Josephus tells us that Herod executed two rabbis on the night of a lunar eclipse and died shortly thereafter. For more, see “The Star of Bethlehem” lecture.

Much of the popular dating of this period hangs on this event. Our records come from Josephus Flavius, a Jewish historian who died in 95 A.D. According to Josephus the events would have been as follows:

• Herod, who was very sick, executed two rabbis on the night of a lunar eclipse for tearing down a Roman eagle from over the Temple gate.

• Herod went to Jericho for a few days to take medical baths, but it does no good. He returned to Jerusalem.

• Expecting to die shortly, Herod imprisoned many of the nation’s leaders, who were to be executed when he died. This was to ensure the nation’s mourning when he died, since no one would morn his passing. (Fortunately, this order wasn’t executed.)

• He killed his son, Antipater, suspecting him of potential treason.

• Five days after killing Antipater, he died and his body was embalmed.

• For the next twenty-five days, the army, marching barefooted, carried his body one mile a day to the Herodium, southeast of Jerusalem.

• Archelaus was crowned king before Passover, which was on April 7, 1 B.C.

Obviously, Jesus was born and the boys of Bethlehem were slaughtered before Herod died. If he died following the eclipse of March 13, 4 B.C., there wasn’t enough time to get all of this done. If the eclipse that occurred when the rabbis tore down the Roman eagles from the Temple, there isn’t twenty-five days between March 13 and April 7 for the march to the Herodium.

However, if the eagles were removed on January 10 during an earlier eclipse, it fits. Thus, Herod probably died sometime near the end of January, 1 B.C. Archelaus was crowned just before Passover on April 7.

One wonders if Joseph and his family might have left the day following Passover. If so, it is unimaginable that the family would not have celebrated it in Egypt. If they left the next day, they would have departed Egypt on the same day as those in the Exodus.