Date Of Ourlord's Birth

Reasoning The Scriptures

Whether Christ was crucified on A.D.33??? By M.S.Mariadas and Y.R.Dinakaran Bible Students, M.B.S.A

There are several things to be proved, and everything can be proved and always scriptures and prophecies are correct and only our blind beliefs and assumptions will fail. Because of the general belief of the scholars of his time our beloved pastor Russell also believed certain things, Brother Russell believed April 3, A.D 33 as the year of the crucifixion of the Lord. To the present day many scholars uphold it. Because of the belief of A.D33, King Herod got extension of Life Vol II 60/61. Westberg, Husband, fotheringham, Ogg, Reicke, Maier and Herald Hoehner still believe AD.33. But the difficulty is with Herod. Since our beloved pastor Russell was also forced to believe AD.33 according to then available facts, and hence the question of Herod’s death becomes a problem. The reason Bro Russell has given about the Eclipse is not concrete and it has not supported by any other external confirmation. We are not challenging and disputing with any one, we are highly indebted and thankful to Bro Russell for his amazing harvest Work; for it is Bro Russell led unto this much of fact finding. We are not against our Pastor but we are against Herod who got unnecessary extension of Life. Since in Christ’s chronological factors Herod’s death is very important to decide many things, we have studied a little and want to share our thoughts with the House hold of faith, and if we are wrong Lord may overrule us and we are pleased to be corrected. These topics are not so essential to the public we think it is time waste to discuss. But having come to know that Herod died in BC 4 only, there is no other way to go but to change AD 33. Our beloved pastor and brother had enlightened us up to the facts given by Dr.Faussett, Smith and Josephus’s eclipse account with regard to the death of Herod Dr.Faussett page 285, under Herod states that “at the elevation of Antipater by Julius Caesar, BC 47 though only 15 years (or as other passage of Josephus make probable, 20) smith says that herod was only 15 years when he received the Government of Galilee. In Josephus accounts Ant.14:9.2 “He was but 25 years of age” as the three accounts are different it is futile to depend upon age of Herod to arrive to the date of his death. But we can arrive at the date of his death if we come to know his rule or the period of his reign. Ant15:5.2 “At this time was that the fight of the happened at actium, between octavius Caesar Anthony in the 7ht year of the reign of Herod” we know that the actium war had taken place in 31BC, there are 2 years worthy to take note of 1BC and 40BC which year antony resolved to make Herod the king of Jews. The senate has agreed upon and was declared king in year B.C. 40 but he did not procure it until 37 B.C. after capturing Jerusalem by the help of Roman army according to Josephus ,(Wars of the Jews I.17.9 and I.18.2,) He was made king B.C.37.Now the reign of the 7th year at the time of Actium war tallies with the beginning of his reign i.e. B.C. 37.His total period of reign is “having reigned since he had procure Antigonus to be slain, thirty four years; but since he had been declared king by Romans, thirty seven” (Ant.17.8.1) -“ So Herod, having survived the slaughter of his of his son five days, died having reigned thirty four years, since he had caused Aantigonus to be slain, and obtained his Kingdom; but thirty seven years since he had been made king by the Romans” ∗(& Wars I.33.8) .Therefore from declaration B.C. 40 minus

Whether Christ was crucified on A.D.33???

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Reasoning The Scriptures 37 is 4B.C. after procuring kingdom .B.C. 37 minus 34 is 4B.C.( including the year of first year of reign 37th year is B.C.4 and the 34th year from 37th B.C. is B.C.4!)there is another statement when Herod was made king by Roman senate in B.C.40- Antony gave him a feast on the first day of his reign Ant.14.14.5 “And thus did the man receive the kingdom, having obtained it on the hundred and eighty fourth Olympiad, when domitus Calvinus was consul the second time and Caius Asinius Pollio (the first time)” According to the computation of varro the above were in office in A.U.C∗ 714. 754 A.U.C. became A.D.1 in the calendar of Dionysus. 754 – 714 = 40 B.C. the year of nomination as king and ruled37 years as said above. Hence Herod’s death occurred on B.C.4. Olympiad occurs once in 4 years so the 184th Olympiad will be 184 x 4 equal to 736, since Olympiad started on 776 B.C taking 776 as the 1st Olympiad game and the 184th will be 736, now 776 – 736 = 40B.C. This above evidence prove that Herod’s death occurred on 4.BC if this is the case Christ death must have certainly not occurred on A.D.33!!. Now let us see the eclipse account of Josephus which Bro.Russell ignored. During his last days there was a sedition, during that time high priest was Matthias Ant.17.6.4“Herod deprived this Matthias of the high priesthood, and burnt the other Matthias, who had raised the sedition, with his companions alive. And that very night there was an eclipse of the moon” Wars II.1 sections 1,2,3 if we read we will come to know that herod died and there was a public mourning and afterwards mou5rnings for those who were killed by Herod for the sedition i.e. pulling down the golden eagle Section 1 reads “Archelaus . . . when he had mourned for his father seven days, and had given a very expensive funeral feast to multitude” .Section 2.” When the public mourning for the king was over, those lamented that were put to death by Herod, because they had cut down the golden eagle that had been over the gate of the temple……they cried out, that a punishment ought to be inflicted for these men upon those that wee honoured by herod; and that in the first place the man whom he had made high priest should be deprived” Section 3…..” and indeed , the feast of unleavened bread which was now a hand and is by Jews called the Passover, and used to be celebrated with a great number of sacrifices and an innumerable multitude of people came out of the country to worship some of these stood in the temple bewailing the rabbins (that been put to death) and procured their sustenance by begging in order to support their sedition.” From the above we clearly understand that after the eclipse there was a Passover feast. The eclipse of B.C.4 occurred in March 12/13 “After the death there was the celebration of the Passover, the first day of which would have occurred on April 11, B.C.4.Hence his death occurred sometime between March 12th and April 11th since the thirty fourth year of his reign would have begun on Nisan1, B.C.4(March 29.4BC 40) his death would have occurred some time between march 29 and April 11,4BC.Wherefore for these reasons Christ would not have been born later than March /April of 4 B.C says Harold.D.Hohner, who also believes in AD33 Crucifixion.

Another Line of Testimony

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AB URBE CONDITA (A.U.C ) is from Latin for “From the founding of the city” (of Rome) , supposed to have happened in 753B.C.It was on e of several methods used for dating years in the Roman era, when the Roman calendar and Julian calendar were in use. It appears to have widely replaced by the annodicletiani (A.D.) system which in turn was gradually superseded by the anno domini (A.D) system of Dionysius Exigus –Wikepedia Encyclopedia

Whether Christ was crucified on A.D.33???

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Reasoning The Scriptures Apostle Paul after his conversion(Gal 1”17,18.) he went to Arabia and returned again to Damascus.Vs18”And then after three years I went to Jerusalem to see peter and I abode with him fifteen days” Gal 2:1 “Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with barnabas…..”. After returning from Arabia to Damascus to the period of Jerusalem council the period is 17 years first to see Peter 3years plus after fourteen years to Jerusalem for Apostolic council is 17 years. There is difference of opinion on it scholars like Alfred says –AD50, Bengel -47, Bruce 49, Hastings -49/50, Ogg -48, Ramsay -50, Scroggie 50, Lake- 50.The reasonable dates are 48/49/50 can be taken to start with. Now one has to accommodate 17 years of Paul between the Jerusalem council and his conversion plus little time of his going to Arabia and returning to Damascus. Before thinking of the date of Jerusalem council one should also provide the time of his second Missionary journey between the Jerusalem council and the Judgment of Gallio at Corinth . Therefore instead of going from conversion it is better to come down to conversion from Gallio’s Judgment at Corinth . The only accurate year available in Paul’s life for building the Chronology is the Gallio’s year of Proconsul ship. In this connection see Unger’s Archeology and the New Testament Page 245 “ In summer of A.D the new annual proconsul who arrived in Corinth to commence his official duties was Gallio’s brother of stoic Philosopher Seneca. This fact is evident from an important inscription from Delphi, this monument makes possible to date the arrival of Gallio in Corinth quite accurately. The inscription is in the form of a letter from Emperor Claudius and contains a reference to Gallio as “Lucius Junius Gallio, my friend and the proconsul of Achaia. . . .” The Emperor styles himself “Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, Pontifix Maximus of Tribunicain authority for the 12th time, imperator the 26ht time father of the countrym consul for the 5ht time “ The reference to the 12th Tribunician year and the 26th imperator ship of Claudius dates this imperial communication between January and August A.D.52 and Gallio must have arrived earlier in A.D.51, since he had obviously been in office long enough to have given the Emperor information of consequence concerning the people of Delphi. It is to better to look into another passage regarding this new testament Times by Merrill C Tenny page 276 “ The dating of the 12th tribunician year and the 26th acclamation places the inscription between January and August of the year A.D.52. since Gallio must have been holding office long enough to have made a report of Claudius and to have received the Emperor’s commendation , he probably took office about July 1 of A.D.51.Paul had presumably arrived in Corinth before Gallio, perhaps as early as A.D.50, if he left Jerusalem in summer of A.D. 48 shortly after the council of Jerusalem.” The Bible and the Archeology by J.A.Thompson page 396 says “Paul was brought before Gallio, the deputy of Achaia (Acts18:12) The date of spring A.D52 can be given with considerable accuracy from the reference to Gallio.Paul was thus in Corinth from autumn A.D 50 to spring A.D52. Certain pieces of information link together very neatly in this connection (Acts18:12) the office of proconsul ship is Annual and it was taken up accordingly on July 1st A.D.50 by Gallio therefore the possible period of Paul standing before judgment seat must be between July 1st A.D 52 to August A.D.52 since the 11th verse says (Acts 18:11) that Paul was at Corinth already a year and six months ( 1.1/2 years) because of this reason we have to assume that he must have come to Corinth on A.D.50 Paul on his second missionary journey came to Corinth from Jerusalem after the Apostolic council. Since Paul cannot jump all of a sudden from Jerusalem to Corinth so that his 17 years can be accommodated and the figure A.D.33 be confirmed. Since A.D.33 was not grounded on sufficient reasons except for the reason of blind Whether Christ was crucified on A.D.33???

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Reasoning The Scriptures faith that Jesus Christ was Crucified on Good Friday. Had it been founded on the rock of truth it would have been supported from external proofs also. THE SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY OF PAUL AFTER JERUSALEM COUNCIL

Versus 1.Acts 15:30 2.Acts 15:3039, Gal 2:11 3.Acts 15:41 to 16:1

4. Acts 15:41 5.Acts 16:1-5 6.Acts 16:4-5 7. Acts 16:6, 15:41,16:4, Gal2:10

Place Jerusalem to Antioch Visit in Antioch long enough for word To return to Jerusalem Peter was eating with Gentiles and for a representative of James to arrive Antioch to Derbe( Antioch, Alexandria,Mosqsuestia,Tarsus,238Km. Tarsus to podandos, Herecia, Cybistra, Kastabald,Barata, Derbe 233KM) Visiting to churches in Syria,cilcia and Derbe Derbe through lystra to Iconium Visits in Lystra nd Iconium From iconium to neoplis and Antioch in pisida Acts16:6 implies western movement towards Asia

8. Acts 16:4-5 Visits in Anticoh in pisidia 9. Acts16;6 ,Gal Pisidian Antioch to Ancyra Journey to north to be 1:2 ,2:10 “opposite of mysia” and to be at the approachtoBithynia(Antioch,Philomelium,Amoriu m,pessimus,Germa Ancyrna 10. Gal 4:13 Missionary activity in North,Galatia probably in pessimus Germa and Ancyra, including period of illness 11. Acts 16:8 Ancrya to troas, skirting myssia(Ancyra,Germa,Dorylaion,cotiaion 313 Km, cotiaion Awsani,Cadi Ancyra Siders on unknown road ,Adramyttion, assos, troas 458 km 12.Acts 16:10, Missonary Activity in Troas 20:6-12 13. Acts 16;11 Troas to Philippi through Neopolis via sea 14. Acts 16:12 Missionary activity in Philippi 15. Acts 17:1 Philippi to Thessalonica 16.Acts 17:1-9 Thessalonian Mission 17.Acts 17:10 Thesslonianica to Beroea 18.Acts 17;10 ,14 Beroean Ministry 19.Acts17:10 Beroea to Athens by land to pydna and from Whether Christ was crucified on A.D.33???

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Kilo Meters

Minimum Time

600

15 days 7weeks

471

12 days

142

5 weeks 3 days 2 weeks 3 days

312

1 week 8 days

144

6months 771

20 days

2 weeks 250 140 70 506

3 days 3 months 4 days 3 months 2 days 2 months 10 days

Reasoning The Scriptures

20.Acts 17:16 34 21. Acts 18:1

pireus to Athens 56 Km by sea from pydna to pireaus 450Km Ministry in Athens Athens through Piraeus, by ship to Cenchrea on to 91 Corinth 75Km Sea and 16 Km land

2 weeks 3 days

Apostle Paul has traveled by sea 775 Km, and by land 2722Km total 3497 Km. and Number of days covered in the 2nd missionary Journey is 640 days i.e. 91 weeks. This is the Minimum time of Paul to reach Corinth after Jerusalem council .From the time of standing before Gallio minus 1 and ½ years of Acts 18:11 and the above Journey period i.e. 91 weeks approximately 2 years then 17 years, before council and then a little period of conversion (Arabia to Damascus Journey) and Paul persecuting the church, a period of 21 years minimum should be accommodated. Let us Reason Together We have Concrete Evidence that Apostle Paul was in Corinth on A.D.50.Delhpi inscription of Claudius evidently refers to his 26th imperial acclamation is to be dated in the first half of June – July A.D52.Gallio might have entered office on may/June of the year A.D 51 as this date is established in secular history and there is no other alternate dates, now let us reason together with the historical and scriptural evidence. Acts 18:1 “Paul departed from Athens and came to to Corinth” Acts 18:11”And he continued there a year and six months” Acts 18:12”And when Gallio was the deputy of Achaia the Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul . . . “ from this we understand that Paul arrived at Corinth in A.D.50 Jan, Gal 1:18 “After three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter …” so after conversion Paul did not go to Jerusalem but to Arabia See Gal1:17, and returned to Damascus again, Then after three years he went to Jerusalem Gal2:1 “Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem …” • After Crucifixion the period Paul persecuted the Disciples ? years • After conversion the Period he was in Arabia and returned Again to Damascus Acts 18:17 ? years • After three years (i.e. after returning from Arabia) he went to Jerusalem Acts 1:18 3 years • Gal 2:1 fourteen years after again he went to Jerusalem 14 years ----------Total years ?+17 years If Christ was crucified on A.D.33 the period between crucifixion, persecution, of disciples plus conversion and going to Arabia and returning to Damascus let us add afterwards, But we are sure that Paul was at Corinth in Jan A.D. 50 • Crucifixion 33 A.D • 3+14 years of Gal2;1-4 17 years ---------A.D 50 What about the Period of persecution, conversion and going to Arabia and returning to Damascus???, therefore the year A.D.33 makes this impossible. Christ died early i.e. A.D31 Whether Christ was crucified on A.D.33???

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Reasoning The Scriptures Not on A.D 33 If from the date of arrival of Paul to Corinth, we account we have to deduct minimum 17 years plus the second missionary Journey period to arrive at his conversion year i.e.A.D 50 minus 2 years Journey being the minimum approximate i.e A.D.48.Jerusalem counsel minus 17 years will reach to A.D.31 not A.D33.In this way A.D 33 is not reasonable year and besides this Herod died on B.C. 4 and the Lord was born before Herod’s death, and lived only 33 and ½ years and this will not stretch up to A.D.33. After going through “An Archeologist follows the Apostle Paul” by James .L.Kelso; and the account of Pauls Journey given in Baker’s Handbook of the Bible lists, compiled by Andrew.E.Hill we found that the account given by Robert Jewett “Dating Paul’s Life” is Good and informative for the Bible students who can explain on map about Paul’s journey with places and it harmonize with the above stated Time frame. The Date of Our Lord’s Baptism Taking place shortly after our Lord’s Baptism John 1:29 on through it gives us a time reference as to when our Lord’s ministry began John2:13,18-21” And the Jews Passover was at hand and Jesus went up to Jerusalem …. Then answered the Jews and said unto him ,what sign shewest thou unto us , seeing that thou doest these things? Jesus answered and said unto them, destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, forty and six years was this temple in building and wilt thou rear it up in three day” The scriptures here note that at the time after (i.e after six months latter ,Baptism on October and Passover on April) our Lord’s Baptism the Jews stated that Herod’s Temple had been in building for forty six years. In order to establish a correct date of this event we must come to know When did the Building of Herod’s temple commence? Josephus recorded the following “Accordingly in the 15th year of his reign, Herod rebuilt the Temple, and encompassed a piece of land about it with a wall” (Wars I.21.1) yet he also stated “And now Herod, in the 18th year of his reign and after the acts already mentioned undertook a very great work, that is to build himself the temple of God’ (Ant.15.11.1) we have here two different years referring to the same person, how shall we solve this discrepancy? A Dictionary of the Bible (James Hastings Vol,1 P405, article Chronology of the new Testaments.) states “ Herod’s Temple was begun according to Wars of Jews is in his 15th year, according to Antiquities is in his 18th year and Josephus in both books summarizes the Length of Herod’s Reign by a double computation( which we have already discussed) from the de jure kingship i.e. The senate has agreed upon and was declared king in the year B.C. 40, and de facto kingship i.e. the year when he actually procured the kingship in the year B.C 37, an obvious solution of the discrepancy would be count 15th year from the later , and 18th year from the earlier. of the two starting points both reckonings then converging on B.C.22/23.but in fact Josephus, when he gives a single date, invariably computes it from the de facto Kingship only i.e The year when he actually procured the Kingship. so in Ant. … the battle of Actium ( B.C 31) is put in the 7th year of herod, Augustus second visit to Syria which was not earlier that B.C Whether Christ was crucified on A.D.33???

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Reasoning The Scriptures 21(for it was ten years after the first visit and that in turn was after Actium war) is dated in the seventeenth year of Herod’s reign and completion of Caesarea is fixed in the 92nd Olympiad (B.C12-8) and in the 28th year of Herod’s reign (Ant.15.v.2,vi.7,16.v.1) seeing then the divergence cannot be accounted for as a double reckoning, it must arise from the correction in Ant. So Josephus ultimate date is 18th year from 37 B.C, or in other words B.C 19, and the Passover of the 46th year that of A.D 27.thus the correct date for the Baptism is the early months of A.D.27 counting 3 and a ½ years forward we will reach to A.D.31 Nisan, and counting Backward to the birth of our Lord we will reach B.C.4 (4+27=31). The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (edited by George Bromily Vol2,p.690 article Herod) sates “In late 40 or early 39 B.C Herod returned to Palestine and with the help of Antony’s Legate sossius was able to recapture Galilee(perhaps this is why Josephus at one point noted 40 B.C to be the beginning of his Reign).finally in the Spring of 37B.C. he laid siege ot Jerusalem. Before the fall of Jerusalem Herod married Mariamne, niece of Aantigonus, to whom he had been betrothed for five years. The intention this marriage was to spite Anitgonus and to strengthen Herod’s claim to the throne since she was a Hasmenean.Jerusalem fell in summer of 37A.D (Ant.14.15.8,16.2) Herod requested that Romans behead Aantigonus, thus ending the Hasmonean rule”. Herod therefore became king of the Jews in B.C.37 the beginning of his reign and the correct date for determining the rebuilding of the Temple is BC 19, 18 years later The 15th year reign of Tiberius Caesar Luke 3:1 James Hastings in his dictionary of bible (Vol4, p 760 article Tiberius) states “The 2nd Roman emperor A.D 14-37.The Former 14.A.D is the date of Tiberius accession on the death of Augusts. But there is a good reason to suppose that Luke3:1 in his reference to the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, as the beginning of John the Baptist’s ministry is reckoning form the date of Tiberius association with Augustus in the empire some two years before the death of the latter. . . The exact year of Tiberius adoption by his stepfather in the government is not known. Mommsen putts it A.D.11/12, Perhaps the use of the word hegemonia(A.V,RV reign) implies that Tiberius was only acting as regent before the death of Augustus. From the evidence of coins struck at this date it is shown that to was customary to regard Tiberius reign beginning A.D.12 or A.U.C 765. Such co-regency is reaffirmed in the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (Vo.4,p847,article Tiberius) which states successor of Augustus Caeser as the second Roman emperor, born Tiberius Claudius Nero on November 16,42 B.C, his father of the same name was an office under Julius Caesar. his mother ,Liva Drusilla of the claudian family divorced his father in 38B.C and become the third wife of Augustus …. When all hope of direct succession was lost, both he (Tiberius) and Agrippa Postumus were adopted reluctantly by Augustus on June 26 A.D.4 at which time he was became military Governor of the Roman provinces and soon was raised by special law to position of co- regency (A.D.12) The fact of co-regency of Tiberius with Augustus is again reaffirmed by E.W. Buillinger. In his companion bible (p1438, footnote for Luke 3:1) it state “Augustus died in A.D 14, but Tiberius was associated with him for two or three years, this would make Tiberius’s 15th year A.D 27 (27-15 =12 A.D.) the word hegemonia means Government not Kingdom i.e. Basileia. Whether Christ was crucified on A.D.33???

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Reasoning The Scriptures The mission of the Baptist in the 15th year of Tiberius, calculated from A.D.12 will fall in A.D.26/27, the baptism of our Lord will fall on the Autumn of A.D.27 and the first Passover of the ministry, being at the same time the Passover of the 46th year of the temple building will follow in the spring of A.D 27 and counting forward 3 and a ½ years we will reach A.D.31 not A.D 33 Roman Records Concerning Tiberius Tiberius –RomanRoman-British.org Born: BC42/11/16 Tiberius Claudius Nero on the Palatine Hill Father: Tiberius Claudius Nero, fought against Augustus in civil war in BC40 Mother: Livia Drusilla (later Julia Augusta). Emperor: AD14/08/19 Tiberius Caesar Augustus. Died: AD37/03/16 smothered by Macro in his bed at or near Micenum. History: BC25 military tribune in Cantabria BC23 quaestor BC20 won back standards of Crassus in Parthian campaign BC16 governor of Gaul BC16 married wife1: Vipsania Agrippina, daughter of Agrippa BC? son born: Tiberius Drusus Caesar BC13 consul I BC11 married wife2: Julia, daughter of Augustus BC9 imperator I BC8 imperator II BC7 consul II BC6/06/26 Tribunicia Potestas granted for 5 years BC6 retires to Rhodes BC2 Julia divorced, banished to Pandateria AD2 Aug. allowed back to Rome as privatus AD4/06/26 Tribunicia Potestas (renewed annually from this date) AD4/06/27 adopted by Augustus, became Tiberius Iulius Caesar AD4 adopts his brother Drusus' eldest son: Claudius Germanicus Caesar AD6 imperator III AD8 imperator IV AD9 imperator V AD11 imperator VI AD12 granted supreme power by Augustus AD13 imperator VII AD14/08/19 accession, becomes Tiberius Caesar Augustus AD14-16 Germanicus campaigns in Germany AD15 Mar. 'Pontifex Maximus' AD16 imperator VIII AD16 Germanicus recalled from Rhine AD17 Drusus governor of Pannonia AD17/05/26 Germanicus celebrates triumph AD18 consul III with Germanicus Whether Christ was crucified on A.D.33???

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Reasoning The Scriptures AD18 Germanicus departs for eastern provinces AD19/10/10 Germanicus dies in Antioch AD20/05/27 Drusus celebrates triumph AD21 consul IV with Drusus AD23/09/14 Drusus dies, poisoned by wife Livilla and her lover Sejanus AD26 leaves Rome for Campania AD27 takes up residence on Capri AD29 mother Livia dies, aged 86 AD29 Agrippina beaten and exiled to Pandateria AD29 Nero son of Agrippina banished to Pontic island and forced to commit suicide AD31 consul V with Sejanus AD31 Drusus son of Agrippina starved to death in palace cellar AD31/10/18 Sejanus executed for treason AD33/10/18 Agrippina starves to death The above record confirms that Tiberius was granted supreme power on AD12,

Whether Christ was crucified on A.D.33???

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