When Was Jesus Born?
Was Jesus really born on December 25th? If not, what is the significance of December 25th in Christian tradition? And, did Christianity copy this date from earlier religions? Jesus’ birth date is simply unknown. The custom of celebrating December 25th as the birth date of Jesus (i.e. Christmas) did not arise until the third or fourth century. Prior to that time, there are reports of various Christian communities who celebrated Christmas once a year on every month of the calendar; and it was January 6th that was December 25th biggest competitor. For the Eastern Orthodox Church (Armenian), January 6th continues to be observed even though most societies today embrace December 25th. Nevertheless, the significance seen in choosing this time period is symbolic. Why? Because there is symbolism found in the Winter Solstice that marks the end of darkening days and the beginning of lengthening light: a sign of renewal. Naturally, we would also expect to find this type of symbolism in other ancie
Each year at Christmas we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. After the New Year, we struggle to remember to add a year as we date our checks, which should remind us that the entire Western World reckons its calendar from the birth of the One who changed the world more than any other before or since. Yet, it is disturbing to discover that much of what we have been taught about the Christmas season seems to be more tradition than truth. Most serious Bible students realize that Jesus was probably not born on December 25th. The shepherds had their flocks in open fields, which implies a date prior to October. Furthermore, no competent Roman administrator would require registration involving travel during the season when Judea was generally impassable. If Jesus wasn’t born on December 25, just when was he born? Although the Bible doesn’t explicitly identify the birthday of our Lord, many scholars have developed diverse opinions as to the likely birthday of Jesus. The early Christian church
Was Jesus really born on December 25th? If he were a Capricorn, wouldn’t he have become a philanthropist or run for public office instead of sacrificing his life? Today most astrologers and historians agree that Jesus was probably not born in December, and he also was not born in 1 AD. Until now, exactly when he was born has been a mystery and the subject of much debate. It wasn’t until the advent of main frame computers that an outstanding biblical scholar/ minister/astrologer, Rev. Don Jacobs, was able to accurately replicate the same celestial dyna- mics observed by the ancient Magi that Matthew glorified “center stage” in his gospel account of the nativity. Jacobs describes his research and the date he chose in his book, Astrology’s Pew in Church. According to Jacobs, Jesus was born March 1st in the year 7 BC, at 1:21 a.m. in Bethlehem. The birth chart for this moment in time contains a cluster of six planets in Pisces: the Sun, Moon, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus. (No wonder
We are approaching the time of the year when the world celebrates the supposed birth of Jesus Christ. The jingles on the radio and television invade our sanity earlier every year, and the decorations now go up before Halloween! Anywhere we go, Christmas “cheer” is inescapable. For most of us, this is a season we struggle through, wishing it would rush by and be over. Yet it is also a season that requires us to be on our guard. Since we do not celebrate Christmas, we often stick out in a crowd. Such a difference piques the curiosity of some, and they may ask why we do not keep it. If we respond, “Christ was not born on December 25,” can we prove it? If He was not born on that date, then when was He born? What are the facts? When this subject is broached, many Protestants and Catholics become quite emotional, often becoming firmly entrenched concerning the December 25 date in spite of the facts. Many simply enjoy the season and feel that the actual day of Christ’s birth is irrelevant. Bi
Nowadays, most serious Bible students and scholars agree in that Jesus was not born on December 25th. Why? It is simple. Because the shepherds had their flocks in open field [1] which implies a date prior to October. And having in mind that the reason why Joseph and his pregnant wife, Mary, traveled to Jerusalem in order to be taxated. No competent Roman administrator would require registration involving travel during the season when Judea was impassable.
