unknown4

I know that, in theory, there were only so many years in which Jesus could have been crucified if one believes he was crucified when Pilate was procurator of Judea. 26-37 CE I suppose would be the years. My question is, how do we know what year the temple was destroyed? I've read a Jewish view is that it happened in 68 CE. Does Josephus or anyone else give a specific year? The Catholic encyclopedia says tradition says Jesus was crucified 42 years before the destruction of the temple, http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08377a.htm

I have noticed that there perhaps seems to be a desire to have Jesus being crucified in 30 CE and the temple being destroyed in 70 CE, perhaps to give a nice correlation in dates, and to make the time frame exactly 40 years, as 40 seems to be an important time frame in the Bible.. 40 days and 40 nights, the Hebrews being 40 years in the wilderness, and other references to 40 in the Bible. Any thoughts on this? Thanks.

Sarpedon

Doesn't the Triumphal Arch of Septimus Severus in Rome have a date on it?

Doug Shaver

I have never seen such a desire expressed by anyone, and I've done a whole big bunch of reading on the subject.

The date of the temple's destruction is well attested in contemporary sources.

The date of Jesus' crucifixion (assuming it actually occurred) is inferred from gospel assertions that he was about 30 when he began his ministry and that his ministry lasted at most about three years.

Steven Avery

Check the preterist literature. You should find it there fairly easily.

Also throw the Talmud references in the mix.
The strange events began 40 years before the destruction of the Temple.

Shalom,
Steven Avery
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Messianic_Apologetic

Julian

The Arch of Titus, which is still standing in Rome near the forum, commemorates the Roman arrival in Jerusalem. The date of the temple destruction is pretty solid.

Julian