Posted on 04/02/2010 9:27:17 AM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege
The first reference found outside of the bible mentioning this darkness which fell over the land during the crucifixion of Christ, comes from a Samaritan historian named Thallus, who wrote around 52 A.D. His work was quoted by another early historian by the name of Julius Africanus who researched the topic of this darkness and wrote the following:
"Upon the whole world there came a most fearful darkness. Many rocks were split in two by an earthquake, and many places in Judea and other districts were thrown down. It seems very unreasonable to me that Thallus, in the third book of his histories, would try to explain away this darkness as an eclipse of the sun. For the Jews celebrate their Passover on the 14th day according to the moon, and the death of our Saviour falls on the day before the Passover. But an eclipse of the sun can only take place when the moon comes under the sun, how then could an eclipse have occurred when the moon is directly opposite the sun? (Scientifically it is impossible to have a full moon on the same day that there is an eclipse of the sun.)
Another first century historian who also mentions this darkness was Phlegon who wrote a history entitled the "Olympiads. Julius Africanus mentioned a quote taken from the Olympiads which said: "Phlegon records that, in the time of Tiberius Caesar, at full moon, there was a full eclipse of the sun from the sixth hour to the ninth . . . It is evident that he did not know of any such events in previous years."
Phlegon is also mentioned by Origen in his work ‘Against Celsus’ Book 2: "The darkening of the sun took place at the time of Tiberius Caesar, in whose reign Jesus was crucified, and the great earthquakes which then took place, Phlegon, I believe, has written an account in the thirteenth or fourteenth book of his Chronicles."
'Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land..... And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up his spirit..... So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that happened, they feared greatly, saying, "Truly this was the Son of God!" ~ (Matthew 27:45-54)
Oh yeah...In addition to the “darkness,” I forgot, there was an earthquake too!
and the curtain ripped also.
Check out “The Face of Jesus” on the History Channel. A two-hour fascinating look at the Shroud of Turin.
At Passover, there is a full moon. Hence, no eclipse.
I’m a bit confused. Were all these historians believers or were there Pagan sources too?
"For the Jews celebrate their Passover on the 14th day according to the moon, and the death of our Saviour falls on the day before the Passover. But an eclipse of the sun can only take place when the moon comes under the sun, how then could an eclipse have occurred when the moon is directly opposite the sun?"
It was an act of GOD, clearly. (Then again, so are solar eclipses, though this was a special case.)
I read where the curtain was sewn so thick that it would take a supreme effort to tear it in half.
hmm...I am not sure about all the historicans who speculate on the darkness/eclipse thing specifically, but there are definitely pagan sources who recorded the crucifixion of Christ and all the resurrection rumors/havoc. I’ll be posting those shortly.
And people who had died came out of their tombs and were seen by living people who recognized them.
Matthew 27:50-54 (New International Version)
50And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
51At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. 52The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
54When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son[a] of God!”
My pastor told me that it was as thick as a person’s hand is thick.
>and the curtain ripped also.
The curtain ripping is perhaps the most interesting in the theologically symbolic. That curtain was what separated the Holy of Holies {The place of God’s dwelling within the physical temple} from the rest of the temple. Only the High Priest was allowed in the Holy of Holies, and even then only on the specific dates of certain rituals; so important was this that the High Priest would wear bells that would sound when he moved and a rope for others to pull his body out of the Holy of Holies should he die therein.
The curtain was ripped/torn from top to bottom, which is symbolic of God reaching down to man; the ripping was between the Holy of Holies and the rest of the temple; signifying man’s access to God; and lastly the timing thereof when Jesus died, thus paying the Debt of Sin for all of humanity who would choose to accept it, and sealing that people to be God’s [as priests and kings, as mentioned in various places in the New Testament].
Wooaah! Zombies.....
AMEN!!
There is no reason it would not be. I think it was saved by his mother or the other Mary, most likely the mother. She then passed it down to other generations.
There has not ever will be a caring mother who would not want to keep something that their child touched. I know, I am one of them.
This is the exact theory developed by the late Anthony Alfieri in his book The Darkness at the Crucifixion.
Sadly, the book was self-published and the author passed away before being able to make arrangements for its publication after his death.
If a Roman centurion feared greatly, it would have been one scary, eerie event.
Sometimes I think we are so familiar with the Easter event that its impact slips by us too quickly.
I would appreciate a ping when you do post them
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