Time of Crucifixion

Q. What Hour Was The Crucifixion?

Here the discrepancy noted is in the recorded time of the crucifixion of Jesus.

(Mark 15:25 NKJV) Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him.

(John 19:14 NKJV) Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, "Behold your King!" {15} But they cried out, "Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!"

Albert Barnes comments on this discrepancy:

"(3.) A. mistake in numbers is easily made; and if it should be admitted that such an error had crept into the text here, it would be nothing more than has occurred in many ancient writings. It has been proved, moreover, that it was common not to write the words indicating numbers at length, but to use letters. The Greeks designated numbers by the letters of the alphabet; and this mode of computation is found in ancient manuscripts. For example, the Cambridge Ms. of the New Testament has in this very place in Mark not the word third written at length, but the letter g, Gamma, the usual notation for third. Now, it is well known that it would be easy to mistake this for the mark denoting six, z. All errors of this kind in an early Ms. might be extensively propagated, and might have led to the present reading of the text. Such an error is actually known to exist in the "Chronicon" of Paschal, where Otho is said to have reigned z(six) months; whereas it is known that he reigned but three; and in this place therefore the g, three, was mistaken for z, six. (4.) There is some external authority for reading "third" in John xix. 14. The Cambridge Ms. has this reading. Nonnus, who lived in the fifth century, says that this was the true reading. (Wetstein.) Peter of Alexandria, in a fragment concerning the passover, as quoted by Usher, says, "It was the preparation of the passover, and about the third hour, as," he adds, "the most accurate copies of the Bible have it; and this was the handwriting of the Evangelist (John) which is kept, by the grace of God, in his most holy church at Ephesus." (Mill.) … That a mistake might have occurred in the early MSS. is not improbable. No man can prove that it did not so occur; and as long as this cannot be proved, the passages should not be adduced as conclusive proof of contradiction."⁶

⁶ Albert Barnes, Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament, Kregel Publications, p. 176, comments on Mark 15:25

-- David A. Duncan