The Gospel of John and the Second Passover

The difference in the chronology of Passion Week between the Synoptics and in the Gospel of John is often the focus of scholarly attention. In the Synoptics Jesus dies on the Feast of Unleavened Bread, on the first day following the Passover meal in the evening. In John, Jesus dies on the “Day of Preparation” prior to the Passover sacrifice and meal. By factoring in biblical festivals named in calendrical texts from Qumran, and the law on the Second Passover (Num 9:6–14), which is named “the Second Passover” פסח השני in the Qumran calendars of the priestly courses (mišmarot), I argue that the Johannine writers describe a different timeline of the Passion Week to that of the Synoptics. This study examines the question of whether Jesus was corpse contaminated at Passover (John 11:55), and his attitude to the law of Num 9:6–14 with respect to the narrative of Lazarus. It concludes that Jesus died on the day of the Second Passover which began that evening (John 12–19). The authors of the Fourth Gospel thereby preserve an interest in Jewish festivals after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE.