‘The Earth Shook’: Geologists Say They Have Confirmed Earthquake Around Time Of Jesus’ Death as Quoted in Scripture

A geological study published over a decade ago, which concluded that an earthquake occurred in ancient Israel around the time of Jesus’s crucifixion, has resurfaced in a viral social media post this week.

The study’s finding, published in International Geology Review in 2012, is consistent with the biblical account, which said an earthquake occurred immediately after Jesus’s death.

The apostle Matthew wrote in chapter 27 of his Gospel that darkness covered the land, starting at midday, as Jesus hung on the cross, and that this phenomenon lasted for the next three hours.

Then, around 3:00 p.m., “Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’”

Soon thereafter, He “cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.”

“And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many,” Matthew wrote.

“When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, ‘Truly this was the Son of God!’”

A Wednesday social media post on X said, “Science (once again) confirms the Bible as a true account.”

The post cited the findings of the International Geology Review study, which concluded based on earth samples that a seismic event, consistent with Matthew’s account, occurred somewhere between 26 and 36 A.D.

Many historians point to Friday, April 3, A.D. 33, as the likely date of Jesus’s execution.

SCIENCE (ONCE AGAIN) CONFIRMS THE BIBLE™️ AS A TRUE ACCOUNT🇻🇦

The Bible says there was a great earthquake when Jesus died on the cross (Matthew 27:50‑54). Now, scientists have found real evidence that this happened.

A group of geologists studied the ground near the Dead Sea and… pic.twitter.com/i941plPplx

— ☩ 𝕁𝕄𝕋 ☩ (@SecretFire79) February 25, 2026

A user on X responded to the post, writing, “Scientists can’t prove that an earthquake happened on a specific day 2000 years ago.”

But another user did a Grok AI check, which stated, “The 2012 study (Williams et al., Int’l Geology Review) found Dead Sea sediment evidence of a small quake dated ~26-36 AD, overlapping Pilate’s rule and possible crucifixion years (AD 30 or 33). Authors note it *could* match Matthew 27:51 but might be unrelated.”

Grok summarized, “Solid correlation, not confirmation.”

The Daily Mail reported, “Pontius Pilate, the fifth governor of the Roman province of Judea, is identified in the Bible as the official who presided over Jesus’s trial and ultimately sentenced him to death. Many scholars believe the crucifixion occurred around 33 AD.”

The outlet further noted that the scientists in the study, using core samples, “found layers of sediment beneath the Dead Sea that appear bent and disturbed. They believe these distortions were caused by ancient earthquakes triggered by movement along the fault line.”

“By studying sediment layers at Ein Gedi near the Dead Sea, the team was able to read the Earth’s history year by year,” the Daily Mail said.

Some layers indicated years of drought and other climate conditions in the region.

“Historical records, like those written by the Jewish historian Josephus, described famine and dry conditions in Judea at the same time, supporting the evidence from the sediments,” the Daily Mail recounted.

“Using this timeline, scientists tried to identify which earthquake could match the one described in the Bible at the time of Jesus’s crucifixion. Based on their analysis, the quake most likely occurred between 26 and 36 AD.”

The Daily Mail also reported this week that the oldest known New Testament fragments, believed to date back to the first century A.D., record the words of Jesus as reported in Matthew 26.

The papyrus text, located in the Oxford University Library, covers verses 23 and 31, when Jesus led His disciples in the Lord’s Supper hours before He was taken into custody by Roman soldiers and crucified the following day.

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