Volker.Doormann

There is never an eclipse on passover!

Passover is celebrated each year on full moon day 14 days after new moon event. With this new moon begins the Hebrew spring month 'Nisan' on the Jewish moon calendar. An eclipse can occur only on new moon day, never on full moon day.

Volker

Mageth

Good point, Volker.

beth

Ah! There you go! Guess the sky darkening was just a sham.

Biff the unclean

But that still leaves us with the problem of all of those zombies wandering around.

Volker.Doormann

If the writer of the this gospel was aware about the possover conditions of sun and moon, then this can be taken as hint, that the gospel is a myth. If the writer of the gospel was not aware about the passover conditions of sun and moon, then this can be taken as a hint, that the gospel is not based on history.

Volker

Mageth

<devil's advocate>I guess it could also be that the writer of the gospel wasn't assuming it was a solar eclipse that darkened the sun. Clouds do it as well, after all. </devil's advocate>

Flynn McKerrow

Yeah...you'd think the Romans would have recorded this very strange event. Too bad no one has ever found evidence that this actually happened.

Biff the unclean

Volker, I think that you may not be taking into context how the mind of that period worked. The very fact that the claims that are made for the abilities of Jesus are impossible is the point of the whole thing. He's what would be called today a Super-hero. He can do the impossible, and that's what makes him cool. The sun doesn't go out because of an eclipse. It goes out because it feels bad over what's happening.
The miracles are the most embarrassing part about Christianity. They show plainly that the claims of historicity are false to the more enlighten mind of the present. And this tends to over shadow those parts of the philosophy which are worth listening to.

Volker.Doormann

Some years prior to this year 1 B.C. a greek writer has stated this:
" Beam of the Sun! O thou that seest from afar, what wilt thou be devising? O mother of mine eyes! O star supreme, reft from us in the daytime! Why has thou perplexed the power of man and the way of wisdom by rushing forth on a darksome track? Art thou bringing a sign of some war, or wasting of produce, or an unspeakably violent snow-storm, or fatal faction, or again, some overflowing of the sea on the plain, or frost to bind the earth, or heat of the south wind streaming with raging rain? Or wilt thou, by deluging the land, cause the race of men to begin anew? I in no wise lament whate'er I shall suffer with the rest!"

"God can cause unsullied light to spring out of black night. He can also shroud in a dark cloud of gloom the pure light of day"

Both these quotation probably refer to the solar eclipse of 30 April 463 BC, which was nearly total at Thebes. Pinder (Greek poet) Ninth Paean, addressed to the Thebans.

Maybe this gives an impression of the feelings about a total eclipse in that time.

Volker

Volker.Doormann

I do not care about the 'Hollywood' parts in the Gospels. I think the core teachings of 'Jesus' as they are best argued in the Gospel of Thomas are only of any relevance. But this is another theme.

Volker