II. REDATING JESUS' DEATH
4. NEW YEAR WAS A SATURDAY TOO
In Luke, 4, 16-21, the Evangelist tells us that Jesus intervenes in Nazareth synagogue on a sabbath day and announces "for today, a year of welcoming and liberation".
We shall for the time being set apart the second part of this quotation to focus on this year which begins on a saturday.
The information that Luke gives us is corroborated by John (John, 5, 1 and 9) who evokes a feast which took place on a sabbath, but without specifying which feast. The text talks about the purifying water of a pool; that leads us to the feast of Sukkot during which rituals of water drawing were performed. Sukkot takes place on Tishri, 15th, that is 14 days after the new year, i.e. on the same day of the week, which confirms what Luke says.
