Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-05-26

not the synoptlcs have the correct date,
and Jesus could not have been crucihed
on the 18th OF Nissan, second, that we
must choose between April 6, A. d. 10,
and April 8, A. ID, 49,
10 decide between these two We must
appeal to other data taken from Luke
and John. Christ began his pubic
ministry, according TO Luke, in imme.
dlato connection with the activity OF
john the Baptist, and the latter began
ID In the fifteenth year Of rlbeiius ~
at the time when Pontlus Plate was
ruler In Judeai 90 when Herod was
tetrarch IN Galilee; (D when Hefod
brother Philip was tetrarch In ltureoh'
etc. cd whom Lysanias was tetrarch IN
Abilene, and (O when Annas anu
Calaphas were high priests, These data
TX the time between August H. ~ ~
IS, and August IS, A. n, %.
According 10 John II 20. the jews
said TO Christ. when Tie entered upon
Ills ministry. that the Temple had been
I'm process OF erection forty-siN years
This brings us 20 the year 2l-2S. since
Chat. according to Luke, was engaged
IN Hls ministry for one year--accordins
10 John two on three yeats--bolh writ
ers have taken the year 80 as the year
of Ills death. Accordingly we can WIN
good reason regard Friday April A.
y 30, as the date OF the crucliiNion'
The Literary Digest refers also to an
article IN Chrlsuiche Welt which en-
deayors 10 show that the method pur-
sued by Prof. Achells IS faulty, but adj
mits that his conclusion Is correct, ana
therefore It supports the announcement
that the date Of the cuclhxion was
Friday April G, A. D. 30. This Is the
translation IN the Digest
"The Jewish month is not q fixed date
Ike the Roman month 1t went rom
new moon to new moon or better lroUl
the time when the new moon became
visible to the next time this occurred
II is accordingly only q OF - days long,
and twelve months "a accordingly not
a solar year but only J5l days. Ac-
cordingly, at least once every three
years the Jews had to add an inter-
calary month The Jewish year began
In string with the month OF Nisan. II
the month begins with the new moon
then the full moon falls upon the l4th'
18th The month OF Nissan, as the FIRST
spring month, was SO arranged that us
full moon fell after the vernal equinox.
lin this way the beginning Of Nisan ana
the beginning OF the year were deter
mined with reasonable certainty But
there are two ways Of determining the
first Of Nissan. and we no longer know
which of these two ways the jewish
almanac. makers observed. DID they
adopt the most reliable way, namely
Of counting backward from the fun
moon to the frst9 This Is probably the
case. but. If so. then they were at times
compelled as is seen by glance at our
own calendar. 10 begin the first OF
Nissan before the new moon had really
become visible But II they followed the
more uncertain way, namely, not to
declare the first Of Nissan until
they really had seen the new moon then
the latter dates Of the month could also
hive been changed. Much Of this call
culution. therefore, Is uncertain since
In case OF cloudy weather the new moon
would be seen later than In clear,
Nevertheless, careful comparison OF
these calculations with the two chron-
illogical data concerning the beginning
OF thflSlS ministry lNdud W Ahf NNh7
chsion that Christs death occurred on
Friday April G. A. d. 80"
II ls not at all unlikely that this con-
cluslon will be disputed by other as.
tronomers and theorists But these
calculations win be of interest to Bible
students and TO Others who believe In
the divine mission, II not the Divinity
Of Jesus Of Nazareth. The question
Ms to His ciodhead. however, Is settled
beyond debate in the Book Of Mormon,
to those who believe that wonderful
record what it purports to be- We give
tho views and calculations Of the Ger
man pundlts for what they are worth.
with the remark that the conclusion
reached as to the birth OF Christ, by
Prof. Orson Pratt have never so far as
we have heard, been scientifically con-
troverted