Did the Sun stop shining?

[amortalman]

Did the Sun stop shining when Jesus was on the cross as the writers of Matthew, Mark, and Luke claim?

Matthew 27:45
45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.

Mark 15:33
33 And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.

Luke adds even more:
Luke 23:44-45
44 And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. 45 And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst.

Notice that Luke says the darkness lasted for three hours and was over all the earth!

Certainly, an event that goes beyond extraordinary should have been thoroughly documented by thousands of astronomers and writers all over the Roman empire and beyond. Yet there is not to be found a scrap of parchment or papyrus or stone carving or anything else that might lend support to this fantastic claim. Why is that?

The logical answer is that it never happened and is a made-up claim by Christians decades after the supposed event. What do you think?

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 10 by amortalman]

So you're just going to ignore tbe point made by both charles and myself about the meaning of the actual word iin the text (ge)?

[Zzyzx]

.

So you're just going to ignore tbe point made by both charles and myself about the meaning of the actual word iin the text (ge)?

Evidently people cannot trust their Bible to say what it means and mean what it says. They must re-define words. Right?

[amortalman]

Did the Sun stop shining when Jesus was on the cross as the writers of Matthew, Mark, and Luke claim?

In what reality does darkness fall only because the sun stops shining??? My goodness....

At least one translation has it that the sun stopped shining. Whether that was literal or not I don't know. Maybe it was a paraphrase. The book of Luke says the sun was darkened. Either way, the effect was the same.

Luke adds even more:
Luke 23:44-45
44 And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. 45 And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst.

Notice that Luke says the darkness lasted for three hours and was over all the earth!

Certainly, an event that goes beyond extraordinary should have been thoroughly documented by thousands of astronomers and writers all over the Roman empire and beyond. Yet there is not to be found a scrap of parchment or papyrus or stone carving or anything else that might lend support to this fantastic claim. Why is that?

The logical answer is that it never happened and is a made-up claim by Christians decades after the supposed event. What do you think?

The logical answer without all the hype is that the word used for earth is also used for land or region...: Strong's Concordance :1093. gé
gé: the earth, land
Definition: the earth, land
Usage: the earth, soil, land, region, country, inhabitants of a region.

I see that "the earth" is the first in order of definitions you provided and the first in order gives it prominence over what follows. The writers of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, whoever they were, stated that darkness covered the whole land and over all the earth. Now you either believe what was written or you don't.

[amortalman]

[Replying to post 10 by amortalman]

So you're just going to ignore tbe point made by both charles and myself about the meaning of the actual word iin the text (ge)?

It seems to me that you and Charles are ignoring that ge is also translated "earth". In fact, according to Strong's lexicon ge is translated "earth" 188x, compared to "land" 42x, ground 18x, country 2x, world 1x, and earthly 1x. Clearly, "earth" is the overwhelming choice. The whole earth in this case.

[Zzyzx]

.

Certainly, an event that goes beyond extraordinary should have been thoroughly documented by thousands of astronomers and writers all over the Roman empire and beyond. Yet there is not to be found a scrap of parchment or papyrus or stone carving or anything else that might lend support to this fantastic claim. Why is that?

There is another fanciful tale about the sun that was not reported by anyone other than Bible writers:

Joshua 10:12 On the day the Lord gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the Lord in the presence of Israel: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.� 13 So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies,as it is written in the Book of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. 14 There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the Lord listened to a human being. Surely the Lord was fighting for Israel!

[Charles]

At least one translation has it that the sun stopped shining.

Prove it.

Here are quotes from the gospels:
Matt 14:44 In the same way, even the robbers who were crucified with Him berated Him. 45 From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. 46 About the ninth hour, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?� which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?�…

Mk 15:32 Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross, so that we may see and believe!� And even those who were crucified with Him berated Him. 33 From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land.

Lk 23:44 It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over all the land until the ninth hour. 45 The sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn down the middle. 46 Then Jesus called out in a loud voice, “Father, into Your hands I commit My Spirit.� And when He had said this, He breathed His last.…

I ask you to prove this statement or to rescind this statement and this crusade of foolishness.

[JehovahsWitness]

It seems to me that you and Charles are ignoring that ge is also translated "earth". In fact, according to Strong's lexicon ge is translated "earth" 188x, compared to "land" 42x, ground 18x, country 2x, world 1x, and earthly 1x. Clearly, "earth" is the overwhelming choice. The whole earth in this case.

Not at all, in some circumstances it can refer to earth but, if biblical experts are to be believed, this is not one of them. By FAR the majority of translators have chosen in the case of the execution of Christ to opt for "land" rather than "earth".

See link Lk 23:44 various translations
https://biblehub.com/luke/23-44.htm







JW

[1213]

Did the Sun stop shining when Jesus was on the cross as the writers of Matthew, Mark, and Luke claim?
…. What do you think?

I believe it happened. And I believe other than disciples of Jesus would have no reason to tell about it, because they were against Jesus and didn’t want to make Jesus look what he was. After all, if for example Romans who killed Jesus would have told, yes, when he was killed, there was unnatural darkness, it would have made them look bad.

But, it is an interesting idea, could it be possible to happen so. After all, it is said that same thing will happen again, but how could it be so, when the all-knowing high priests of science say that it can’t happen? I think I know how it can happen, but would it be good to tell it? If you would know how it happens, would it be any miracle or meaningful thing anymore after that? Can you give one good reason why I should tell how it happens?

[amortalman]

.

Certainly, an event that goes beyond extraordinary should have been thoroughly documented by thousands of astronomers and writers all over the Roman empire and beyond. Yet there is not to be found a scrap of parchment or papyrus or stone carving or anything else that might lend support to this fantastic claim. Why is that?

There is another fanciful tale about the sun that was not reported by anyone other than Bible writers:

Joshua 10:12 On the day the Lord gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the Lord in the presence of Israel: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.� 13 So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. 14 There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the Lord listened to a human being. Surely the Lord was fighting for Israel!

Yes, an unbelievable claim yet theists believe it without question. It is interesting that all these claimed god-miracles suddenly ended about two thousand years ago.

[amortalman]

At least one translation has it that the sun stopped shining.

Prove it.
I ask you to prove this statement or to rescind this statement and this crusade of foolishness.

If I did prove the statement can you honestly say that it would change your view of what happened or didn't happen? I don't think so. It's an unimportant point. The account says that darkness covered the whole land and over all the earth. To anyone witnessing such an event on that day, it would appear that the sun stopped shining.

On that basis, I will not rescind the statement. But I will concede, as I've already done in post 13, that the translation I read might have been a paraphrase.

I ask you to prove that this supernatural darkening of the sun for three hours happened at all. What sources other than the writers of Matthew, Mark, and Luke can you provide that testify to it?