Appendix III 

A Word About Dr. E. Jerry Vardaman 

    I corresponded with Jerry Vardaman on the topic of Biblical chronology for about 2 years, prior to his death 

in Nov. 2000. His work was important to the development of the ideas in this book. Please note that, in the 

course of our correspondence, he encouraged my research in Biblical chronology, but he did not generally 

agree with my conclusions. Jerry Vardaman's work was helpful to me in my research on Biblical chronology 

in three important ways. 

    First, I owe Dr. Vardaman a debt of gratitude for sharing his discovery of microletters on the Lapis Venetus 

with me. This very important archaeological discovery of his gives the census of Luke 2:2 a clear date: year 

one of the consulship of P.S. Quirinius ( LA CONS P.S.QVIRINI ). While Dr. Vardaman did not agree with 

my earlier date for that consulship, he did place the Birth of Jesus Christ during the time of the census which 

began with Quirinius' consulship. 

    Second, Dr. Vardaman's published a theory that Tiberius Caesar's reign may have been antedated, so that it 

overlapped with Augustus' reign by about 10 years.

1254

 From my point of view, this theory is one of his most 

important contributions to Biblical chronology. This book presents evidence and arguments in support of that 

theory. Dr. Vardaman later abandoned his theory on the antedating of Tiberius' reign in favor of a different 

approach. He suggested that the original text of Luke 3:1 read  In the second year of the reign of Tiberius 

Caesar,  and that the current text,  In the fifteenth year ,  resulted from a copyist error. In my view, 

however, his earlier theory is the correct one, as this book attempts to show. 

   Third, Dr. Vardaman's ground breaking work on microletters led him to the conclusion that the Crucifixion 

of Jesus Christ occurred years earlier than has been generally believed. Though he placed the Crucifixion in 

A.D.

 21 and I place it in 

A.D.

 19, his idea that certain events occurred outside the usual time constraints 

assisted me in arriving at my earlier chronology for events during this time period. 

    Dr. Vardaman's date for the start of the Ministry of Jesus Christ was the fall of 

A.D.

 15. He arrived at this 

conclusion partly through his study of microletters on ancient coins.

1255

 I arrived at this same date for the start 

of Christ's Ministry independently and on a different basis. My conclusion depends mainly on the date of 

A.D.

19 for the Crucifixion and a length of 3  years for Christ's Ministry (see chapters 2 and 7). 

    Dr. Vardaman's work in the fields of archaeology and Biblical chronology has breathed fresh air into these 

fields of study. He had an ability to bring new insights to bear upon ancient questions. His work has been a 

great benefit to the field of Biblical chronology and his important contributions will affect the work of Biblical 

scholars for many years. 

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