Researchers at Oxford University believe that NASA's discovery may confirm the biblical account of the crucifixion of Jesus. UNN reports this with reference to Mail Online.
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The Bible says the sun turned into darkness and the moon into blood, which some scholars believe refers to the events that occurred after Christ's death.
It is noted that NASA models tracking the positions of the Earth, Moon, and Sun throughout history show that a lunar eclipse occurred on Friday, April 3, 33 AD – the year traditionally associated with the death of Jesus.
The cosmic event could have been seen in Jerusalem shortly after sunset, and the moon's position would have given it a reddish tint.
Biblical historians believe that the lunar eclipse identified by NASA was the same one written about in the Bible.
NASA's discovery was made in the 1990s but is now going viral on TikTok.
Christian texts mention that the Moon turned to blood after Jesus' crucifixion – possibly referring to a lunar eclipse during which the Moon takes on a reddish hue
The American space agency added that scientists have narrowed down the possible date of the crucifixion to Friday, April 3, 33 AD.
A biblical verse discussing the moon appears in Acts 2:20, which states: "The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord."
The Scripture details how the Apostle Peter shared these words 50 days after the crucifixion, leading some experts to believe he was referencing events he witnessed during Jesus' death.
However, many historians argue that this passage was intended as a prophecy about the Second Coming of Jesus.
This is because Peter was quoting Joel 2:28–31, a passage that speaks of cosmic signs and spiritual awakening: "The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes." Since the Book of Joel was written centuries before the crucifixion, many scholars believe Peter was explaining how Joel had previously prophesied the crucifixion
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Colin Humphreys and W. Graeme Waddington, biblical scholars from Oxford University, used NASA's findings along with textual references to the crucifixion to argue that the Moon did indeed turn blood red after Jesus' death.
They suggested that Peter was not giving a prophecy about the coming of Jesus but was telling the crowd that Joel's prophecy had been fulfilled.
According to the Gospels, darkness fell over the land from noon to 3 PM while Jesus was on the cross, which researchers believe aligns closely with the imagery described in Joel's prophecy.
Humphreys and Waddington argued that Peter's use of the phrase "the sun shall be turned into darkness" refers to Matthew 27:45: "From the sixth hour until the ninth hour, darkness covered all the land."
The researchers also pointed to lesser-known texts in the New Testament Apocrypha, which contain accounts of Jesus' life, such as his infancy, divine nature, and relationships with his family and disciples.
However, the New Testament Apocrypha were not included in the traditional biblical canon because they were not considered divinely inspired.
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Nevertheless, Humphreys and Waddington highlighted a verse, the so-called Pilate's Account, as further evidence of unusual celestial events during the crucifixion.
During his crucifixion the sun was darkened; stars appeared, and throughout the world people lit lamps from the sixth hour until evening; the moon appeared like blood
Thus, according to them, more evidence is provided that Jesus died on the day of an ancient lunar eclipse.
Christians worldwide commemorate Good Friday in remembrance of Jesus' crucifixion and death.
Good Friday always falls two days before Easter Sunday, which is determined by the first full moon after the first day of spring, and then it is the first Sunday after the full moon.
This method stems from early Christian attempts to align the holiday with the Jewish Passover and astronomical events.
Jesus is believed to have been crucified during the Passover festival, which is based on the Jewish lunar calendar.
According to the Gospels, Jesus was resurrected from the dead the following Sunday after Passover.