Jesus’ Last Supper Timing

The timing of Jesus’ Last Supper (His final Passover meal) needn’t cause confusion or division among Christians.  Most Christians believe that Jesus’ sacrifice fulfilled the Passover and all the Old Testament (OT) types of sacrifices, which were offered anciently in Israel (and some elsewhere).

Jesus has been called the ‘Passover Lamb’.  But some Christians carry this analogy a step further, thinking that Jesus died at the very time the Passover lambs were being sacrificed at the temple.  Others think Jesus ate the annual Passover lamb meal with His disciples at the Last Supper, before He died the next afternoon.  Which is it?  It can’t be both ways!  Also, although Jesus is called the “Lamb of God” in scripture (Jn.1:29, 36), no verse actually calls Him the ‘Passover Lamb’.

The term “Passover” has different meanings in the Bible.  I see five different but related ways the term Passover is used in scripture:

Passover can refer to: #1 the sacrificial lamb/kid from the flock (Ex.12:5, 21, De.16:2); #2 the festival offering/Chagigáh meal from the herd on the afternoon of Abíb 15 (De.16:2, 2Ch.35:8); #3 the initial 24-hour occasion (Nu.33:3); #4 the entire Feast period (Ezk.45:21, Lk.22:1); #5 Christ, the Lord who passed-over Egypt (1Co.5:7, Ex.12:27).  Of these five, Passover most often referred to #1 the sacrificial lamb, #3 the initial 24-hour occasion, or #4 the entire feast period of Abib 14-15 to Abib 21 inclusively.

To provide the scriptural background, let’s review a few aspects of historical OT Passovers.  The first Passover occurred in Egypt in Ex.12:1-ff.  v.4-8 “Your lamb…the whole assembly of Israel shall kill it between the evenings. And they shall eat the flesh that night roasted with fire, with unleavened bread.”  The lambs must be roasted, not boiled in water.  v.10-11 “You shall not leave any of it over until morning. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover [péhsak Strongs h6453, Hebrew].”  It was eaten as one holy meal.  There wasn’t time for leavened bread to rise…by dawn the exodus would begin (v.30-37).  For further detail, see the topic “Passover and the Exodus Timing”.

The Lord later gave more instructions to Israel for the Passover.  Ex.12 isn’t the complete picture!  De.16:1-2 “You shall sacrifice the Passover to the Lord your God from the flock and the herd, in the place where the Lord chooses to establish His Name.”  For future Passovers, God commanded them to sacrifice more than a lamb/kid from the flock.  v.3-6 “You aren’t allowed to sacrifice the Passover in any of your towns.”  Again, the roasted lamb/kid must be gone by morning.  Yet they’d keep feasting for the few days during which they must appear at the central sanctuary where God placed His Name (v.16).  The Passover from the herd was always eaten there in the day(s) following the lamb meal.

King Josiah obeyed.  2Ch.35:1 they “Celebrated the Passover to the Lord in Jerusalem.”  The temple in Jerusalem was the place of God’s name in those days.  v.7-9 “Josiah contributed flocks of lambs & kids, plus 3,000 bulls. His officers contributed for the Passover offerings, 2,600 from the flock, 300 bulls.”  Passover bulls are from the herd, not the flock.  v.13 “They roasted the Passover lambs as prescribed, and boiled the holy offerings in pots.”  The Passover from the herd could be boiled.  v.16-18 “The sons of Israel celebrated the Passover at that time, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread 7 days.” (Le.23:5-6.)

The Passover from the herd was called a chagigah or festival offering.  Ex.23:15 “Seven days you must eat unleavened bread in the month Abib. None may appear before Me empty without an offering.”

Theologian Joachim Jeremias The Eucharistic Words of Jesus, p.20 “It is true that Páschal sacrifices [chagigah] were eaten during the seven days of the feast (Nisán 15–21).”  Alfred Edersheim The Temple, p.170-171 “The Chagigah was a peace offering. The Chagigah for the 15^th of Nisan [Abib] was obligatory.”  Again, the Passover sacrifice from the herd was commanded by the Lord in De.16:2.  The offerer would share in eating the chagigah at the environs of the temple.

Days in ancient Israel began at sunset.  Jews in Jerusalem would remove leaven by candlelight from dwellings early on the night beginning Abib 14, before the Passover lambs were killed in the afternoon of Abib 14 (ref Ex.34:25).  So leaven was actually out for 8 days, Abib 14–21.  Josephus acknowledged this in Antiquities of the Jews 2:15:1. “We keep a Feast for 8 days, of Unleavened Bread.”

The wave sheaf was offered after the weekly sabbath during the feast, or on Abib 16.  Josephus op. cit. 3:10:5 “On the 16^th day of the month they offer the firstfruits of their barley, a sheaf of the ears.”  Only then could the barley harvest in Israel begin (Le.23:9-14).  Israelite men would remain at the city of the central sanctuary/temple for 7–8 days, or at least until the sheaf was waved to begin the harvest.  While there, they ate the Passover sacrifice from the herd for the chagigah.  Chag (h2282) meant “feast”.

The term “Passover” could also refer to the entire feast period.  The context determines the meaning.  Ezk.45:21 “In the first month on the 14^th day you shall have the Passover, a feast of 7 days, unleavened bread shall be eaten.”  As we’ve seen, the feast included the Passover from the herd too.  Lk.22:1 “The feast of unleavened bread drew near, which is called the Passover [páscha g3957, Greek].”  “Passover” and “Feast of Unleavened” were somewhat synonymous expressions in Jesus’ day.  The term “unleavened” (ázumos g106) was common in the old Greek, which became the Septúagint/LXX.

The timing of Jesus’ Last Supper and crucifixion parallels the Passover proceedings done Abib 14–15!

Mk.14:12 “On the first day of unleavened bread, when the Passover lamb was being sacrificed, His disciples said to Him, ‘Where do want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?”  Again, leaven was customarily removed in advance, so dwellings were free of leaven for 8 days.  Barnes Commentary “The feast continued for 8 days, including the day the paschal lamb was killed.”  That’s Abib 14–21 inclusively.  It was mandatory that the lamb/kid be killed and its blood sprinkled at the altar on Abib 14 (Ex.12:6), not Abib 13 or Abib 15.  All leaven had been removed by the afternoon of Abib 14.

The synoptic gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke…all use the two terms “Passover” and “unleavened”.  But the term “unleavened” never appears in John’s writings.  When John refers to the entire feast period, he calls it the “Passover”!  For example, Jn.6:4 “Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand.”  Again, the meaning of the term Passover wasn’t limited to the beginning sacrificial lamb meal.  John’s usage is significant…as we examine the (incorrect) claim of some that John’s timing of Jesus’ crucifixion date differs from that of the three synoptics!

In Mk.14:12-17, Jesus’ Jewish disciples knew this was the correct time (Abib/Nisan 14) to sacrifice the Passover lamb they would eat with Him that night.  So they asked which house to prepare for the meal.  It would’ve been sin if Jesus (and they) had killed or eaten it at the wrong time!  But Jesus is a sinless Savior.  This day is their ‘preparation day’, so to speak, for the Passover lamb.  Gill Exposition Mk.14:12 “It was now Thursday morning, and the Passover was to be slain after the middle of the day, between the two evenings, and eaten in Jerusalem that night.”  (The lamb couldn’t remain overnight, Ex.12:6-10.)  Fourfold Gospel Commentary “The feast of unleavened bread began properly on the 15^th, and lasted 7 days, but this was the 14^th, on which the paschal lamb was slain. However, it was common to blend the names Passover and unleavened bread interchangeably to describe the entire 8 days.”

Mk.14:18-21 Jesus ate the Passover lamb meal with them that night (sunset began Abib/Nisan 15) at His Last Supper.  “One of you will betray Me. One who dips with Me in the bowl.”  His betrayal is addressed while they eat.  v.22-26 bread & wine is served.  They exit.

The inclusion of the betrayal discussion in all four gospel accounts is key to our understanding the timing and harmony in the four gospels!

Luke’s account of the Last Supper timing agrees with Mark’s.  Lk.22:7 “Then came the first day of unleavened bread, when the Passover lamb must be killed.”  Again, it was mandatory that the lamb be killed on Abib 14!  v.8 Jesus said, “Go and prepare the Passover lamb for us to eat”.  v.14-20 they partook of bread & wine.  (also see the topic “Bread and Wine in the Church”.)  v.21-23 “The hand of the one betraying Me is on the table.”  Luke’s account also includes the betrayal discussion at the meal.

Let’s compare Matthew’s account.  Mt.26:17 “On the first day of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Where do you want us to prepare the Passover for you to eat.”  v.20 “When evening came [sunset began Abib 15], He was at table with the twelve disciples.”  Jesus said in v.21-25, “One of you will betray Me”.  v.26-30 they share the bread & wine (later it’s also symbolic), and exit.

The synoptic gospels of Mark, Luke, Matthew all address the betrayal and the bread & wine at supper.

Jesus had known He would die.  Even before He sent out the 70 missionaries, Jesus had said in Lk.9:22 (some time before His last Passover), “The Son of Man must be killed and raised up on the third day”.  Jn.13:1 “Before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knew that His hour had come to leave this world.”

Again, John never calls the 7–8 day feast the “Feast of Unleavened (Bread)”.  In John, the entire Feast period is the Passover (g3957).  But Jesus’ last meal in John’s gospel differs somewhat from the synoptic gospel accounts of His last meal.  In Jn.13, there’s no bread & wine mentioned at the meal.  And John’s account adds that Jesus washed His disciples’ feet during supper (Jn.13:4-ff).

Some Bible readers think the meal in Jn.13 was eaten one day earlier than the meal in Mk.14, Lk.22, Mt.26.  But in all four gospels it’s the same Passover lamb meal, the same Last Supper (also called the Lord’s Supper, 1Co.11:20).  How do we know it is, since John omits the account of bread & wine (and never uses the term “unleavened”)?  (also see “Wine or Grape Juice in Jesus’ Cup?”.)

We know it’s the same because…John’s meal includes the betrayal discussion too, as do the synoptics!  Jn.13:21-30 “Truly I say to you, one of you will betray Me. He it is, to whom I will give a morsel, when I have dipped it.”  If the betrayal discussion in John 13 was at a previous meal (one day earlier), there’d be no need to address this issue again in Mk.14, Lk.22, Mt.26 (at Passover)!

As the Jn.13 Passover lamb meal is ending, Jesus continues to speak at length to His disciples in Jn.14-17.  Then in Jn.18, Jesus is in the (exit) garden…the same as in Mk.14, Lk.22, Mt.26!  It’s the night of Abib/Nisan 15 (cf. Est.3:7).  As Judas betrays Him, Jesus is apprehended by a Roman cohort and taken to the high priest’s court.  Peter denies Jesus.  Jesus is awake all night.  This sequence is in Jn.18:1-27.

Then after dawn (during Abib 15) the Jews take Jesus to the government headquarters of Pontius Pilate.  Jn.18:28 “It was early morning; and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness, His accusers didn’t enter, because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover.”  Those Jews feared possible (rabbinic) defilement in the headquarters of gentiles, the Praetórium.  How is the term “Passover” used here in Jn.18:28?

David Stern Jewish New Testament Commentary, p.206 “The Pesach [Passover] in this verse refers to other food eaten during Pesach, specifically the chagigah (festival sacrifice). This is the Pesach meal they would have been unable to eat, because their defilement would have lasted till sundown. If ‘the Pesach’ meant the Passover lamb, defilement in the morning might not have been a problem.”  Not a problem because…most uncleanness/defilement (ref Ac.10:28a) would’ve lasted only until evening of a day…and the Passover lamb was eaten after sunset at the beginning of a new day!

Gill Exposition Jn.18:28 “Not the Passover lamb, for that they had eaten the night before. But the ‘Chagigah’, or feast on the 15^th day of the month.”  Robertson’s NT Word Pictures “In 2Ch.30:22 we read, ‘And they did eat the festival 7 days’, when the paschal festival is meant, not the paschal lamb or paschal supper. There are eight other examples of Passover in John’s gospel, and in all of them the feast is meant, not the supper. Not the meal of Jn.13:2, which was the regular Passover meal.”

Talmud Pes.vi.3 “One Levitically defiled cannot offer the Chagigah.”  Edersheim The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, p.866 “Entrance into the Praetorium on the morning of the first Passover day would have rendered it impossible for them to offer the Chagigah, which was also designated by the term Pesach [Passover].”  The chagigah meal from the herd/boiled things would be that day, Abib 15!  The Bible didn’t specify exactly when to eat from the herd (e.g. 2pm Abib 15)…but De.16:2, 2Chr, John’s gospel, the Talmud, etc. is historical evidence of this Passover week custom!  Jn.18:28 doesn’t refer to a lamb meal as upcoming that night…supposed defilement would end at sunset! (e.g. Le.15:7-8)

Jn.19:13-14 “Pilate brought Jesus out to them. It was the preparation of the Passover.”  “Preparation” doesn’t refer to the Passover lamb meal.  We saw in Mt.26:17, Mk.14:12, Lk.22:8 that Jesus’ disciples had prepared the Passover lamb meal the previous day (and Jesus ate it that night).  The koiné Greek term for preparation was paraskeué g3904.  For the Jews, every Friday is the “preparation”, and every Saturday is the sabbath.  Mk.15:42 “It was the preparation [g3904 paraskeue], that is, the day before the sabbath.”

JFB Commentary Jn.19:14 “It was the preparation, the day before the Jewish sabbath.”  Edersheim The Temple, p.138 “Friday is called in the gospels ‘the preparation.”  The term for Friday in modern Greek is Paraskevi, and the term for Saturday is sabbato/(sabbath)!  In Jn.19:14, it is the “preparation day” (Friday) which fell during the 7–8 day feast period/Passover.  Again, John never uses the term “Feast of Unleavened”…it’s all the “Passover” in John.

Jesus was then crucified. (also see “Jesus’ Death – The Physical Cause”.)  Jn.19:31 “It was the preparation, and the next day was to be a great [g3173 mégas] sabbath because it was the Passover. The Jews asked Pilate that their bodies be taken down.”  That Saturday was a “great” sabbath, not a “high” sabbath.  cf. Re.21:12 “The city wall was great [g3173 megas] and high [g5308 hupselós].”  The Greek term in Jn.19:31 is megas/great, not hupselos/high!  The sabbath in Jn.19:31 was great because it was the sabbath of Passover week when possibly a million people were in Jerusalem, or…Abib 16 was the annual wave sheaf day, according to the LXX, Josephus, Philo, Edersheim, Gill, Chief Rabbi Dr. J.H. Hertz.

Jn.19:41-42 Jesus’ body was laid in the tomb towards the end of the “preparation”.  Lk.23:52-56 “It was the preparation day, and the sabbath [g4521] was about to begin. The women saw the tomb. They returned and rested on the sabbath according to the commandment.”  The weekly sabbath command in Ex.20:8, “Remember the sabbath [h7676] day, to keep it holy”.  In scripture, the only “sabbath” (h7676, g4521) days are the weekly sabbath and Day of Atonement.  Other occasions are shabathóns (h7677), like sabbatoids.  As Jesus ‘rested’ in the tomb, the righteous women ‘rested’ on Saturday.

Then…He is risen (Mt.28:6)!  At dawn Sunday Abib 17, Jesus is alive; the tomb was empty (Lk.24:1-3)!

The Passover lamb was a type of Christ’s sacrificial death.  The annual Day of Atonement sacrifice too was a type of Christ (1Jn.2:2, 4:10; LXX Le.23:28 & 25:9)…but He wasn’t crucified on Atonement.  Nor on all typical morning/evening sacrifices, needless to say.  The Chagigah offering of Abib 15 was also a type of Christ…on which day He was crucified.  All sacrifices, sin offerings, etc. prefigured Him.

Recap: Days began & ended at sunset.  Wednesday night Abib 14 the Jews searched to remove leaven.  Thursday afternoon Abib 14 Jesus’ Passover lamb was properly killed, its blood to be sprinkled on the altar (2Ch.35:11, Le.3:7-8).  He ate the lamb Thursday night, early on Abib 15.  That very night, Abib 15, was an historic night of vigil, a “watch” (Mk.14:37, Ex.12:42).  Jesus was apprehended.  The crucifixion process began Friday Abib 15 (their “preparation”) between 9am and noon.  Jesus died before sunset began the weekly sabbath of Abib 16.

All four gospel accounts agree on the timing, and in them we also see glimpses of God’s OT Passover requirements.  Christ at His Last Supper/Passover didn’t violate any Passover commands which Christ as the Word of God (who “passed-over” Egypt) gave to Moses & Israel.  Again, “Passover and the Exodus Timing” details the timing of Israel’s first Passover and exodus from Egypt.  To further examine the timing issue, there is another topic which focuses on the “Three Days and Three Nights” (Mt.12:40).

Passover and the Exodus Timing

This topic focuses primarily on only two days in the history of ancient Israel.  It details the timing of their first Passover sacrifice in Góshen, with their ensuing exodus from Egypt.

The annual Passover occurred in the first month, Abíb, of Israel’s sacred year.  De.16:1 “Observe the new moon [or month, Strongs h2320 khódesh, Hebrew] of Abib and celebrate the Passover to the Lord your God.”  (Abib is also called Nisán, Est.3:7.)  How was the new moon/month reckoned anciently?

The 1^st day of Abib, and the 1^st of every month, was determined by the new moon.  Although new moon terminology is Biblical, the Lord didn’t say how the new moon is determined.  In De.16:1, “observe” as translated is significant, if it’s taken literally…to see with the eye.

Today the new moon may be reckoned by: Hillel II’s calculated lunisolar Hebrew calendar of the 300s AD; the astronomical conjunction (when the moon is unseen between the earth and sun); sighting the first visible crescent of the moon.  The three methods result in 2 or 3 different days to begin the month.

Which method was used in Bible times?  The 1^st century Jewish historian Philo The Special Laws 2:26: 141 “At the time of the new moon, the sun begins to illumine the moon with a light which is visible to the outward senses.”  Theological Workbook of the Old Testament, v.1, p.266 “The new moon began when the thin crescent of the new moon was first visible at sunset.”  Many sources confirm this.

How to sight a first visible crescent: Stand on a hill.  It can be faintly seen just above a clear western horizon, 25 minutes or so after sunset.  The horns of the crescent/sickle point south.  After several minutes, the moon disappears below the horizon.  Their new month and day #1 began then, near sunset.

Most Bible scholars believe days in ancient Israel began at sunset or dusk, when 3 stars become visible or when the fowls come home to roost.  The scriptural backing is in Le.23:32 and Ne.13:19.  Luke also used this reckoning in Acts 27:27, 33, where he indicated the 14^th night preceded the 14^th day.

Josephus Wars of the Jews 4:9:12 “At the beginning of every seventh day, in the evening twilight.”  Josephus wrote in the 1^st century AD, and sunset still marked their beginning of the new day.

Our modern days begin at midnight.  But unlike our 24-hour day of 12am to 12am, ancient Israel’s 24-hour day was more like 6pm to 6pm.  So their daily 24-hour periods don’t precisely line up with ours.  Due to the overlap, below I’ll assign Gregorian calendar dates to the two days in Israel’s history, to help put the Passover/exodus timing in modern perspective.

This first Passover in Egypt was a one-time event and a partial model, having some instructions which wouldn’t apply to any subsequent Passover (according to Dr. J.H. Hertz, late Chief Rabbi of the British Empire).  For example: In Egypt they were to eat this one Passover in haste with their loins girded and staff in their hand (Ex.12:11).  The animal blood was put on the doorposts of houses, rather than sprinkled at the altar (Ex.12:7 versus Le.3:8, 2Ch.35:11).  This Passover was taken only from the flock, and not also from the herd (Ex.12:5 versus De.16:2 & 2Ch.35:7-8).  In Egypt, there was no conditional allowance to keep the Passover in the 2^nd month of the year (later allowed in Nu.9:1-14, 2Ch.30:15-16).

Let’s now examine the order for this first Passover lamb or kid sacrifice, and then the events of the two days, as the ancient Israelites were departing Egypt.

Ex.12:1, 5-6 “This month shall be the beginning of months….You shall take it [the animal] from the sheep or goats. Keep it until the 14^th day of this same month. Kill it between [beyn h996] the evenings [h6153].” (Young’s and Green’s literal translations.)  In Hebrew, “beyn ha arbáyim”.

Israel’s first month of Abib began near the time of the vernal equinox.  To put the timing in Gregorian calendar terms, let’s presume the new moon of Abib was sighted near 6pm on our Mar 20.  So it was Abib 1 until sunset Mar 21.  With a presumed Mar 20 month start, then Abib 14 began at sunset Apr 2 and ended at sunset Apr 3.  The next day, Abib 15, was from sunset Apr 3 until sunset Apr 4.

What time of day on Abib 14 were the Passover lambs/kids killed?  Was it after sunset (6–9pm on our presumed Apr 2), or in the mid-afternoon (1–5pm of our Apr 3)?  Apr 2 sunset time in Cairo, Egypt is 6:14pm.  This issue is disputed.  Some people think it was killed, gutted and skinned after sunset (at the start of Abib 14), as it was getting dark.  Most think it was killed later in the mid-afternoon (towards the end of Abib 14).  The difference is approximately 20 hours.

Dr. Hertz says the Hebrew text regarding the Passover sacrifice in Ex.12:6 means literally “between the two evenings”.  The text of the related Le.23:5 & Nu.9:5 also has the idiom “between the evenings”.

According to Jewish sages, the first evening or ‘setting’ of the sun was at noon or so, when the sun starts to descend from high noon; and the second evening or ‘setting’ was at sunset or dusk (when the new day begins).  Those were the two evenings for the Israelites…at noon and at sunset.

Barnes Notes Ex.12:6 “The Hebrew has between the two evenings…The most probable explanation is that it includes the time from afternoon, or early eventide, until sunset.”  JFB Commentary “The interval between the sun’s beginning to decline and sunset, corresponding to our three o’clock in the afternoon.”

Josephus (37–100 AD) was born in Jerusalem a few years after Jesus’ crucifixion.  His mother was descended from Jewish Hasmónean royalty, and his father was a priest.  Josephus was intimately familiar with the Jerusalem Temple, its observances and their timing.

Josephus Antiquities of the Jews 2:14:6 “When the 14^th day was come…they offered the [Passover] sacrifice.”  The Passover lamb was killed on Abib 14, not the 13^th or 15^th (ref 2Ch.35:1).  Josephus Wars 6:9:3 “Passover, when they slay their sacrifices from the 9^th hour to the 11^th.”  That was 3pm to 5pm, between the first evening (12 pm) and second evening (6 pm sunset/dusk).  Philo op. cit., 27:145-149 said the Passover was sacrificed in the afternoon of the 14^th day of the month.  The 2^nd century BC Book of Jubilees 49:1, “Kill it before it is evening”.  Before the second evening of 6pm.

Yeshiva.co Ask the Rabbi: Bein HaArbayim “Between the evenings’ or ‘between the settings’, when the first setting of the sun is its descent after noon, and the second is sundown. Here, the phrase means ‘the afternoon.”  The Hebrew ‘beyn ha arbayim’ means ‘the afternoon’ of modern English parlance.

McClintock and Strong, v.7, p.735 “Eustathíus [Greek scholar in Thessalonica]…shows that the Greeks too held that there were two evenings; one they called the latter evening [sunset] at the close of the day, and the other the former evening, which commenced immediately after noon.”  Not only Israel.

‘Morning’ was the time period of the sun’s ascension; ‘Evening’ was the period of the sun’s decline.

Years ago I searched the Bible to find other activities which likewise occurred between the evenings.  Such passages reflect whether it was daylight or dark!  That’s revealing!  Three such incidents follow:

(1) Nu.28:3-8 is about their daily sacrifice, offered twice-a-day, every day of the year.  v.4 “You shall offer one lamb in the morning and the other lamb between [h996] the evenings [h6153].”  Young’s, Green’s literals confirm the Hebrew means “between the evenings”.  The Jubilee Bible 2000 and KJV margins read “between the two evenings.”  Ex.29:38-42 is the same guidelines for the daily sacrifice.

The above passages of Nu.28 & Ex.29, commanding the daily sacrifice, both refer to the morning sacrifice first, and then the other sacrifice.  The daily order enjoins for the second sacrifice of the pair to be offered later during that same day, and before a new day begins at sunset.

Josephus Antiquities 14:4:3 “The Jews…did still twice each day, in the morning and about the 9^th hour, offer their sacrifices upon the altar.”  The 9^th hour was 3pm in the evening/afternoon.

Other Jews too say the daily morning & evening sacrifice was around 9am & 3pm.  Alfred Edersheim The Temple, p.108, 174, 165 “The morning sacrifice… it coincided with the 3^rd hour of the day, or 9am…The evening sacrifice ordinarily was slain at 2:30 pm, and offered at about 3:30pm…on the eve of the Passover the evening sacrifice was offered an hour before its usual time.”

Jewish Encyclopedia: Passover Sacrifice “The paschal lamb was slain on the eve of the Passover, the afternoon of the 14^th of Nisan, after the Támid [evening] sacrifice had been killed, i.e., three o’clock.”

(2) The incident in 1Ki.18:19-46 where Elijah confronted the prophets of Báal, in the 800s BC.  v.19-26 the prophets of Baal called on Baal “from morning until noon”.  v.27-29 “When mid-day was past, they raved until the time of the evening sacrifice.”  Again, the daily evening sacrifice was to be offered between the evenings (Nu.28:4, Ex.29:39).  v.36 then at the time of the evening sacrifice, Elijah offered his prayer.  v.38 Fire fell!  Notice all that next transpired…before it got dark!

1Ki.18:40 Elijah orders the execution of all the false prophets.  The people go to the brook Kishón and slay those 450 men.  It took some time to kill 450 men (unwilling to die)!  v.41-43 then Elijah ascends to the top of Mt. Carmél (1,500 ft. high) and tells his servant to go look toward the sea. The servant goes back & forth seven times!  v.44 finally, on the seventh time the servant sees a small cloud…it must still be daylight for him to see it!  v.45 then the sky grew black with visible storm clouds (not with night).

Obviously that entire sequence couldn’t have been observed if sunset had occurred prior to when fire fell from God back in v.38.  This incident is strong evidence that there was plenty of daylight remaining after the hour of the evening sacrifice…in 850 BC Israel (long predating Talmúdic interpretations).

(3) The incident of confession and reconciliation in Ezra 9 & 10.  (It’s too long to quote in full here.)  Ezr.9:4-5 “I sat appalled until the evening offering.”  Here was Ezra at the time of the evening offering, which was offered every day “between the evenings”, at 3pm in the mid-afternoon.  v.6-15 Ezra’s lengthy prayer follows.  Ezr.10:1 “While Ezra was praying, a very large assembly of men, women and children came to him from Israel, weeping bitterly.”  v.2-4 Shecaniáh then addressed Ezra.  v.5 Ezra arose; priests and all Israel swore they would comply.  v.6 then Ezra went into Jehohanán’s chamber.  This incident occurred in early December during the colder rainy season (v.9, 13).

Ancient Israel was an agricultural society.  MDHarris Institute Daily Life in 1^st Century Israel “The early Jew rose before the sun [Pr.31:15]…and tilled the fields for several hours before his morning meal.”  biblegateway.com Everyday Meals “Only two meals a day were usually eaten (Ex.16:12, 1Ki.17:6). The chief meal of the day (and probably the only one for the poor) was served in the early evening, an hour or two before sunset when the duties of the day were over. After the meal for an hour or two before bedtime the men sat around and talked.”  From this, we can ascertain that they started getting ready for bed at sunset, as darkness was setting in.  Dec 1 sunset time in Jerusalem is 4:34pm.  (Sunset times in Jerusalem: Mar 21 5:50pm, Apr 3 6:00pm, Jun 21 6:47pm w/o DST, Sep 21 5:37pm.)

It’s quite unlikely that women and children would have gathered to Ezra after dark, especially at that cold wet season!  These actions of Ezra et all, done after the time of the evening sacrifice, indicate that the daily sacrifice, done “between the evenings”…wasn’t at dusk, but in full daylight of mid-afternoon.

All three of the above incidents reflect the time of the evening sacrifice, slain “between the evenings”, was mid-afternoon.  And the Passover lamb/kid was likewise offered between the evenings (Ex.12:6).

{Sidelight: Rendering the Ex.12:6 & Nu.28:4 “between the evenings” as “twilight”, confuses the issue.  In middle English, “twi” meant two or double.  As twi-tongued.  We have the English words twi-ns and twi-ce.  Also: a twibil is a double-bladed ax, a twinter is a domestic animal two winters old, a twicer is a person who does two things.  But “twilight” now indicates half (half-light at dusk or early dawn), not two or double.  The ancient Jewish (and Greek) understanding resembles the older English twi, since Israelites identified two evenings.  And the ancient Passover sacrifice occurred in-between.}

Edersheim’s The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, p.813 “The period ‘between the two evenings’ when the Paschal lamb was slain. There can be no question that, in the time of Christ, it was understood to refer to the interval between the commencement of the sun’s decline and what was reckoned as the hour of final disappearance (about 6 pm).”  “Between the evenings” = our “afternoon”.

In the 1^st century, the priests at the Jerusalem temple didn’t sprinkle the blood of hundreds of Passover lambs on the altar at night (2Ch.30:15-16, 35:11)!  That ritual took a few hours in afternoon daylight.

The Biblical and historical evidence is…the Passover lamb was killed in the afternoon of Abib 14 (in our calendar scenario, Apr 3).  However, by the time it was roasted and the Passover meal prepared, sunset would’ve occurred to begin Abib 15, and it’s about dark (our early night of Apr 3).

Ex.12:8 commanded unleavened bread with the Passover meal.  Ex.12:17-19 “In the first month, on the 14^th day at evening [h6153], you shall eat unleavened bread, until the 21^st day of the month at evening [h6153]. For seven days no leaven shall be found in your houses.”  That 7–day period of Abib 14 to Abib 21 didn’t start between the evenings.  The Hebrew term beyn (h996 between) isn’t in the text.  When or at/from which “evening” did it begin?  Notice two other passages as frame of reference:

Le.23:27 “On exactly the 10^th day of the seventh month is the day of atonement.”  These parameters define their 10^th day…v.32 “It is a sabbath of complete rest, on the 9^th of the month at evening [h6153], from evening [h6153] until evening [h6153] you shall keep your sabbath.”  The day of atonement, the 10^th day, was specifically from the evening or sunset which ended the 9^th day until the next evening or sunset (ending the 10^th day).  Again, a sunset (the ‘second evening’) ended an old day and began the new day.  ref 2Ch.18:34 “The king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot until evening [h6153]. He died at sunset.”  Again…sunset, 3 visible stars or fowls roosting…signified the evening date change.  The seven days of unleavened bread began at the sunset which ended Abib 14 and started Abib 15.

{{Sidelight: However, Jews traditionally removed leaven from houses before the lamb was slain on the afternoon of Abib 14, applying Ex.34:25 to the Passover. “You shall not offer the blood of My sacrifice with leavened bread.”  The clean-out process must begin well before the sunset ending Abib 14.  So in practice, their dwellings were without leaven for more like 8 days, not 7.  Josephus Antiquities 2:15:1 “We keep a feast for 8 days, of unleavened bread.”  (He affirmed the 7 days of scripture; see below.)

Any timing differences the 1^st century Sádducee sect may have had are unproven.  No actual Sadducee writings survive.  We only know of the sect from their being mentioned in the Bible (14 times) and in (opposing) historical writings.  Káraite Judaism may or may not share Sadducáic views; it is uncertain.  Whereas Josephus, born in Jerusalem and governor of Galilee, was an eyewitness to the timing of the rituals done at the Temple, including those performed “between the evenings” (beyn ha arbayim).  Philo too made pilgrimage to the Jerusalem Temple, at least once (Philo op. cit., On Providence 2:64).}}

Nu.28:17 “On the 15^th of the month is the feast. Unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days.”  Days #15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21…that’s seven.  They feasted until the sunset which ended Abib 21 and began Abib 22.  (Starting at sunset on our projected Apr 3, ending at sunset on Apr 10.)  Josephus Wars 3:10:5 “The feast of unleavened bread falls on the 15^th day of the month and continues for 7 days. The second day of unleavened bread is the 16^th day of the month.”  Jsh.5:10 “At Gilgál the sons of Israel celebrated the Passover on the 14^th day of the month at evening [h6153].”  The tabernacle with God’s Name was there in those days.  After the lamb was slain in the mid-afternoon of Abib 14, they prepared the Passover meal and began celebrating/feasting at evening or sunset ending Abib 14/beginning Abib 15.  (cf. Le.23:32, as the day of atonement, the 10^th day of the 7^th month, began “on the 9^th day at evening”.)

Now let’s see the timing of the final events of the exodus, from Ex.12:

In Ex.3:21-22, the Lord said they would take silver, gold and clothing from the Egyptians.  This spoiling of them was done in Ex.11:2-3, prior to that first Passover and 10^th plague on Egypt (ref Ex.12:35-36).

Ex.12:1-21 the Passover lamb was slain in the afternoon of Abib 14 “between the evenings”.  Its blood was obediently put on the doorposts.  The lamb was roasted & eaten with unleavened bread a few hours later after Abib 15 had begun at sunset.  v.11 they ate it in haste.  Bread could take many hours or even two days to rise.  There wasn’t time (v.33-34), since they must make ready to depart before dawn!

Ex.12:22-28 Israelites must wait inside their dwellings until morning (firstborns are protected by the blood), while God the Word “passed over” Egypt (Christ, the Jews’ “Passover”, 1Co.5:7) with the 10^th plague.  v.29-32 this occurred at midnight of Abib 15 (beginning our Apr 4).  Egyptian firstborn males died.  Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron (a firstborn son, Ex.6:20) at night (it was now safe to go outside), saying, “Rise up! Go from among my people!”  v.33-34 the Israelites took their unleavened dough…and exited.  v.37 “Israel journeyed from Ramesés to Succóth.”  A few other verses:

De.16:1 “In the month of Abib the Lord brought you out of Egypt by night.”  The exodus began late in the night of Abib 15, before bread could have fermented.  It was still dark, about the time when dawn begins to lighten the sky with ‘morning’.  Nu.33:3 “They journeyed from Rameses on the 15^th day of the first month, on the next day after the Passover.”  Again, the Passover was killed on Abib 14 (2Ch.35:1).  Ex.12:17, 41 on that “very day” of Abib 15, which began the seven days of unleavened bread, they marched out.  The scriptures are in agreement!

A related sequel to this topic is “Jesus’ Last Supper Timing”.  To segue or preview it: Mt.26:17-19, Mk.14:12-16, Lk.22:7-14 when the day came, Jesus’ disciples asked Jesus where they should prepare the Passover meal for Him and their group.  As obedient Jews, they’d been keeping Passover all their lives.  As Jesus had (Lk.2:41).  They knew it was the day and the time when the Passover lambs must be killed at the Temple, and the blood sprinkled on the altar (Le.3:7-8).  Again, that was Abib 14…not Abib 13, not Abib 15!  Jesus didn’t sin regarding the day/time the lamb was killed.  He never sinned; if He had, we’d have no Savior!  However, the disciples didn’t know that Jesus will soon die; this would be His last Passover meal.  Peter & John went to the Temple, the lamb’s blood was sprinkled; they then brought the lamb to the upper room where their meal was roasted/prepared.

Ex.12:42 “It was a night of vigil for the Lord to bring them out from Egypt, so that on this night all Israel is to keep vigil to the Lord for generations to come.”  It was a night to be “much observed”.  The night of Abib 15 was to become a night of vigil or a watch, for all generations to honor what the Lord did that night.  It is significant what Jesus said on that night after His last (Passover) supper.  Mt.26:40 Apostolic Bible Pólyglot “Could you not be vigilant with me one hour!”

Mk.15:25-37 Jesus, as the sacrificial lamb, was placed on the cross around 9am (the “3^rd hour”) and He died on the cross around 3pm (the “9^th hour”)…the times of the daily morning and evening lamb sacrifice!  And Jesus’ sacrifice for us is effective day after day, year after year…Praise the Lord!

For more on Passover, see the topics: “Passover and Peace Offerings”, “Feasts of the Lord and the Jews”, “Days Israel Observed – God-Ordained”, “Jesus’ Last Supper Timing”.