Important Dates in the Lives of Jesus and Mary 

    My conclusion, detailed above, is that the start of each month in the Jewish calendar, during the time of 

Christ's life, was generally according to the calculated day and time of the new moon. In other words, the 

astronomical new moon, not the observed new crescent moon, was used to determine the first day of each 

month. However, due to the contrary opinion of many scholars, I have included in Chart 1 the possible dates 

for Nisan 14 according to either method. 

    The only years, in this date range, which could possibly have had a Nisan 14 Friday are 

A.D.

 15, 16, 19, 22, 

23, 26, 27, 30, 33, 34, and 36. If the start of Nisan was by calculation, the list of Nisan 14 Fridays is narrowed 

to 

A.D.

 15, 16, 19, 22, 26, 33, and 36 (most probably ruling out 

A.D.

 23, 27, 30, and 34). The year 

A.D.

 16 

could still have had a Nisan 14 Friday, due to the need to delay the start of Nisan (so that Nisan 15 would not 

conflict with Friday, the preparation day of the Sabbath). The same consideration applies to the year 

A.D.

 33. 

    If the start of Nisan was by observation of the crescent new moon, then the years 

A.D.

 15, 19, 22, 26, and 36 

are most probably ruled out, leaving us with the years 

A.D.

 16, 23, 27, 30, 33, and 34. Notice that 

A.D.

 33 has 

a Nisan 14 Friday regardless of whether the start of the month was by calculation or observation. If by 

calculation, a day's delay is needed to prevent Nisan 15 from falling on a Friday. This pushes the date by 

calculation ahead enough to coincide with the date by observation. A similar consideration applies to 

A.D.

 16, 

but with less certainty. See Appendix I, Chart 1, for further information. 

    In chapter 2, I conclude that Christ was crucified on Friday, April 7 and Nisan 14, in 

A.D.

 19. This year falls 

within my revised dates for the reign of Pontius Pilate (see chapters 2 and 13). It meets the criteria for a 

Passover beginning on a Friday, Nisan 14. And it is long enough into the reign of Pilate to account for the 3  

year Ministry of Jesus Christ and for the ministry of John the Baptist, both of which began after Pilate began 

his rule over Judea. John's ministry began in the 15th year of Tiberius Caesar's reign (Lk 3:1). According to 

the conclusions of chapter 13, Tiberius' 15th year was 

A.D.

 15. This leaves us with 

A.D.

 19 as the only year 

fitting our criteria for the year of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. 

266