When Was Jesus Around

What Year Was Jesus Actually Born?

Do you think that if our calendar is divided into B.C. (before Christ) and A.D. (anno Domini, the year of our Lord), it doesn’t follow that Jesus was born in the first year (since we don’t consider year zero)? Actually, the situation is a little more complicated than that. It wasn’t until the 6th Century that a monk by the name of Dionysius attempted to calculate the exact date of Christ’s birth that the calendar was set to begin with the birth of the Savior. He determined that Jesus was born in the 753rd year of the Roman Empire, based on the Scriptures and historical material at his disposal.

1,” and we continued to add years from there.

Scholars were able to determine that Jesus was born a few years later than previously assumed by examining fresh facts connected to the chronological markers supplied in Scripture.

What year was Jesus born? Here’s why many scholars say Jesus was born between 5 and 6 B.C.

However, despite the fact that the Gospel authors were not particularly concerned with documenting an exact chronological timeline of Jesus’ life and ministry, we may still approximate several significant dates by correlating historical markers with passages from Scripture.

Calculating the Year Jesus Was Born

In those days, Caesar Augustus issued an edict requiring that all of the world’s inhabitants be registered. When Quirinius was governor of Syria, this was the first time a register was made. And they all went to their respective towns to get registered. And Joseph traveled from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is known as Bethlehem because he was descended from the family and lineage of David, in order to be registered with Mary, his fiancée, who was pregnant.

Even though there is considerable scholarly disagreement on the subject, many historians assume that Quirinius’ proclamation of the census took place in 8 BCE, and that it would have taken a couple of years for the order to be put into effect.
The family of Jesus went to Egypt and remained there until Herod was killed.
This suggests that Jesus would have been born sometime between 8 B.C.
This allows for the determination of a birth date in the 5th or 6th centuries BC.

Checking the Math

Back then, Caesar Augustus issued an edict ordering that everyone on the planet be registered. When Quirinius was governor of Syria, this was the first time he was recorded. Afterwards, everyone proceeded to their respective towns to have their registrations completed. As well as this, Joseph traveled from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David, which is known as Bethlehem because he belonged to the family and lineage of David, in order to be registered with Mary, his fiancée, who was expecting a child.

When Quirinius was governor of Syria, according to this well-known narrative from the Gospel of Luke, these events took place.

Herod also attempted to have the child who had been spoken of by the Magi slain, according to Matthew 2:12–23.

Consequently, we know that Jesus had to be born prior to Herod’s death, because historical evidence indicates that he died in 4 B.C.

Therefore, Jesus would have been born sometime between 8 B.C. and 4 B.C., depending on the date of birth. This allows for the determination of a birth date in the 5th or 6th century BC.

John the Baptist Begins His Ministry

During the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar’s reign, with Pontius Pilate as governor of Judea, Herod as tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip serving as tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, as well as Lysanias serving as tetrarch of Abilene, 2 the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness, during the high priesthood of Anna Luke 3:1-2 is a biblical passage.

Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus was the Roman emperor. This section describes how John the Baptist began his ministry as “the voice of one weeping in the desert: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord.'” It also mentions how he came to be known as “the voice of one crying in the wilderness.” As previously stated, it refers to the 15th year of Tiberius’ rule, which started when he became co-emperor with Augustus in A.D.

22.

26, and it helps us understand when John started his preaching.

Jesus’ Earthly MinistryDeath

The age of Jesus when he began his public ministry was around thirty years. Luke 3:23 (NIV) According to the Gospel of Luke, Jesus was around 30 years old when He began His public ministry. There are at least three Passovers mentioned in the Gospel of John during Christ’s ministry (John 2:23; 6:4; 12:1). According to this, His earthly mission must have lasted at least two years. It’s extremely likely that it lasted over three years in all. In other words, since Jesus’ career began around the year A.D.

According to Luke 3:23, Jesus would have been between the ages of 34 and 36 at the time of his death.

29-30, this would place his birth somewhere between 5 and 6 B.C.

Whoah, Woah, Woah. Wasn’t Jesus 33 when He died?

Many, if not the majority of us, have heard sermons in which it is said that Jesus was 33 years old at the time of His death. The difficulty is that Scripture does not expressly state this in this manner. Among the factors that led to this conclusion were estimates that Jesus’ career lasted around three years and that Jesus was approximately thirty years old when he began His ministry (Luke 3:23). Two things should be kept in mind: First and foremost, scholarly estimations are subject to error, but Scripture is not.

To begin with, it would not be wrong for Luke to state that Jesus was “about 30 years old” if He was actually 31 or even 33 years old.
Is there anyone else that agrees with these times?
Lea and David Alan Black, is the primary source of the material presented above.
Other academics have come to similar results in their research.

When Jesus began His ministry, Andreas Köstenberger and Justin Taylor speculate that He was between the ages of 33 and 35, and when He was crucified, they write in The Final Days of Jesus: The Most Important Week of the Most Important Person Who Ever Lived that he was between the ages of 36 and 38.

Conclusion

That’s all there is to it. However, while there isn’t unanimous agreement among Biblical historians on this point, many are sure that the birth of Jesus Christ took place between the years 4 and 6 B.C. Other material from the Bible and history corresponds to this time period. Although faith is unquestionably the “proof of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1), it is extremely beneficial to be reminded that we may place our trust in the historicity of the Christian Gospel and the life of Christ through a variety of sources other than the Scripture.

To give an example, ancient historians such as Josephus, Tacitus, and Pliny the Younger’s letter to Emperor Trajan can provide support for material contained in the New Testament through their works.
As a result of looking at more knowledge about biblical events and persons, we can gain a better understanding of specific elements of biblical history and people.
It is stated in Thomas D.
95; also in ibid, p.
Note: Although Tiberius became Emperor in A.D.
11.
In Josh McDowell’s The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), he writes on page 60:

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When Was Jesus Born?

The birth of Jesus Christ is honored by millions of people all over the globe on December 25, as part of their Christmas celebrations. However, the majority of experts agree that Jesus was not born on that day, or even in the year A.D. 1; rather, he was born later.

Why is Jesus’ birthday celebrated on December 25?

Many researchers believe that the Roman Catholic Church picked December 25 as the date because it coincides with the winter solstice and Saturnalia, a celebration devoted to the Roman god Saturn, both of which occur on the same day. According to professor Ignacio L. Götz in his book “Jesus the Jew: Reality, Politics, and Myth-A Personal Encounter,” the church could also co-opt this prominent pagan holiday, as well as the winter celebration of other pagan faiths, by choosing this day to honor Jesus’ birthday (Christian Faith Publishing, 2019).

Nobody, on the other hand, is certain of the precise date of Jesus’ birth. Related: Why do Christians have so many different faiths to choose from?

The Death of King Herod

Many researchers believe that the Roman Catholic Church picked December 25 as the date because it coincides with the winter solstice and Saturnalia, a celebration honoring the Roman god Saturn. According to professor Ignacio L. Götz in his book “Jesus the Jew: Reality, Politics, and Myth-A Personal Encounter,” the church could also co-opt this prominent pagan event, as well as the winter celebrations of other pagan faiths, by choosing this day to honor Jesus’ birthday (Christian Faith Publishing, 2019).

See also: Why do Christian denominations exist in such large numbers?

The Star of Bethlehem

Another group of researchers has sought to match the “Star of Bethlehem,” which is said to have hailed Jesus’ birth, with actual astronomical phenomena in order to determine the year of Jesus’ birth. scientist Colin Humphreys argued in a 1991 essay published in the Quarterly Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society that the mythical star was really a slow-moving comet, which Chinese watchers first observed in 5 B.C. Humphreys’ idea, on the other hand, has now been disproved. Related: Is it possible that the Christmas Star is indeed the Star of Bethlehem?

Another option is a comparable conjunction between Saturn and Jupiter, which happened in October of 7 B.C.

In addition, there has been conjecture that Jesus was born in the springtime.

Related Mysteries

— From where did Satan originate? — Was Jesus a genuine person or a fictional character? — Is it possible that the ‘forbidden fruit’ in the Garden of Eden was actually an apple? Joseph Bennington-Castro is a contributing writer for Live Science and Space.com who is based in the Hawaiian Islands. A master’s degree in scientific journalism from New York University as well as a bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of Hawaii have qualified him for this position. His research encompasses a wide range of scientific topics, ranging from the bizarre mating practices of various animals to the drug and alcohol habits of ancient societies to the latest breakthroughs in solar cell technology.

When Was Jesus Born—B.C. or A.D.?

Calculating the time span between BCE and AD was a complicated process. Megan Sauter was born on December 4, 202132. 217221 views and 217221 comments When was Jesus’ birth commemorated? It is from an altarpiece by Mariotto Albertinelli (1474–1515) that this predella panel portrays the newborn infant Jesus, who is accompanied by Joseph and his mother Mary. Which year did Jesus come into the world, B.C. or A.D.? According to the evidence, he was born about 4 B.C. or before. Photo courtesy of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, courtesy of the John G.

What year did Jesus come into the world?
or earlier.
Since Herod played a significant part in the story of Jesus’ birth (see Matthew 2), it is reasonable to assume that Jesus was born before Herod died.
The abbreviations B.C.
stand for “before Christ” and “anno Domini,” which translates as “in the year of the Lord,” respectively, in the English language.
In principle, all of the years preceding Jesus’ birth are referred to as B.C., and all of the years after his birth are referred to as A.D.
However, as previously said, it is most likely that Jesus was born around the year 4 B.C.

As a result, how did the present-day distinction between BCE and A.D.

In his Biblical Views column, “The Turn of the Christian Era: The Tale of Dionysius Exiguus,” published in the November/December 2017 edition of Biblical Archaeology Review, Ben Witherington III of Asbury Theological Seminary investigates the calendar split.

and A.D.

in Scythia Minor, which is a region that includes parts of Romania and Bulgaria.

Ironically, he also produced a book on simple mathematics, which is ironic given his background.

You might be interested in knowing more about Jesus’ birth.

Jesus’ Birth as Told Through History and Tradition: The Story of Jesus’ Birth in History and Tradition.

A new calendar based on B.C.

dates was established as a result of Dionysius’ computations.

(Before the Common Era) and C.E.

However, despite the fact that Dionysius Exiguus computed the year of Jesus’ birth in the sixth century, it wasn’t until the eighth century that the date became widely accepted.

In Ben Witherington III’s Biblical Views column “The Turn of the Christian Era: The Tale of Dionysius Exiguus,” which appears in the November/December 2017 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review, you’ll learn more about when Jesus was born and Dionysius Exiguus’s calculations for B.C.

– Subscribers: The complete Biblical Views column “The Turn of the Christian Era: The Tale of Dionysius Exiguus” by Ben Witherington III can be found in the November/December 2017 edition of Biblical Archaeology Review, which is available online.

Are you a new subscriber? Become a member today. You might be interested in knowing more about Jesus’ birth. In the free eBook The First Christmas: The Story of Jesus’ Birth in History and Tradition, you may learn more about the origins of Christmas and the date of Jesus’ birth in the Bible.

What year was Jesus Christ born? When was Jesus born?

Answer The Bible does not specify the specific day or even the exact year that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, nor does it specify the location of the birth. However, a detailed analysis of the chronological facts of history narrows the range of options to a realistic period of time in the distant past. The Gospels include all of the scriptural information about Jesus’ conception and birth. During the reign of Herod the Great, according to Matthew 2:1, Jesus was born into this world. Since Herod died in 4 B.C., we have a starting point with which to work.

This suggests that Jesus might have been as young as 2 years old at the time of Herod’s death.
on the calendar.
to 14 A.D., and that he died in A.D.
It is believed that Quirinius ruled Syria during this time period, as evidenced by records of a census that included Judea in roughly 6 B.C.
This historical information indicates that Christ’s birth in Bethlehem occurred between 6 and 5 B.C., which is the most plausible date.

The ministry of Jesus began during the time of John the Baptist’s ministry in the wilderness, and John’s ministry began “in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip being tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,” during the time of the high (Luke 3:1-2).

The only chronological period that can account for all of these data is the era between A.D.
If Jesus was “about thirty years of age” by A.D.
According to the most recent estimates, Jesus would have been roughly 32 years old at the time of His ministry’s start (still “about thirty years of age” at the time).
What do you think?
It is the day on which Christians have decided to commemorate the birth of Jesus, however the precise date of His birth is uncertain.

Jesus’ mother, Mary, gave birth to Him in the Judean town of Bethlehem in the year 6-4 B.C. His birth, along with the lives of countless individuals all around the world, altered the course of history forever.

Timeline of Jesus’ life

It is believed that Jesus Christ was born at Bethlehem, around six miles from Jerusalem, sometime between 4 and 6 BC. In order to prevent a murder of baby boys commanded by King Herod, his parents, Joseph and Mary, sent him to Egypt. Following the death of King Herod, the family returned to their home in Nazareth, which is today part of northern Israel. Jesus lived in Nazareth until he was around 30 years old, at which point he began traveling about the region, teaching people about God and persuading them to make changes in their lives.

He also has the ability to heal individuals of a wide variety of ailments.
He was followed by a large number of other men and women.
The Bible contains firsthand testimony from these people.
Thousands of people were in attendance to hear him speak.
It was their plan, in collaboration with one of Jesus’ closest disciples, to have him imprisoned for blasphemy.
According to Christian belief, Jesus arose from the grave.
His ascent to heaven was seen by his disciples, who watched as he rose into the sky in front of them.

These are not a complete list of accounts.

They do not have similar descriptions of many events, and they record things in a different sequence than the other people there at the time.

When Was Jesus Really Born? Not Dec. 25

Christians all around the world are looking forward to the approach of Christmas, a wonderful day in which to commemorate the birth of Jesus. Even Christians, however, are unable to agree on the date of Jesus’ birth, more than two millennia after his historic mission. Catholic and Protestant traditions celebrate Christmas on December 25, whereas Orthodox Christians in nations such as Russia, Greece, and Egypt celebrate Christmas on January 6 or 7, depending on the country. Nonetheless, historians and biblical scholars contend that even those accepted dates are up to debate.

According to Ian Paul, a theologian, biblical scholar, and author who blogs at his websitePsephizo, the gospel writers were more interested in theology than chronology.

As a result of a complex set of calculations relating to the birth of John the Baptist, who is also recorded in Luke, Paul’s best bet for the real date of Jesus’ birth is sometime around September, according to his own research.

According to Paul, by December, the Judean hillsides outside of Bethlehem are cold enough to receive snow on their summits.

Jesus Wasn’t Born in ‘Year 1’

First and first, historians largely agree that we have the wrong year for the birth of Jesus, even before we get into the month and day issue. How is this possible, though, given that “year 1” on the Gregorian calendar was based on the year in which Jesus was born? The simple explanation is that the individual who came up with the concept of anno Domini (abbreviated A.D.) for “Year of Our Lord” was mistaken by many years when he first thought of it. Even Pope Benedict XVI acknowledged in a 2012 book that Dionysius Exiguus, the sixth-century monk who initially computed the year of Jesus’ birth, had made a mistake and that Jesus was most likely born between 7 B.C.

For religious neutrality, modern authors may prefer to use the abbreviations CE (for Christian era) and BC (for Biblical era) instead of A.D.

In addition, the Bible claims multiple times that Jesus was born while Herod the Great was reigning as King of Judea, which provides overwhelming evidence for an earlier birth year for the Savior of the world.

If we believe Josephus’ account, Jesus must have been born at least four years earlier (and most likely far earlier) than our calendar indicates, according to Josephus.

How December and January Became the Traditional Dates for Christmas

However, the common claim that Christians selected December 25 to co-opt the ancient solsticefestival of Sol Invictus is not founded on solid evidence, but rather on the scrawled notes of an unidentified Syrian monk from the 12th century. His point was not to accuse Christians of stealing Christmas but to provide an explanation for why western churches “shifted” the festival from January to December. According to the Biblical Archaeology Society, the first reference of a date for Christmas was about 200 C.E., and the earliest celebrations of it occurred between 250 and 300 C.E., “a period when Christians were not significantly adopting extensively from pagan rituals of such an evident kind.” In the years following Jesus’ death, early Christians didn’t pay much attention to the anniversary of his birth.

The persecution and even martyrdom of Christians during those times prompted them to place a strong emphasis on Easter, which commemorates Jesus’ death and resurrection on the cross, after which he rose from the dead and ascended into heaven.
that early Christian theologians began speculating about the date of Jesus’ birth, according to the Bible.
It was formerly believed that the lives of great individuals were linked to particular periods of the year, according to Paul, who claims that this was the case in ancient times.
For example, it appears that ancient sources thought Jesus was either born or divinely conceived at Passover, the Jewish festival celebrated during which he was subsequently killed in the springtime.
Passover in the year of Jesus’ death was projected to occur on March 25 in Rome and other western regions, according to historical records.
The addition of nine months resulted in the establishment of two traditional Christmas dates in Christianity: December 25 and January 6.

The September Theory of Christmas

How come biblical academics such as Ian Paul feel that the genuine date for Christmas should be around September, rather than December? In particular, it derives from a critical examination of the indications left behind in Luke, notably what the gospel’s authors have to say regarding the chronology of John the Baptist’s birth in connection to Jesus’ birth. Instead of Mary and Joseph, Luke’s version of the Christmas tale begins with another couple, Elizabeth and Zechariah, who were both elderly and childless when the story begins.

Zechariah was overjoyed, and the angel told him that his wife would bear a son named John who would prepare the world for the coming of the Lord.
However, once his service in the Temple was over, Zechariah returned home, and Elizabeth got pregnant shortly after.
Although Mary was a virgin at the time, the angel Gabriel came to her and told her that she would conceive and give birth to Jesus, the Son of God, despite the fact that she was a virgin.
However, we can only benefit from this information if we know when exactly John was born.
More information may be found in the Bible once again.
Abijah is mentioned as number eight in the rotation of divisions one through twenty-four in 1 Chronicles 24, which describes the sequence of Temple worship as divided by divisions one through twenty-four.
If Elizabeth became pregnant shortly after the angel appeared to Zechariah in the Temple, and Mary became pregnant six months later, then Jesus’ birth would have occurred in September of the following year.
When was the last time Luke deployed shepherds in the fields?
However, there are several flaws in this hypothesis as well.
Consider what might happen if Gabriel appeared to Zechariah six months later, on his second visit to the temple.
A professor of classical studies at Brigham Young University, Thomas Wayment, has written on the different hypotheses surrounding Jesus’ birth, which may be found in his book, The Birth of Jesus.

Perhaps, he suggests, “it’s preferable to leave things open in the sense of being flexible.” In addition to December and January, he has discovered early Christian references to Jesus’ birth in the months of April and May. “We’re commemorating an occasion rather than a day.”

When was Jesus really born? (spoiler: not in December!)

One of the difficulties in the formation of Christmas customs is that individuals composing songs or dramas put Jesus’ birth in their own environment rather than in the first century, which is what we know. Many people, in particular, believe that Jesus was born during the winter months, because Christmas is celebrated throughout the winter months in the northern hemisphere. (“In the depths of winter” would become “In the height of summer,” etc.) It would be interesting to hear some truly antipodean hymns.

A widespread (mainly anti-Christian) myth holds that the date of December 25th was chosen to supplant the pagan feast of Sol Invictus, however Andrew McGowan of Yale University has established that this was anti-Christmas propaganda from the 12th century.
The December date is derived from calculating nine months from the supposed date of Jesus’ conception, March 25th, which was also thought to have been the same date that Jesus died (for theological reasons), resulting in the December date.
Noting the connection between the birth of Jesus and that of John the Baptist serves as the initial indication.
Mary was the name of the virgin.
(It should be noted that Gabriel paid Elizabeth a visit during the sixth month of her pregnancy.) The second hint is found in observing the time period during which John’s father, Zechariah, was acting as a priest at the temple.
After that, Jehoiarib received the first lot.
The third lot went to Harim, the fourth to Seorim, the fifth lot went to Malkijah, the sixth to Mijamin, the seventh lot went to Hakkoz, the eighth lot went to Abijah, the ninth lot went to Jeshua, and the tenth lot went to Shecaniah.
Please keep in mind that the ecclesiastical calendar began in the month of Nisan, at the end of March, but the domestic calendar began at Rosh HaShannah (‘the beginning of the year,’) around the end of September, as previously stated.
As a result, the correspondences between months in the Gregorian calendar differ from one year to the next.

Assuming that Zechariah was on his first official assignment of the year, the following would be the timing:

Event	Priestly division on duty	Month	Week
	1. Jehoiarib	1 Nissan	1
	2. Jedaiah	2
Passover Festival	All 24	3
	3. Harim	4
	4. Seorim	2 Iyar	5
	5. Malkijah	6
	6. Mijamin	7
	7. Hakkoz	8
	8.Abijah	3 Sivan	9
Schavuot (Weeks or Pentecost)	All 24	10
Zechariah returns home: John conceived	9. Jeshua	11
	10. Shecaniah	12

As a result, John was most likely born in the second part of Sivan, which corresponds to the beginning of June. Adding the six months that passed between John and Jesus, as well as the nine months that Mary was pregnant, puts the birth of Jesus about the middle of September in the next year. As a result, Jesus’ birth would have occurred in September. This computation raises several intriguing points, which are as follows: 1. This would imply that the shepherds in their fields were working outside during the month of September (Luke 2.8).

Because the hill region surrounding Jerusalem and Bethlehem is frigid in the winter and frequently covered in snow, this would be less likely to happen in December.
3.
4.
During this historical period, Israel was forced to dwell in tents in the desert, which is commemorated by this feast.
The term’scene’ comes from the Hebrew word s uccoth, the Latin word tabernacula, and Greek word skenai, which means’scene’.
Therefore, it’s possible that knowing the date of Jesus’ birth encouraged John to reflect on his religious beliefs about the Messiah.
The underlying reason for this is the Jewish fascination with timetables and calendars, which in this case is the rota of priestly responsibilities.

A additional point of significance from a theological standpoint is that Jesus’ life, death, and ministry are all associated with each of the three pilgrim feasts.

Of course, Gabriel’s visit to Zechariah may have occurred during his second assignment as a priest, which would have occurred around six months later, placing the Annunciation in June and the birth of Jesus in March, respectively.

Is all of this evidence that we’re wasting our time by celebrating Christmas throughout the month of December?

Theology, not chronology, is the most important aspect of Christmas.

As the weather becomes cooler, we yearn for the comfort of home.

So we want for company as the hassle of getting out increases, and as we become more separated from friends and neighbours.

Who else save the one who has poured God’s love into our hearts can provide us with warmth (Romans 5.5)?

And who else can bring us into a relationship with God (see 2 Corinthians 5.18–19) but God Himself?

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When Was Jesus Born?

Traditionally, Christmas is celebrated on December 25, but “approximately 37 percent of Orthodox Christians, primarily in Egypt and Russia, celebrate Christmas on January 7,” as a result of the way their calendars were created. (Source: Egypt Today.) Both dates are unlikely to be valid in light of various historical indicators as well as facts included within the Bible itself. The biblical story does not specify the year in which Jesus was born (Luke 2). What factors went into determining the date of Christmas, and when was Jesus actually born?

What Year Was Jesus Born?

When determining the year of Christ’s birth, a number of elements must be considered. At the time of Julius Caesar, in 44 BC, there were two different dating methods in use. He used two calendars: one based on the Julian calendar he created, and the other based on the year Rome was founded, which was 753 BC. According to BibleStudyTools.com, Julius Caesar also decreed that a year would be counted from the day of “the acquisition of total authority by the then emperor.” This further complicated matters.

In order to determine when Easter should be celebrated, he needed to go backwards through a sophisticated procedure that he devised on his own.

Evidence in the Bible

Bible scholars base their conclusions on what the Bible says about the life and times of Jesus. The events took happened during the writers’ or their families’ lifetimes, such as the reign of Herod, during which Matthew tells us Christ was born, and were thus still fresh in their minds. We know there was a celestial occurrence that triggered the Magi’s attention, and we can also put a date on it. It was during “the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius” that John the Baptist delivered his message (Luke 3:1).

When Is Jesus’ Birthday?

It is much more difficult to determine the exact day and month of Christ’s conception. Theologians generally believe that the date of December 25 is extremely unlikely. According to thisChristianity.comarticle, some believe that establishing “the pagan celebration of the ‘Birth of the Unconquered Son'” was “an attempt to offer a pagan alternative to a date that was already of considerable significance to Roman Christians.” Another point of view is that the opposite is true. It was simpler for the newly created church to reuse the pagan celebration of the winter solstice, which took place between December 17th and December 25th, when the Roman Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity since inhabitants were already prepared to commemorate the day.

These customs would be carried out during the Christmas season.

It is believed that he came up with this date after laborious computations, beginning with the “creation of the world, which he placed in 5499 BC,” according to BibleStudyTools.com.

Evidence in the Bible

Shepherds, on the other hand, would not have been tending their flocks in December, when the weather was frigid; they would have stopped shepherding no later than October, if they had been shepherding at all. Bible scholars have also attempted to determine the date of Christ’s birth by comparing the birth of his cousin John to the limited information concerning Zechariah, Elizabeth, and Mary provided in the book of Luke. Elizabeth was six months pregnant when Mary came, and she gave birth to a child three months after Mary left.

Begin with the conception of John the Baptist in Sivan (June), count forward six months to the announcement of Jesus’ conception by the archangel Gabriel in Kislev (December), then count forward nine more months, the length of a human pregnancy, to arrive at Tishri (September), the date of Jesus’ birth.

Other narratives use data regarding Zechariah’s temple responsibilities to arrive at the conclusion that Christ was born in the spring.

It is necessary to obtain the advice of the most respected academics on this subject.

Does the Date of Jesus’ Birth Matter?

It would be quite difficult for the entire Christian community to come to a unanimous decision that Christ was born on a different day, and altering the date of Christmas throughout the world would create several difficulties. Selecting a new date for the celebration of Christ’s birth would need significant changes at the commercial and institutional levels, respectively.

In order to match with this period, school calendars and public holidays have been developed. The cash boost offered by the Christmas season is critical to the economy of industrialized countries. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, churches host unique festivities. This date is used by families as an excuse to come together

Even though the date for Christmas day appears to be arbitrary, there is an advantage to deciding on one. With “our fast-moving lifestyles having played havoc on our relationships,” as Rick Warren put it, and with us feeling detached from one another, commemorating the birth of Jesus draws the church body together, both locally and internationally. Furthermore, Christmas celebrations give a chance to involve individuals of the community who would not normally be able to attend church functions.

Even though associating Christmas with light-hearted festivities may appear to be disrespectful in light of the holiday’s true meaning, the joy of singing familiar carols and lighting candles; the sense of belonging and love associated with the holiday motivates many unbelievers to attend Christmas services where they may hear the gospel message.

Candice Lucey lives in Salmon Arm, British Columbia, Canada, with her husband and two kids in a (usually) quiet setting. When she is not working or participating in missionary activities, she may be found here digging into God’s word. Image courtesy of Getty/Lukbar

When Was Jesus Around

What Year Was Jesus Actually Born?

What year was Jesus born? Here’s why many scholars say Jesus was born between 5 and 6 B.C.

Calculating the Year Jesus Was Born

Checking the Math

John the Baptist Begins His Ministry

Jesus’ Earthly MinistryDeath

Whoah, Woah, Woah. Wasn’t Jesus 33 when He died?

Conclusion

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When Was Jesus Born?

Why is Jesus’ birthday celebrated on December 25?

The Death of King Herod

The Star of Bethlehem

Related Mysteries

When Was Jesus Born—B.C. or A.D.?

Related reading in Bible History Daily:

Dig deeper into biblical Archaeology with your All-Access Membership

What year was Jesus Christ born? When was Jesus born?

Timeline of Jesus’ life

When Was Jesus Really Born? Not Dec. 25

Jesus Wasn’t Born in ‘Year 1’

How December and January Became the Traditional Dates for Christmas

The September Theory of Christmas

When was Jesus really born? (spoiler: not in December!)

When Was Jesus Born?

What Year Was Jesus Born?

Evidence in the Bible

When Is Jesus’ Birthday?

Evidence in the Bible

Does the Date of Jesus’ Birth Matter?

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