The Triumphal Entry

This is the day on which Jesus, as the Messiah, makes His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. He rode a young donkey in preparation for His crucifixion, which took place five days later.

Disciples lay palm trees for Jesus to ride over and also waved them to declare him as King

In the modern Christian calendar we call this day Palm Sunday, which celebrates this Triumphal Entry. It was either the 6th April AD32, or the 4th April AD33. In either case it was the 10th Nisan in the Jewish calendar, no matter which year in the Gregorian calender.

Background Reading:

Luke 19:28-44

The Triumphal Entry

28 After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, 30 "Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' tell him, 'The Lord needs it.'"

32 Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?"

34 They replied, "The Lord needs it."

35 They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. 36 As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.

37 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:

38 "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!"

"Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"

39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!"

40 "I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."

41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42 and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43 The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44 They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you."

More Information:

Jerusalem, which hosted over a million pilgrims anually for four religious festivals, was approximately 2.6 square kilometers, or a square mile in area. The population was approximately two hundred thousand permanent inhabitants.

From AD6 onwards, Jerusalem was governed by a number of Roman procurators: Coponius 6-9; Marcus Ambivulus 9-12; Annius Rufus 12-15; Valerius Gratus 15-26; Pontius Pilate 26-36; Marcus Antonius Felix 52-59; Porcius Festus 59-62.

On 14th March 445BC Artaxeixes Longimanns made a decree that the Temple in Jerusalem could be rebuilt and 173,880 days later Meshiach Nagid rode in on a donkey's colt, April 6th AD32 see Ezra 7:13-28.

We do not know either the name, or breed, of Jesus' donkey.

38 years later in AD70 by Titus Flavius Vespasianus, the son of the present Roman Emperor (Titus Flavius Vespasianus) known as Vespasian, took Jerusalem after 9 months siege and killed about one million inhabitants.