How old was Jesus when He died?

Answer

The Bible does not specify Jesus’ age at the time of His death. Additionally, the Bible does not provide the exact dates of Jesus’ birth or death, making it impossible to determine His precise age at death. For more context, please refer to our articles on “What year was Jesus Christ born?” and “In what year did Jesus die?”

By examining the historical accounts in the New Testament, particularly the Gospel of Luke, and cross-referencing with Roman history, we can infer that Jesus was born between 6 and 4 BC, around the period of King Herod’s death. Estimating Jesus’ age, we can average and suggest He was born in 5 BC.

Subsequently, we must establish the commencement of Jesus’ ministry. According to Luke 3:1, John the Baptist began preaching in the fifteenth year of Tiberius’s reign, around AD 28 or 29. Jesus likely underwent baptism and started His ministry around AD 29, at approximately 33 years old.

Determining the conclusion of Jesus’ ministry involves considering the number of Passover feasts He attended during His public ministry—three of which are mentioned in Scripture—indicating a ministry duration of about three and a half years. This places the end of Jesus’ ministry in AD 33.

Therefore, it is probable that Jesus was crucified in AD 33. (An alternative theory proposes a different start to Jesus’ ministry, resulting in a crucifixion date of AD 30. Both dates align with historical records indicating Pontius Pilate’s rule over Judea from AD 26 to 36, and Caiaphas serving as high priest until AD 36.)

Calculating:

5 BC to 1 BC = 4 years,

and AD 1 to AD 33 = 33 years,

totaling 37 years.

Therefore, Jesus was in His 30s when crucified. Depending on His exact birth date and the year He began His public ministry, Jesus was likely between 33 and 39 years old at the time of His death.

Hence, whil

While it is impossible to be precise or dogmatic, the response to the inquiry “How old was Jesus when He died?” is “around 36 years old.”