Historical Issues with the New Testament

• 1143 - Rabbi Moshe Shulman explains 'Why the New Testament CANNOT be History'
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uD3s7Hll7ag

33 mainly comes from Hohner, but there are issues. ex. Hohner: “Chronologial Aspects of the Life of Christ”

  John 2:23 Passover 1 (when he was in Jerusalem for the Passover passover…)
  John 6:4 Passover 2 (Now the passover was near…)
  John 11:55 Passover 3 (etc – “events occur”)

Contrast: The *synoptic* gospels show only one passover before the execution. Shulman then states we prefer a 3 year ministry because it helps us move the dates towards his death at the age of 33 (Hohner). This is modern biblical scholarship.

Limiting Factor #1: Pilate's office in Judea was from 26 to 36. Therefore the crucifixion must have been between 26 and 36.

If the execution was at 26 Jesus would have been born in 8 BC. The latest on the other hand would be 2 AD.

Limiting Factor #2: Since we know Herod wanted to kill children under 2, the latest date Jesus could have been born would have been in the year Herod died (4 BC). So if we use the logical dating range and the factor of pilate, we see that Jesus has to have been born between 8 BC and 4 BC. Anything outside of this causes a problem with the text of the New Testament.

Therefore people who argue for a late date of execution (i.e. that Jesus was executed at 33 CE then they reject that Jesus was born during 8 BCE to 4 BCE and are in conflict with the New testament.

From these two limiting factors we must conclude that if Jesus was 33 when he died, and born as late as possible (born in 4 BCE) he would have died in 30 CE.

ESV “John the Baptist Prepares the Way”;

• 3:1 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,
• 3:2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.

This now gives us a date for John's ministry.

We know Jesus started his ministry after John. Jesus came to John to be baptized, and this means that John started his ministry before Jesus, some time before Jesus began his ministry. NOTE: John is 1 year older than Jesus (or 6 months; source is the note that Elizabeth and Mary were pregnant at the same time).

We know when Tiberius became emperor: 14CE. Therefore the 15th year is 29 CE. So the question becomes, when was Jesus baptized and begin his ministry? Because this would start the three year clock of his ministry.

Let us assume that Jesus came as early as possible – in the first year of John's ministry. This would mean Jesus began his ministry in the year 29 CE. This means that if we take a 3 year ministry from John, Jesus is executed in the year 32. So if Jesus was 30 when he started, he would have been born after 2 BC. This is “too late”; we already know that Jesus was executed at the latest in the year 30 CE. If we say Jesus came in the second or third year of John's ministry, we simply get farther and farther away from the time Herod died and the story becomes more and more historically inaccurate.

We find that when John was in prison, jesus was doing his ministry. Therefore, Jesus was doing his ministry at the end of the ministry of John the Baptist. Therefore the death of John the baptist is an important clue to the timinig of jesus' ministry.

Hohner dates the death of John the Baptist to the 2nd year of Jesus' 3 year ministry; so if Jesus' ministry started in 29, then John was executed in 30 or 31 CE.

In Matthew, chapter 14, verse 1:

The Death of John the Baptist

14 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard about the fame of Jesus, 2 and he said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” 3 For Herod had seized John and bound him and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife,[a] 4 because John had been saying to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” 5 And though he wanted to put him to death, he feared the people, because they held him to be a prophet. 6 But when Herod's birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company and pleased Herod, 7 so that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask. 8 Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.” 9 And the king was sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he commanded it to be given. 10 He sent and had John beheaded in the prison, 11 and his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. 12 And his disciples came and took the body and buried it, and they went and told Jesus.Matthew 14:1-12 (ESV)

So this is why Hohner says that John was executed in the 2nd year of Jesus' ministry. Now let us cross reference with Mark:

Mark 6:14-20

The Death of John the Baptist

14:1 King Herod heard of it, for Jesus'[b] name had become known. Some[c] said, “John the Baptist[d] has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” 15 But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” 16 But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.” 17 For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because he had married her. 18 For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife.” 19 And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she could not, 20 for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly.

21 But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 22 For when Herodias's daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. And the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” 23 And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.” 24 And she went out and said to her mother, “For what should I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” 25 And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” 26 And the king was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her. 27 And immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John's[e] head. He went and beheaded him in the prison 28 and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. 29 When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb. Mark 6:14-28 (ESV)

Since Jesus' ministry took place during the execution, if we can date the death of John the Baptist, we can date the end of the ministry of Jesus.

Herod Is Perplexed by Jesus 7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had been raised from the dead, 8 by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old had risen. 9 Herod said, “John I beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?” And he sought to see him.Luke 9:7-9 (ESV)

From John 1 and John 3:22-36 we see the general timeline;

• The ministry of John the Baptist, who states the messiah will come after him;
• Jesus comes to John and is baptized, which begins his ministry
• John the Baptist is executed by herod
• The ministry of Jesus gains popularity and is seen by Herod.

The key point being, Jesus ministers and is executed after John the Baptist is executed. When did this occur?

18th book of Antiquities Chapter 4, Paragraph 6;

• 6. About this time it was that Philip, Herod's ' brother, departed this life, in the twentieth year of the reign of Tiberius, (14) after he had been tetrarch of Trachonitis and Gaulanitis, and of the nation of the Bataneans also, thirty-seven years. He had showed himself a person of moderation and quietness in the conduct of his life and government; he constantly lived in that country which was subject to him; he used to make his progress with a few chosen friends; his tribunal also, on which he sat in judgment, followed him in his progress; and when any one met him who wanted his assistance, he made no delay, but had his tribunal set down immediately, wheresoever he happened to be, and sat down upon it, and heard his complaint: he there ordered the guilty that were convicted to be punished, and absolved those that had been accused unjustly. He died at Julias; and when he was carried to that monument which he had already erected for himself beforehand, he was buried with great pomp. His principality Tiberius took, (for he left no sons behind him,) and added it to the province of Syria, but gave order that the tributes which arose from it should be collected, and laid up in his tetrachy.

Therefore, Q: When did Peter die so that Herod could take his (illegitimate) wife?

Shulman; We don't know how long they lived together but we do know they lived together for a while (from Josephus).

So eventually, Herod Antipas (Phillip's brother) got into a war with (Herodias) because he had divorced his(her) daughter. This caused anger to occurr, and he lost the war, the reason (from Josephus?) that he lost the war was because he killed John the Baptist. All of this was said to have occurred after 34CE.

So, if Jesus could not have been executed after 30, we see that because John the Baptist started his ministry in 29CE, and we then have a date of 32 or 33 for Jesus' execution, there is a problem with the historical depiction given in the gospels. If Jesus died in 35, from 4 (BC) to 35 is 38 years; this presents a date too late for Jesus's birth by a very large margin.

John 8:57 (this is during the 2nd or 3rd year of the ministry)

• Indication jesus is in his 40s
  • 57 So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?”[d] 58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” 59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple. (John 8:57)

We cannot use this to date Jesus' birth or ministry because it places his birth many years too early (i.e. before the office of Herord or Pontious Pilate).

The question remains however, why this form of speech was used for a man presumably the age of 30.

We do not know when Jesus was born or when he died. It is not documented. However, by an analysis of the events surrounding Jesus' birth, ministry and execution, we determine that the information given in the new testament is not historically accurate. There are problems which suggest that not all of the events depicted in the gospels could have occurred. Therefore, since we know some of the events are fabrications, but we do not know which, it becomes very difficult to know what we can and can not learn about Jesus from the Greek account.

(etc) Matthew and luke indicate that Jesus was born during the reign of Herod the Great; who we know died in 4BC, and if you say he was born late there are the other (above) problems with Luke and Matthew.