The Star Of Bethlehem
Other scholars have attempted to correlate the “Star of Bethlehem,” which supposedly heralded Jesus’ birth, with actual astronomical events to pinpoint his birth year. For example, in a 1991 article in the Quarterly Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society , astronomer Colin Humphreys proposed that the fabled star was actually a slow-moving comet, which Chinese observers recorded in 5 B.C. However, Humphreys theory has since been debunked.
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The month of Jesus’ birth has also been a point of debate, with one theory suggesting that the Star of Bethlehem may have been Venus and Jupiter coming together to form a bright light in the sky, a rare event that occured in June of 2 B.C. Another possibility is a similar conjunction between Saturn and Jupiter, which occurred in October of 7 B.C.There has also been speculation that Jesus was a spring baby. Götz suggests that Jesus could have been born “in the late spring of the year because pregnancies began in the fall after the harvests were in and there was enough money for a wedding feast.”
Is Christmas A Pagan Tradition
Although Jesus’ birth has long been commemorated on Dec. 25, Christians didn’t celebrate the birth of Jesus in the first two Christian centuries or at least, there is no record of it. A Roman almanac documented the earliest known celebration of Christmas by the church of Rome in 336 A.D., leading researchers to believe that Christmas originated as a Christian substitute for pagan festivities of the winter solstice. Every December, Romans honored Saturn, the god of agriculture, during a festival called Saturnalia.
The conversion of Roman emperor Constantine I to Christianity in the year 312 was pivotal for the incorporation of winter solstice celebrations so that the emperor’s subjects could easily adopt Christianity. To explain Jesus’ birth on Dec. 25, church leaders argued that God conceived Jesus on the spring equinox, when the world was allegedly created. The Virgin Mary, pregnant with Jesus, would have given birth nine months later on the winter solstice. This is the description of the Christ’s Nativity celebration, which spread across Christian churches.
Over time, some Christians began accepting Dec. 25 as Jesus’ birthday, while other pagan elements were being incorporated into the tradition of Christmas like the use of Christmas trees, which predates the birth of Christianity.
The Dating Of Passover
McGowan points to another important theory related to December 25, corresponding to Jesus death.
In his Gospel, John tells us:
Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down .
The day of Preparation would have been the 14th of Nisan. In about 200 C.E., Tertullian of Carthage figured that day out to be March 25 on the Roman calendar. The church began celebrating this day as the Feast of the Annunciation-when Gabriel announced that Mary would be with child and she conceived. Jesus was believed to have been conceived and to have died on the same day.
In On the Trinity, Augustine writes, For he is believed to have been conceived on the 25th of March, upon which day also he suffered so the womb of the Virgin, in which he was conceived, where no one of mortals was begotten, corresponds to the new grave in which he was buried, wherein was never man laid, neither before him nor since. But he was born, according to tradition, upon December the 25th.
Now why Christs conception needed to correspond with his death, Im not sure. But this might have something to do with the choice of December 25 as the day of Jesus birth.
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Why Is Christmas On December 25
Since there is no evidence that the birth of Jesus Christ occurred on December 25, why is Christmas celebrated on this date? The Encyclopædia Britannica says that church leaders probably chose it to coincide with the pagan Roman festival marking the birthday of the unconquered sun, at the time of the winter solstice. According to The Encyclopedia Americana, many scholars believe that this was done in order to make Christianity more meaningful to pagan converts.
Why Was Jesus Birthday Moved To December
The Christian holiday of Christmas, which celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, is celebrated on December 25th. In the early days of Christianity, it was not clear when Jesus birth actually occurred.
Some believed it occurred in the springtime, while others believed it occurred in the fall. As a result, there was no agreed-upon date for the holiday.
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When Was Jesus Really Born
Biblical evidence shows Jesus most likely wasnt born on December 25.
The Christmas story has become synonymous with the date, December 25. Whether youre listening to carols or looking at nativity scene imagery, the idea that Christmas is His birthday is everywhere. But what has become popular belief isnt exactly true to history.
The Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke are the only two accounts of Jesus birth in the New Testament, and both gospels show different angles of the story. Luke begins in Nazareth and Matthew focuses solely on events in Bethlehem. Both arent particularly detailed in terms of a calendar date, which makes determining Jesus birthday quite tough. The writers of the gospels rarely tell you when things happened and the time of year.
When Was Jesus Born In October
It is generally accepted that Jesus was born in the month of October. This is based on two observations.
First, there are references to Jesus birth in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. These gospels were written between 65 and 80 AD, which is within the timeframe of Jesus life.
Second, Nabokov, in his book Lolita, references the month of October as the month in which Humbert Humbert is said to have sexually molested Lolita.
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Ad Or 34 Ad Crucifixion Dates Do Not Meet Scriptural Requirements
It is impossible for Jesus to have been born in either the 5th or 1st centuries BC, contrary to popular belief and centuries of dogma. The reason for this is that Christ could not have been crucified in 30 AD or 34 AD for the following reasons:
When the Romans conquered the world in 32 AD, there was a lunar eclipse on Passover, Monday, April 14th however, it was not visible from Europe, the Middle East, or Africa, and it did not occur on a Friday.The only date that fulfills all of the Biblical conditions is April 3, 33 AD, which occurred on a Friday and corresponded with a lunar eclipse that could be seen during moonrise in Jerusalem on Passover that year, according to the Bible.A Crucifixion year of 33 AD places the birth of Christ in the year 2 BC, which is consistent with the findings of various experts, including Josephus, Irenaeus, Eusebius, and Sir Isaac Newton, amongst others.That Jesus Christs 3.5-year ministry came to a close on Palm Sunday, which corresponds exactly to the day of Jesus Christs birth, is confirmed.
When Was Jesus’ Real Birthday Why Scholars Disagree With Christmas Birth Date
Christians around the world celebrate Dec. 25 as the birth of Jesus. But as many gather to exchange gifts, sing carols and marvel at Nativity scenes and Christmas trees, the story behind Jesus’ birthday is more complicated than some may think.
Scholars of history and the Bible have tackled the issue in the past: When was Jesus actually born? Here are a couple of points to consider.
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Why Did Jesuss Birth Become Associated With 25 December
Despite modern tradition, there is no precise season or date of Jesus Christs day of birth.
However, the 25 December has long been associated with the birth of Jesus owing to its proximity to the winter solstice.
The winter solstice is the point of the year when sunlight hours begin to increase once more after months of decreasing, leading to the notion of longer days.
The event holds symbolic theological significance as Christians see the occasion as representing the Light of Christ entering the world during the darkest of days.
Here Are The Top 10 Reasons Why Jesus Birthday Was September 29 2 Bc
- According to the 70-week prophecy, His Crucifixion and Palm Sunday dates were computed from the year 33 A.D.
- 2. It is timed to coincide with the 2nd BC Feast of Trumpets Jewish New Years Day
- 3. BRAND-NEW! This is supported by Revelation 12:1 and the Stellarium software
- 4. It was verified by Saint Irenaeus, a 2nd Century Church Theologian, and by Eusebius, a 4th Century Church Bishop, Scholar, and Historian
- 5. It was verified during the reign of Tiberius Caesar
- 6. It was verified during the reign of Tiberius Caesar.
- 6. Josephus, a 1st-century Jewish Rabbi, scholar, and historian, attested to the accuracy of the statement.
- 7. Sir Isaac Newton, a 17th-century scientist, scholar, and historian, has verified the claim.
- 8) John the Baptists birthday is perfectly aligned with the Winter Solstice and Summer Solstice of 3 B.C.
- 9. BRAND NEW! According to the 70-Weeks Prophecys calculation, Marys birth date was precisely on the dot.
- 10. The dates of Jesus birth and death coincide with a new moon and an eclipsed full moon, respectively.
Daniel 9:27 he will establish a binding commitment with the multitude for one week, but he will put an end to sacrifice and grain offering in the middle of that week
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Not Everyone Celebrates Christmas On December 25
Did you know that theres a large part of the church who celebrate Christmas on January 7?
Its true. Most Orthodox churches used the Julian calendar, which was created under the reign of Julius Caesar in 46 B.C. They never adopted the Gregorian calendar proposed by Pope Gregory in 1582.
In 1923, a revised version of the Julian calendar was introduced that harmonized Christmas with the Gregorian calendar, but it wasnt universally accepted by all Orthodox churches-typically those in central and eastern Europe.
What Does The Bible Say
The Gospel of Luke tells us that Jesus was born at a time when shepherds were watching their flocks at night. This clue tells us that Jesus’ birthday was not in the winter, since shepherds only look after their sheep during the spring. If the birth of Jesus had happened during the winter, the sheep would have been corralled.
The Gospel of Luke also notes that Jesus’ parents came to Bethlehem to register in a Roman census . According to the United Church of God, taking a census would have been difficult in December because of harsh winter conditions.
So when was Jesus born? Some Bible experts say that Jesus might have been born by the end of September, based on the conception and birth of John the Baptist.
Luke says that Jesus began preaching when he reached 30, which would take his birth year back to 1 B.C.E. But according to Goodacre, Luke may have miscalculated the death of Herod, so Jesus could have been born in 4 B.C.E.
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What The Bible Says About The Birth Of Jesus
Obviously, the New Testament is the best starting place for piecing together the most important facts about Jesus birth. Between the accounts in Matthew and Lukes Gospels, we can put together the following details:
- She had found favor with God .
- She would conceive and give birth to a son .
- Her son would be a significant part of Gods plan. He would occupy the throne of David and rule over Jacobs descendants .
- Her pregnancy would be caused by the Holy Spirit, and the child would be called the Son of God .
What Month Was Jesus Born In
As we look at the story of when Jesus was born we often think of the shepherds in the fields watching over their flocks. What can this evidence tell us about the date of Jesus birth? Were the flocks in the fields around the time of our modern-day Christmas, December 25?
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Lets look at what the Bible says in Luke 2:8-9. Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.
According to Bible commentator Adam Clarke, it was customary for the Jews to send their sheep to pasture from the spring until early October. As the cold winter months began, the flocks would return from the fields for shelter and warmth. Since the shepherds were still tending their flocks in the fields around Bethlehem it can be concluded that the angels announced the news of Jesus birth no later than October.
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How December 25 Became Christmas
On December 25, Christians around the world will gather to celebrate Jesus birth. Joyful carols, special liturgies, brightly wrapped gifts, festive foodsthese all characterize the feast today, at least in the northern hemisphere. But just how did the Christmas festival originate? How did December 25 come to be associated with Jesus birthday?
A blanket of snow covers the little town of Bethlehem, in Pieter Bruegels oil painting from 1566. Although Jesus birth is celebrated every year on December 25, Luke and the other gospel writers offer no hint about the specific time of year he was born.
The Bible offers few clues: Celebrations of Jesus Nativity are not mentioned in the Gospels or Acts the date is not given, not even the time of year. The biblical reference to shepherds tending their flocks at night when they hear the news of Jesus birth might suggest the spring lambing season in the cold month of December, on the other hand, sheep might well have been corralled. Yet most scholars would urge caution about extracting such a precise but incidental detail from a narrative whose focus is theological rather than calendrical.
In the East, January 6 was at first not associated with the magi alone, but with the Christmas story as a whole.
So, almost 300 years after Jesus was born, we finally find people observing his birth in mid-winter. But how had they settled on the dates December 25 and January 6?
1. Origen, Homily on Leviticus 8.
3.The Philocalian Calendar.
When Was Jesus Actually Born
Christian gospels do not claim to provide a chronological account regarding the life and times of Jesus Christ, the son of God.
Instead, the early writings around Christianity are dedicated to theological documents which can be compared to other historical recordings.
Therefore, the birth of Jesus is not specifically stated.
It is believed to have taken place between 6BC and 4BC by most scholars and even more agree of his existence, baptism and crucifixion.
This time frame is calculated by many factors, including the reign of King Herod and a reference he began preaching at “about 30 years”, around AD 27-29.
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When Was Jesus Born Bible Hints And Historic Evidence
- Candice LuceyContributing Writer
The birth of Jesus Christ is traditionally celebrated on December 25, although around 37% of Orthodox Christians, mainly in Egypt and Russia, celebrate Christmas on January 7, owing to a difference in the way their calendars were devised.
Neither date is likely correct in light of several clues uncovered by historians and information in the Bible itself. The year Jesus was born is not given in the biblical account . How was the date of Christmas decided, and when was Jesus really born?
Is December 25 Really The Day Jesus Was Born What The Bible Says About Christmas
Christmas is the most magical time of the year, fondly looked forward to as an opportunity to reconnect with family and friends.
But Christmas is, of course, most strongly linked with religion, with the big day celebrated by billions of Christians commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ.
But although this highlight of the festive calendar these days always lands on December 25, this was not always the case.
Peter Lynas, U.K. director of the Evangelical Alliance, suggests the Bible offers few clues as to why Christmas came to be associated with Jesus’ birthday.
He told Newsweek: “Jesus was almost certainly born in the main room of a Palestinian house because there was no room in the guest room, the better translation of inn or stable.
“He would have been surrounded by family and despite the suggestion from Away In A Manger, he would have cried because he was fully human as well as fully divine.
“The Bible doesn’t mention Mary riding a donkey, or three kings of the Orient or any animals around the manger.
“We also aren’t told anything about the dateit wasn’t until the fourth century that we started celebrating on the 25th December.
“But what is clear is that God showed up, the divine in a skin, Emmanuel meaning God with us.
“December 25 was one guess, January 6 anotherthe compromise between the two gave us the 12 days of Christmas.”
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