The Day of At-One-Ment: On what day of the week did it fall in 42

The Day of At-One-Ment:

On Which Day of the Week did it fall

in the Years 44 CE through 46 CE?

Abstract:

This study detail has not proven helpful in ruling out any particular year for the event described in Acts 25:6-12. Nonetheless, it has helped us eliminate Friday September 30, 46 CE out of the potential dates considered. It can also be looked upon as confirmation that said events (Acts 25:6-12) could have transpired in either [the Julian year] 43, 44, or 45 CE.

It has been shown elsewhere that Albinus, and thus not Festus, was the procurator in Judea at in Tishri 46 CE, and thus also that the events recorded in Acts occurred in a [Julian] year prior to 46 CE. It has also been shown elsewhere that the Pentecost pertaining to the events recorded in Acts 20:16 through Acts 23:33 took place in [the Julian year] 43 or 44 CE.

Based upon this and other insights it may be further concluded that the Day of At-One-Ment referenced in Acts 25:6, as rendered in Textus Receptus, occurred on Tishri 10, 44 CE [Wednesday October 21, 44 CE.]

Background:

“Acts 25:6 TLT+ And¹¹⁶¹ when he had tarried¹³⁰⁴ among¹⁷²² them⁸⁴⁶ even past the end of^4119, ²²²⁸ Day²²⁵⁰ Ten¹¹⁷⁶ [i.e. “the 10^th,” “Tishri 10,” “the 10^th Day of the Seventh Month,” “the Day of At-One-Ment” and “the fast,”] he went down²⁵⁹⁷ unto¹⁵¹⁹ Caesarea;²⁵⁴² and the³⁵⁸⁸ next day¹⁸⁸⁷ sitting²⁵²³ on¹⁹⁰⁹ the³⁵⁸⁸ judgment seat⁹⁶⁸ commanded²⁷⁵³ Paul³⁹⁷² to be brought.⁷¹”

Act 25:6 KJV+ And¹¹⁶¹ when he had tarried¹³⁰⁴ among¹⁷²² them⁸⁴⁶ more⁴¹¹⁹ than²²²⁸ ten¹¹⁷⁶ days,²²⁵⁰ he went down²⁵⁹⁷ unto¹⁵¹⁹ Caesarea;²⁵⁴² and the³⁵⁸⁸ next day¹⁸⁸⁷ sitting²⁵²³ on¹⁹⁰⁹ the³⁵⁸⁸ judgment seat⁹⁶⁸ commanded²⁷⁵³ Paul³⁹⁷² to be brought.⁷¹

This study pertains to Acts 25:6. The words in KJV, “more than ten days,” are based upon Greek words in Textus Receptus that are optionally, and more accurately while also in accord with the events as they transpired, translated “beyond Day Ten [of the month,]” and, if so, may well reference Tishri 10, the Day of At-One-Ment. From Josephus I have learnt that the rulers often attended the special feast days in Jerusalem. Thus, it is quite likely that the quoted words points to such a visit by Festus shortly after arriving on the scene as the new procurator after Felix.

In Acts 25:6 we also learn that “the next day, sitting on the judgment seat,” Festus set up court in Caesarea. In v. 7 we also learn that while in court on this “next day” Festus met with Paul and the Jews: I.e. “when he [Paul] was come, the Jews which came down from Jerusalem…” In Acts 25:17 Festus is confirming the timing with the words “without any delay on the morrow [i.e. the morning after the 10^th] I sat on the judgment seat, and commanded the man [Paul] to be brought forth. Against whom when the accusers [the Jews] stood up…”

It is highly unlikely that either Paul or any of the Jews would consent to show up at court on the Seventh Day Shabbat. But if the Day of Atonement, Tishri 10, happened to fall on the Sixth Day [Friday, starting at sunset Thursday night] then “the next day” would occur on a Shabbat.

Thus, if we can determine that in a certain year the Day of Atonement, Tishri 10, fell on the Sixth Day of the week, then we can conclude also that the event recorded in Acts 25 did not likely occur in that year.

Because of the nature of the biblical calendar, which is based upon actual visualization of the New Moon crescent each month, and upon the time of ripening of the barley, the aviv, in the spring, it is not always possible to determine with certainty what exact monthly calendar was being used at a given time. Consequently there may be more than one option for any given year.

Results:

Studying the below calendars I obtain the following most likely answers to the above question [The years 42 and 43 are really irrelevant for our present purposes, except as a reminder of a prior error leading me to perceive 42 CE as a year with a potential concurrent Seventh Day Shabbat and Seventh Day of Unleavened Bread:]

Potential days for Tishri 10, the Day of At-One-Ment:

42 CE:

Friday September 14, 42 CE

Sunday October 14, 42 CE

43 CE:

Thursday October 3, 43 CE

44 CE:

Not consistent with a 44 CE Acts 20:16 scenario (Aviv 44 CE fixed by Acts 20:6-7:) Monday September 21, 44 CE

Tuesday or Wednesday, October 20 or 21, 44 CE

45 CE:

Not consistent with a 44 CE Acts 20:16 scenario (Aviv 44 CE fixed by Acts 20:6-7:) Friday or Saturday, September 9 or 10, 45 CE

Sunday October 10, 45 CE

46 CE:

Thursday (or Friday,) September 29 (or 30,) 46 CE. [The date provided within parenthesis is considerably less likely from the standpoint of visibility of the New Moon crescent that month. Because it is a Friday it is inconsistent with Acts 25:6 and may thus be eliminated for any further consideration based on this reason alone. More below!]

Av OR Elul

August 42 CE

Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa

1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4 5

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

6 7 8 9 10 12 13

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

21 22 23 24 25 26

26 27 28 29 30 31

Av/Elul OR Elul/Tishri

September 42 CE

Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa

28 29 30 1 2 3 4

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 - Friday September 14, 42 CE

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

16 17 18 19 20 21 22

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

23 24 25 26 27 28 29

Elul/Tishri OR Tishri/Bul

October 42 CE

Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa

27 28 29 30 1 2

1 2 3 4 5 6

3 4 5 6 7 8 9

7 8 9 10 11 12 13

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 – Sunday October 14, 42 CE

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

17 18 19 20 21 22 23

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

24 25 26 27

28 29 30 31

Elul

August 43 CE

Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa

1 2 3

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

25 26 27 28 29 30 31

Elul/Tishri

September 43 CE

Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

29 30 1 2 3 4 5

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

6 7

29 30

Tishri/Bul

October 43 CE

Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa

8 9 10 11 12 – Thursday October 3, 43 CE

1 2 3 4 5

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

27 28 29 30 1 2 3

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

4 5 6 7 8

27 28 29 30 31

Av OR Elul

August 44 CE

Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

1 2

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

3 4 5 6 7 8 9

16 17 18 19 20 21 22

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

23 24 25 26 27 28 29

17 18

30 31

Av/Elul OR Elul/Tishri

September 44 CE

Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa

19 20 21 22 23

1 2 3 4 5

24 25 26 27 28 29 1

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 – Monday September 21, 44 CE

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

16 17 18 19

27 28 29 30

Elul/Tishri OR Tishri/Bul

October 44 CE

Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa

20 21 22

1 2 3

23 24 25 26 27 28 29

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

30 1 2 3 4 5 6

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

7 8 9 10 11 12 13 – Tuesday or Wednesday, October 20 or 21, 44 CE

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

25 26 27 28 29 30 31

Av OR Elul

August 45 CE

Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa

1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

26 27 28

29 30 31

Elul/Tishri OR Tishri/Bul

September 45 CE

Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa

29 1 2 3

1 2 3 4

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 – Friday or Saturday, September 9 or 10, 45 CE

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

25 26 27 28 29

26 27 28 29 30

Tishri OR Bul

October 45 CE

Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa

1 2

3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 – Sunday October 10, 45 CE

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

17 18 19 20 21 22 23

24 25 26 27 28 29 30

Elul

August 46 CE

Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa

1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

1 2 3 4 5

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

6 7 8 9

28 29 30 31

Elul/Tishri

September 46 CE

Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa

10 11 12

1 2 3

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

27 28 29 1 2 3 4

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

5 6 7 8 9 10 - Thursday or Friday, September 29 or 30, 46 CE

25 26 27 28 29 30