Important Dates in the Lives of Jesus and Mary 

would count a partial year as if it were a full year. He concerns himself with recording the exact length of the 

ruler's reign.

756

    In contrast to his writings about the emperors of Rome, Josephus does not tell us the exact length of Herod's 

reign. He clearly states the exact day that Herod's reign began, on the solemnity of the fast in the third month 

of the Olympiad year (when Jerusalem was captured). But he does not give any indication that he knew the 

exact day of Herod's death. Perhaps Josephus did not know on which day Herod died, and so did not know 

the exact length of his reign. So, when he tell us that Herod reigned for 34 years, we must consider the 

possibility that Herod reigned for a few months more or less than 34 years. 

    As detailed below, Herod died in the wintertime, after the fast day (Yom Kippur, Tishri 10) in the autumn, 

and sometime after a lunar eclipse, but before the Passover celebration which occurs in spring. His reign began 

sometime in September (the 3rd month of the Olympiad year), and ended in wintertime. Thus his reign could 

not have ended only a few months short of 34 full years, for then he would have died in summertime. Yet, if 

he died more than 6 months before the completion of 34 years, Josephus would have been more likely to call 

the length of his reign 33 years, instead of 34. Therefore, the length of Herod's reign was 34 years plus some 

number of months. 

    By subtracting 34+ years from the possible years for the beginning of Herod's reign (44, 43, and 36 

B.C.

), 

we arrive at  9 

B.C.

, 8 

B.C.

, and 1 

B.C.

 as the possible years for the death of Herod. Here the years are given as 

if the death of Herod occurred in Jan./Feb, during the latter part of the winter. If Herod had instead died in 

Dec., the number of the year would be one year earlier, but the winter would be the same (i.e. the winters of 

10/9 

B.C.

, 9/8 

B.C.

 and 2/1 

B.C.

). 

    If Herod died in early 1 

B.C.

 and reigned for somewhat more than 34 years, he must then have taken 

Jerusalem in 36 

B.C.

, which gives us a reign of 34 years and about 4 or 5 months. 36 

B.C.

 was the end of a 

Sabbatical year according to Wacholder, and the fast day fell in September that year, in agreement with what 

Josephus tells us. So, here is one possibility for the years of Herod's reign: 36 

B.C.

 to 1 

B.C.

    If Herod died in Jan./Feb. of 8 

B.C.

, the date for the capture of Jerusalem would then be 43 

B.C.

, a time 

span, again, of 34 years and a few months. The year 43 

B.C.

 was the end of a Sabbatical year according to 

Wacholder, and Tishri 10 fell in September that year, not October. This fits the description given by Josephus. 

So, 43 

B.C.

 to 8 

B.C.

 is another possible time frame for the reign of Herod over Jerusalem. 

    If Herod died in early 9 

B.C.

, the date for the capture of Jerusalem would then be 44 

B.C.

, which was the end 

of a Sabbatical year according Zuckermann and Blosser. Since Tishri 10 fell in September that year, here again 

is a set of dates that agrees with Josephus. So, 44 

B.C.

 to 9 

B.C.

 is the third possible time frame for the reign of 

Herod over Jerusalem. 

    But to decide between  9 

B.C.

, 8 

B.C.

  and 1 

B.C.

 as possible years for the death of Herod, we must next 

consider in detail the circumstances of Herod's death as described by Josephus. In particular, we will look at 

information about a lunar eclipse, which Josephus tells us occurred prior to the death of Herod. 

Herod's Death 

    Detailed information about the death of Herod is provided by the ancient Jewish Roman historian, Flavius 

Josephus. He describes events which occurred on  the fast day  (Yom Kippur), then a lunar eclipse, followed 

by a series of events leading up to the death of Herod, then a period of mourning by Herod's son, Archelaus, 

followed by the Feast of Passover. Since the  precise day and time of lunar eclipses can be determined from 

astronomy, we can compare past lunar eclipses, visible from Jerusalem, which might fit this sequence of 

events. 

    Lunar eclipses only occur about the time of the full moon, when the moon is on the opposite side of the 

earth from the sun and so can pass through the earth's shadow causing the reflected light from the moon to be 

eclipsed. Passover also always occurs about the time of the full moon, because the Jewish calendar is based on 

the lunar cycle. So the amount of time between the lunar eclipse and the Passover must have been 

approximately a whole number of lunar months. Herod's death occurred between the lunar eclipse and the 

Passover. 

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