Posted by Bibleman [Bibleman] on November 04, 1999 at 03:18:46 {yxewwqp4aAMSSTtTA17sslyACFuF8c}:
In Reply to: APOLOGY FOR BIBLEMAN posted by DaJahVeu on November 03, 1999 at 19:09:28:
WOW! Another convert.
Well, thank-you. No matter how confident we are about our own beliefs, it is always nice to get a validation that what we believe actually makes sense to someone else. We all need a "sounding board" sometimes.
So this is great, but by no means feel this should have been so obvious. Remember, you are now in a tiny, tiny minority who understand Jesus must have died later than Nisan 14th, and you had to wade through all thos complex arguments. And it is complex! (i.e. the different times of the Jewish day, calendar date versus secular day, etc.).
And it does take some time to sink in. And thanks for letting me know what did the trick. It does take some time to sink in.
When Joseph Mallik first pointed this out to me, I , of course was skeptical. What did it for me was Numbers 33:3 which clearly says the Jews left on Nisan 15th. Until then I wasn't buying it. But as soon as I saw that, I knew it was over. And that's because I had a preconceived idea of what the events were and those dates which upon reading Numbers 33:3 I realized I did not have the right concept in mind.
So write me again as this settles in and I'll show you some other scriptures that seal this all up based upon specific language usage which proves that Jesus rose after a double-sabbath weekend.
By the way, since you are focussing on Mark, I should say that there is no problem undertanding that this is 9:00 p.m. at night. Of note, though, one must conclude since Mark was not specific that this was at night that night executions must have been the customary practice. It would seem, with the spectacle of these executions as well as the need for some organization, that this was a good time for the executions. You know, no t.v. so around 9:00 p.m. which was right at the beginning of a new Jewish day but after dinner, a great time for all (including victims of the crimes) to see the accused get racked up. But it must have been so common that Mark didn't have to say "third hour of night."
In line with this, note one other famous historical execution which occurred at night and that was the execution of two rabbis by Herod just before his death which occurred at night. After the burnings an eclipse was seen. So night executions were probably not simply occasional, but the rule and standard practice.
Another hint that this was in the evening is the reference to Simon of Syrene coming from the "field." This was harvest time and likely many day laborers came into Palestine to work the wheat fields. So Simon was likely just getting off work, and being a day laborer, obviously would have accepted a token payment for assisting Jesus with his torture stake. But the fact that he is coming from field suggests the end of the work day, right after sundown.
So when we think about Jesus on the torture stake, it is not merely 6 hours that he was on the torture stake and then died (from 9 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.), but 18 hours, from 9:00 p.m. the previous night until 3:00 p.m. the following day. And that includes likely being stripped naked and thus freezing and shivering all night long. It definitely was cold in Palestine those days since they even had a fire to warm themselves the night Jesus was arrested in the courtyard of the high priest.
Additionally, we can understand if Jesus was in prison and exposed to those conditions over several days that he may have already been exhausted and dehydrated and ill. And then to be exposed to freezing cold all night, it is understandable that he could have developed pneumonia in one of his lungs. And this might have been a common developement since the guards knew to just jab him in the side to let the fluid out. (The idea that Jesus died of a broken heart is certainly charming, but "side" is a bit different than a jab into the midsternum into the pericardium, and doctors often puncture the rib cage to drain pleural fluid when the lung is totally infiltrated. So this is likely the correct diagnosis of why there was fluid gushing out of his side when jabbed by the spear of the soldier. Something they might have been familiar with doing with others who commonly caught pneumonia overnight. Certainly there would have been little motivation to jab Jesus directly in the chest to try to pierce his pericardium. What for? It wouldn't have been obvious.)
But on that note, not to pile it on (smile), but it would not seem that commonplace for Jesus, who was in great health that very night, and impaled as early as 9:00 a.m. to have developed a case of pneumonia in just those six hours.
But when you consider this over a period of days, especially with people spitting in his face....exposed to cold in those prisons and other sick persons, his physically delapidated condition was a reflection of several days of abuse and exposure rather than just a three-hour ordeal from sunrise to 9:00 a.m., however, gruesome.
So, the little pieces of the puzzle fit in very well too.
Let me know when you want the "linguistic" proof of the dating.
Thanks, and I'm glad you see now this isn't so much of a stretch once you really consider the scriptures closely.
Cheers,
Bibleman
P.S. But now the next question is, why hasn't the all-wise and spirit-inspired Governing Body figured this out and changed it yet? As late as this year claiming Jesus sent his disciples out on the 13th and narry a comment about Luke 22:7! ???
Take care! It will take a while, but I think you've crossed the threshold as some others have done as well (i.e. "iknow").