the astronomy of easter

easter = the first sunday AFTER

the first full moon AFTER

the first day of spring

friday ------- saturday ------- sunday

mar 20 --------- mar 2l -------------- mar 22

full moon ----- spring --------------- is not easter

easter won't occur until there is another full moon - the first one AFTER the first day of spring.

That's 29-ish days after the March 20th full moon :
so Sunday, Apr 19th would be easter.

now we look at another year

friday ----- saturday --- sunday

mar 21 ------- mar 22 -------- mar 23

spring ------- full moon ----- is Easter

Easter ranges from March 22nd - April 25th

PRODUCT:

Good Friday: April 3, A.D. 33 or April 7, A.D. 30 ?

PROCESS: SCIENTIFIC DEDUCTION

It had to be

between A.D. 26-36 [ when Pontius Pilate reigned ]
on a Friday
on the first day of Passover ( matthew; mark luke ) or day before ( john )

By the Jewish calendar, this is the l4th or l5th of Nisan { Mar-Apr lunar month }

Only four Fridays fit these requirments:

A.D. 27 / 30 / 33 / 34

A..D. 27 : too early [ before JC began his public ministry ]

A. D. 34 : too late [ conflicting with Paul's conversion ]

the first easter = April 3, A.D. 33

their choice ( opposite of many others ) because a 60% Lunar Eclipse occurred that would ( ? ) have been visible in Jerusalem giving the effect of a "blood red moon ."

But then, a good old "khamsin" ( dust storm ) would have the same effect on viewing the moon.

[ Discover March l984; p 16 ]

9 /16s/95 - 4/5f/96