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Josephus is not Scripture.

You're correct....it's not. But, for the most part, it is valid history...and does agree with what scripture teaches [Leviticus 23:5-16][Matthew 23:1-3] about this subject.

I have never been a proponent of "Scripture Only" to understand the entire picture that Our Lord has laid before us. I believe He not only gave us superior mental capabilities (over animals) but desired that we use them from time to time.

As "Pmary" has alluded to....and I have mentioned before, the early Church was very instrumental in changing much doctrine for a number of reasons.....first and foremost was the fact that they were terrified of the Roman rule and its very anti Jewish positions. The Church decided (instead of putting their faith in God) to remove themselves (on their own) from any and all doctrines their Jewish brethren had established through their own walk with The Lord.

Contrary to what is taught today you will find early Christians were considered part of Judaism. Consider Paul and hid first trip to Rome:

[Acts 28:17-25] 17 And it came to pass, that after three days Paul called the chief of the Jews together: and when they were come together, he said unto them, Men and brethren, though I have committed nothing against the people, or customs of our fathers, yet was I delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. 18 Who, when they had examined me, would have let me go, because there was no cause of death in me. 19 But when the Jews spake against it, I was constrained to appeal unto Caesar; not that I had ought to accuse my nation of. 20 For this cause therefore have I called for you, to see you, and to speak with you: because that for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain. 21 And they said unto him, We neither received letters out of Judaea concerning thee, neither any of the brethren that came shewed or spake any harm of thee. 22 But we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest: for as concerning "this sect", we know that every where it is spoken against. 23 And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening. 24 And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not. 25 And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers.

Here, Paul is telling the Jewish elders that he has remained faithful to his Judaism. This means that, yes.....Paul still worshiped on the Sabbath. He still observed God's Festivals and dietary restrictions.....and the Jewish elders even confirm this all by calling infant Christianity another Jewish sect! You will find that scripture agrees with Paul's statements here, and early Christianity continued to observe all of God's Festivals, Sabbaths and dietary restrictions.

You must think about this all.....realizing it is now more than 30 years after the resurrection. In 70 A.D., about ten years later, the Romans unleashed the power of their empire against Judea.....and all things Jewish. This is why the Church eventually began to disguise their doctrines and traditions from anything Jewish. Their intention was to self preserve..... instead of allowing The Lord to protect and guide them.

Acts 15:24-29
24 We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said.
25 So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul
26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
27 Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing.
28 It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements:
29 You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell.

I dont think Paul would agree with you:

Galatians 2:
3 But not even Titus, who was with me, though he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised.
4 But it was because of the false brethren secretly brought in, who had sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage.
5 But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you.
...
11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.
12 For prior to the coming of certain men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision.
13 The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy.
14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, "If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?

If Paul followed jewish customs like you say, then he would have had Titus circumcised, but he did not.

Colossians 2
16 Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day--
17 things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ

Now you can follow the teachings of the Pharisees, a group Jesus had much disdain for (Matthew 23), or Josephus, but I will follow the Word of God.

If you want to observe these days and festivals, then go for it. I will not stop you. But dont bring your Church of God teachings in here and apply this burden to all and seek to take away their liberty.

Romans 14:
4 Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
5 One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind.
6 He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God.

JM

I would like to appeal to those who esteem one day more then the other. Romans 14:5

“ One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.” KJV

Here I propose a time frame to those who firmly believe in a Wednesday Nisan 14th crucifixion to a (3 days & 3 nights) Saturday Nisan 17th resurrection.

I will present a day by day chronological time frame beginning with the step by step peripherals leading up to Jesus last Passover. Here I will combine the scriptural accounts (KJV) to reveal that a crucifixion on a Passover of Wednesday Nisan 14th was likely not feasible.

The Gospels tell us beginning with St. John Chapter 12;

(1)“Then Jesus six days (Thursday Nisan 8th) before the Passover (Wednesday Nisan 14th) came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.”

St. John Ch.12 con't...

(12) “On the next day (Friday Nisan 9th) much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,”

(13) “Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.”

St.Mark Chapter 11 (Friday Nisan 9th)

(7) “And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him.”

(8) And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strewed them in the way.

(9) And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

(11) And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve.

(12) And on the morrow (Saturday Nisan 10th), when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:

(15) And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves;

Exodus 12:1-6. (Nisan 10th / Nisan 14th)

1 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt saying,

2 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month (Nisan) of the year to you.

3 Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth (10th) day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:

4 And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.

5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:

6 And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth (14th) day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.

* The overall point here is that the day of procurement as prescribed in Exodus 12:1-6 for Nisan 10th occurs in this Gospel time frame on a weekend (7th day) Saturday Sabbath.

• The likeliness of working, and purchasing with money handlers on a Sabbath day would have been likely avoided back in that time by the Sanhedrin council whose duty was to govern the sacred calendar.

* As well for those who esteem a crucifixion event occurring on a Passover of Friday Nisan 14th where our Lord resurrected on a Sunday Nisan 16th. Here the verse St. John 12:1 would apply as follows;

(1) “Then Jesus six days (Saturday Nisan 8th) before the Passover (Friday Nisan 14th) came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.”

• The likeliness here of our Lord traveling on route leading the disciples from Jericho (~20 miles away) arriving in Bethany on a Sabbath day (rest day) is beyond comprehension.

* In my opinion both of these time frames suggest that the events one way or the other leading up to Passover and the events remaining to follow just don’t stack up?

Best Regards - Pmary65