The timing of the crucifixion

For the disciples entered to him secretly at the ninth hour, and he broke plain bread and ate with them in the prison. He remained there all night, and in the morning he was led away from the praetorium on the day called Friday, which is the Sabbath; and thus at the third hour he is crucified, according to the precise explanation of Mark and John, the inspired evangelists. Even if in certain copies of the written Gospel of John the letter Γ (gamma) is mistaken because of a slip—which signifies the number three—into the letter Σ (sigma), which stands for six, because both letters look to us with their serifs from the auspicious names toward the right; this was also examined before us by Clement, Origen, Pamphilus, and Eusebius.

It is not right for those learning listeners to divide the harmony of the divine gospels because of the correction or placement of a letter. For see how even Matthew the wisest precisely marks the time of the cross by saying, 'And coming to a place called Golgotha, which is a place of a skull,' and then he leads to the wine with the myrrh and the division of the garments; 'and from the sixth hour darkness came over all the earth until the ninth hour' and the following. But some think that the...