How old was Jesus when he was said to be crucified?

[monavis]

I was told Jesus died at age 33. Is there any authentic date, and how did they arrive at that date?

John the baptist was said to have been born in 7 BC so Jesus would have been born in 6 BC as Mary was said to visit John’s mother who was expecting John, That would make them no more than 9 months apart. The new Testement writer has Jesus start His preaching at the age of 30 which would make it 24AD 4 years before John’s death.

[Mr.Kobayashi]

Regarding His birth:

It is clear that Christ was born before Herod the Great’s death and after the census. In looking at the birth narratives of Matthew and Luke one would need to conclude that Christ was born of Mary within a year or two of Herod’s death. In looking to some of the other chronological notations in the gospels, the evidence led to the conclusion that Christ was born in the winter of 5/4 B.C. Although the exact date of Christ’s birth cannot be known, either December, 5 B.C. or January, 4 B.C. is most reasonable.

Regarding His Crucifixion:

The date of the crucifixion of Christ has been greatly debated. Scholars have dated it anywhere from A.D. 21 to 36.

In order to attempt to come to a concrete date, one must examine all the evidence at hand. First, it was seen that the officials at Christ’s trial were Caiaphas and Pilate who were in office simultaneously from A.D. 26 to 36. This eliminates the A.D. 21 date. Next in examining the day of crucifixion, it was concluded that it occurred on Friday, Nisan 14. With the help of astronomy the only possible years on which Friday, Nisan 14 occurred were A.D. 27, 30, 33, and 36. One can eliminate A.D. 27 and 36 when one looks at the ministry of Christ, leaving only A.D. 30 and 33 as feasible dates. However, upon further examining the evidence of astronomy and the life of Christ the most viable date for the death of Christ was A.D. 33. This date is confirmed when one looks into history for it not only fills several passages of the gospels with meaning but it also prevents the charge that the gospels are inaccurate in some parts of the passion narrative.

Here, then, is the case for the A.D. 33 date for the crucifixion date of our Lord.

How old was Jesus when he was crucified? | Bible.org

Given the sketchy dates of his birth and the fact that we don’t know for sure when exactly the crucifixion was either it’s difficult to give a definitive answer (see also; Chronology of Jesus - Wikipedia). He was most likely in his thirties though.

[ftg]

John 8:57: “Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?”

Now, while being 12 could be classified as “not yet fifty”, one can assume that the taunters weren’t that much into hyperbole. Jesus might have even turned 50 before the Big Event. John contradicts the other gospels quite often in such regards.

[pseudotriton_ruber_ruber]

Old enough to know better?

[Peter_Morris]

Luke 3:23 - The Genealogy of Jesus

@Luke 3:23

Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry.

He was crucified about three years later.

[Diogenes_the_Cynic]

The tradition that Jesus was crucified at age 33 comes from a combination of the fact that Mark says he began his ministry at 30, and John says his ministry occurred over at least three Passovers. There is no clear statement in the Gospels of how old he was ehen he died, or what the date was, other than that it happened when Pilate was Prefect (26-36 CE).

The Gospels give conflicting birth dates for Jesus. Matthew places his birth during the reign of Herod the Great, who died in 4 BCE, and implies that Jesus might have already been at least two years old when Herod died.

Luke places the birth ten years later during the Census of Quirinius in 6 CE.

Extra-Biblical evidence gives no information as to the dates of Jesus’ birth or execution, but Josephus and Tacitus both say he was crucified by Pilate, so that again leaves us with a window of 26-36 CE, at an age which (according to the Gospels) could have been anywhere from 20-40.

It’s likely that he was at least 30 when he started his ministry, since that was the age at which a man could be accepted as a rabbi and a teacher.

There is no definitive answer to this, but scholarship tends to put the crucifixion around 30 CE, with an preseumed age for Jesus in his early 30’s, but the Bible never actually says he was 33.

One Church Father, Irenaeus, actually said that Jesus was over 50 when he died.

[Chronos]

John the baptist was said to have been born in 7 BC so Jesus would have been born in 6 BC as Mary was said to visit John’s mother who was expecting John, That would make them no more than 9 months apart.

You’re reasoning backwards, there. Any information we have on when John was born comes from what we otherwise know about Jesus and the relative timing of their births. Incidentally, we can be a bit more precise than “within 9 months apart”: During the Annunciation, when Mary became pregnant, the angel tells her

And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.

[Skammer]

@Diogenes_the_Cynic

The tradition that Jesus was crucified at age 33 comes from a combination of the fact that Mark says he began his ministry at 30, and John says his ministry occurred over at least three Passovers.

John apparently played a little fast-and-loose with the chronology of Jesus’ ministry (unless you think Jesus cleansed the temple twice). It wasn’t his goal to lay out a biography of Jesus. The three years is not really very reliable, even assuming that the Gospels themselves are relatively reliable accounts.

[Diogenes_the_Cynic]

@Chronos

You’re reasoning backwards, there. Any information we have on when John was born comes from what we otherwise know about Jesus and the relative timing of their births. Incidentally, we can be a bit more precise than “within 9 months apart”: During the Annunciation, when Mary became pregnant, the angel tells her

The Annunciation scene doesn’t actually say that Mary had conceived yet, only that she WILL at some unnamed point in the future (“You will conceive in your womb and bear a son…the Holy Spirit will come upon you…”). After relating the birth of John the Baptist, and saying he (JBap) grew up and went into the desert, Luke then jumps to the census and Joseph and Mary travelling to Bethlehem without specifying how much time had passed or telling us when she had conceived relative to John.

[Markxxx]

Don’t forget those were “metric years”

[monavis]

@Diogenes_the_Cynic

The Annunciation scene doesn’t actually say that Mary had conceived yet, only that she WILL at some unnamed point in the future (“You will conceive in your womb and bear a son…the Holy Spirit will come upon you…”). After relating the birth of John the Baptist, and saying he (JBap) grew up and went into the desert, Luke then jumps to the census and Joseph and Mary travelling to Bethlehem without specifying how much time had passed or telling us when she had conceived relative to John.

In Luke Chapter 1 verse 42; Elizabeth cries out in a loud voice saying," Blessed are you among women,and blessed is the fruit of thy womb." This would indicate that Mary had already concieved. If this is so, then Jesus would have been thirty in 24 AD and could not have died at age 33 because he would have died before John The Baptist. According to World Book John died in 28 AD, Jesus would have been 33 in about 27 AD.

In the case of Jesus birth it is known that Herod The Great had died in 4 BC and the children were supposed to have been slaughtered were all under 2 years of age(although this is also very doubtful that it really occured).

Herod’s son Herod died in 40 AD if there was a way to find an event between that and Jesus death as recorded then perhaps one could have more to go on.

I would imagine after all the different translations over theyears etc. exact dates would not be easy to determine except for some historian who lived in that period could mention an event or a person that could be verified.

[monavis]

@Diogenes_the_Cynic

The tradition that Jesus was crucified at age 33 comes from a combination of the fact that Mark says he began his ministry at 30, and John says his ministry occurred over at least three Passovers. There is no clear statement in the Gospels of how old he was ehen he died, or what the date was, other than that it happened when Pilate was Prefect (26-36 CE).

The Gospels give conflicting birth dates for Jesus. Matthew places his birth during the reign of Herod the Great, who died in 4 BCE, and implies that Jesus might have already been at least two years old when Herod died.

Luke places the birth ten years later during the Census of Quirinius in 6 CE.

Extra-Biblical evidence gives no information as to the dates of Jesus’ birth or execution, but Josephus and Tacitus both say he was crucified by Pilate, so that again leaves us with a window of 26-36 CE, at an age which (according to the Gospels) could have been anywhere from 20-40.

It’s likely that he was at least 30 when he started his ministry, since that was the age at which a man could be accepted as a rabbi and a teacher.

There is no definitive answer to this, but scholarship tends to put the crucifixion around 30 CE, with an preseumed age for Jesus in his early 30’s, but the Bible never actually says he was 33.

One Church Father, Irenaeus, actually said that Jesus was over 50 when he died.

I believe that Josephus did not live during the time Jesus was said to live, Was said to be born in about 37 Ad-100 AD if this is so his information is second hand at best.

Tacitus was born even later than Josephus. So he also would have had second hand information. I wonder if there is some person who is recorded that witnessed Jesus other than the Apostles who would have been able to give any information. I haven’t been able to detect ony one!

[Chronos]

If this is so, then Jesus would have been thirty in 24 AD and could not have died at age 33 because he would have died before John The Baptist. According to World Book John died in 28 AD, Jesus would have been 33 in about 27 AD.

You do realize, do you not, that the World Book Encyclopedia is not a source of information about anything, especially not about anything that happened nearly two thousand years before it was first published? If World Book says that John the Baptist died in 28 AD, then that’s based on some scholar’s extrapolation of dates from the Gospel events, probably including the dates presumed for Jesus’ birth and death. You can’t use John’s dates to tell us anything about Jesus, because John’s dates are just as uncertain, or more so.

[Liberal]

What is “CE”?

[alphaboi867]

@Liberal

What is “CE”?

Common Era.

[SurveyorAlpha]

Synonymous with “AD”.

[Elendil_s_Heir]

@alphaboi867

Common Era.

Which is the more politically-correct notation among many if not all historians for what used to be called Anno Domini or A.D.

[Diogenes_the_Cynic]

It can also stand for “christian Era.” It’s more about being historically correct than “politically correct.” Jesus was not born in 1 CE.

I don’t know what the World Book bases that death for John the Baptist on, but it doesn’t come from any actual historical data. The closest thing we have to a historical date for the death of John the Baptist comes from Josephus, who implies that h died in 36 CE (i.e after Jesus, rather than before as the Gospels would have it).

[Diogenes_the_Cynic]

@monavis

I believe that Josephus did not live during the time Jesus was said to live, Was said to be born in about 37 Ad-100 AD if this is so his information is second hand at best.

Tacitus was born even later than Josephus. So he also would have had second hand information. I wonder if there is some person who is recorded that witnessed Jesus other than the Apostles who would have been able to give any information. I haven’t been able to detect ony one!

There are no known eyewitness accounts of Jesus. If the Apostles wrote anything, we no longer have it.

[Diogenes_the_Cynic]

@monavis

In Luke Chapter 1 verse 42; Elizabeth cries out in a loud voice saying," Blessed are you among women,and blessed is the fruit of thy womb." This would indicate that Mary had already concieved. If this is so, then Jesus would have been thirty in 24 AD and could not have died at age 33 because he would have died before John The Baptist. According to World Book John died in 28 AD, Jesus would have been 33 in about 27 AD.

In the case of Jesus birth it is known that Herod The Great had died in 4 BC and the children were supposed to have been slaughtered were all under 2 years of age(although this is also very doubtful that it really occured).

Herod’s son Herod died in 40 AD if there was a way to find an event between that and Jesus death as recorded then perhaps one could have more to go on.

I would imagine after all the different translations over theyears etc. exact dates would not be easy to determine except for some historian who lived in that period could mention an event or a person that could be verified.

There are some names in the Gospels that can be verified – Pilate, Herod the great, Herod Antipas, Quirinius. There are no translation problems. we have the original Greek. The Gospels just aren’t precise (or, as in the case of the birth dates, contradictory).

The only thing close we have to contempory historical confirmation that Jesus even existed comes from Joesephus and Tacitus, who both tell us that Jesus was the founder of the Christian cult, that he was executed by Pilate, and virtually nothing else.