This study will provide evidence demonstrating that Abib 14 is a High Sabbath and marks the first day of the 7-day Festival of Passover and Unleavened Bread.
In addition to existing Greek texts, another source we will utilize to support our conclusions is a New Testament Hebrew manuscript known as Cochin MS O.o.1.32.
Discovered in 1806 in the Synagogue of the “Black Jews” in Cochin, India, and linked to Ezekiel Rahabi II, the Hebrew manuscript’s existence in a Jewish community suggests it could preserve a rare Hebrew translation tradition.
Some scholars speculate it might draw from early Jewish-Christian or Ebionite texts, which used Hebrew or Aramaic for Christian scriptures, potentially dating back to the 1st-4th centuries C.E.
With this information in hand, our initial exploration will address the issue of the anointing and burial of Yahushua the Messiah’s body.
The Greek and Hebrew texts both state that Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus buried Yahushua’s body during the late afternoon of Abib 14.
The Burial
The relevant passage of John 19:38-40 when translated from the Greek and Hebrew texts, is as follows:
ENGLISH TRANSLATION AND GREEK TEXT
John 19:38-40 — Now after these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Yahushua, but a secret (one) for fear of the Jews, requested of Pilate that he might take away the body of Yahushua; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body. Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred litras (weight). So they took the body of Yahushua and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews.
John 19:38-40 — Μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα ἠρώτησεν τὸν Πιλᾶτον Ἰωσὴφ ὁ ἀπὸ Ἁριμαθαίας, ὢν μαθητὴς τοῦ Ἰησοῦ κεκρυμμένος δὲ διὰ τὸν φόβον τῶν Ἰουδαίων, ἵνα ἄρῃ τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Ἰησοῦ· καὶ ἐπέτρεψεν ὁ Πιλᾶτος. ἦλθεν οὖν καὶ ἦρεν τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ. ἦλθεν δὲ καὶ Νικόδημος, ὁ ἐλθὼν πρὸς αὐτὸν νυκτὸς τὸ πρῶτον, φέρων μίγμα σμύρνης καὶ ἀλόης ὡς λίτρας ἑκατόν. ἔλαβον οὖν τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Ἰησοῦ καὶ ἔδησαν αὐτὸ ὀθονίοις μετὰ τῶν ἀρωμάτων, καθὼς ἔθος ἐστὶν τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις ἐνταφιάζειν.
ENGLISH TRANSLATION AND HEBREW TEXT
John 19:38-40 —And after this, Yahuseph, who was from the city of Ramah, asked from Pilatus—because he was a disciple of Yahushua in secret, out of fear of the Yahudim—that he might take the corpse of Yahushua, and Pilatus consented. And he came and took the corpse of Yahushua. And there came Naqedimos—HE IS NAQEDIMOS WHO CAME PREVIOUSLY TO YAHUSHUA BY NIGHT— and he brought oil of the myrtle, and it was about a hundred litatin (weight). And they took the corpse of Yahushua and wrapped it in a linen cloth and in spices, according to the custom which the Yahudim perform for those who are buried.
John 19:38-40 — ואחר זה יוסף שהוא מן עיר רמה ביקש מן פיליטוס לפי שהיה תשמיד ישו בסתר מפחד היאודים שיקח פגר ישו ונתרצה פיליטוס ובא ולקח פגר ישו׃ ואתא נקדימוס הוא נקדימוס שבא מקודם לישו בלילה והביא שמן של הדס והיה כמו מאד לטטין׃ ולקחו לפגר של ישו וכרכו אותו בכתונת ובבסמים כמו מנהג שעושים היאודים לנקברים׃
It is clear that these parallel texts establish that Joseph and Nicodemus anointed Yahushua’s body with precious ointments and sealed the tomb on Abib 14, just before sunset.
Furthermore, the fact that Nicodemus had previously visited Yahushua at night is confirmed earlier in John:
Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. THIS MAN CAME TO YAHUSHUA BY NIGHT and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from the deity; for no one can do these signs that you do, unless the deity is with him.” (John 3:1-2)
Moving forward, we will establish that the meal Yahushua the Messiah, shared at the start of Abib 14, was indeed the authentic Passover meal.
Abib 13
In the late afternoon of Abib 13, Yahushua and his disciples make ready to prepare and eat their last Passover meal together. Of this event, in Matthew and Mark, we have the following English translations:
• Matt. 26:17 (From the Greek) But πρώτῃ (prote; BEFORE) THE UNLEAVENED (BREAD), the disciples came to Yahushua, saying to him, Where will you have us PREPARE YOUR EATING OF THE PASSOVER.
• Matt. 26:17 (From the Hebrew) ביום ההוא (Bayom hahu; Near that day), the ראשון (rashun; first) day of Phasekh, His disciples drew near to Yahushua and said to Him, “WHERE IS YOUR DESIRE THAT WE MAY PREPARE SO THAT YOU MAY EAT THE PHASEKH?”
• Mark 14:12 (From the Greek) And the DAY πρώτῃ (prote; BEFORE) THE UNLEAVENED (BREAD), AT WHICH TIME THEY KILLED THE PASSOVER, the disciples said to him, Where do you wish us to go so THAT WE CAN PREPARE AT THAT PLACE THE EATING OF THE PASSOVER?
• Mark 14:12 (From the Hebrew) וביום אחד של (u-be-yom akhad shel; And near the first day of) Phasekh—for in it they slaughter their Phasekh lambs—His disciples said to Him, “WHERE DO YOU WANT TO GO TO EAT THE PHASEKH?”
Abib 14
Now, it will be established that the Passover meal took place after sunset (dusk, twilight) at the beginning of Abib 14.
• Matt., 26:20-21 (From the Greek) And ὀψίας (opsias; dusk) having occurred, he (Yahushua) reclined with the twelve. And as they were eating he said, Truly I say to you, that one from you will deliver me up.
• Matt. 26:20-21 (From the Hebrew) When it was ערב (arab; evening, dusk) He sat at the table with His twelve disciples. While they were eating, He said, “Truly I say to you, that one of you will deliver Me up.”
• Mark 14:17-18 (From the Greek) And ὀψίας (opsias; dusk) having occurred, he (Yahushua) came with the twelve. And as they were reclining and eating, Yahushua said, Truly I say to you that one from you will deliver me up, who is eating with me.
• Mark 14:17-18 (From the Hebrew) And when it was לילה (lailah; night), He came with His twelve disciples. And when they were reclining and eating, Yahushua said, “Truly I say to you, that one of you will deliver Me up.”
Undoubtedly, Scriptures also firmly establish that Yahushua and his disciples did, in fact, eat the Passover meal.
• Mark 14:18 (From the Greek) And AS THEY WERE RECLINING AND EATING, Yahushua said, Truly I say to you, that one from out of you who is EATING WITH ME will deliver me up.
• Mark 14:18 (From the Hebrew) And when they were reclining AND EATING, Yahushua said, “Truly I say to you, that one of you will deliver Me up.”
Day of the Week
Our next step is to establish the day of the week the Passover meal took place.
Assisting us is the story found in Luke 24. After giving the account of the women coming to the tomb of Yahushua ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK (SUNDAY), just before day-break, and finding the tomb empty (vs. 1-8), it continues by saying that the women immediately went to the apostles and other disciples to report their findings (vs. 9-10).
These people disbelieved the women, but Keph (Peter) rose up and went to the tomb to see for himself. Finding their testimony true, he returned home wondering about what had happened (vs. 11-12). We next read:
And behold, two of them (the disciples) were going ON THE SAME DAY (SUNDAY) to a village being 60 furlongs distant from Jerusalem, which is named Emmanus; and they were conversing with one another about all these things which had taken place. (Luke 24:13-14)
Therefore, the conversation between the two men was “ON THE SAME DAY” (SUNDAY) that the messiah was raised, which occurred on the first day of the week. Moreover, their discussion shows that this journey happened after the women had reported the empty tomb to the disciples and, therefore, in the daylight hours of that first day.
The Third Day After
While these two men were walking along, the resurrected Yahushua drew near and began walking with them. Their eyes being kept from seeing that it was Yahushua, Yahushua asked them why they appeared so downcast. They responded by discussing the great events which took place in Jerusalem:
And answering the one, whose name was Kleopas, said to him, You sojourn alone in Jerusalem, and have not known the things which are come to pass in it (Jerusalem) in these days? And he (Yahushua) said to them, What things? And they said to him, The things concerning Yahushua the Nazaraean, who was a man, a prophet, mighty in deed and word before eloahim and all the people; and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him up to judgment of death, and put him upon a stake. But we were hoping it was he who was about to redeem Israel. But indeed, with all these things, TODAY IS THE THIRD DAY ἀφ᾽ οὗ (aph ou; AFTER WHICH) THESE THINGS CAME TO PASS. (Luke 24:18-21)
Therefore, TODAY, being the same day that Yahushua was resurrected, i.e., the first day of the week (SUNDAY), was the third day “after which” the messiah was put on a stake and murdered.
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This important story continues by relating how Yahushua chastised the men for being slow to trust in the things spoken of by the prophets and how it was needful for the messiah to suffer and to enter into his glory.
As Yahushua recited to them various passages from Scriptures concerning himself, they came close to the village to which the two men were traveling, and Yahushua appeared to be going farther still:
And they constrained him, saying, Abide with us, for it is πρὸς ἑσπέραν (pros esperan; TOWARD TWILIGHT), and the day has declined. And he entered in to abide with them. (Luke 24:29)
This portion of the text demonstrates that when the above comment was made, that today was “the third day after which these things came to pass,” it occurred just prior to sunset (i.e., late afternoon of the same day, Sunday).
Counting Back
With this information in hand, one can calculate back from the “THIRD DAY AFTER,” which was Sunday, Abib 17, bringing us to the first day after the death and burial of Yahushua. This takes us to the afternoon of Friday, the FIRST DAY “AFTER WHICH THESE THINGS CAME TO PASS.”
Therefore the day when “THESE THINGS CAME TO PASS” is Thursday afternoon of Abib 14.
Also, when one calculates for the years 30 to 33 C.E. to when Passover, Abib 14, occurred during a Wednesday night and Thursday day, the result is the year 30 C.E.
Two Scenarios
We can now address the chronology of Yahushua’s death and burial with the proper framework.
As mentioned previously, the Hebrew text has the burial occur just before sunset during the afternoon of Abib 14. This would be late afternoon Thursday.
Two scenarios are now presented.
Scenario 1 – Yahushua’s Protocol
Abib 14 is the first day of the 7-day Festival of Passover and Unleavened Bread (Abib 14-20). The 24-hour day consisting of Wednesday night and Thursday day was a High Sabbath. Yahushua partook of the Passover meal on Wednesday night. He was put to death and was buried just before sunset on Thursday afternoon.
On Abib 14, during the late afternoon before sunset, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus transported Yahushua’s body to the tomb, anointed and wrapped his body. Before leaving they rolled a stone over the entrance to the tomb finishing the burial process. This 24-hour day consisting of Wednesday night and Thursday day was a High Sabbath. This day is also the first day of the 7-day Festival of Passover and Unleavened Bread.
Scenario 2 – Pharisaic Protocol
Abib 14 was a preparation day for the 7- day Jewish Festival of Unleavened Bread (Abib 15-21). This day would not be a High Sabbath. It is concluded by the Jews that Yahushua incorrectly partook of the Passover meal Wednesday night or did not observe Passover at all. He was put to death and was buried just before sunset on Thursday afternoon. This day was the Jewish preparation for the High Sabbath of Abib 15 when the Jews partook of the Passover meal.
The complete 24-hour day consisting of Thursday night and Friday day would be the Jewish High Sabbath. The very next day, Abib 16, was the weekly Sabbath. For the Jews, Abib 15 was also the first day of the 7-day Festival of Unleavened Bread.
Feast of the Jews
At this point, it is essential to recognize that John states that he was an eyewitness to the events surrounding the crucifixion, death, and burial of Yahushua.
He who saw it has borne witness. His testimony is true, and he knows that he tells the truth that you also may trust. (John 19:35)
John also distinguishes between Yahushua’s adherence to the festival regulations and the one observed by the Jews or religious leaders.
After this there was a FEAST OF THE JEWS, and Yahushua went up to Jerusalem. (John 5:1)
Now the PASSOVER, the FEAST OF THE JEWS, was at hand. (John 6:4)
Of course, John was a Judahite, and there would be no need to make a distinction from the others if he and Yahushua observed the Festival days in the same manner.
What all of this means is that since John was pointing out that the Jews were observing Passover differently than Yahushua and his disciples, then by default, the Jews were wrong!
Accordingly, as we will demonstrate, the sequence of events, as given by the Hebrew version of the book of John, confirms that the Festival of Passover, Abib 14, was indeed a High Sabbath and the first day of the 7-day Festival of Passover and Unleavened Bread.
Pharisaic Approach – PROBLEM
We shall now test the sequence of events for Passover and Unleavened Bread from the Pharisaical or rabbinic point of view, which is an 8-day observance from Abib 14-21.
Pharisaic Sequence:
• Abib 14. Wednesday night after sunset. According to the Pharisaic viewpoint, Yahushua and his disciples ate the Passover meal on the wrong day, or this meal was not a Passover meal at all. For the Pharisees, this day was a preparation day for the Jewish Passover on Abib 15. Not a High Sabbath.
• Abib 14. Thursday afternoon. The Passover lambs are sacrificed in preparation for the Jewish Festival of Passover and Unleavened Bread on Abib 15.
• Abib 14. Just before sunset, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus placed Yahushua’s body in the grave and sealed the tomb by rolling a stone over the entrance. Not a High Sabbath.
• Abib 14. Thursday afternoon. The women were watching the burial process. Not a High Sabbath.
• Abib 15. – PROBLEM – Thursday night after sunset. The women arrive home and prepare their meal for the first day of the Jewish Passover and Festival of Unleavened Bread. They prepare aromatics. Jewish High Sabbath.
• Abib 15. Friday morning. Jews ask for guards to be placed at the tomb. Jewish High Sabbath.
• Abib 15. – PROBLEM – Friday day. The women prepare spices and aromatics. Jewish High Sabbath.
• Abib 16. Friday night to Saturday night. Weekly Sabbath observed.
• Abib 17. Saturday night. After sunset begins the first day of the week.
• Abib 17. Sunday early morning before sunrise. Yahushua resurrected.
When analyzed, one has to conclude that there are major problems with the above sequence based on a Pharisaical and rabbinic approach.
To begin with, according to the Pharisaical method, Yahushua was placed in the grave on Abib 14, Thursday afternoon before sunset. This would fulfill the command given in the book of Deuteronomy.
And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain all night upon the tree, BUT YOU SHALL BURY HIM THE SAME DAY, for a hanged man is accursed by eloahim; you shall not defile your land which Yahweh your eloahi gives you for an inheritance. (Deut. 21:22-23)
Also, the Jews did not want the crucified bodies to remain on the torture-stakes after sunset because of their High Sabbath, which began after sundown on Thursday, Abib 15.
Since it was the (Jewish) day of preparation, in order to prevent the bodies from remaining on the torture-stake on the sabbath (for that sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. (John 19:31)
Abib 15 Not a High Sabbath
An additional problem comes about if the women who returned home from the crucifixion site had prepared spices and ointments on the Jewish High Sabbath of Abib 15. Scriptures state:
The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid; then they returned and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath, they rested according to the commandment. (Luke 23:55-56)
Amazingly, Scriptures have provided proof that Abib 15 was not a High Sabbath!
To illustrate, the women stayed and witnessed the burial of Yahushua during the late afternoon near sunset of Abib 14 and then arrived home after sunset on Abib 15 to prepare their meal for the second day of Unleavened Bread.
According to Scriptures, they also prepared spices and ointments on Abib 15 (Thu/Fri). Therefore this day could not be a Sabbath. Then Scriptures also point out that the next day, Abib 16, was a weekly Sabbath day (Fri/Sat) on which the women rested.
Therefore, the scriptural evidence provided by the Hebrew and Greek texts clearly support the High Sabbath day of Abib 14, Passover Day, the day when Yahushua and his disciples ate the Passover meal. It then follows that Abib 15 could not be a High Sabbath because of the course of events requiring laborious work.
Scriptures Confirm Correct Passover
The following is the final sequence from the Hebrew and Greek texts, which demonstrate the Passover practice of Yahushua the messiah and proceed to confirm the validity that Abib 14 is a High Sabbath:
• Abib 14. Wednesday night after sunset. The Festival of Passover and Unleavened Bread. On this first day of Unleavened Bread, Yahushua and his disciples ate the Passover meal. High Sabbath.
• Abib 14. During late Thursday afternoon, Passover day and still the first day of Unleavened Bread, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus placed Yahushua’s body in the grave and sealed the tomb by rolling a stone over the entrance. Yahushua’s burial is final and official. High Sabbath.
• Abib 14. The women observed the burial process. High Sabbath.
• Abib 15. After sunset, Thursday night, the women arrived home and prepared their meal for the second day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread. They prepare some aromatics. Not a High Sabbath.
• Abib 15. Friday morning after sunrise. Jews ask for guards to be placed at the tomb. A preparation day for the weekly Sabbath. Not a High Sabbath.
• Abib 15. During the daytime of Friday, the women prepare the available spices and aromatics. This day is a preparation day for the weekly Sabbath. Not a High Sabbath.
• Abib 16. Friday night to Saturday night. Weekly Sabbath observed.
• Abib 17. Saturday night. After sunset begins the first day of the week. The women purchase more aromatics to anoint Yahushua’s body. Not a Sabbath.
• Abib 17. Sunday early morning before sunrise. Yahushua resurrected. Women are on the way to the tomb. Not a Sabbath.
The progression of events clearly show that Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus did not violate the Sabbath when they placed Yahushua’s body in the tomb late Thursday afternoon, just before sunset. They fully adhered to the Sabbath commandment.
Additionally, since Joseph of Arimathea was a disciple of Yahushua, he would have participated in the Passover meal on Wednesday, Abib 14, which took place the night before. He became ritually unclean by touching Yahushua’s dead body during the same 24-hour period on Thursday afternoon.
This reasoning also applies to John, who was present at the crucifixion. Since Nicodemus had already observed Passover after sunset on Abib 14, he too would have become unclean late on Abib 14, Thursday afternoon, just before sunset.
As a result, neither Joseph, John, nor Nicodemus needed to observe the Festival of Passover in the second month.
Summary
The Hebrew and Greek texts offer valuable insights into the events surrounding Yahushua’s death, highlighting the importance of the 7-day Festival of Passover and Unleavened Bread, which Yahushua and his disciples observed.
Furthermore, for those who acknowledge the validity of the Gospel of John, this text confirms that the 7-day Festival of Passover and Unleavened Bread is observed from Abib 14 to 20. As a result, Abib 14 and Abib 20, the first and last days of the Festival, are designated as High Sabbaths.