Lunar Sabbath
a time tested tradition

    March 4 BC Eclipse

    REJECTED Very High Level 1

    Fact

    Partial lunar eclipse on March 13, 4 BC - 36% coverage at 3 AM

    Evidence

    • Only 36% of moon covered (partial eclipse)

    • Occurred at 3 AM when few would be awake

    • Only 29 days between eclipse and Passover

    • Josephus describes 35-85 days of events before Herod's death and Passover

    • Timeline is impossibly compressed with this eclipse

    Depends On

    Astronomical Stability Very High

    Why This Interpretation Is Rejected

    • The January 1 BC eclipse fits the historical timeline far better
    • Josephus describes a dramatic, memorable eclipse - a partial eclipse at 3 AM is not memorable
    • The 29-day timeline cannot accommodate all recorded events

    Accepted Alternative: January 1 BC Eclipse

    The 4 BC eclipse is the traditionally accepted date for Herod's death, but it requires extreme special pleading to fit the historical timeline described by Josephus.