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The Triumphant Entry of Christ into Jerusalem The Persian Emperor Artaxerxes Longimanus (who ruled Persia from 464-424 BC) issued the edict to rebuild Jerusalem on the 1st of Nissan in the 20th year of his reign (that is, March 5th, 444 BC; see Nehemiah 2:1-8). 173,880 days from March 5th 444 BC is March 30th 33 AD. Here’s the math: March 5th 444 BC to March 5th 33 AD = 476 years (1 B.C. to 1 A.D. is one year, there is no year zero) 476 x 365.24219879 days (which is the length of one year according to our modern calendar) = 173,855 days March 5th to March 30th is another 25 days. So, 173,855 days + 25 days = 173,880 days March 30th, 33 AD was exactly 5 days before the Passover (April 3rd, 33 AD). In John’s Gospel we read, “Then, six days before the Passover”, Jesus came to Bethany. “The next day” a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: ‘Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD! The King of Israel!’” (John 12:1, 9-13) The day after six days before the Passover equals five days before the Passover. March 30th was the Triumphal Entry, the day upon which Christ presented Himself to the nation of Israel as their Messiah, the first time in His entire ministry that Christ allowed Himself to be publicly proclaimed as the Messiah (Matthew 21:8-16; Luke 19:37-40; cf. Matthew 16:13-20; Mark 8:27-30; 9:9-10; Luke 9:18-21; John 6:14-15). Christ was crucified four days later, the day before Passover.
Tertullian’s Date for Jesus’ Birth 
The Time Line of the First Coming of the Messiah
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