The Bible says that when Jesus died at the 'ninth hour,' darkness shrouded the land and the earth trembled at his final breath. 

While Scripture does not provide an exact date, many historians have long debated that it occurred at 3:00pm on Friday, April 3, 33 AD, and a new book has offered compelling evidence supporting this widely discussed date.

In 'The Day Jesus Died,' Woodrow Michael Kroll weaves together biblical texts, historical records and astronomical data, arguing that together they form a coherent narrative pointing to this precise day and hour. 

The Gospels offer detailed accounts leading up to Jesus' death, including Mark 15:34, which notes he died at the 'ninth hour,' corresponding to 3:00pm. 

The ancient Jewish day was divided into twelve hours starting at sunrise, around 6:00am, making the ninth hour mid-afternoon.

Kroll determined that Jesus died on a Friday because all four Gospels describe the crucifixion as taking place on the 'Day of Preparation,' the day before the Jewish Sabbath that falls on Saturday.

To corroborate the date, he turned to the skies, using astronomical calculations to show that on April 3, 33 AD, a full moon consistent with Passover illuminated Jerusalem, followed by a partial lunar eclipse visible that evening. 

The moon's reddish tint would have appeared hours after the crucifixion, echoing Peter's reference in Acts 2:20 to 'the moon turning to blood.'

Historical records further support the timing, as Pontius Pilate, Judea's ruler from 26 to 36 AD, oversaw the trial and execution of Jesus. 

The political instability following the fall of his ally Sejanus in 31 left Pilate vulnerable, explaining his hesitancy during the trial. 

According to the Bible, after questioning Jesus, Pilate stated multiple times that he found no grounds for the charges against him. 

Kroll references the Pilate Stone, discovered in 1961, which confirms Pilate's role, and a crucified man's heel bone found in 1968, whose injuries match Roman execution practices described in the Gospels.

John 19:31–33 recounts that, because it was the Day of Preparation, the Jewish leaders requested the bodies be taken down to avoid violating the Sabbath. 

The soldiers broke the legs of the other crucified men but found Jesus already dead, confirming the Gospel's account.

Kroll cites non-Christian historians Phlegon and Thallus, who provided further corroboration. 

Though surviving only in fragments, their records of midday darkness and an earthquake during the 202nd Olympiad, a four-year period ending in 33 AD, align with the Gospel description of events, reinforcing April 3 as historically plausible.

Kroll also turns to prophecy, drawing on Daniel 9:24–27. Counting 483 years from a 445 BC decree to rebuild Jerusalem's walls, the author pinpoints the crucifixion in 33 AD. 

Verse 26 foretells that the Anointed One would be put to death, aligning with the timing of Passover and the lunar eclipse that year. 

On Nisan 14, the Jewish date for Passover, Jesus' 3:00pm death mirrored the sacrifice of the Passover lamb, symbolically portraying him as the 'Lamb of God' whose death atoned for sin. 

Darkness from noon to 3:00 PM further underscored the event's monumental significance.

The Gospel of John records that Jesus attended three Passovers, indicating a ministry spanning three years from 29 to 33 AD. 

While some scholars have suggested that Jesus may have been crucified on a Wednesday, Kroll argues that this theory does not align with the Gospel narratives or Jewish customs. 

He emphasizes that the Gospels consistently place the crucifixion immediately preceding the Sabbath.

In Jewish tradition, the Sabbath begins at sunset on Friday, which means the Day of Preparation falls on Friday itself. 

A Wednesday crucifixion would require a Sabbath on Thursday, contradicting both the Gospel accounts and first-century Jewish practice.

Kroll also examines the timeline of Jesus' burial. According to Scripture, Jesus was placed in the tomb before sunset on the Day of Preparation and rose on the first day of the week, Sunday. 

This timeline fulfills the prophecy of three days and three nights in the tomb mentioned in the Book of Matthew.

Kroll explains that if Jesus had been crucified on a Wednesday, the interval from his death to his resurrection would compress the timeline, making it impossible to match the description of a full three days and nights while remaining consistent with the Gospels.

The timing of Passover further supports a Friday crucifixion. The Gospels indicate that the Last Supper was a Passover meal, celebrated on Nisan 14. 

The crucifixion followed on Nisan 15, which corresponds with the Day of Preparation. A Wednesday crucifixion would shift the sequence, placing the Passover meal and the crucifixion on days that do not correspond to the Jewish calendar, creating discrepancies in the narrative.

Finally, Kroll notes that all four Gospels agree on the Friday timing, reinforcing the consistency of the accounts. 

A Wednesday crucifixion would introduce conflicts across the texts, undermining their historical reliability. 

'Based on eyewitness, historical, and literary accounts, readers can pinpoint the hour Jesus said, 'It is finished.' It's almost like being there,' Kroll writes.