he sun's rays not to reach
the earth. On the other hand, Origen says this was caused by clouds
coming between (the earth and the sun). Hence on Matt. 27:45 he says:
"We must therefore suppose that many large and very dense clouds were
massed together over Jerusalem and the land of Judea; so that it was
exceedingly dark from the sixth to the ninth hour. Hence I am of
opinion that, just as the other signs which occurred at the time of
the Passion"--namely, "the rending of the veil, the quaking of the
earth," etc.--"took place in Jerusalem only, so this also: . . . or
if anyone prefer, it may be extended to the whole of Judea," since it
is said that "'there was darkness over the whole earth,' which
expression refers to the land of Judea, as may be gathered from 3
Kings 18:10, where Abdias says to Elias: 'As the Lord thy God liveth,
there is no nation or kingdom whither my lord hath not sent to seek
thee': which shows that they sought him among the nations in the
neighborhood of Judea."

On this point, however, credence is to be given rather to Dionysius,
who is an eyewitness as to this having occurred by the moon eclipsing
the sun. For he says (Ep. ad Polycarp): "Without any doubt we saw the
moon encroach on the sun," he being in Egypt at the time, as he says
in the same letter. And in this he points out four miracles. The
first is that the natural eclipse of the sun by interposition of the
moon never takes place except when the sun and moon are in
conjunction. But then the sun and moon were in opposition, it being
the fifteenth day, since it was the Jewish Passover. Wherefore he
says: "For it was not the time of conjunction."--The second miracle
is that whereas at the sixth hour the moon was seen, together with
the sun, in the middle of the heavens, in the evening it was seen to
be in its place, i.e. in the east, opposite the sun. Wherefore he
says: "Again we saw it," i.e. the moon, "return supernaturally into
opposition with the sun," so as to be diametrically opposite, having
withdrawn from the sun "at the ninth hour," when the darkness ceased,
"until evening." From this it is clear that the wonted course of the
seasons was not disturbed, because the Divine power caused the moon
both to approach the sun supernaturally at an unwonted season, and to
withdraw from the sun and return to its proper place according to the
season. The third miracle was that the eclipse of the sun naturally
always begins in that part of the su