Its easy to show that no solar eclipse matches up with passover anytime near 30 CE. Here is a list of eclipses (note that one must ignore the partials and annulars, since only total eclipses make it dark):
http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/SEcat/SEcatalog.html
yes, there was a really cool total eclipse that went right through Jerusalem in 29 CE! AH, but it did that in November, not anywhere near passover, and certainly didn't last for three hours.
This is really very simple. That eclipse was clearly a memorable event. The writer of "Mt" wasn't born yet. He heard stories from his grampa or whoever, figured it was somewhere around the same time, and put 2 and 2 together to get 5. In the same way, he exaggerated the eclipse to last 3 hours, added an earthquake, and added a big group of walking zombies wandering around for two days, then storming Jerusalem, just to spice it up.
Of course, even if such a packet of godly signs occured, it has to be pretty amazing that none of it is mentioned in any non-biblical source - not Josephus, not nothin'. It's almost as if it didn't happen.
Just for our reference, here is the whole thing, from Mt 27 in the NIV:
quote:
From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"”which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
When some of those standing there heard this, they said, "He's calling Elijah."
Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. The rest said, "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to save him."
And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
Have a fun day-
™ Version 4.2
