29). The next Sabbatical year (

A.D.

 34/35) was followed by a 

Jubilee year (

A.D.

 35/36) and was the occasion for disputes among Christians as to whether or not to keep 

Mosaic law. This dispute brought about one of the first Councils of the early Church and was the time of 

Saul's visit to Jerusalem after 14 years (Acts 15; Gal 2:1). For details on these points, see chapter 11. 

    The chronology of the capture of Jerusalem by Titus also raises questions about the Sabbatical year. In this 

revised chronology, Jerusalem was captured in the summer of 

A.D.

 56, which was the end of a Sabbatical year 

in Wacholder (

A.D.

 55/56). Zuckermann has a Sabbatical year in 

A.D.

 54/55, which is too early to fit into this 

chronology. For details on these points, see chapter 14. 

    In summary, Wacholder's chronology of the Sabbatical years fits my revised chronology well, whereas 

Zuckermann and Blosser's chronology of the Sabbatical years does not fit. Wacholder, of course, has his own 

evidence and arguments in support of his ideas, which are separate from, and in addition to, my reasons for 

accepting his chronology of the Sabbatical years.

1201

 Wacholder, Zuckermann, and Blosser all count the 

Sabbatical year as beginning in autumn, which I agree was the practice of the Jews during the time period of 

the New Testament. See Appendix I, Chart 7 for a list of Sabbatical and Jubilee years. 

Chronology of the Jewish Jubilee Years 

    Jubilee years occur at the end of a cycle of seven Sabbatical years. So the determination of when Jubilee 

years occurred is based on when Sabbatical years occurred. I conclude above that Wacholder's dates for the 

Sabbatical years are generally correct, with the exception that the Sabbatical years were originally counted 

from the month of Nisan (and only later changed to the timing described by Wacholder). My conclusions 

about the chronology of the Jubilee years are also based on Wacholder's chronology, but with some 

differences. 

    Zuckermann and Blosser, as far as I know, have not arrived at a conclusion about which years were Jubilee 

years.

1202

 August Strobel does reach a conclusion about the Jubilee years, but this depends on the same 

chronology of the Sabbatical years as Zuckermann and Blosser, which cannot be reconciled with the 

conclusions of this book. 

248