The Hour of the Crucifixion
While all of the Gospel accounts record the events surrounding Jesus’ sacrifice in slightly varying detail, only two reference the “hour” of the crucifixion: Mark 15:25 and John 19:14. What time He was crucified may not seem that important to the casual reader of the gospel narratives. Still, to opponents of the inerrancy of the Bible, it can quickly become the crux of that particular argument. Thus, it is incumbent upon us that we become familiar with the passages and the associative evidence, for we must “…be prepared in season and out of season, to correct, rebuke and encourage…” (2 Timothy 4:2). In this article, I will present two plausible answers to this problem.
Before proceeding forward, we must address the fact that people of Jesus’ day did not have the focus on time that we now hold. They dealt with time in generalities rather than exactness. This lack of focus on the exactness of time is still practiced by most of the world. My time in Rwanda and Burundi gave me a life lesson in that very thing. The importance of people and events far outweighs the promptness and punctuality of time. Because of this lack of focus on time, what we find is almost a grating on the Western mind. We are so used to documenting all events concerning the hour and minute hand that when studying ancient writings, the Bible is one of those, it causes no slight dismay to discover that this information is lacking.
Roman Timekeeping of Today
Also of note is that two different types of timekeeping were practiced in Palestine 2000 years ago. The Hebrew method, which, of course, was practiced by the Jewish peoples, and the method utilized by the Romans. The Jewish method of keeping track of the daylight hours began at dawn and ran to sundown. At sundown, with the appearance of the first two stars, the night hours began, and this was the start of a new day.
In the mode of timekeeping utilized by the Gentiles (which we still use today), the new day began at midnight. The first half of the day ran from midnight to noon and the remainder from noon to midnight. Our abbreviations of AM and PM designate the hours between midnight and noon and then noon to midnight. AM is an abbreviation of the Latin “Ante Meridiem,” which means “before midday,” or rather, before noon, while “Post Meridiem” is Latin for “after midday” or afternoon.” It is, of course, abbreviated PM.
Jewish Timekeeping in the Bible
We find evidence of how first-century Jews divided time as we study the Gospels. In Matthew 20:1-16 Jesus told the parable of the vinedressers. In that account, we are provided with general reference points/divisions of time: Early morning = 6 AM, third hour = 9 AM, sixth hour = noon, ninth hour = 3 PM, and the twelfth hour = 6 PM (the eleventh hour is mentioned in this parable). Also, in Mark 13:35, Jesus spoke of His second coming. There we find the divisions of time in the night: Early evening = 6 PM (1st watch), late evening = 9 PM (2nd watch) (this division, though not specifically referred to, can be inferred), midnight = 12 AM (3rd watch), rooster crowing = 3 AM (4th watch), morning = 6 AM. We must remember that these time divisions could vary by as much as an hour and a half either way. Remember, these are generalities, not specific points in time. One person relaying the time of day may round up to the nearest division, and another may round down.
There is supporting evidence that John employed the Roman method of timekeeping, which is found early on in his book in John 1:35-39. In these passages, John the Baptist is with two of his disciples, and we are told that Jesus invited these disciples to spend the day with Him. John records the time as “…about the tenth hour of the day.” If John had been employing Jewish time, it would have been approx. 4:00 PM, and only two hours would be left in the day. Thus, John’s inclusion of the statement that the disciples “…remained with Him that day…” would not make sense. However, on the Roman clock, the tenth hour would have been 10 AM, which clarifies John’s record that the disciples were with Jesus “…that day…”
What Time Did Jesus Die?
As we already learned, the two passages in question regarding the time of the Crucifixion are Mark 15:25: “Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him.” And John 19:14, “Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour…” Mark was undoubtedly using the Jewish method, and we can deduce that in Mark’s record, “…the third hour… would have been generally 9 AM, but, as previously pointed out, the exact time could vary greatly, and it could have been as early as 7:30 AM or as late as 10:30 AM.
When we look at John’s account, recognizing that he is using Roman time, we find that the “…the sixth hour…” would be a time reference to 6 AM, which, using the same “flexible time” logic as applied to Mark’s record, the time could be anywhere between 4:30 AM and 7:30 AM. However, the earlier time is not feasible because it is still considered night until sunrise. Considering these variables, the two-time accounts line up nicely at 7:30 AM. In addition, Mark 15:1 adds a little more supporting evidence when he states, “Immediately, in the morning…they bound Jesus…and delivered Him to Pilate.” The words, “Immediately in the morning…” indicate that the Jewish religious elite were prompt in taking Jesus to Pilate as soon as the sun was up.
While this answers the supposed contradiction, an additional response is just as plausible. When we read John’s account, we read, “Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour…” (John 19:14) John is not referring to the time Jesus was crucified, but when Pilate brought Him out to the crowd, and in Roman time, the 6th hr. would be 6 AM. It should also be noted that this immediately follows the scourging by the soldiers. From Jesus’ trial before Pilate, which we know was called “The Pavement,” to Golgotha, it is estimated to have been between a half to three-quarters of a mile. He was forced to carry His cross, at least part of the way. Whether its construction was in the traditional form or believed to have been utilized at that time (stipe and patibulum), the cross could have weighed up to 165 pounds in the former and 80 pounds in the latter (patibulum-crossbeam). At some point in His arduous journey, Joseph of Arimathea was called to assist Him.
Because of the injuries Jesus sustained during the repeated beatings the scourging, and add to the fact that He was suffering from sleep deprivation, massive blood loss, and dehydration, His travel down the Via Delarosa would have been tediously slow and wrought with missteps, stumbles, falls, and possibly more beatings. The time it took Him to travel that short distance would have been greatly exacerbated by the sufferings He was now enduring. A one-and-a-half to three-hour journey to Golgotha is realistic. That, taken into account with the lack of exact timing, correlates very well with Mark 15:25, “…it was the third hour, and they Crucified Him.”
I will reiterate what I said at the beginning, that we must be prepared to defend any supposed contradictions and be able to provide a defense for what it is we believe. Many people walk through this life not knowing Christ or are actively resistant to Him, but a believer's patient, love-infused explanations can help steer those many toward Him.
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