As a ten-year-old, I received a telescope for Christmas and became quite a fan of the starry heavens. So when I found out that the crucifixion of Jesus included a "starry" miracle, I hurried to learn more.

You probably remember in reading the Gospel accounts that Mark and Luke record for us that a great darkness came over the earth while Jesus hung on the cross (Mark 15:33, Luke 23:44). Because we live in a scientific age, we realize this darkness was merely a coincidence between the crucifixion and a solar eclipse, right? Let me explain the difference in the moon's alignment during a solar eclipse and a full moon.

The moon orbits around the earth every twenty-eight days. When it is between the earth and the sun, we have no moon light at night. Fourteen days later, when the moon is on the opposite side of the earth from the sun we have a full moon at night. This is caused by the sun reflecting it's light off the moon back to the earth.

A solar eclipse takes place every so often, when the moon passes directly between the earth and the sun. When this happens the moon casts a shadow upon the earth, thus causing what we call an eclipse.

It might help if you took three cups and placed them on the table in a straight line. The cup at one end will be the sun. The cup at the other end will be the moon. And the middle cup will be the earth.

The earth should be placed between the sun and the moon for this to work properly, because you want to align the cups in order to cause a full moon. Do you know why it must be a full moon? The crucifixion of Jesus took place during the Jewish festival called Passover. For over three-thousand years, Passover has always been celebrated during a full moon. That is the reason why the date for Easter changes from year to year. It corresponds to Passover, and must be during the full moon.

What this means is: during a full moon, during Passover the moon is on the wrong side of the earth to cause a solar eclipse. So the darkness that happened while Jesus was on the cross could not have been caused by a solar eclipse. This is a fact of science. This is a fact of history.

Thallus, a Samaritan historian discussed this very eclipse in his History vol.3, published in Rome in 52 A.D. In his Greek history, book 13, wrote in 137 A.D. Phlegon also examines this eclipse. Phlegon mentions that "it took place during the fourth year of the 202 Olympia" which corresponds with 33 A.D. In the fourth century A.D. we also have records of this eclipse in the Acts of Pilate. They record the event but do not try to explain it.

For almost two-thousand years, scientists have been trying to explain how a solar eclipse could occur without the moon. So far, they have only numerous guesses. We have five ancient historians who mention the event in their writings. Even though science has trouble explaining this historical event, one thing is certain. The biblical writers were the first to mention that a miraculous event took place, an event that has no explanation by science.

People of faith know how to explain this. Darkness came over the earth because the Son of God, the Light of the world was snuffed out. This is a recorded historical event. Christianity is built upon historical events whether or not science can explain them.

Rev. Ted Beam