# How do we figure Jesus was dead for 3 days? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 9, 2009, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-we-figure-jesus-was-dead-for-3-days/492544 "2009-04-09T18:19:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2009, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-we-figure-jesus-was-dead-for-3-days/492544/21 "2009-04-09T20:07:52Z")
Remember too that there was no zero at the time. ---
**Author:** ![JFLuvly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ac91a4/32.png) [@JFLuvly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JFLuvly)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2009, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-we-figure-jesus-was-dead-for-3-days/492544/22 "2009-04-09T21:22:06Z")
If you watch the movie Zeitgeist, they have what appears to be a logical explanation for three days. ---
**Author:** ![Schadenfreude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac8455/32.png) [@Schadenfreude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schadenfreude)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2009, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-we-figure-jesus-was-dead-for-3-days/492544/23 "2009-04-09T22:12:38Z")
Think of it like a hotel stay. He couldn’t check in until the afternoon on Friday, and he had to check out on Sunday morning so housekeeping could take care of the tomb. Three days, two nights, just like the travel agent says. Although, given that he apparently did not leave his room all day Saturday, I have to imagine that the minibar bill was outrageous. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2009, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-we-figure-jesus-was-dead-for-3-days/492544/24 "2009-04-09T22:26:57Z")
> [@Schadenfreude](#): > > Although, given that he apparently did not leave his room all day Saturday, I have to imagine that the minibar bill was outrageous. What, with a faucet full of water? ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2009, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-we-figure-jesus-was-dead-for-3-days/492544/25 "2009-04-09T22:54:56Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > It’s the same sort of math used for a 3 day jail sentence, where one ends up checking in at 11:58 PM on a Friday night, and leaving 12:02 AM on a Sunday morning. I was just going to post this as well. It’s a way of counting days that is quite common. And considering that the phrase in the [Apostle’s Creed](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostles'_Creed#The_Church_of_England) just before the “rose again” phrase is “he descended into hell”, it has some similarities. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-we-figure-jesus-was-dead-for-3-days/492544/26 "2009-04-10T02:36:30Z")
Well, it gets complicated if you take the Sign of Jonah into consideration. Jesus said: “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly, so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Mt 12:40) So…three days AND three nights? I’ve wondered the same thing as the OP for a long time. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-we-figure-jesus-was-dead-for-3-days/492544/27 "2009-04-10T03:56:12Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > “et resurrexit tertia die” (and was resurrected on the third day) > > Not sure which part of the original Greek this is the Latin translation of… Καὶ ἀναστάντα τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ _Kai anastanta tē tritē hēmera_ [Nicene Creed](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicene_Creed#Greek_text) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-we-figure-jesus-was-dead-for-3-days/492544.md?page=1)