What Caused the Three Hour Darkness at Jesus’ Execution? – An Eclipse?
“Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour”—Matthew 27:45 ESV
“And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour”—Mark 15:33 ESV
“It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour”—Luke 23:44 ESV
Starting right in the middle of the day, when the sunlight is the very brightest, from about noontime until about 3 PM, on the day Jesus was executed, a mysterious darkness covered “the whole land” (Greek, “ge”), meaning Jerusalem and the surrounding area of Judea. Three extra-Biblical ancient historians, Thallus, Phlegon, and Africanus, also mentioned this three hour period of darkness in their writings
This darkness could not have been a solar eclipse, as some have imagined. Why not? Because solar eclipses only occur at new moon, such as the Great North American eclipse on April 8, 2024. Jesus was executed “at the time of the Passover” (John 18:39 NIV). When did the Passover occur?
“The fourteenth day of the first month, at twilight, is the Passover of Yahweh”—Leviticus 23:5 NJB
“The first of every month” was “at each new moon during the year” (Numbers 28:11,14 NIV). The priests would “sound the ram’s horn at the New Moon” (Psalm 81:3 NIV), that is, when the first sliver of the new moon was observed low in the eastern sky at sunset, the first day of the month would be announced by blowing the horns. Fourteen days from the sighting of the first sliver of the new moon is either on the day the the astronomical full moon, or the day before. The point is that the day Jesus died was at the full moon, not the new moon, so there could not have been a solar eclipse on that day.
Therefore, the gospel writers, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, quoted above, were not asserting that an eclipse took place on the day Jesus died. They only reported the fact that “there was darkness over the whole land” for about three hours, without any explanation why it occurred. The word they used, “ecleipo,” simply means that the sun was obscured, that’s all. Matthew the Apostle was surely an eyewitness to the events during the time of Jesus’ execution. Mark seems to have recorded eyewitness Peter’s memoirs (1 Peter 5:13; 2 Peter 1:16), and Luke researched, interviewed, and recorded, statements from many eyewitnesses (Luke 1:1-3).
Total solar eclipses can only last 7 1/2 minutes, at the absolute maximum, far less time than three hours. While partial solar eclipses can last three hours, they never completely obscure the sun’s light, so the daylight continues throughout the entire time of a partial solar eclipse. Thus, the astronomical and historical facts completely eliminate any possibility of a solar eclipse.
Some, without any supporting evidence, have speculated that very thick clouds, or a sandstorm, or a volcanic eruption, may have caused the three hour darkness. However, the gospels writers say nothing about any thick clouds or sandstorm or volcanic ash occurring on the day of Jesus’ execution. The Old Testament reports three occasions when God’s power over earth’s sun was displayedt:
Back during the time when the Israelites were in Egypt, “Yahweh” (Exodus 10:21 NJB) miraculously intervened, and “total darkness covered all the land of Egypt for three days. No one could see anyone else or move about for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived” (Exodus 10:22,23 NIV). This “total darkness . . . for three days” was obviously no natural phenomena. It was miraculous!
After the Israelites entered the promised land, when they were conquering Canaanite armies, to enable they to completely rout a powerful coalition allied against them, God intervened miraculously in their behalf, “the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. There has never been a day like it before or since” (Joshua 10:15,16 NIV).
God’s power over the sun was again demonstrated hundreds of years later, during the time of Judean King Hezekiah, “the prophet Isaiah then called on Yahweh, who made the declining sun on the steps–the steps to Ahaz’s room–go back ten steps” (2 Kings 20:11 NJB). “This was a geographically localized miracle, nonetheless spectacular, but not involving the reversal of the earth’s rotation, which would have affected the entire world” (Ryrie Study Bible note on 2 Kings 20:11).
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,” including “the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night” (Genesis 1:1,14 NIV). God has always had complete control over all the natural elements and phenomena in the universe that he created. Therefore, his control over sunlight during the time of Jesus’ execution, would be well within his capability, even though we do not know how he caused the three hour darkness that began at midday.
One thought on “What Caused the Three Hour Darkness at Jesus’ Execution? – An Eclipse?”
BA: “Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour”—Matthew 27:45 ESV
GW: How dark? This would have been 12 noon to 3 PM our time. The author could be describing just a cloudy day in the early afternoon or could have been fabricating an embellishment.
BA: “And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour”—Mark 15:33 ESV
GW: The whole land? What does that mean? What area? It couldn’t have been the entire Earth.
BA: “It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour”—Luke 23:44 ESV
GW: There is some consistency in three of the gospels on this detail. Does John include this detail?
BA: Starting right in the middle of the day, when the sunlight is the very brightest, from about noontime until about 3 PM, on the day Jesus was executed, a mysterious darkness covered “the whole land” (Greek, “ge”), meaning Jerusalem and the surrounding area of Judea. Three extra-Biblical ancient historians, Thallus, Phlegon, and Africanus, also mentioned this three hour period of darkness in their writings
GW: It can get pretty dark when it is rainy or looks like rain. None of the accounts says “totally dark so that only the stars and moon lit the sky.”
BA: This darkness could not have been a solar eclipse, as some have imagined. Why not? Because solar eclipses only occur at new moon, such as the Great North American eclipse on April 8, 2024.
GW: I agree. The description doesn’t fit a solar eclipse.
BA: Jesus was executed “at the time of the Passover” (John 18:39 NIV). When did the Passover occur? “The fourteenth day of the first month, at twilight, is the Passover of Yahweh”—Leviticus 23:5 NJB
BA: “The first of every month” was “at each new moon during the year” (Numbers 28:11,14 NIV). The priests would “sound the ram’s horn at the New Moon” (Psalm 81:3 NIV), that is, when the first sliver of the new moon was observed low in the eastern sky at sunset, the first day of the month would be announced by blowing the horns. Fourteen days from the sighting of the first sliver of the new moon is either on the day the the astronomical full moon, or the day before. The point is that the day Jesus died was at the full moon, not the new moon, so there could not have been a solar eclipse on that day.
GW: Eclipses do not obey religious rituals or religious holidays. Some religious cults interpret eclipses in a religious way. In fact, ancient peoples tended to interpret anything they didn’t understand as “an act of God or the gods.”
BA: Therefore, the gospel writers, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, quoted above, were not asserting that an eclipse took place on the day Jesus died. They only reported the fact that “there was darkness over the whole land” for about three hours, without any explanation why it occurred. The word they used, “ecleipo,” simply means that the sun was obscured, that’s all.
GW: Sure, the sun could have been obscured by clouds for three hours.
BA: Matthew the Apostle was surely an eyewitness to the events during the time of Jesus’ execution.
GW: According to the Gospels, no disciples or apostles were present at the crucifixion itself. The author of Matthew, whoever he was, was also not present. Didn’t you watch the video by Bart Erhman on Gospel authorship?
BA: Mark seems to have recorded eyewitness Peter’s memoirs (1 Peter 5:13; 2 Peter 1:16),
GW: Mark was not an eyewitness. Watch the video.
BA: and Luke researched, interviewed, and recorded, statements from many eyewitnesses (Luke 1:1-3).
GW: Probably not. He names no informants. He definitely was not an eyewitness. Watch the video.
BA: Total solar eclipses can only last 7 1/2 minutes, at the absolute maximum, far less time than three hours. While partial solar eclipses can last three hours, they never completely obscure the sun’s light, so the daylight continues throughout the entire time of a partial solar eclipse. Thus, the astronomical and historical facts completely eliminate any possibility of a solar eclipse.
GW: I think we agree that the authors were not referring to a solar eclipse. The description just doesn’t fit.
BA: Some, without any supporting evidence, have speculated that very thick clouds, or a sandstorm, or a volcanic eruption, may have caused the three hour darkness.
GW: Those are all possibilities. Yes, they could last for three hours and obscure the sun.
BA: However, the gospels writers say nothing about any thick clouds or sandstorm or volcanic ash occurring on the day of Jesus’ execution. The Old Testament reports three occasions when God’s power over earth’s sun was displayedt:
GW: If the sky was as dark as at night for three hours during the middle of the day, then this would be a violation of natural law, and if it were caused by God, it would be a miracle. But God does not exist, and so it could not be a miracle. Maybe it was some trick perpetrated by aliens. Ha. Or maybe it was a fabrication by the authors. Yep, the latter is the most likely.
BA: Back during the time when the Israelites were in Egypt, “Yahweh” (Exodus 10:21 NJB) miraculously intervened, and “total darkness covered all the land of Egypt for three days. No one could see anyone else or move about for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived” (Exodus 10:22,23 NIV). This “total darkness . . . for three days” was obviously no natural phenomena. It was miraculous!
GW: Nope. This could not be a miracle since a miracle requires the existence of God, and God does not exist.
BA: After the Israelites entered the promised land, when they were conquering Canaanite armies, to enable they to completely rout a powerful coalition allied against them, God intervened miraculously in their behalf, “the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. There has never been a day like it before or since” (Joshua 10:15,16 NIV).
GW: Most likely a fabrication.
BA: God’s power over the sun was again demonstrated hundreds of years later, during the time of Judean King Hezekiah, “the prophet Isaiah then called on Yahweh, who made the declining sun on the steps–the steps to Ahaz’s room–go back ten steps” (2 Kings 20:11 NJB). “This was a geographically localized miracle, nonetheless spectacular, but not involving the reversal of the earth’s rotation, which would have affected the entire world” (Ryrie Study Bible note on 2 Kings 20:11).
GW: A miracle is defined as “an event which violates a natural law and is caused by God.” First, there is no good evidence that a natural law has ever been violated. And secondly, we now know that God does not exist; this has been proven. (A few years ago there was a report that a particle had traveled faster than the speed of light down a long tunnel, I think, in France and Italy. But the experiment could not be replicated. So, no violation of natural law.)
BA: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,” including “the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night” (Genesis 1:1,14 NIV).
GW: There is no good evidence that anybody, let alone God, created our universe. Nobody has observed anybody create a universe. But if God did exist and he revealed himself to humanity, I would ask him to create a mini-universe right in front of us, and he would do it. That would be a real miracle.
BA: God has always had complete control over all the natural elements and phenomena in the universe that he created.
GW: If God did exist, he would not only be all-powerful but he would have created the entire cosmos. But alas, he doesn’t exist! This has been proven by many sound arguments.
BA: Therefore, his control over sunlight during the time of Jesus’ execution, would be well within his capability, even though we do not know how he caused the three hour darkness that began at midday.
GW: I think the Gospel writers intended to fabricate (and did fabricate) a miracle around the time of the crucifixion so that they could impress and prepare people with their fabrication of their next miracle – the alleged resurrection of Jesus.