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Introducing the issue of the three days and three nights of Jesus entombment. Discussing the problems with the traditional view and the goals to be attained by this writing.
Dealing with the literalness of the sign, the circumstances in which it was given, and to whom it was spoken.
The meal that Jesus and his disciples took on the night of his betrayal and arrest was the traditional Passover Seder, observed on the 14th day of the first Jewish month, Nisan. Also that John reports the same meal on the same night, but in a different manner.
Stating the fact that during the week of Passover, there were two Sabbaths. This is a key element to a proper understanding of the chronology of events.
The first day of the week must be understood from a Jewish background, and not Roman.
A time-frame based upon the evidence given, and taking into account the full three days and nights of Jesus entombment.
When we come to this phrase first day of the week, we automatically think 'Sunday'. Why? Because it is the first day of the week now. But if we are going to come to the truth, we must ask, what did it mean in the first century, to first century readers?
This phrase, as it is found in the New Covenant writings, is the Greek, mia sabbaton (except for Mark 16:9. This is another issue altogether, which we will address) . This phrase literally means, 'one sabbath or first sabbath'. It doesn't make much sense by itself, until we realize it is what is called a hebraism . You may ask, a what? A hebraism. This simply means that it is a Greek term used, to convey a Hebrew concept or idea.
Ok, so what is the Hebrew concept? It is the Hebrew phrase, echad shabbat . This means, first of sabbath, or more correctly, the first in a sabbath's cycle. In the Jewish writings known as the Talmud, the phrase for first of the week, is be'echad be'sheba, meaning, 'the first of seven'. The word for Sabbath, as used in some applications means a seven day week. For instance, in Luke 18:12, the pharisee boasts that he fasts twice in a week. The word translated, week, is sabbaton, or Sabbath. So there is already a usage for Sabbath to mean, week.
In the Jewish weekly calendar, the Sabbath was the only day of the week that had an actual name. Every other day was counted in relation to the Sabbath. The first day of the Jewish week, was known as the first in a Sabbath's cycle, the second day, second day in a Sabbath's cycle, and so on. And if we understand, which we must, that the Jewish day began at sunset, the 'echad Shabbat' would begin at sunset, as the weekly Sabbath was coming to a close.
In our present calendar, Sabbath begins at sunset on Friday, and closes at sunset on Saturday. The first day of the week would then begin at sunset on Saturday. However, in the first century, the Jews would not, and did not use the Western/Roman days of the week to calculate their days. These names were pagan, and the Jews would have none of that. While we are on the topic, allow me to state in no uncertain terms a necessary truth here. Please lay hold of this.
THE DAYS WHICH WE CALL FRIDAY, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY HAVE NOTHING WHATSOEVER TO DO WITH THE CHRONOLOGY OF THE PASSION OF JESUS. OUR WESTERN CALENDAR IS ABSOLUTELY USELESS WHEN IT COMES TO ATTEMPTING TO UNDERSTAND THE SCRIPTURES. WHEN YOU READ THE SCRIPTURES, THROW OUT THE WESTERN CALENDAR, BURN IT, TRASH IT, PUT IT IN A BIRD CAGE, OR TRAIN YOUR PUPPY ON IT. IT'S WORTHLESS AS FAR AS BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION IS CONCERNED.
Clear enough? This is what has caused so much confusion among interpreters, trying to understand Jewish culture, thought and practices with our western minds. In preparation for this writing, many chronologies of the Passover Event were investigated, and they all made one fatal mistake. They anchored themselves to the Roman calendar, in attempting to understand this Jewish event. If we are going to come to the truth of this issue, we must cut ourselves free from these Western days.
It is a little known fact among most Christians, that the Romans first adopted the seven-day week in the first century and that they borrowed it not from the Jews, but from the Egyptians. Some sources place this adoption of the seven-day week around the midddle of the first century A.D.. But whether it was in the mid-first century or earlier in the first century, is of little consequence to our purposes here.
What is of importance is that this weekly calendar that the Romans borrowed from the Egyptians, did not have Sunday as the first day of the week. In this first century Roman calendar, Saturn's Day was the first day of the week, followed by the Sun's Day.
The Scriptures require that evidence be established by the mouth of two or three witnesses. So here are 2-3 witnesses to the fact that Saturday was the first day of the week in the Roman calendar, not Sunday.
The early Romans, who developed and made popular the Julian calendar, used Saturday as the first day of the week. As the worshiping of the Sun increased, the Sun's day (Sunday) advanced from position of the second day to the first day of the week (and Saturday became the seventh day). It was not until Christianity took hold throughout Europe that most calendars marked Sunday as the first day of the week. [reference]
Another witness tells us,
The names of the days are in some cases derived from Teutonic deities or, such as in Romance languages, from Roman deities. The early Romans, around the first century, used Saturday as the first day of the week. As the worshiping of the Sun increased, the Sun's day (Sunday) advanced from position of the second day to the first day of the week (and Saturday became the seventh day). [reference]
And a third witness testifies,
A second century change in the Roman calendar also suggests the influence of Sun worship on the Christian choice of Sunday as the new Sabbath. The seven-day week was first adopted by the Roman Empire in the first century A.D. At that time the days of the week were named after the planets (as they still are). Saturn's day (Saturday) was originally the first day of the week. The Sun's day (Sunday) was originally the second day of the week. Under the influence of Sun worship, however, a change occurred in the second century: the Sun's day became the first day of the week, the most honored position.
[Bacchiocchi, Samuel, "How It Came About: From Sabbath to Sunday", Biblical Archeology Review, (Sept.-Oct., 1978), 39.]
Sunday did not begin to be observed as the first day of the week until early in the second century A.D. Placing this at least 70 years after the Passion Event and well after the four gospels were written. So to read into these first century writings a second century or older practice, is just plain crazy and not the mark of good Hermenutical 1 Practice.
