When was Jesus born?
The entire western world reckons it's calendar from the incarnation of God. Everything that happened before Christ is measured backwards away from His birth. The smaller the number the closer to Christ's birth the event, the larger the number the further away the event was before Christ's birth. Of course this is called B.C. which means Before Christ.
Everything that happens after the birth of Christ is measured away from His birth 2000 years ago. The smaller the number the closer to Christ's birth the event, the larger the number the further away the event is after Christ's birth. This is called A.D. which means anno Domini in Latin and is translated: “the year of our Lord”. There is no year 0 between 1 BC and 1 AD.
Serious students of God's Word recognize that Jesus was NOT born December 25th.
December 25th Problems
- Augustus Caesar's Decree
Augustus was not known to be an incompetent emperor. It would be an act of incompetence for a Caesar to require registration involving travel during the season when much of the Roman Empire was generally impassable.
Matthew 24:19-20 gives us an example of winter issues in Judea by Jesus Himself:
“And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day”
Mary was with Child and it is likely she did not travel in the winter.
In Matthew 24:19-20 Jesus is referring to the time of Israel's trouble in the last days but the reference is important to our point concerning Christmas. - Shepherds
According to Luke 2:8:
“ there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.”
It is unlikely that shepherds would have their flocks in open field after October. It is barely possible that this happened in late December. It is more likely it would be sometime in early fall.
The year of Jesus' birth is broadly accepted as 4 BC which comes from an error derived from the historical records of an eclipse as recorded by the historian Josephus. The eclipse Josephus records was assumed to be on March 13th, 4 BC shortly before Herod died.” The eclipse Josephus mentioned more likely occurred on December 29th, 1 BC. Considerable time elapsed between Jesus' birth and Herod's death as the family fled to Egypt to escape Herod's edict to murder all the children 2 years old and younger (Matthew 2:16). Jesus' family did not return to Israel until after Herod's death (Matthew 2:15, 2:19-22).
Based on an ancient Jewish scroll contemporary with Jesus called Magillath Ta'anith it is figured that Herod died on January 14th, 1 BC.
Another historian named Tertullian (born about 160 AD) stated that Augustus began to rule 41 years before the birth of Jesus and died 15 years after that event (From Tertullian Adversus Judaeos c.8). Augustus died on August 19th, 14 AD placing Jesus' birth at 2 BC. Tertullian also notes that Jesus was born 28 years after the death of Cleopatra in 30 BC, which is consistent with a date of 2 BC.
Other historical records of Irenaeus, born about a century after Jesus, also notes that the Lord was born in the 41st year of the reign of Augustus. Since Augustus began his reign in the autumn of 43 BC this also appears to point to the birth of Jesus in 2 BC.
Yet another historian named Eusebius (264-340AD) who is called: “The Father of Church History,” ascribes the birth of Christ to the 42nd year of Augustus and the 28th from the subjection of Egypt on the death of Anthony and Cleopatra (from Ecclesiastical History I.5). The 42nd year of the reign of Augustus ran from the autumn of 2 BC to the autumn of 1 BC. The subjugation of Egypt into the Roman Empire occurred in the autumn of 30 BC. The 28th year extended from the autumn of 3 BC to the autumn of 2 BC. The only date that would meet both of these constraints would be the autumn of 2 BC.
The day of Jesus' birth
The birth of John the Baptist
One approach in determining the date of Jesus’ birth is from information we know about John the Baptist. We know from the Bible that Elisabeth (Mary's cousin) hid herself for 5 months and in the first week of the sixth month of her pregnancy Mary is told by Gabriel that she is pregnant with the Holy Child (Luke 1:34-36). To do this we need to understand the Levitical priesthood.
Elisabeth was the wife of a priest named Zacharias. According to Luke 1:5 Zacharias was a priest of the “course” of Abijah. A priestly course was a division of the Levitical priests. There were so many priests in the time of king David that he divided the entire Levitical priesthood into 24 courses. Each course worked in the temple for one week from sabbath to sabbath (1 Chronicles 24:10). Again according to the Bible Zacharias was of the course of Abijah (Luke 1:5) which according to 1 Chronicles 24:10 was the 8th course of the 24 priesthood divisions.
Now that we understand the Levitical priesthood divisions. We have to jump ahead to August 5th, 70 AD because that is the first date we know for sure and what course relates to that date. The first priestly course, the course of Jehoiarib had just taken office August 5th, 70 AD. This fact is spoken of both in the Talmud and Josephus. You see 70 AD was a very significant time for the Jews as the temple of God was destroyed by Titus the Roman.
Knowing all this we can track the courses backwards to the 8th course of Abijah which was Zacharias' course. Zacharias would have ended his duties on July 13th, 3 BC. Therefore if the birth of John the Baptist took place 280 days later, it would have been April 19th-20th (based on sunset to sunset), 2 BC. Which by the way was on Passover that year.
Remember Elisabeth hid herself for five months and then the Gabriel announced to Mary both Elisabeth’s condition and that Mary would also bear a son who would be called Jesus. Mary went “with haste” to visit Elisabeth, who was then in the first week of her sixth month, or the fourth week of December 3 BC. If Jesus was born 280 days later it would place the date of His birth on September 29th, 2 BC.
Michaelmas
(adapted from Acts & Facts December 2008, page 12)
There was an ancient Christian feast called Michaelmas which was observed on September 29th by many early Christians, especially in England and western Europe. The name later also was appropriated to identify a period during the fall when certain courts were in session. The name “Michaelmas” meant “Michael sent,” just as “Christmas” means “Christ sent.”
It is may be that Michael is the “angel of the Lord” of Luke 2:9 (in the New Testament ONLY) who was sent from heaven to announce the birth of Jesus to the shepherds. The feast of Michaelmas thus may well have originated to commemorate this coming of Michael and the angels to welcome Jesus at His human birth. This date would be just several days before the Feast of Tabernacles, which the Israelites observed each fall in memory of the wilderness wandering, with each family dwelling for a time in a tent, or “tabernacle.”
Significance of this information concerning John's birthday:
According to Luke 3:1 John began his ministry in the 15th year of Tiberius Caesar. Also according to Numbers 4:3 the minimum age for the ministry was 30.
Augustus died on August 19th, 14 AD, therefore that was the accession year for Tiberius. If John was born on April 19th-20th, 2 BC, his 30th birthday would have been April 19th-20th, 29 AD, or the 15th year of Tiberius.
This seems to confirm the 2 BC date and, since John was five months older, this also confirms the autumn birth date for Jesus. (John’s repeated introduction of Jesus as “The Lamb of God” in John 1:29, 1:36 is interesting if John was indeed born on Passover which focuses on the Passover Lamb which is an Old Testament picture of Jesus Christ).
Significance of this information concerning Jesus' birthday:
(adapted from Acts & Facts December 2008, page 12)
When John wrote that “the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:14), he did not use the usual Greek word for “dwell.” Instead, he said, literally, that the Word (that is, the Creator) “tabernacled” among us for a time. It was as though He had come into the world at just the appropriate time for the joyful Feast of Tabernacles, as Michael and the angels sang of “good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people” (Luke 2:10).
Christ's incarnation was not at His birth because He had already been “made in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:7) nine months earlier, when He created a body for Himself and took up His residence in Mary’s womb. That was the time when “the Word was made flesh”! And so it may be beautifully significant that the real “Christmas” (i.e., “Christ sent”), when the Christ was sent from His throne in heaven to enter a “tabernacle” of flesh, would have been nine months earlier than “Michaelmas,” when Michael and the angels were sent to announce His birth. But that brings us back to the time of the winter solstice! The actual number of days is the ideal period of human gestation.
Whether or not these inferences are correct (and remember no one really knows when Christ was born), they at least yield a greater appreciation of His miraculous conception. How appropriate it would be for Him to enter the world right at the season of darkest and longest night, for He would come as “the light of the world” (John 8:12) to bring “life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Timothy 1:10).
The Magi
(adapted from “The Christmas Story: What Really Happened” and “Who were the Magi? We Three Kings...? both by Chuck Missler)
The word Magi comes from a Latinized form of Magoi (Herodotus 1:101), which in turn came from an ancient Greek transliteration of the Persian original, meaning “magic” (singular, magus).
Now keep in mind the word “magician” is presented in the book of Acts as vile men like Simon Magus in Samaria (Acts 8:9-24), Elymas Magus at Paphos on the Island of Cyprus who was associated with Sergius Paulus the proconsul (Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible 3:222).
The ancient Magi were a hereditary priesthood of the Medes credited with profound and extraordinary religious knowledge. After some Magi, who had been attached to the Median court, proved to be expert in the interpretation of dreams, Darius the Great established them over the state religion of Persia (Oneiromancy, a system of dream interpretation that uses dreams to predict the future, not astrology, is the key skill mentioned by Herodotus, I.107, 120; VII.19).
It was in this dual capacity whereby civil and political counsel was invested with religious authority, that the Magi became the supreme priestly caste (Megistanes → magistrates?) of the Persian Empire, and continued to be prominent during the subsequent Seleucid, Parthian, and Sasanian periods (Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, 4:31-34).
Some of their duties included the absolute choice and election of the king of the realm. It was therefore a group of Persian-Parthian “king makers” who entered Jerusalem in the latter days of the reign of Herod.
One of the titles given to the prophet Daniel was Rab-mag, which means the Chief of the Magi (Daniel 4:9; 5:11). His unusual career included being a principal administrator in two world empires: the Babylonian and the succeeding Persian Empire. When Darius appointed him, a Jew, over the previously hereditary Median priesthood, the resulting repercussions resulted in the plots leading to the lion’s den (Daniel 6 ).
Daniel apparently entrusted a Messianic vision (to be announced in due time by a “star”) to a secret sect of the Magi for its eventual fulfillment. Keep in mind it was Daniel who gave the exact day that Christ would come into Jerusalem (Daniel 9:24-27) riding on a donkey from Nehemiah 2:6.
Since the days of Daniel, the fortunes of both the Persian and the Jewish nations had been closely intertwined. Both nations had, in their turn, fallen under Seleucid domination in the wake of Alexander’s conquests. Subsequently both had regained their independence: the Jews under Maccabean leadership, and the Persians as the dominating ruling group within the Parthian Empire.
Pompey, the first Roman conqueror of Jerusalem, attacked the Armenian outpost of Parthia in 63 B.C. In 55 B.C. Carssus led Roman legions in sacking Jerusalem and, in a subsequent attack, Parthia proper. The Romans were decisively defeated at the battle of Carrhae and the Parthians counterattacked with a token invasion of Armenia, Syria, and Israel. Nominal Roman rule was reestablished under Antipater, the father of Herod, who retreated before another Parthian invasion in 40 B.C.
Mark Anthony reestablished Roman sovereignty in 37 B.C., but also embarked on an ill-fated Parthian expedition. His disastrous retreat was followed by another wave of invading Parthians, which swept out all Roman opposition (including Herod himself, who fled to Alexandria and then to Rome). With Parthian collaboration, Jewish sovereignty was restored and Jerusalem was fortified with a Jewish garrison. Herod, by this time, secured from Augustus Caesar the title of “King of the Jews.” However, it was not for three years (including a five month’s siege by Roman troops) that he was able to occupy his own capital city.
Herod had thus gained the throne of a rebellious buffer state, which was situated between two mighty contending empires. At any time, his own subjects might conspire in bringing the Parthians to their aid. Keep in mind Herod has already dealt with a confrontation of the Parthians by the time the Magi show up. This is the reason when the Magi of Parthia came to Jerusalem Herod was troubled and all Jerusalem with him (Matthew 2:3).
In Jerusalem, the sudden appearance of the Magi, probably traveling in force with every imaginable oriental pomp and accompanied by adequate cavalry escort to insure their safe penetration of Roman territory, certainly alarmed Herod and the populace of Jerusalem. Their request of Herod regarding the one “who has been born King of the Jews” (Matthew 2:2 ) was a calculated insult to him, a non-Jew (Herod was Idumean (an Edomite), a traditional enemy of Israel) who had contrived and bribed his way into that office.
Consulting his scribes, Herod discovered from the prophecies in the Tanach (the Old Testament) that the Promised One, the Messiah, would be born in Bethlehem Micah 5:2. (Revealed by Holy Scripture, not astrology). Hiding his concern and expressing sincere interest, Herod requested them to keep him informed.
Ever wonder why the Magi didn't continue to follow the star to Bethlehem but instead turned to Jerusalem? Perhaps part of the reason is they expected the Jews to know when their Messiah was coming and embrace Him since it was their prophet Daniel (who was the chief Magi of Darius) that gave the exact day Jesus would be coming riding a donkey into Jerusalem based on Nehemiah 2:6. Perhaps part of the reason was to insult their enemies the Romans and Herod as they obviously insulted Herod when they asked for the one BORN King of the Jews.
After finding the babe and presenting their prophetic gifts, the Magi “being warned in a dream” (a form of communication most acceptable to them) departed to their own country, ignoring Herod’s request. (Within two years, Phraataces, the parricide son of Phraates IV, was duly installed by the Magi as the new ruler of Parthia).
Now keep in mind the Bible says that the Magi visited Jesus in a house (Matthew 2:11) in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:8) and He was a young child (Matthew 2:11). He was not in the manger any more and there were no shepherds and animals. When Herod tries to kill Jesus he orders the murder of all children 2 years old and younger (Matthew 2:16). It is very likely that Jesus was two years old when the Magi come to Jesus.
The Star of Bethlehem
This star was NOT a natural phenomenon as it settled over a specific location. Perhaps it was an angel.
Christmas Issues
- Most of what we know about Christmas is based on traditions of the Church of Pergamos and the Church of Thyatira than it is on the Bible.
- Much of the modern rituals associated with Christmas are based on forgotten ancient pagan rituals.
- Santa Clause has become a main focus of the holiday. Santa Clause has powers that are exclusive to God alone. Santa Clause seems to be the “god” of materialism which the Bible severely warns us of. Here are attributes of Santa Clause that are reserved for God alone: 1) Omniscience (all seeing: “he knows if you've been bad or good”).
2) Omnipresence (his presence is everywhere: can go to every house on the planet in one evening).
3) Whatever materialistic thing you want he can provide.
4) Can even perform miracles. - The Tammuz Legend
Tammuz, the son of Nimrod and his queen, Semiramis, was identified with the Babylonian Sun God and worshiped following the winter solstice, on about December 22nd-23rd. As the days became shorter and shorter through the winter, they become the shortest at the winter solstice. Tammuz was thought to have died during the winter solstice, and was memorialized by burning a log in the fireplace. (The Chaldean word for infant is: “yule”. This is the origin of the “yule log.”) His “rebirth” was celebrated by replacing the log with a trimmed tree the next morning. Sound familiar? (Jeremiah 10 contains an interesting verse which talks about trimming trees to make idols).
There are numerous other examples: the wassail bowl, the mistletoe (a fertility rite), and others that are documented in such works as Alexander Hislop.
When Babylon was conquered by subsequent empires, this entire religious system was transplanted, first to Pergamos under the Persians, and then to Rome. As the pagan Rome (Babylonian) religious system was integrated with Christian ceremonial observances, many of our current traditions surrounding Christmas emerged.
All forms of occultic practices have their origins in the original city of Babylon. Isaiah Chapter 47 clearly brings this out. (See also Hislop in the bibliography.) Most of what we associate with pagan Rome had its origins in ancient Babylon. It has been the adherence to these idolatrous influences that has evoked the intense criticism of Roman Catholicism by Protestant commentators over the many centuries.
Babylon is mentioned in over 300 references in the Bible. It is even alluded to three times in Christ’s own genealogy. Babylon is presently being rebuilt 100 kilometers (62 miles) south of Baghdad.
The first world dictator was Nimrod, the “Rebel.” Nimrod built the famous Tower of Babel as the centerpiece of his rebellion against God. (“Bav” = gate; “El” = God. Thus, Babel = “gateway to the gods”). This was the beginning of the city of Babylon.
God disrupted the rebellious coalition through the “confusion of tongues” in Genesis 11. This rebellion against God is still with us. The residuals from Babylon, including most of the traditions of idol worship, astrology, and the occult, continue to the present day. The original Biblical significance of the zodiac (or “Mazzeroth”) was corrupted by the Babylonian religious system and continues in all cultures to this day. - December 25th
The early Christian church did not celebrate Jesus’ birth, and therefore the exact date had not been preserved in festivals. The first recorded mention of December 25th is in the Calendar of Philocalus (354 A.D.), which assumed Jesus’ birth to be Friday, December 25th, 1 A.D.
When the Emperor Constantine eventually declared Christianity as the state religion of the Roman Empire in the Edict of Toleration in 312 a.d., the persecuted Christians exchanged the rags of hiding for the silks of the court.
The predictable expediency to adopt the inevitable cultural changes caused many of the former pagan rituals to be adapted to their new “Christian” trappings. The date of December 25th, which was officially proclaimed by the church fathers in 440 a.d., was actually a vestige of the Roman holiday of Saturnalia, observed near the winter solstice, which itself was among the many pagan traditions inherited from the earlier Babylonian priesthood. (Alexander Hislop, The Two Babylons, Loizeaux, Neptune, NJ, 1916).
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