The True Story of Jesus — Page 73
Chapter Ten—Chronology of Jesus’ Trial 73 was also sent to Herod for trial, this may have occupied a further day. It seems, therefore, that Pilate possibly gave orders for cruci- fixion on Wednesday. All Gospels agree that Jesus as was put on the cross on Friday. It could not have been the Friday immediately after his arrest on Thursday as it was a festival day according to the three Gospels. So it must have been the following Friday. Evidently, the Gospel writ- ers have confused the issue. They thought that Jesus as was tried and put on the cross a day after his arrest, while it seems more logical that he was put on the cross on the following Friday, which was not a holy day for the Jews. By fixing Friday it seems that Pilate was deliberately trying to minimise the time Jesus as would be on the cross, as he knew that all bodies have to be taken down from the cross before Friday’s sunset, when the Sabbath begins. In view of all facts discussed above, a possible sequence of events could be as follows: