Crucifixion Darkness and Eclipse - Similar Accounts of Darkness

Similar Accounts of Darkness

Medieval accounts of large solar eclipses often described them as having very long duration, such as the one seen at Reichersberg in 1241, which was said to have lasted four hours; modern estimates suggest the period of total darkness lasted around 3 minutes and 30 seconds. A solar eclipse took place on 3 June 1239, visible from many parts of Europe. This was documented in Coimbra, Toledo, Montpellier, Marola, Florence, Siena, Arezzo, Cesena and Split. Accounts of the duration vary considerably, from Cesena (one hour), to Coimbra (three hours) and Florence ('several hours'). However, an astronomer of the period, Restoro d'Arezzo, wrote an eyewitness report, which has been described as "the earliest known which gives a meaningful estimate of the duration of totality". He described seeing the Sun "entirely covered for the space of time in which a man could walk fully 250 paces," which is consistent with the modern estimate of 5 minutes and 45 seconds.

Although total darkness in an eclipse never lasts more than a few minutes, it has frequently been recorded that observers perceive it as having lasted as much as two or three hours. The astronomer F. R. Stephenson suggests that the long durations described in medieval, European accounts may have been influenced by the Passion narrative in the Synoptic Gospels; several texts closely resemble the wording of the Vulgate (Latin) gospel account. He does not however apply that explanation to the other records of large solar eclipses from non-European countries.