Chronology of Jesus’ and John the Baptist’ Births, and Jesus’ Epiphany and Death in Maria Valtorta’s Writings

Abstract

The literary work of the mystical writer Maria Valtorta (1897-1961) contains a detailed life of Jesus, without any explicit dates with respect to the Julian calendar. She sets Jesus’ birth (Nativity) on the first day of the Hebrews’ feast of Hannukah, and his age, when he was crucified, in 1737 weeks. She writes that the Passover of the year before his death fell on Saturday. All these unusual chronological data concerning Jesus’ life raise the question about their coherence and self-consistency. Astronomical and calendar analysis allows setting: 1) Jesus’ crucifixion on 23 April 34; 2) the Nativity, Epiphany and Jesus’ Baptism on January 6; 3) John the Baptist’s birthday on June 24. All these results arise the question about the origin of this hidden chronology which, unexpectedly for a mystic of Western Christian tradition, confirms the Eastern tradition about the most important dates of Jesus’ life.