3 ▁April ▁AD   3 4 . ▁The ▁latter ▁date ▁can ▁only ▁have ▁fallen ▁on ▁a ▁Friday ▁if ▁an ▁exception al ▁le ap ▁month ▁had ▁been ▁introduced ▁that ▁year , ▁but ▁this ▁was ▁fav oured ▁by ▁Newton . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁tw enti eth ▁century , ▁the ▁standard ▁view ▁became ▁that ▁of ▁J . ▁K . ▁F other ingham , ▁who ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 0 ▁suggested ▁ 3   A pril ▁AD   3 3 ▁on ▁the ▁basis ▁of ▁its ▁coinc idence ▁with ▁a ▁lun ar ▁eclipse . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s ▁Brad ley ▁E . ▁Sch ae fer ▁and ▁J . ▁P . ▁Pr att , ▁following ▁a ▁similar ▁method , ▁arrived ▁at ▁the ▁same ▁date . ▁Also ▁according ▁to ▁Hum ph re ys ▁and ▁W adding ton , ▁the ▁lun ar ▁Jewish ▁calendar ▁leaves ▁only ▁two ▁pla us ible ▁dates ▁within ▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁Pont ius ▁Pil ate ▁for ▁Jesus ' ▁death , ▁and ▁both ▁of ▁these ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁a ▁ 1 4 ▁N isan ▁as ▁specified ▁in ▁the ▁G ospel ▁of ▁John : ▁Friday ▁ 7 ▁April ▁AD   3 0 , ▁and ▁Friday ▁ 3 ▁April ▁AD   3 3 . ▁ ▁A ▁more ▁ref ined ▁calculation ▁takes ▁into ▁account ▁that ▁the ▁Jewish ▁calendar ▁was ▁based ▁not ▁on ▁astronom ical ▁calculation ▁but ▁on ▁observation , ▁following ▁criticism ▁that ▁it ▁is ▁possible ▁to ▁establish ▁the ▁phase ▁of ▁the ▁moon ▁on ▁a ▁particular ▁day ▁two ▁thousand ▁years ▁ago ▁but ▁not ▁whether ▁it ▁was ▁obsc