What Month Was Jesus Actually Born?
We frequently picture the shepherds in the pastures keeping an eye on their sheep as we consider the account of the birth of Jesus. What can we infer about the birthdate of Jesus from this evidence? Around the time of our modern Christmas, December 25, were the flocks in the fields?
Did you know that Jesus was not born on December 25? Was he born on October 25 or September 26? Did you know that he was conceived in October? If you haven’t heard of either of those dates, here are some reasons to know the actual date of Jesus’ birth:
December 25
Some scholars dispute the traditional view that December 25 was the month Jesus was born. One of the earliest sources for the date is St. Epiphanius of Salamis’s writing on the history of the world. He wrote that Christ was born eight days before the Ides of January, the first day of the month. The Alogoi sect shared the same view, and both dates found a place in the Church calendar.
Although December is more acceptable as the day of Christ’s birth, some still argue that Jesus was born in the fall. In that period, the Judean winters were too cold for shepherds to monitor their flocks by night, and during this time, unblemished lambs were raised in the fields around Bethlehem to be sacrificed at the Temple. Therefore, there is no evidence that Jesus was born during December, but it would be difficult for the disciples to travel to Bethlehem during those months to register for taxes.
Nevertheless, there are significant problems with the December 25 date. Regardless of the date, it seems that early Christians were curious about Jesus’ birth. Because Mary would have remembered it, early Christians would have written down the date. Thus, it is impossible to know for sure. However, this argument is not supported by any modern scholarship. Whether or not December 25 was the month Jesus was born is a matter of personal opinion, but it is based on Mary’s memory and a common tradition.
Although the Bible does not specify the date of Jesus’ birth, there are various theories as to why the holiday is celebrated in December. One early Christian tradition claims that Mary was told about Jesus on March 25, which is still celebrated as the Annunciation of Christ. Interestingly, December 25 is also celebrated around the Winter Solstice, another ancient festival celebrating the return of the sun. However, the date of Jesus’ birth has no direct bearing on the date of Christmas.
Several sources also claim that December 25 was the month Jesus was born. This is because December 25 is the winter solstice, which is the time when days begin to grow longer. Moreover, astronomers argue that Venus and Jupiter are coming together to mark Jesus’ birth. According to Reneke’s study, such rare conjunction occurred on June 17, 2 B.C. However, other scholars claim that this event happened on October 7, B.C.
October
Many people believe that October was the month Jesus was born. He was born six months later than John the Baptist. His birth was a bit of a mystery. Besides, if October was the month Jesus was born, why was the baby Jesus not baptized earlier? The child was conceived in the spring, before the death of King Herod. And when he was baptized by his cousin John, he was around 30 years old. The ministry of John began before that of Jesus. It began in the 15th year of Tiberias.
In addition to the date of His birth, the Gospels mention that the census was set for October. However, the census was usually taken during the fall, right after harvest. In other words, it was fall. So, there is no way that Jesus Christ was born in the winter. But many other historical pieces of evidence support Luke’s account. Earlier, the birth of Jesus is mentioned in the gospels. As a result, Luke is more likely to be telling the truth than the rest of us.
Many scholars disagree over whether October was the month Jesus was born. One theory says the child was born in August, during the time of Tiberius’ 15th year. It also notes that the star over the child was a rare event. But other scholars claim the star was a comet that was visible for 70 days in the constellation Capricornus. While these theories are not entirely reliable, they do have a basis.
Other arguments suggest that Jesus was born in October. According to the Bible, the baby Jesus was born in mid-October. Although he was born in early autumn, the birth date of Christ is often celebrated during the pagan winter season. While the birth date of Jesus is usually celebrated in December, the early Christians often celebrated Christmas differently than the later generations. This difference in calendar dates ultimately influenced how the Christmas season is celebrated today.
Some historians believe that the day of Jesus’ birthday was later changed to December 25 by syncretism. After the 4th Century, the Roman Pagan Empire was officially converted to Christianity. Then, in the early 4th Century, the emperor Constantine legalized Christian worship. Ultimately, this blending of pagan and Christian beliefs produced the Roman Catholic Church called pontifex Maximus.
Although many scholars dispute the date of Jesus’ birth, many sources point to the correct birth month. One such source is the birth of John the Baptist. In addition, the gospel of Luke records that Zechariah was serving at the Temple in Jerusalem when his wife was pregnant. An angel had told Zechariah that his barren wife would give birth to a child born in the spirit and power of Elijah.
September
Most Bible scholars believe Jesus was born in September, around the middle of September. This was the time of year the angel Gabriel announced Jesus’ conception in Kislev (December), and his birth was in Tishri (September). While we do not know precisely when Jesus was born, some believe his birth was sometime between September and October. This is consistent with the date of Jesus’ baptism, which is typically dated as September 30. Here is some additional information about Jesus’ birth.
According to some scholars, Jesus was born on September 11, 3 B.C., during the year when Jupiter and Regulus were in conjunction. Therefore, Dr. Carl Baugh, a scientist at the Creation Science Museum in Texas, believes Jesus was born on September 11, also known as the Feast of Trumpets. The date is also confirmed by the Bible Codes, which claim that Jesus was born around September 11. In addition, the book of Proverbs notes that Jesus was born on September 11, 3 B.C.
Some biblical scholars believe Jesus was born in September, consistent with Matthew’s account. This is also consistent with the fact that Herod died in January, and a baby would not have been born before the Jewish New Year. It’s also possible that he was born in the middle of September since the weather was mild. The hill country surrounding Bethlehem and Jerusalem is cold during winter, and outdoor shepherds were less likely to be out in the cold in December.
The birth of Jesus in September is based on several details. First, the date of Jesus’ birth is also tied to the birth of John the Baptist. According to the Bible, he was born in the evening, between 6:18 P.M. The moon was still not above the horizon in Jerusalem. The angel Gabriel’s visit to Mary came after John the Baptist’s birth. Hence, the date is the same as in the Bible.
Some scholars believe that the gospels were more interested in theology than chronology. The gospel writers were more interested in theology than chronology, and their best guess was September. The fall date also makes sense because shepherds were tending their flocks and the Judean foothills outside Bethlehem are cold enough to see snow. This makes the date of Jesus’ birth a plausible one. If this is the case, he will be able to visit Jerusalem soon after his birth.
According to the ecclesiastical calendar, the first week of the Jewish year is late March and early June. However, the angel visited Zechariah in the Temple in late March, and Elizabeth conceived six months later. Similarly, Jesus was born nine months later in September than Joseph, but it is still unknown when this was true. Therefore, it is also possible that Jesus was born earlier than the census. If that is true, Jesus may have been born earlier than the census date, but the biblical calendar does not support this theory.
What Month Was Jesus Actually Born?
We frequently picture the shepherds in the pastures keeping an eye on their sheep as we consider the account of the birth of Jesus. What can we infer about the birthdate of Jesus from this evidence? Around the time of our modern Christmas, December 25, were the flocks in the fields?
Did you know that Jesus was not born on December 25? Was he born on October 25 or September 26? Did you know that he was conceived in October? If you haven’t heard of either of those dates, here are some reasons to know the actual date of Jesus’ birth:
December 25
Some scholars dispute the traditional view that December 25 was the month Jesus was born. One of the earliest sources for the date is St. Epiphanius of Salamis’s writing on the history of the world. He wrote that Christ was born eight days before the Ides of January, the first day of the month. The Alogoi sect shared the same view, and both dates found a place in the Church calendar.
Although December is more acceptable as the day of Christ’s birth, some still argue that Jesus was born in the fall. In that period, the Judean winters were too cold for shepherds to monitor their flocks by night, and during this time, unblemished lambs were raised in the fields around Bethlehem to be sacrificed at the Temple. Therefore, there is no evidence that Jesus was born during December, but it would be difficult for the disciples to travel to Bethlehem during those months to register for taxes.
Nevertheless, there are significant problems with the December 25 date. Regardless of the date, it seems that early Christians were curious about Jesus’ birth. Because Mary would have remembered it, early Christians would have written down the date. Thus, it is impossible to know for sure. However, this argument is not supported by any modern scholarship. Whether or not December 25 was the month Jesus was born is a matter of personal opinion, but it is based on Mary’s memory and a common tradition.
Although the Bible does not specify the date of Jesus’ birth, there are various theories as to why the holiday is celebrated in December. One early Christian tradition claims that Mary was told about Jesus on March 25, which is still celebrated as the Annunciation of Christ. Interestingly, December 25 is also celebrated around the Winter Solstice, another ancient festival celebrating the return of the sun. However, the date of Jesus’ birth has no direct bearing on the date of Christmas.
Several sources also claim that December 25 was the month Jesus was born. This is because December 25 is the winter solstice, which is the time when days begin to grow longer. Moreover, astronomers argue that Venus and Jupiter are coming together to mark Jesus’ birth. According to Reneke’s study, such rare conjunction occurred on June 17, 2 B.C. However, other scholars claim that this event happened on October 7, B.C.
October
Many people believe that October was the month Jesus was born. He was born six months later than John the Baptist. His birth was a bit of a mystery. Besides, if October was the month Jesus was born, why was the baby Jesus not baptized earlier? The child was conceived in the spring, before the death of King Herod. And when he was baptized by his cousin John, he was around 30 years old. The ministry of John began before that of Jesus. It began in the 15th year of Tiberias.
In addition to the date of His birth, the Gospels mention that the census was set for October. However, the census was usually taken during the fall, right after harvest. In other words, it was fall. So, there is no way that Jesus Christ was born in the winter. But many other historical pieces of evidence support Luke’s account. Earlier, the birth of Jesus is mentioned in the gospels. As a result, Luke is more likely to be telling the truth than the rest of us.
Many scholars disagree over whether October was the month Jesus was born. One theory says the child was born in August, during the time of Tiberius’ 15th year. It also notes that the star over the child was a rare event. But other scholars claim the star was a comet that was visible for 70 days in the constellation Capricornus. While these theories are not entirely reliable, they do have a basis.
Other arguments suggest that Jesus was born in October. According to the Bible, the baby Jesus was born in mid-October. Although he was born in early autumn, the birth date of Christ is often celebrated during the pagan winter season. While the birth date of Jesus is usually celebrated in December, the early Christians often celebrated Christmas differently than the later generations. This difference in calendar dates ultimately influenced how the Christmas season is celebrated today.
Some historians believe that the day of Jesus’ birthday was later changed to December 25 by syncretism. After the 4th Century, the Roman Pagan Empire was officially converted to Christianity. Then, in the early 4th Century, the emperor Constantine legalized Christian worship. Ultimately, this blending of pagan and Christian beliefs produced the Roman Catholic Church called pontifex Maximus.
Although many scholars dispute the date of Jesus’ birth, many sources point to the correct birth month. One such source is the birth of John the Baptist. In addition, the gospel of Luke records that Zechariah was serving at the Temple in Jerusalem when his wife was pregnant. An angel had told Zechariah that his barren wife would give birth to a child born in the spirit and power of Elijah.
September
Most Bible scholars believe Jesus was born in September, around the middle of September. This was the time of year the angel Gabriel announced Jesus’ conception in Kislev (December), and his birth was in Tishri (September). While we do not know precisely when Jesus was born, some believe his birth was sometime between September and October. This is consistent with the date of Jesus’ baptism, which is typically dated as September 30. Here is some additional information about Jesus’ birth.
According to some scholars, Jesus was born on September 11, 3 B.C., during the year when Jupiter and Regulus were in conjunction. Therefore, Dr. Carl Baugh, a scientist at the Creation Science Museum in Texas, believes Jesus was born on September 11, also known as the Feast of Trumpets. The date is also confirmed by the Bible Codes, which claim that Jesus was born around September 11. In addition, the book of Proverbs notes that Jesus was born on September 11, 3 B.C.
Some biblical scholars believe Jesus was born in September, consistent with Matthew’s account. This is also consistent with the fact that Herod died in January, and a baby would not have been born before the Jewish New Year. It’s also possible that he was born in the middle of September since the weather was mild. The hill country surrounding Bethlehem and Jerusalem is cold during winter, and outdoor shepherds were less likely to be out in the cold in December.
The birth of Jesus in September is based on several details. First, the date of Jesus’ birth is also tied to the birth of John the Baptist. According to the Bible, he was born in the evening, between 6:18 P.M. The moon was still not above the horizon in Jerusalem. The angel Gabriel’s visit to Mary came after John the Baptist’s birth. Hence, the date is the same as in the Bible.
Some scholars believe that the gospels were more interested in theology than chronology. The gospel writers were more interested in theology than chronology, and their best guess was September. The fall date also makes sense because shepherds were tending their flocks and the Judean foothills outside Bethlehem are cold enough to see snow. This makes the date of Jesus’ birth a plausible one. If this is the case, he will be able to visit Jerusalem soon after his birth.
According to the ecclesiastical calendar, the first week of the Jewish year is late March and early June. However, the angel visited Zechariah in the Temple in late March, and Elizabeth conceived six months later. Similarly, Jesus was born nine months later in September than Joseph, but it is still unknown when this was true. Therefore, it is also possible that Jesus was born earlier than the census. If that is true, Jesus may have been born earlier than the census date, but the biblical calendar does not support this theory.