When Was Jesus Born

[Walter and Deborah]

2 hours ago, Walter and Deborah said:

The course of Abijah, then, would have served the eighth week in the rotation. The eighth week from Nisan 1, leaving out the week of Passover, when all the priests served, would have been IYAR 27 to SIVAN 5, the day just before Pentecost, which generally fell on Sivan 6. The eighth week in the fall rotation would have been CHESHVAN 26 to KISLEV 2. 5 If Zacharias received his angelic message during his first rotation, then, after serving a week in the Temple, Zacharias would have remained another week in Jerusalem, because of the Feast of Shavuot. Then, he would have returned home shortly after this, and his wife then would have conceived.

This would have been about June. If we add nine months to this date, the normal time for the gestation of a human baby in the womb, John the Baptist would have been born about March, in the spring, shortly before the Passover. But if Zacharias had been serving during his SECOND rotation, in Cheshvan-Kislev, he would have returned home immediately after the service, in early Kislev. Then John the Baptist's birth would have been around August. Jesus was conceived about six months after John (Luke 1:24-31, especially verse 26). This would suggest that Jesus Christ was conceived either about Kishlev in the winter, or Sivan in the spring. Nine months from Kislev (approximately December) would place His birth about the middle of September. Nine months from Sivan would place His birth in SHEVAT (corresponding to February!). The first course began serving the first week in Nisan. After six months, the order of courses would be repeated, beginning the first week in Tishri. Thus Zacharias served approximately the first week in June, and six months later, the first week in December. Shortly after he served his assigned duties, his wife conceived (Luke 1:5-13, 23-24). Nine months later John was born.

So if we add 9 months to these dates, we find that John was either born in around February, or August-September. Jesus Christ was born six months after John (Luke 1:26, 36). Thus Christ could have been born either around August-September, or around February! -- just the opposite from John! Was Christ born around February, or September? How can we know? Crucial Events Surrounding Christ's Birth We know that when Christ was born, He was born in a manger in Bethlehem. Shepherds, told by an angel of His birth, visited Him and found Him "wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger" (Luke 2:12-17). Eight days later Mary and Joseph had Him circumcised, according to the commandment (Luke 2:21). Mary then fulfilled the days of her purification -- which culminated 40 days after His birth (Luke 2:22-24; compare Lev.12:2-8). Joseph and Mary were obviously poor, for the offering they offered at this time was a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons (Luke 2:24; Lev.12:8).

Sometime not too long after His birth, the wise men visited Him, and gave Him gifts (Matt.2:1-11). When they arrived, they found him as a "young child" (Matt.2:9, 11). He was no longer a swaddling baby, but now a "young child." The Greek word translated "young child" is paidiske and means "an infant or by extension, a half grown boy or girl." Thayer's GreekEnglish Lexicon shows it can refer to a young infant recently born, a more advanced child, or even a mature child or partly grown children. The chronology of Christ's birth, however, shows the family of Joseph was no longer in a manger when the wise men visited them --for we read, "when they were come into the house, they saw the young child" (Matt.2:11). Their visit could have been around 30 days after His birth, or sometime before the time of 6 His being taken to the Temple, 40 days after His birth! Immediately after this visit, and the Temple visit, Joseph was warned to take the child and Mary, and to "flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child, to destroy him" (Matt.2:13). "When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: and was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son" (Matt.2:13-15).

  2 hours ago, FresnoJoe said:

Great Stuff~! I'm Learning Some Great Facts.

How About Israel's Feast Days.

Any Connection To The Birth Of Messiah?

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts. Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings. These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons. Exodus 23:14-19

the Israel of God - Feast Days (theisraelofgoduk.com)

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Interesting, Christ the LAMB of God When Christ was baptized, the Spirit of God came upon Him like a dove. We read of His baptism in the book of Matthew: "Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered him. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straighway out of the water: and lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo, a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matt.3:13-17). John's gospel gives us more information about this event. John records: "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold, the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. . . . And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not; but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Spirit. And I saw, and bare record, that this is the Son of God. Again, the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; and looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold, the Lamb of God! (John 1: 29-36). Notice that twice John refers to Christ as the "Lamb of God" (John 1:29, 36). The apostle Paul refers to Christ as our "Passover lamb" in I Corinthians 5:7. In the book of Revelation, Christ is also referred to as the "Lamb of God" (see Rev.5;5-6; 13:8; 14:1-4; 17:14). Peter tells us that we were redeemed by "the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot" (I Peter 1:19). Now, since Jesus Christ is the "lamb" of God, the question naturally arises, when are lambs born? That is, when do ewes bear lambs in the Middle East? What time of year? Do they bear lambs on December 25, Christmas day? Not at all! Do they bear lambs in the fall -- around September or October?

The answer is, No. When do sheep bear their lambs? The fact is, lambs in the Northern Hemisphere -- including Palestine -- are born beginning in the month of February, and into the springtime! Thus this fact also strongly supports a FEBRUARY birth for Christ, not long before Passover -- and NOT the fall of the year, or Rosh Hashanah or the Feast of Tabernacles, as so many seem to think!

Love, Walter

[johnthebaptist]

20 hours ago, FresnoJoe said:

When Was Jesus Born?

She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. Matthew 1:21

I think the estimates I've heard would be around 3 or 4 years B.C. That might seem a little odd since "B.C." means "Before (the birth of ) Christ," but I think that's what I've heard.

[ReneeIW]

On 12/22/2020 at 7:46 PM, FresnoJoe said:

When Was Jesus Born?

She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. Matthew 1:21

I actually like this topic because I will never forget the first time someone came at me very hard about my faith. It was a very passionate philosophy professor who was  causing a lot of students to doubt their faith, and of course one of his arguments was to call into question when Christ was born and how it was implausible that He was born in December.
 

Some students react to that by thinking it does sound implausible, therefore, Christianity is implausible,  and they don’t bother to do any research- they trust the college professor their parents are paying thousands to.

Fortunately  for me, I had taken a summer New Testament class prior to landing in that horrible  philosophy class, and the NT professor made a very strong and intelligent argument for Christ being born on September 11. He of course explained why we celebrate it on December 25. In the end it may not matter, but nothing wrong with seeking to know all we can about the Lord if the information is out there. And kids these days are asking a lot of questions and we should be ready to provide answers (even if incomplete) if/when we can.

 

just my two cents.

Edited December 27, 2020 by ReneeIW

[suzan344]

On 12/22/2020 at 5:46 PM, FresnoJoe said:

When Was Jesus Born?

She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. Matthew 1:21

October 31st.

[suzan344]

The real reason people celebrate October 31st is to celebrate an ancient pagan holiday.  People tend to know this fact already.

No one ever wonders why.

Why do pagans want people to practice witchcraft on that particular day?  Why pick that one day of the year to get the entire public behind curses, basically?

The question should be, why does satan hate that one day of the year?

The second question should be why do the Catholics call the next day, Nov. 1st, All Saints Day?

What is so important about both those days that both a christian holiday (holy day) and a satanic day of devilment both occur right then?

Jesus was said, by historians, to be born in late fall.  That is just based on what the bible tells us about what was happening when Jesus arrived.  October 31st falls in that date range @FresnoJoe

[Willa]

It doesn't matter when we celebrate the birth of Christ, but rather that we should celebrate His birth.  It is not a matter worth arguing about or God would have been more specific.

[OneLight]

28 minutes ago, Willa said:

It doesn't matter when we celebrate the birth of Christ, but rather that we should celebrate His birth.  It is not a matter worth arguing about or God would have been more specific.

I agree!  Jesus's birth should be celebrated every day.

[other one]

9 hours ago, OneLight said:

I agree!  Jesus's birth should be celebrated every day.

and his resurrection...

[David1701]

5 minutes ago, Scutari said:

We germans say - Luther

Sorry – strong N O  to that last part. (not Jesus) Germans think 31. Okt – is Reformations – day 1517

 

Yes; my German girlfriend told me that the 31st of October is Reformation Day.  This is MUCH better than Halloween!

[JohnD]

14 Καὶ ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν, καὶ ἐθεασάμεθα τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, δόξαν ὡς μονογενοῦς παρὰ πατρός, πλήρης χάριτος καὶ ἀληθείας
 Eberhard Nestle et al., The Greek New Testament, 27th ed. (Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 1993), Jn 1:14.

The Word was made flesh and [tabernacled] among us...

Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) celebrated on the 15th day of the seventh month, Tishrei (varies from late September to late October).

There are a lot of opinions and volumes of "evidence" to back it up... but without a direct revelation from God it is only bracketed at best

by external evidences (like the death of Herod)

I did take notice that there were a lot of "if's" in the length [evidence] provided.

Which course did Zecharias serve in,  then if the gestations were precise 9 months...  etc. 

I'll take a biblical clue like the language of John 1:14 any day over speculation, supposition, what if, and if - thens...

I teach that we are to commemorate the DEATH of the Lord Jesus till he comes (by his own proclamation).

 

And that we also allowed the Romans to compromise and paganize with rabbits and eggs and the goddess astarte as its name.

This the Romanized Church paganized naming Easter after the goddess Astarte... with pagan fertility symbols of bunnies and eggs...

Edited January 3, 2021 by JohnD