"In the discussion of this problem [of the possible range of years], various dates for the death of Christ have been proposed.  They range from A.D. 21 to A.D. 36"       "Eisler proposed that Jesus died in A.D. 21 for a violent messianic doctrine.  He based his theory upon the apocryphal work of the Acts of Pilate.  The other extreme proposed by Keim, followed by Lake and [Hugh J.] Schonfield, is that Christ died in the spring of A.D. 35 or 36.  The adherents of this view feel that since the Jews believed that Aretas' (the Arab king of Petra) defeat of Antipas in A.D. 36 was divine revenge for Antipas' beheading of John the Baptist, John's death must be placed as close as possible to the year A.D. 36."       "Between A.D. 21 and 36 there are advocates for nearly every year.  Only the more prominent dates with some of their adherents are here listed.  Meyer and King argue for A.D. 27;  Winter A.D. 28; Turner, Loisy, and Holscher A.D. 29;  Olmstead, Blinzler, Madison, Ruckstuhl, and Jeremias A.D. 30; the Adventists A.D. 31; [Sir Robert] Anderson, Bammel, and Stauffer A.D. 32; and Fotheringham, Ogg, Maier, and Reicke A.D. 33, [and Solomon Zeitlin A.D. 34].  This one sees there is great diversity.  The task is to limit these options and come to a date that best fits the evidence."       "THE OFFICIALS OF THE CRUCIFIXION       " Caiaphas.  The Gospels (Matt. 26:3, 57; John 11:49-53; 18:13-14) explicitly have Caiaphas as the high preist involved in the trial of Jesus.  He was the high priest from A.D. 18 to the Passover of A.D. 37.  Thus the crucifixion must have occured sometime between A.D. 18 and the Passover of A.D. 36 since Caiaphas was deposed at the Passover of 37."       "Pilate. The Gospels  (Matt. 27:2-26; Mark 15:1-15; Luke 23:1-25; John 18:28-19:16), as well as Acts (4:27) and a pastoral epistle (1 Tim. 6:13), attest that Jesus was tried by the Prefect Pontius Pilate.  The tenure of Pilate's rule in Judea is outlined by Josephus.  First, since his predecessor Valerius Gratus held office for eleven years, all of which fell within Tiberius' reign (A.D. 14-37), Pilate's reign could not have begun before A.D. 25.  Second, Josephus states that Pilate ruled for ten years and that Tiberius died before Pilate reached Rome.  It is most likely that he left Judea in the winter of A.D. 36/37.  Therefore, Pilate's reign would have been the ten-year period from A.D. 26 to 36 and Christ's crucifixion must have been between these dates" (pgs. 95-98)  (Chronological Aspects of the Life of Christ, Harold W. Hoehner, Acadamie Books, Grand Rapids Michigan; Zondervan Publishing House).  Back.