Ee-19 Was Jesus BORN on DECEMBER 25th? DOWNLOAD to SAVE as a PDF Doc to read OFFLINE. Ee-19. WAS JESUS BORN ON DECEMBER 25th?
Church tradition says that Jesus was born on December 25th and has been so widely accepted that even unbelievers celebrate Christmas day as the day in which Jesus was born. But what does the Bible say? Was Jesus born on December 25th? Before we get into the Bible let us examine some history of the church. Church history or church tradition says that in 525 AD a monk named Dionysius Exiguus, who died in 556 AD, calculated that Jesus was born in 1 BC. Thus his calculation became the basis for dividing history into BC and AD. The letters AD is short for Anno Domini, or The YEAR of our Lord, as proclaimed by the Roman Catholic Church. Some non-Christians prefer the alternative designation “CE” which is short for “Common Era.” However, most Bible scholars today agree that Dionysius miscalculated the birth of Jesus Christ to as much as 8 years making the birth of Jesus to be as early as 8 BC. It was Pope Julius I that first set the date of December 25th as the birth of Jesus in the year 320 AD. Then in 325 AD Constantine instituted that December 25th be a fixed date not to be moved as the birth of Jesus. Then in 354 AD Bishop Liberius of Rome first dedicated December 25th to be celebrated as the birth of Jesus Christ. This is when CHRISTMAS, which means the celebration of a MASS for CHRIST, first began according to church history. However, before this third to the fourth century, I myself, have found no historical record of the early church celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. The first time the birth of Jesus is mentioned in church history is again around the third and fourth century. But WHY was December 25th the date that was picked to celebrate the birth of Jesus. There are two reasons that I have found to answer that question of WHY December 25th? And both reasons, in my own OPINION, are connected with the first reason. The first reason is that the winter solstice has long been a sacred time of the year among the pagans well before Christianity came into existence. Then in the year 274 AD the winter solstice fell on December 25th and the Roman Emperor Aurelian established this date, the 25th of December, to be a FIXED date never to be moved for the festival of the unconquered or invincible sun. And he named this winter festival “Natalis Solis Invicti”. We will look a little deeper into the origin of Christmas further on in this study. But for now, I would like to focus on what the word of TRUTH, the Holy Bible, has to say as to when Jesus was born. And with the celebration of Christmas in mind we must ALSO keep in mind that the earliest historical record of Christians celebrating the birth of Jesus did not appear until the third and fourth centuries.
What does the Bible ITSELF teach us?
Now, the word of God does not come right out and state a specific day of the week, or a particular month of the year, or even the exact year for that matter of the birth of Jesus. But the Bible does give us some clues for us to search out so that we can know when Jesus may have been born. For example, we know from Luke 2:1-20 that there were shepherds in a field tending their flock the day that Jesus was born. And this would indicate that it was not in the middle of winter that Jesus was born.
Luke 2:1-20.
“And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. 2. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3. And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. 4. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 5. To be taxed with Mary, his espoused wife, being great with child. 6. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 7. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. 8. And there were in the same country SHEPHERDS abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11. For unto you is born THIS DAY in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. 12. And this shall be a sign unto you; You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. 15. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us NOW go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord has made known unto us. 16. And they came with HASTE and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. 17. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told to them concerning this child. (Speaking of the prophesied child to be born in Isaiah 9:6,7) 18. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told to them by the shepherds. 19. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.”
Now some Christians that want to hold on to the church TRADITION may argue that they themselves have visited Jerusalem in the middle of the winter and have seen sheep out in the fields. So then, the fact that December 25th is in the middle of the winter and there were shepherds in the field when Jesus was born does not prove that Jesus was not born in the middle of the winter. So then, while it is true that there are some mild days during most every winter and people have seen sheep out in the field in the winter during these mild days does not prove that Jesus was not born in the winter. However, the same is also true that this same argument does NOT prove that Jesus WAS born in the middle of the winter on December 25th. Now, while I agree that a few mild days in the middle of the winter would allow for a window of opportunity for Jesus to have been born on one of these mild winter days when the shepherds were out in the field watching their flock. I also see this argument as a less likely possibility that Jesus was born in the middle of the winter. For you see, there were shepherds in the field tending their flock. Also, keep in mind that this is NOT the ONLY clue that we are given as to when Jesus was born. So then, this clue ALONE of the shepherds in the fields does not prove without a doubt that Jesus was NOT born in the middle of the winter. In other words, when you combine the fact of shepherds being in the field along with the other clue of the CENSUS or the registration of all the people being taken it simply does not add up for Jesus to have been born in the middle of the winter. Please read Luke 2:1-7 again where we read that the entire world was TAXED when Jesus was born. The word “TAXED” is from the Greek word “APOGRAPHO”, which means to REGISTER. The historical record tells us that the year 2 BC was the 25th anniversary of Caesar Augustus. So then, in preparation of this event, he issued a CENSUS and not a tax as some have been misled to believe. It is also interesting to note that censuses were done in the FALL of the year, which makes more sense than having the people throughout the whole country travel in the middle of the winter.
Luke 2:1-7.
“And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed (Or to take a CENSUS, to register, to record, to ENROLL. Nearly every other translation of the Bible translates this word correctly as CENSUS or being registered, to be written upon a list. The King James Version is one among the very few translations that incorrectly translates this Greek word as a tax.). 2. (And this taxing was FIRST made WHEN Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3. And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. 4. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (Because he was of the house and lineage of David and Bethlehem was the city where Joseph was raised as a child. In other words, Joseph may have been born in Bethlehem) 5. To be taxed (Or REGISTERED) with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 6. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 7. And she brought forth her firstborn son, (Which means that Jesus was more likely to be born in the FALL of the year when this FIRST CENSUS was taken when Cyrenius was governor of Syria) and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.”
History tells us that Cyrenius did not actually become the governor of Syria until 6 AD. But, what SEEMS to be a discrepancy can be explained by the fact that Cyrenius was given the command to take this CENSUS. You see the word that is translated as governor in Luke 2:2 actually means to act as ruler. And this Greek word also carries the meaning to lead the way. Cyrenius was sent to LEAD or head up this CENSUS taken in the fall of the year. Also, notice the phrase “and this CENSUS was FIRST made”, which tells us that there were more censuses to be taken after this first census. In 6 AD a second registration of the citizens was taken again while Cyrenius was governor or ruling in Syria. And history tells us that in the second census there was an inheritance tax collected as well, so it may well be that a tax was collected at the time of the FIRST census, but I myself did not find any historical proof of a tax. Another piece of evidence that it was NOT in the middle of winter that Jesus was born is found in Luke 3:1-3, and verse 23 where we read of Jesus being baptized in the river Jordan about the time that he turned 30 years of age. In other words, Jesus was baptized very near his BIRTHDAY.
Luke 3:1-3,23.
“Now in the FIFTEENTH year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, 2. Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. 3. And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;... ...23. And Jesus himself BEGAN to be about thirty years of age, being (As was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,”
Now to ME, the word “BEGAN” tells us that Jesus was just about to turn 30 years old when he was baptized in the river Jordan where John was baptizing many people. In other words, Jesus was baptized right before his BIRTHDAY. So to ME, it just does not make any sense for Jesus to be born on December 25th in the middle of the winter since he was submerged totally under water in the river Jordan on or very near his day of BIRTH. It makes much more sense that Jesus was born in a warmer part of the year and the evidence that I have researched leads me to believe that Jesus was born in the FALL of the year and definitely NOT on December 25th in the middle of the winter. We also know from the word of God that Jesus was 6 months younger than his cousin John the Baptist. So then, if we can discern when John the Baptist was most likely to have been conceived, then we can find when Jesus was most likely to have been conceived as well.
Please read Luke 1:5-80.
“There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. 6. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7. And they had no child because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years. 8. And it came to pass, that WHILE he executed the priest's office before God in the ORDER of his course, 9. According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 10. And the whole multitude of the people were praying without, at the time of incense. 11. And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. 13. But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elisabeth shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14. And you shall have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. 15. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. 16. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. 17. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. 18. And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. 19. And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto you, and to show you these glad tidings. 20. And, behold, you shall be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because you believe not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their SEASON. 21. And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he tarried so long in the temple. 22. And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless. 23. And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house. 24. And AFTER those days his wife Elisabeth CONCEIVED, (So then, as soon as Zacharias had finished his course he went straight home and shortly after his wife Elizabeth CONCEIVED) and hid herself five months, saying, 25. Thus has the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men. 26. And IN the SIXTH month (Of Elizabeth being CONCEIVED with a child who would become John the Baptist) the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27. To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. 28. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, you that are highly favored, the Lord is with you: blessed are you among women. 29. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. 30. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for you have found favor with God. 31. And, behold, you shall conceive in your womb, and bring forth a son, and shall call his name JESUS. 32. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33. And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. 34. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 35. And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of you shall be called the Son of God. 36. And, behold, your cousin Elisabeth, she has also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the SIXTH month with her, who was called barren. (It must be important for us to be made aware by God Himself that John the Baptist was born SIX MONTHS BEFORE Jesus because God has told us twice that it was IN the SIXTH month of Elizabeth that Jesus was CONCEIVED in the womb of the Virgin Mary) 37. For with God nothing shall be impossible. 38. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to your word. And the angel departed from her. 39. And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; 40. And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. 41. And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: 42. And she spoke out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44. For, lo, as soon as the voice of your salutation sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. 45. And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord. 46. And Mary said, My soul does magnify the Lord, 47. And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. 48. For he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. 49. For He that is mighty has done to ME great things; and holy is His NAME. (Mary is quoting Scripture prophesying about the NAME of Yahweh or more precisely the one prophesied to come IN the NAME OF Yahweh) 50. And His mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. 51. He has shown strength with His arm; he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. (Please read the study Dd-19. What does the LORD'S NAME in VAIN mean?) 52. He has put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. 53. He has filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he has sent empty away. 54. He has holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; 55. As he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed forever. 56. And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house. 57. Now Elizabeth's FULL time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son. 58. And her neighbors and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her. 59. And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father. 60. And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John. 61. And they said unto her, There is none of your kindred that is called by this name. 62. And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called. 63. And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marveled all. 64. And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, and praised God. 65. And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea. 66. And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him. 67. And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, 68. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he has visited and redeemed his people, 69. And has raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; 70. As he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: 71. That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; 72. To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; 73. The oath which he swore to our father Abraham, 74. That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, 75. In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. 76. And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Highest: for you shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; 77. To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, 78. Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the day spring from on high has visited us, 79. To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. 80. And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his showing unto Israel.”
In verse 1 we learn that Zacharias was a priest that served in the course of ABIA or ABIJAH as it is spelled in 1 Chronicles 24:10.
Luke 1:1.
“There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.”
According to 1 Chronicles 24:7-19 there are 24 courses of the priesthood and the EIGHTH course is ABIJAH found in verse 10.
1 Chronicles 24:7-19.
“Now the first lot came forth to Jehoiarib, the second to Jedaiah, 8. The third to Harim, the fourth to Seorim, 9. The fifth to Malchijah, the sixth to Mijamin, 10. The seventh to Hakkoz, the EIGHTH to Abijah, (Or ABIA, which was the COURSE that Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, served in as his priestly duty. So now all we need to do is to establish what time of the year that the COURSE of ABIA or ABIJAH served.) 11. The ninth to Jeshua, the tenth to Shecaniah, 12. The eleventh to Eliashib, the twelfth to Jakim, 13. The thirteenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jeshebeab, 14. The fifteenth to Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer, 15. The seventeenth to Hezir, the eighteenth to Aphses, 16. The nineteenth to Pethahiah, the twentieth to Jehezekel, 17. The one and twentieth to Jachin, the two and twentieth to Gamul, 18. The three and twentieth to Delaiah, the four and twentieth to Maaziah. 19. These were the orderings of them in their service to come into the house of the LORD, according to their manner, under Aaron their father, as the LORD God of Israel had commanded him.”
Again, we have many clues that teach us that John the Baptist was CONCEIVED right AFTER the course of ABIA. In Luke 1:8 we see that Zacharias was performing his priestly duties when the angel appeared to him telling him that his wife would CONCEIVE a son.
Luke 1:8.
“And it came to pass, that WHILE he executed the priest's office before God in the ORDER of his course,”
And in Luke 1:23,24 we see that it is right after Zacharias finished his service in the temple DURING the EIGHTH course that he goes straight home and soon after Elizabeth CONCEIVES.
Luke 1:23,24.
“And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house. 24. And AFTER those days his wife Elisabeth CONCEIVED, (So then, as soon as Zacharias had finished his course he went straight home and shortly after his wife Elizabeth CONCEIVED. It could have been the very day he got home that Elizabeth conceived, or it could have been a month or two later. All we know for sure is that AFTER those days of Zacharias serving in the temple was when Elizabeth conceived. HOWEVER, we do know that God Himself told us TWICE that Jesus was CONCEIVED during the SIXTH MONTH of the pregnancy of Elizabeth with John the Baptist. And for that reason, I, myself, believe that John the Baptist was conceived within a day or two right after Zacharias finished his priestly duty DURING the EIGHTH course) and hid herself five months, saying,”
Then in Luke 1:36 we learn that Mary the virgin mother of Jesus CONCEIVES while Elizabeth is in her SIXTH MONTH of pregnancy.
Luke 1:36.
“And, behold, your cousin Elisabeth, she has also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the SIXTH month with her, who was called barren.
To summarize, according to 1 Chronicles 24:7-20, we learned that there are 24 courses and verse 10 tells us that the EIGHTH course is ABIJAH, which is the course of Zacharias. Each course was scheduled to serve ONE week from sabbath to sabbath TWO times a year. And all the priests were to serve together at Passover, or the feast of unleavened bread, Shavuot or feast of Pentecost, and the feast of tabernacles making a total of five weeks every year.
Please read Deuteronomy 16:16.
“Three times in a year shall all your males appear before the LORD your God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty:”
This means that the FIRST service of Zacharias would be the TENTH week of the Jewish year, which would be from Sivan 14 to Sivan 21 in the year 4 BC. This week of the Jewish calendar corresponds to the week of June 9th through June 16th, 4 BC. For the reason why I use 4 BC for the year John the Baptist was conceived please read the study Ee-20. WHAT YEAR WAS JESUS CRUCIFIED? But for now, assuming that John the Baptist was conceived around this time of the year in 4 BC, then all we need to do is add 20 weeks, which is 1/2 the full term of pregnancy, to determine the approximate time of the year that Jesus was CONCEIVED. This brings us to the 13th day of the eight-month as being the earliest possible date for Mary to have conceived. Adding six weeks to this date, which is a more reasonable allowance of time for Zacharias to have traveled home and for Elizabeth to have time to conceive, brings us to the NINTH month and the 26th day of KISLEV for the actual CONCEPTION of the Virgin Mary. Now, this month of KISLEV has some BIBLICAL significance as to relating to the possible prophetic conception of the Messiah. Please read Haggai 2:10-22, which is a prophecy of Jesus, the coming Messiah.
Haggai 2:10-23.
“In the FOUR and TWENTIETH DAY of the NINTH MONTH (Or on Kislev 24), in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying, 11. Thus says the LORD of hosts; Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying, 12. If one bears holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy? And the priests answered and said, No. (In other words, if you break just one point of the law you break the whole law) 13. Then said Haggai, If one that is unclean by a dead body touches any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean. 14. Then answered Haggai, and said, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, says the LORD; and so is every work of their hands; and that which they offer there is unclean. (In other words, God has considered ALL of mankind to have fallen short of his glory and is about to do a NEW THING in the earth which is to bring forth HIS SAVIOR) 15. And now, I pray you, consider from THIS DAY and UPWARD, (Or from THIS DAY being the 24th day of KISLEV the NINTH month) from before a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of the LORD: 16. Since those days were, when one came to an heap of twenty measures, there were but ten: when one came to the press fat for to draw out fifty vessels out of the press, there were but twenty. 17. I smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in all the labors of your hands; yet you turned not to me, says the LORD. 18. Consider now from THIS DAY and UPWARD (Or from this day to eternity), from the FOUR and TWENTIETH DAY of the NINTH month, even from the DAY that the FOUNDATION of the LORD'S temple was LAID, consider it. 19. Is the SEED YET in the BARN? (In other words, is the SEED of the Messiah is YET in the WOMB?) yea, as yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree, have NOT brought forth: from THIS DAY will I bless you. (So to me, something very important was being prophesied to happen on the 24th day of Kislev, which is the NINTH month. In other words, this prophecy could very well be speaking of Jesus being CONCEIVED in the WOMB of the Virgin Mary on the 24th day of Kislev due to the phrase, “the SEED is YET IN the BARN” Or that the seed of the Messiah has been CONCEIVED in the WOMB of the Virgin) 20. And again, the word of the LORD came unto Haggai in the FOUR and TWENTIETH DAY of the month, saying, 21. Speak to Zerubbabel, (A type or shadow of Jesus the Messiah) governor of Judah, saying, I will shake the heavens and the earth; (Speaking of the second coming of Jesus) 22. And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother. 23. In that day, says the LORD of hosts, will I take you, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, says the LORD, and will make you as a signet: for I have chosen you, says the LORD of hosts.”
Now, if I am correct and Jesus was CONCEIVED on the 24th day of the NINTH month, then this would place the actual birth of Jesus coming forth from the womb to tabernacle with mankind on Tishri 10, which is the day of ATONEMENT. The feast of TABERNACLES began on Tishri 15 through Tishri 21. Remember that in the Old Testament the coming Messiah was called EMMANUEL, which means God with us, or God coming to tabernacle with us.
Please read Matthew 1:18-25.
“Now the BIRTH of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. 19. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. 20. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, you son of David, fear not to take unto you Mary your wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 21. And she shall bring forth a son, and you shall call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. (The name Jesus means the salvation of YHWH or YHWH saves. In other words, Jesus is HOW Yahweh Himself chose to save those of mankind who BELIEVE in Jesus as their Messiah) 22. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23. Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name EMMANUEL, which being interpreted is, God with us. (Yahweh, Almighty God the Father DWELT IN the Son of man, Jesus. So in that sense, Yahweh or God was literally with the people. But the word “with” can also mean FOR the people. God provided the people with His MESSIAH to save the people from their sins) 24. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: 25. And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.”
Also, John 1:14 we see that the Word was made flesh and DWELT or came to TABERNACLE with us.
John 1:14.
“And the Word was made flesh, and DWELT among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”
The word “dwell” also means tabernacle. Let us go back to Luke chapter 1 and verses 26 through 33 where we read that the angel Gabriel CAME to ANNOUNCE to Mary that she is to BE the mother of the Son of God. And I want you to consider closely verse 26 where this ANNOUNCEMENT that Mary was to CONCEIVE a son in her womb was given IN the SIXTH MONTH. Now, most Bible scholars have always ASSUMED that this verse was speaking of the SIXTH month of Mary's cousin Elizabeth being with child, which is true. However, I want you to consider the possibility of the SIXTH month being BOTH the LITERAL SIXTH MONTH of the actual YEAR and the sixth month of Elizabeth being with child.
Luke 1:26-33.
“ And IN the SIXTH month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27. To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. 28. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, you that are highly favored, the Lord is with you: blessed are you among women. 29. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. 30. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for you have found favor with God. 31. And, behold, you shall conceive in your womb, and bring forth a son, and shall call his name JESUS. (Again, the NAME Jesus means the salvation of Yahweh. In other words, Jesus is Yahweh’s Christ or Yahweh’s Messiah) 32. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33. And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.”
Now, assuming that verse 26 is literally speaking of the SIXTH MONTH of the YEAR, as well as, the sixth month of Elizabeth being with child, let us now go back to the Old Testament to see if we can find a connection with the SIXTH month of the year being tied with Jesus in any way. Please read Haggai 1:1-5, which tells us that Haggai is a PROPHET UNTO Zerubbabel.
Haggai 1:1-5.
“In the second year of Darius the king, in the SIXTH MONTH, in the FIRST day of the month, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, (Zerubbabel is a type or shadow of the coming Messiah and Haggai is given a word from Almighty God to prophesy unto Zerubbabel just like John the Baptist did at the BAPTISM of Jesus.) and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, saying, 2. Thus speaks the LORD of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD'S house should be built. (In other words, the people of Israel did not recognize that Jesus was their Messiah) 3. Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying, 4. Is it time for you, O you, to dwell in your cieled houses (Or in your COVERED houses. In other words, what you do in SECRET, the sins of your heart shall remain for rejecting your Messiah), and this house lie waste? 5. Now, therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.”
This was the message of Jesus to his people Israel for them to consider their ways. Now if Jesus was BAPTIZED on the FIRST day of the SIXTH month of the year, which is called Elul when he BEGAN to be ABOUT 30 year of age, then this would mean that the DAY of the YEAR that Jesus was BORN was coming up. It could be perhaps in the next few days or it may be in the next few months. All we know for sure is that Jesus BEGAN to be ABOUT 30 years of age when he was BAPTIZED by John the Baptist. And most Bible scholars believe that John had already turned THIRTY just before he began his ministry because the priests had to be thirty years old before they could become priests. So then, if it was one to two months before the actual birthday of Jesus, then this would place Jesus to be BORN sometime in the SEVENTH month of the year. So then, let us again assume that Jesus was BORN on the day of ATONEMENT, which would be in the SEVENTH month called Tishri on the TENTH day. Now if we go backward for 280 days or for 40 weeks from the Tishri 10, the day of ATONEMENT, we arrive at Kislev the TWENTIETH and FOURTH day for the very day in which Jesus was CONCEIVED in the womb of Mary by the Holy Spirit. Please read again Haggai 2:18-23 and CONSIDER THIS DAY of KISLEV 24 to be the very day that Jesus was CONCEIVED in the womb of Mary. Also, please keep in mind that Zerubbabel is a type of shadow of Jesus the coming Messiah and GOVERNOR or ruler of his people.
Haggai 2:18-23.
“ Consider now from THIS DAY and UPWARD (Or from this day forward to eternity), from the FOUR and TWENTIETH DAY of the NINTH month, even from the DAY that the FOUNDATION of the LORD'S temple was LAID, consider it. 19. Is the SEED YET in the BARN? (Or consider that the SEED of the Messiah is YET in the WOMB) yea, as yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree, have NOT brought forth: from THIS DAY will I bless you. 20. And again, the word of the LORD came unto Haggai in the FOUR and TWENTIETH DAY of the month, saying, 21. Speak to Zerubbabel, (A type or shadow of Jesus the Messiah) governor of Judah, saying, I will shake the heavens and the earth; (Speaking of the second coming of Jesus) 22. And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother. 23. In that day, says the LORD of hosts, will I take you, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, says the LORD, and will make you as a signet: for I have chosen you, says the LORD of hosts.”
When you put all these clues together they AGREE with each other. Remember that Jesus told us that the SCRIPTURES spoke of him. Therefore, we ought to find clues of the time of the year that Jesus was BORN in the SCRIPTURES. Now I am not dogmatically teaching that Jesus was born on the exact day of Tishri 10, the day of ATONEMENT. But, to ME, it certainly makes more sense than Jesus being born in the middle of winter on December 25th, which is a day that has no support from the Scriptures. Another interesting day that Jesus could have possibly been born upon is Tishri 3, which is a fast day of Gedaliah. For you see, the day after Rosh Ha-Shana, the third day of Tishi, is the Fast of Gedaliah or Tzom Gedaliah. Here is what another website has to say;
The fast begins in the early morning at dawn, and ends in the evening at dusk. The fast of Gedaliah was first mentioned in The Book of Zechariah 8:19. He appointed Gedaliah, son of Achikam, as governor of the now Babylonian province of Judah. Many Jews who had fled to Moab, Ammon, Edom and other neighboring lands returned to Judah to tend to the vineyards again. And they enjoyed a period or rest from their earlier suffering. When Ishmael requested an audience with Gedaliah, the story tells that Gedaliah was warned of Ishmael’s intentions but refused to believe them, dismissing them as slander. At the end, Ishmael came to visit Gedaliah in Mitzpa and murdered him together with most of the Jews who had joined him and many Babylonians whom the Babylonian King had left with Gedaliah. Baalis, the King of Ammon, wanted to create disharmony among the last residents of Judah, and in order to do so, he incited a Jew named Ishmael ben Netania, who was of royal blood, against Gedalia. Gedaliah was a great Jewish leader during the Babylonian exile. In Jewish Scriptures Gedalia is mentioned in The Book of Jeremiah Chapters 40-41 and in The Book of Kings 2 chapter 25. According to the story, Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonian, conquered Jerusalem and killed or exiled most of the Jews in Jerusalem.
And due to this and other evidence, some Bible scholars suggest that Jesus may have been born on Rosh HaShanah, which is Tishri 1, also called the feast of Trumpets. And the feast of Trumpets or Jewish New Year corresponds to September 10th back in 3 BC, which is the year that I believe that Jesus was born. But to me, this day of September 10th is too early when viewed along with some further evidence concerning the STAR of Bethlehem that Astronomers say first appeared on September 11 of 3 BC. We will look at the star of Bethlehem momentarily. Again, Tishri 1 should not be eliminated completely because Jesus could have been born first and then the STAR arose the next day on September 11th of 3 BC as a SIGN. Keep in mind that the new day begins at sunset on the Jewish calendar. Now, Tishri 3 corresponds to September 12th which falls the day after the STAR of Bethlehem first appears. So for me, Tishri the 3rd could be the first possible day on which Jesus may have been born. And September 12th is much warmer than December 25th. The next Biblical day would be Tishri 10, which again is the day of ATONEMENT. This day corresponds to September 19th back in 3 BC. Also, 19 is the Biblical number meaning FAITH. We are SAVED through the ATONEMENT of Jesus by FAITH. Other Christians favor the birth of Jesus to be on the feast of Tabernacles beginning on Tishri 15 to Tishri 22 in the year 3 BC, which corresponds to September 24th to October 1 back in 3 BC. This eight-day feast is most likely favored because this feast of TABERNACLES compares to the WORD of Almighty God being made FLESH and DWELLING with mankind. In other words, the Word that was with God became flesh to TABERNACLE with mankind. And the number EIGHT is connected with NEW BEGINNING. The only problem that I foresee with the feast of tabernacles being the day that Jesus was born is that this is one of the required feasts of God for all the men to keep. Plus it is not on a SINGLE day. And as I understand the three required annual feasts for all the men of Israel to keep were to be kept in JERUSALEM. Now, IF this is truly the case, then it would not have been likely for Mary and Joseph to have been in BETHLEHEM where Jesus was born and to be in JERUSALEM at the SAME time. Also, if Jesus was CONCEIVED on Kislev 24, then this would be five to thirteen days past the normal 280-day term of a baby in the womb. Nonetheless, all four of these Biblical possibilities occur in the FALL of the year that corresponds all the more to the MONTH of September as being the most likely time of the year that Jesus was BORN. Also, going back to the 24th day of the NINTH month as prophesied in Haggai chapter 2, it is interesting to note that the first day of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, is celebrated on the 25th day of Kislev. And this is the very next day after the prophesied day of Kislev 24 where the SEED was yet in the barn or yet in the womb. Please remember that the word of God says for us to consider now from this day, the 24th day of the ninth month FORWARD, that this was the very day that the FOUNDATION STONE was laid. Please read Isaiah 28:16 where God lays in Zion for a foundation of stone, which is a prophecy of Jesus.
Isaiah 28:16.
“Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a FOUNDATION a STONE, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation: he that believes shall not make haste.”
A building always BEGINS with a FOUNDATION. And the foundation of the Christian faith is that Jesus was CONCEIVED in the womb of the VIRGIN Mary WITHOUT an EARTHLY father. The prophecy in Isaiah 9:6,7 reads in chronological order. FIRST, it is prophesied that a CHILD would be BORN. Then that human Son of MAN would be GIVEN. And then that Son of MAN who being highly exalted to become the governor or the ruler. So then, the foundation began as the SEED of God’s word being CONCEIVED in the womb of the Virgin Mary. And if you also remember in John 8:12, Jesus is called the LIGHT of the world. And Hanukkah, the feast of LIGHTS begins the very next day on Kislev 25th, which is in the WINTER. I have not searched this out but Kislev 25 MAY have corresponded to December 25 back in 3 BC. However, the year that the Roman Catholic Church teaches that Jesus was born may NOT be 3 BC. In other words, whatever year the Roman Catholic Church chose to be the year Jesus was born, then Kislev of THAT year may have corresponded to December 25. My point is that no matter what year Jesus was born, Kislev 25 corresponds CLOSE to December 25. Or it may be that since the feast of LIGHTS for the Jewish people began on the 25th day of a WINTER month as to WHY the Roman Catholic Church chose December 25th as the birth of Jesus. Also, the Roman Catholic Church, as well as most Christians, believe that LIFE BEGINS at CONCEPTION in the womb. And thus, if Jesus was born in the fall of the year around September 11 then that would place the CONCEPTION of Jesus in the womb in the month of December. And thus, it may very well be that the word made flesh was CONCEIVED in the womb of the Virgin Mary on December 25. But NOT BORN on December 25th. Anyway, this feast day of LIGHTS is also called the Chanukah or the feast of DEDICATION. And the moment we BELIEVE that Jesus is the Messiah we DEDICATE our lives to him from that day FORWARD where we become the LIGHT of the world lighting the WAY for others.
Please read John 8:12.
“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
And for that reason, some Christians suggest that Jesus may have been BORN on Kislev 25, because of the Feast of Lights or the Feast of Dedication. But for me, for Jesus to be born as late as Hanukkah would again be close to the middle of winter. However, for Jesus to have been CONCEIVED on Kislev 24, the day right before the feast of lights, seems to ME, to be more than just a mere coincidence. In John 10:22, we read about the Feast of Dedication that is in the WINTER. Now, in the ninth month called Kislev, the 25th day of the Jewish calendar corresponds to December 14th on our calendar in the year 4 BC. Please understand that not all calculators calculate the SAME dates. For example, a brother in the Lord corrected me saying that, according to two calculators that he used, Kislev 25 corresponds to November 23. So it all depends on which calculator one uses. And the one I used says December 14. So if Jesus was conceived the day before that would be December 13 and if you observe the custom of the 12 days of Christmas, then Jesus was conceived at the onset of the 12 days of Christmas. That custom of the 12 days of Christmas started for a reason. And thus, the DEDICATION or the PROPHECY of Jesus by Yahweh to be the LIGHT of the world would correspond to the FEAST of DEDICATION that is in the WINTER. Anyway, this is simply another reason for why I am seeing that Jesus may have actually been CONCEIVED on Kislev 24. And again, to most Christians, it is at the time of CONCEPTION that we count the birth of the LIFE of a child. This is why abortion is considered murder in the eyes of many Christians.
John 10:22.
“And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the DEDICATION, and it was WINTER.”
Hanukkah is an EIGHT day festival of rejoicing, celebrating deliverance from enemies by the relighting of the Menorah in the rededicated Temple. And according to the story, the candlestick called the Menorah stayed or remained lit miraculously for eight days on only ONE day's supply of oil. Now, if the SECOND service of Zacharias is considered, then he would have served again in the 35th in the year 4 BC, which would have fallen on Kislev 12 through Kislev 18 in the year 4 BC. This date would correspond to December 1 to December 8, which would then mean that Elizabeth conceived around Kislev 26 to Tibet 7, which would correspond to December 15, 4 BC to January 6, 3 BC. This would have placed the birth of John around Tishri 12, 3 BC, which would correspond to September 21, 3 BC for the birth of John the Baptist. So then, IF the birth of John was Tishri 12 or September 21, 3 BC, then Jesus would have been born 6 months or 20 weeks later around Adar 4 in 2 BC, which would correspond to February 8, in the year 2 BC, which means that Jesus would need to be 39 days premature in order to be born on the 25th of December. Therefore, when considering the BIBLICAL evidence it does NOT seem rational for Jesus to have been born on December 25th as established by the Roman Catholic Church in the 3rd and 4th centuries. However, when we consider the FEASTS of God and how Jesus FULFILLED no less than four of the seven feasts of God at his first coming, then we have yet another clue that gives evidence for Jesus being born in the FALL of the year as opposed to the middle of the winter, on December 25th as church TRADITION has taught us. Even though the Scriptures are not specific about the time frame when Jesus was baptized, we still can observe patterns in Scripture that point to the fact that Jesus may have been baptized 40 days before Yom Kippur, the feast of ATONEMENT on Tishri 10. The SIXTH month of Elul on the Hebrew Calendar has 29 days in 3 BC and there are 29 trumpet warnings, one for each day leading up to the Feast of Trumpets, called Yom Teruah held on the 1st day of the seventh month called Tishri. Then there are 9 more days leading up to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement of Tishri 10, which makes a total of 38 days. In 2 more days the year of 3 BC would fall on the weekly Sabbath making it 40 days that Jesus fasted in the wilderness. Add a couple of days for Jesus to have been TEMPTED of the devil and to be ministered unto by the angels AFTER his 40-day fast brings us to Tishri 15th, which is the start of the eight-day feast of tabernacles. We can accurately see that Jesus himself fulfilled these 40 days of repentance when he was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness where he was tempted by the devil. Please read Mark 1:9-13 which teaches us that Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the WILDERNESS where Jesus FASTED for FORTY DAYS.
Mark 1:9-13.
“And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. 10. And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: 11. And there came a voice from heaven, saying, You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 12. And immediately the Spirit drives him into the wilderness. 13. And he was there in the WILDERNESS FORTY DAYS, tempted by Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.”
Then when we read this same account from Matthew we can clearly see that AFTER the FORTY days and nights of FASTING in the WILDERNESS that Jesus HUNGERED and then the devil TEMPTED Jesus to first make bread from the stones. Then after three different temptations, the angels came and ministered to him.
Mark 3:1-11.
“Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the WILDERNESS to be tempted of the devil. 2. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was AFTERWARD an HUNGRY. 3. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If you be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. 5. Then the devil takes him up into the holy city, and sets him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6. And said unto him, If you be the Son of God, cast yourself down: for it is written , He shall give his angels charge concerning you: and in their hands they shall bear you up, lest at any time you dash your foot against a stone. 7. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, You shall not tempt the Lord your God. 8. Again, the devil takes him up into an exceeding high mountain, and shows him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9. And said unto him, All these things will I give you, if you will fall down and worship me. 10. Then said Jesus unto him, Get you hence, Satan: for it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve. 11. Then the devil leaves him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.”
Why would the Holy Spirit lead Jesus to fast and pray immediately following his baptism for 40 days and nights? One possible answer could be that Jesus was observing the 40 days of fasting leading up to the day of the feast of tabernacles. After all, Jesus FULFILLED the Scriptures. So why would Jesus not fulfill the forty day fast leading up to the feast of tabernacles? Why do some believe that Jesus was baptized 40 days before the feast of tabernacles? Because some believe that Jesus was BORN on or during this eight-day feast of tabernacles. If you remember Luke 3:23 says that Jesus BEGAN to be ABOUT THIRTY YEARS of age, which would point to the BIRTHDATE of Jesus being very near the time that he was baptized. So then, Jesus could have turned THIRTY years old on any one of these days after he was baptized by John. But which day is the most likely day? Well, on the Day of Atonement, the priests in the temple were supposed to choose two goats. They were to cast lots over the goats to see which one would be killed and which one would be sent into the WILDERNESS. You can read about this in Leviticus chapter16. Since Jesus fulfilled the SCRIPTURES some believe that when Jesus came to John to be baptized, then all of his actions were meant to fulfill the requirements of the Day of Atonement. Again, in Leviticus 16:21,22, we read where the goat is led into the WILDERNESS.
Leviticus 16:21,22.
“And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the WILDERNESS: 22. And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the WILDERNESS.”
To ME, it just makes FAR more sense for Jesus to have been born on one of the FEAST days in the FALL of the year rather than on December 25th in the middle of the winter. When we consider all the evidence of SCRIPTURE all together, then for ME, the SOUND BIBLICAL evidence certainly and overwhelmingly points to Jesus being born in the FALL of the year and most probably on one of the feast days. We have yet another piece of evidence from the Bible that for me seals the deal so to speak for Jesus being born in the FALL of the year, sometime in the month of SEPTEMBER in the year 3 BC. We know from Matthew 2:1-12 that a STAR was seen by the wise men and this is how they knew that a King was born because they saw his STAR in the east.
Matthew 2:1-12.
“Now when Jesus was BORN in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came WISE MEN from the east to Jerusalem, 2. Saying, Where is he that is BORN King of the Jews? FOR (Or BECAUSE) we have SEEN HIS STAR in the east, and are come to worship him. 3. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them WHERE Christ should be born. 5. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, 6. And you Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the princes of Judah: for out of you shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. 7. Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently WHAT TIME the STAR APPEARED. 8. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when you have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. 9. When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the STAR, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. 10. When they saw the STAR, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. 11. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child (Around two years old by this time) with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshiped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. 12. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.”
Now, some modern day scholars will dogmatically argue that it is impossible for Jesus to have been born any later than 5 BC, and some believe as early as 8 BC because they claim that Herod died in 4 BC. You see, the Bible tells us that it was Herod, who was the one who ordered all the male children in that area who were two years old and younger to be killed. You can find this written in Matthew chapter 2 as well. This means that Jesus would have needed to be at least a year old and probably a little older for Herod to have ordered all the children in that region who were two years old and younger to be killed. Therefore, IF Herod truly died in 4 BC, as some claim, then Jesus would have needed to be born no later than 6 BC to some time in 5 BC for Jesus to be at least one year old. However, it is only ASSUMED that Herod died in 4 BC because the historian Josephus wrote that Herod died after an eclipse of the moon and before the Jewish Passover. Here is a website that deals with both sides of this debate if you want to go through every detail. I have posted a good deal from this website below the following link and even more toward the end of this study:
Did Herod the “Great” Really Die In 4 B.C.?
After viewing this Astronomical evidence given in the link above along with all the Biblical clues I personally believe the evidence for Jesus being born anywhere from the FALL of 4 BC to as late as 1 AD far outweigh any of the arguments for a much earlier birth such as 8 BC to 5 BC. Here is one of the pieces of evidence that I got from the Hope of Israel website dealing with the astronomical event of the star of Bethlehem.
The Astronomical Evidence What astronomical events, possibly in the years 3 or 2 B.C., might have been related to the Star of Bethlehem? A nova -- the unexpected, sudden brightening of a star from invisibility into a bright object for a period of days or weeks -- has been suggested. But there is no historical record of such a nova, nor is it clear what a nova's astrological significance would be. Origen himself suggested a comet, for comets appear sporadically, move, and can even seem to point down to the earth. But the recorded comets around this time, even Halley's Comet in 12 B.C., were not very impressive; astrologically, they were considered ominous. Meteors and fireballs are even less likely candidates. Conjunctions of planets have also long been considered good possibilities. A conjunction is a close apparent approach between two celestial objects. Technically speaking, a conjunction occurs at the moment when both objects have the same celestial longitude; one is due north of the other. The closer the objects, the more visually impressive the event and the more significant astrologically. In 3 B.C. and 2 B.C., there was a series of close conjunctions involving Jupiter, the planet that represented kingship, coronations, and the birth of kings. In the Judean world Jupiter was known as Sedeq or "Righteousness," a term also used for the Messiah. On September 14, 3 B.C., and on February 17 and May 8 in 2 B.C., Jupiter the King planet stood next to Regulus the brightest star in Leo, which also represented Royalty. Then came a climax to the display. On June 17, 2 B.C., Venus and Jupiter -- the two brightest planets in the Solar System -- appeared to collide. They stood an incredible 1/50th degree apart and seemed to fuse into one immense ball of light. This was an unprecedented event. This exceptionally rare spectacle could not have been missed by the Magi. But that was not all. On August 27 in 2 B.C. there was a grand meeting of the planets in Virgo. Jupiter and Mars were only 1/7th degree apart and close at hand were Mercury and Venus standing together in the glare of the rising sun. In fact, we have seen here only the highlights of an impressive series of planetary motions and conjunctions fraught with a variety of astrological meanings, involving all the other known planets of the period: Mercury, Mars, and Saturn. The astrological significance of these impressive events must surely have been seen by the Magi as the announcement of the impending birth of a great king of the Judeans. But if the planet Jupiter was the Star of Bethlehem, or was a component of the events that triggered the visit by the Magi, how do we view the final appearance of the Star on their journey to Bethlehem? It would have been in the southern sky, though fairly high above the horizon. Could the Star have stopped over Bethlehem? The answer is yes. The word "stop" was used for what we now call a planet's "stationary point." A planet normally moves eastward through the stars from night to night and month to month, but regularly exhibits a "retrograde loop." After it passes the opposite point in the sky from the sun, it appears to slow, come to a full stop, and move backward (westward) through the sky for some weeks. Again it slows, stops, and resumes its eastward course. This is caused by the orbits of Jupiter and the earth as the earth and Jupiter "take up the slack," as it were, in their orbital differences. This gives the earth sky viewer the illusion that Jupiter is reversing its movement. The conjunctions of Venus and Jupiter in 3 and 2 B.C. around the fixed star Regulus were impressive and unique celestial phenomena. Since the ephemeris of Brian Tuckerman were published in the mid-60's, allowing the experts to know this fact, Jupiter/Venus have been the preferred alternative for the star of Bethlehem in the mind of many astronomers and historians. And since the publication of Ernest Martin in 1978 (The Birth of Christ), scholars have acknowledged the difficulties with the 4 B.C. date for the death of Herod, which Martin clearly proved was impossible. The account of Josephus, the succession of rulers, the Lunar eclipse, used to establish that date, have been carefully scrutinized to demonstrate the hypothesis that Herod died in 1 B.C. The 4 B.C. hypothesis is the least probable. The evidence of history, archeology and astronomy is now showing that Herod died in early 1 B.C. and that the Messiah was therefore born in 3/2 B.C. (regnal dating) -- as confirmed by Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Africanus, Hippolytus of Rome, Hippolytus of Thebes, Origen, Eusebius and Epiphanius.
Now, in this particular study, we are focusing more so on the time of the year rather than the specific year that Jesus was born. Please notice that part that I highlighted in yellow, which gives the time of the year that this STAR first appeared and could be seen from the east looking toward Jerusalem. The exact date according to these Astronomers was September 11 in the year 3 BC. This date supports all the sound BIBLICAL evidence that we covered thus far in this study to answer the question as to whether or not Jesus was born on December 25th as church TRADITION has taught us. And what we have concluded thus far is that Jesus was NOT born on December 25th, but rather Jesus was born most likely in the FALL of the year, sometime in the month of SEPTEMBER. So then, since all the BIBLICAL evidence points to Jesus being born in SEPTEMBER and the Astronomical evidence of the STAR of Bethlehem also supports what the Scriptures are saying, then it should be pretty clear why I myself have concluded that Jesus was born in the FALL of the year sometime in SEPTEMBER. And the most likely day would be the day of ATONEMENT, which would correspond to September 11th in the year 3 BC. Here is another link explaining the star of Bethlehem and gives an animation of how the conjunctions of the planets would have looked from the viewpoint of the wise men from the east.
Astronomers still wondering about the ‘Star of Wonder’
And here is yet another article posted below that I found, which also contains many reasons why the year 3 BC is the best possible and most convincing date of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Also, please read the study called “WAS JESUS CRUCIFIED ON GOOD FRIDAY” that covers the YEAR that Jesus was born. Now for one final clue found in Revelation chapter 12, which confirms the year that Jesus was born as well as the exact day being SEPTEMBER 11th in the year 3 BC. Here is a link that uses Revelation chapter 12, the woman clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet about to give birth to a man child who we know is Jesus. This site also gives some Astronomical evidence. I have posted some information from this site as well after the passage of Scripture Revelation 12:1-5.
http://www.garone.net/tony/themaster.html
Revelation 12:1-5.
“And there appeared a great wonder in HEAVEN (or in the heavens); a WOMAN clothed with the SUN, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: 2. And she being WITH child cried, travailing in BIRTH and pained to be delivered. (In other words, the woman clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet, and upon her head, a crown of twelve STARS was about to give BIRTH) 3. And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. 4. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was READY to be DELIVERED, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. 5. And she BROUGHT FORTH a MAN child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God and to His throne.”
Now, most Bible scholars agree that the man child is Jesus. Some Christians believe the woman to be the Virgin Mary, which is true. Others believe that the woman represents ISRAEL, which is also true. You can read the verse by verse study on the book of Revelation for more information of the woman representing Israel. But for now, let us see what this website has to say about this wonder that appeared in the heavens. Please keep in mind that this is NOT astrology, but rather Almighty God Himself using the STARS to tell the plan of salvation.
When applying Astronomy to this passage, it takes on a new meaning. In the first verse, the translation of the word "wonder" in the original Greek refers to a "sign", but one of the references to this word refers to the Zodiac or a Zodiacal "sign", and this sign is obviously the "sign" of a woman. There is only one constellation of the Zodiac that represents a woman, which is the constellation Virgo, the virgin. This constellation of a virgin points to Mary the mother of Jesus. Revelation 12:1 also mentions the woman was "clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet". The Sun as it appears to travel through the ecliptic, which is the path of the Sun as it moves across the sky over the course of a year as it passes through the twelve constellations of the Zodiac, enters into the "mid body" of the constellation of Virgo and thus "clothing her with the sun" for a twenty day period during any given year. This is a very important event being described here, because in the year 3 BC the sun was in this position from August 27th through September 15th. And SEPTEMBER 11, 3BC, which is when Astronomers calculate the STAR of Bethlehem to first appear, agrees with this constellation of the woman with the crown of 12 stars and the moon under her feet about ready to give BIRTH to the man child which was caught up into heaven and who is to rule with a rod of iron. Again we are then told that the woman also had the "moon under her feet". In 3 BC this configuration occurred on ONE day and one day ONLY, which was September 11th, between sunset and moon set. On September 11th, sunset occurred at 6:18pm, and moon set occurred at 7:39pm. To tie this all together, the planet Jupiter was traveling against the backdrop of stars to the east, and reached its highest point in the sky in this time frame. As the Magi left Jerusalem, they saw Jupiter go before them. Traveling south towards Bethlehem, Jupiter in its nightly path would have "went before them, till it came and stood". Being excellent Astronomers, the Magi knew Jupiter would progress slowly toward this point over the town of Bethlehem as it reached its highest point in the sky at the meridian in the constellation of Virgo. As they approached Bethlehem, Jupiter finally "stood over" where the child was born. Based on this hypothesis, Jesus Christ was born on September 11th, 3 BC between 6:18 pm and 7:39 pm.
Now to ME, for BOTH of the rare Astronomical events to have taken place on the SAME day September 11 in the year 3BC and being spoken of in the Bible is more than just a coincidence. Especially when they SUPPORT all the overwhelming BIBLICAL evidence that we examined in this study of God's word. Here is a link that places the death of Herod the Great in the spring of 1 BC before the Passover and after the total lunar eclipse January 10, 1 BC. This article below also explains why the other dates do not work with all that Josephus wrote concerning when Herod died.
The Christmas Star of Bethlehem and the Birth Date of Jesus
Astronomers calculate that lunar eclipses occurred:
The problem with the 4 BC eclipse as the one before Herod's death is that Josephus records too many events from the eclipse to the Passover festival. In 4 BC this was 29 days. There occurred:
(Pratt 1990; Chester 1993) This impossible schedule suggests that Herod died not after the 4 BC eclipse but after another eclipse when there was more time between eclipse and Passover. Now, the January 10, 1 BC, eclipse was a total eclipse whereas the others were partial. This eclipse would allow about three months until the Passover for the above-listed events to occur. This also fits with a Jewish tradition that Herod died in the month of Shebat – January/February. Another problem is Josephus says that when Herod died the governor of Syria was Varus – and coins have been found showing Varus as governor in 4 BC. However, Pratt (1990) cites other evidence suggesting Varus was governor twice, the second appointment being in 1 BC.
Also here are some other historical records that another website gives for the birth of Jesus to be in the year 4BC. However, the person who wrote this article made some common errors in calculating the year Jesus was born and after correcting the errors these historical records show that Jesus was born in the year 3 BC the same year that the STAR of Bethlehem appeared on SEPTEMBER 11 in the year 3 BC.
The year of Jesus’ birth is broadly accepted as 4 BC, primarily from erroneous conclusions derived from Josephus’ recording of an eclipse, assumed to be on March 13, 4 BC, “shortly before Herod died.” There are a number of problems with this in addition to the fact that it was more likely the eclipse occurred on December 29, 1 B.C. Considerable time elapsed between Jesus’ birth and Herod’s death since the family fled to Egypt to escape Herod’s edict and they didn’t return until after Herod’s death. Furthermore, Herod died on January 14, 1 BC. (First of all, IF the December 29th, 1 BC PARTIAL lunar eclipse is used and Herod died AFTER a lunar eclipse, then it would be IMPOSSIBLE for Herod to have died in January 14, 1 BC, because January 1 BC comes BEFORE December 1 BC. Therefore, IF the December 29 eclipse is used, then Herod would have died in 1 AD sometime BEFORE the PASSOVER in the spring of 1 AD.) 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. Augustus died on August 19, 14 AD, placing Jesus’ birth at 2 BC. (The actual year would be in the FALL of 3 BC and NOT 2 BC. Some historians place the capture of Jerusalem in the summer of 44 BC, which would be the year Augustus Caesar Herod the Great began to reign. Subtract 41 years from 44 BC and you get 3 BC the year Jesus was born 41 years AFTER Augustus began to reign. The only other possible year for the capture of Jerusalem in 43 BC and that would make 2 BC as the year of the birth of Jesus.) 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. (Actually, the 28th year would be BETWEEN August 12th of 3 BC and August 12th of 2 BC and Jesus was born AFTER August 12 of 3 BC in the FALL of 3 BC.) 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 substantiate the birth in 2 BC. (Again there are TWO possible dates for the capture of Jerusalem where 44 BC is just as possible as 43 BC) Eusebius (264-340 AD), the “Father of Church History,” ascribes it to the 42nd year of the reign of Augustus and the 28th from the subjection of Egypt on the death of Anthony and Cleopatra. The 42nd year of Augustus ran from the autumn of 2 BC to the autumn of 1 BC. (However, if 44 BC is used rather than 43 BC, then the 42nd year would be from autumn of 3 BC to autumn of 2 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 (Again, if 44 BC is used then BOTH 3 BC and 2 BC would be possible dates for the birth of Jesus. But after considering other evidence I myself am leaning heavily toward the FALL of 3 BC as the birth of Jesus over the year 2 BC. This will become clear as we continue this study in God's word to learn the day that Jesus was crucified)
Here is some more church history that shows that Jesus was born on September 11 of 3 BC. Please do not assume that this is written by a very prominent Catholic scholar.
Joseph A. Fitzmyer was a Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies at the Catholic University of America and a member of the Pontifical Biblical Commission. Fitzmyer was also a former president of the Catholic Biblical Association. Writing in the Catholic Church’s official commentary on the New Testament, Joseph A. Fitzmyer writes about the date of the birth of Jesus, “Though the year of Jesus' birth is not reckoned with certainty, the birth did not occur in AD 1. The Christian era, supposed to have its starting point in the year of Jesus birth, is based on a miscalculation introduced ca. 533 by Dionysius Exiguus.”
Joseph A. Fitzmyer goes on to write that he calculates the birth of Jesus to have occurred on September 11, 3 AD. Now, please keep in mind that Fitzmyer is writing for the Catholic Church in their OFFICIAL commentary on the New Testament. So even the Catholic Church knows that the birth of Jesus was most likely in the FALL of the year as opposed to being in the middle of the winter on December 25th.
The first mention of a Nativity feast appears in the Philocalian calendar, a Roman document from 354 CE, which lists December 25th as the day of Jesus’ birth. In 529 AD Emperor Justinian declared Christmas a civic holiday. Further legislation by the Council of Tours in 567 AD officially made Advent a period of fasting and preparation; the time from Christmas to Epiphany (the twelve days of Christmas) was also declared part of the festive season.
Now if you search the origin of Christmas, which is celebrated as the birth of Jesus on December 25th, you will find many pagan rituals have been adopted into the Christmas season. I know that we, as Christians, proclaim that Jesus is the REASON for the season of Christmas, but in the light of all the BIBLICAL evidence, I myself find that the Bible points to Jesus being born in September rather than on December 25th. Here is where I differ from most of the studies that I have read where the authors of these studies dogmatically teach that if you continue to observe, honoring the birth of our Lord Jesus on December 25th, then you are not saved. Please read the study called Dd-94. Is CHRISTMAS a PAGAN Ritual in DISGUISE? for a deeper understanding of how God looks upon our HEART and the INTENT of our heart. In my conclusion of that study, I use the sign of the RAINBOW that God placed in the sky as a promise to us that he would never destroy the world by water ever again. The RAINBOW is one of the creations of Almighty God and is spectacular in beauty and yet MAN has CORRUPTED the true MEANING of the rainbow by taking it as a symbol or SIGN of being a homosexual. So then, does this mean that we as Christians are no longer to enjoy the beauty of the rainbow and remember the TRUE INTENT of why God placed it in the sky? Absolutely NOT! My point is this. It is not a matter of salvation if you celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ on the 25th of December. It does not matter on what day of the year you believe that Jesus was born. It does not even matter if you celebrate his birthday at all. What truly matters is that you believe that Jesus died for your sins and that he rose from the dead. The real issue is, are you serving God with all your heart? Do you LOVE your fellow man as you love yourself? Again, this study was not written for those who are content with Jesus being born on December 25th. But rather this study was written for those who may be struggling with those things that seem to contradict what you are seeing in the word of God. Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. To ME, when Jesus was born is NOT a matter that affects our salvation. And to me, whether we celebrate the birth of Jesus or we do not celebrate the birth of Jesus is NOT a matter of salvation either. I personally continue to celebrate the birth of Jesus on the traditional day of December 25th even though I know that the sound Biblical evidence points to Jesus being born in September or the FALL of the year. Again, I believe that Jesus was born on September 11, in 3 BC. Thanks for reading, and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the TRUTH of the WHOLE word of Almighty God. And to me, the truth concerning who Jesus TRULY is, according to the Bible ITSELF, is the Biblical Unitarian view of Jesus. So, for ALL of the studies on the Biblical Unitarian view of Jesus, please click on the subject heading >>>D-0. THE BIBLICAL UNITARIAN VIEW of JESUS!<<< And for the SUBJECT on the true foundation of the church, please click on the subject heading >>>C-0. THE TRUE FOUNDATION OF THE CHURCH!<<< This way you can just send ONE link to those who you want to share the TRUE sound Biblical FOUNDATIONAL teachings of the church that Jesus and his Apostles taught in the first century church.
Your brother in our Lord Jesus Christ, Brother Mark.
My heartfelt prayer is that all Christians RETURN to the TRUE FOUNDATION of the church that is taught by the very Apostles of Jesus in the first century. So let us all come into the UNITY of the faith and return to what Jesus and his Apostles taught us in SIMPLICITY in the New Testament.
To learn more TRUTH, then please return to
VERSES USED TO TEACH THAT JESUS PREEXISTED!
To me, the best way to know the ONE true God in ONE person is to know who Jesus TRULY is according to the WHOLE word of Almighty God. So please read ALL of the studies under the heading >>>N-0. WHO is JESUS ACCORDING to the BIBLE?<<< and you will see that the Bible itself teaches us that Jesus was CREATED by his God and Father. And if you have any questions related to the correct meaning of certain verses of Scripture on this subject of who Jesus is please read all the studies under the two headings >>>U-0. VERSES used for THE TRINITY!<<< and >>>V-0. VERSES used to TEACH that Jesus PRE-EXISTED!<<< These two headings have ALL of the studies that I have on who Jesus truly is according to what the Bible itself teaches us in simplicity. I compiled these three headings to make it easy for my readers to send just one, two, or three links to those you desire to help understand what the Bible itself teaches concerning who Jesus is in the LIGHT of the WHOLE word of Almighty God. If you have any questions, please feel free to write to me. My contact email is MarkatAMatterOfTruth@Gmail .com. Thanks again for reading and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the truth of the whole word of Almighty God.
Your Brother in our Lord Jesus Christ, Brother Mark.
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