The fact that "three days" is used by Hebrew idiom for any part of three days and three nights is not disputed, because it was the common way of reckoning, just as it was in the case of years. Three or any number of years was used inclusively of any part of those years, as may be seen in the reckoning of the reigns of any of the kings of Israel and Judah.
But when the number of nights is stated as well as the number of days, then the expression ceases to be an idiom, and becomes a literal statement of fact.
Moreover, as the Hebrew day began at sunset, the day was calculated from one sunset to the next one, or "the twelve hours in the day" from John 11:9. An evening-morning was thus used for a whole day of twenty four hours, as in the first chapter of Genesis. Hence the expression "a night and a day" in 2 Cor 11:25 denotes a complete day.
When Esther says "fast ye for me and neither eat nor drink for three days" (Esther 4:16 and see below), she defines her meaning as being three complete days, because she adds (being a Jewess) "night or day". And when it is written that the fast ended on "the third day" (5:1), "the third day" must have succeeded and included the third night.
He means therefore three complete days and nights, because being an Egyptian, he naturally reckoned his day as beginning at sunrise according to the Egyptian manner as is well known, but see the Encyclopaedia Brittanica, Wikapaedia, or google it for confirmation.
His three days refers to the beginning of his sickness and includes the whole period, giving the reason for his having gone the whole period without food and drink.
Hence when it says that "Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights (Jonah 1:17), it means exactly what it says! This can be the only meaning of the expression found in Matthew 12:40 and 16:4, and in Luke 11:30.
In the expression "the heart of the earth (Matt 12:40), the meaning is the same as "the heart of the sea", with "heart" being put by the figure of speech "metonymy" of the subject, and is frequently translated as such (see Psalm 46:2; Jer 51:1; Ezek 27:4, 25, 26, 27; and Ezek 28:2).
It is used of ships when sailing "in the heart of the seas", that is, in or on the sea (see Ezek 27:25-26 and 28:8). And also of people dwelling in the heart of the seas, that is, on islands (Ezek 28:2).
In conclusion then, we know that Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week, that is Sunday for Holy Writ confirms this for us (Mark 16:9). Therefore we have to calculate three full days and three nights by the Hebrew reckoning, and work backwards.
Saturday would have been the weekly Sabbath. Thursday (Nisan 15) was the first day of "The Feast of Unleavened Bread" (Mark 15:42), which follows the "Day of Preparation" (Matt 27:62), and Friday (Nisan 16) was "where the women bought and prepared spices" for the anointing of Jesus's body after the Sabbath, but before the weekly Sabbath (see Luke 23:56 and compare with Exodus 20: 8-11), and all during Passover week which would have prohibited any sort of work or labour being performed on and during such holy days.
So this leaves us with the obvious consequencing fact that Jesus was crucified on the Wednesday (Nisan 14) of the holy week, and at the third hour, which is 9am by our western time.
The Bible says that Jesus was placed on the cross at 9am and darkness covered the land from 12pm noon until Jesus's death at 3pm (see Mark 15:25 and also verses 33-38). See chart above for a good description of these events.
Maranatha Blessings,
Nev.
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