I was under the impression that Jesus was born around September, and thought it was something to do with the season of the year that shepherds would have been herding their flocks in the fields around Bethlehem. But I may be wrong.
Herod the Great died in 4 B.C., so Jesu's birth must have occurred before then. The flight to Egypt would probably have been in the last eighteen months of Herod's life, as he had a long, debilitating and agonising illness, which may have explained the vicious and somewhat irrational slaughter of the innocents in order to make sure he killed the infant Christ-child. Say, somewhere between 5 B.C. And Herod's death. As he slaughtered all children up to the age of two, he had reason to believe the child might have been at least eighteen months old. This gives quite a wide range of time for the birth, from sometime in 7 B.C. To a short while before Herod's death in 4 B.C.
In Luke chapter 2, Luke says that Augustus Caesar ordered a census of the whole Roman Empire, which meant that every man had to return to his ancestral home for the purpose of the count. Hence Joseph and Mary's journey to Bethlehem. Documents of the Roman Empire from this time tell us that there was indeed a census ordered by Augustus in 7 B.C. At least two years would have been allowed for everyone to make their journeys and be counted. Hence Jesus could have been born any time between late 7 B.C. And early 4 B.C. With some time from autumn of 6 B.C. To autumn of 5 B. C. The most likely.
Most people think that the start of the A.D. Years are supposed to mark the birth of Christ. But I was taught at Bible College that they actually mark the return of the Holy family from Egypt. In the same way that God brought his son (the nation of Israel) from Egypt in the exodus, so He also brought his Son, Jesus, out of Egypt. As the first Exodus marked the beginning of the nation of Israel, so the return of the Messiah from Egypt marked the beginning of the second Israel, the Church.
Luke also says that a Roman called Cyrenius, or "Quirinius" was governor of Syria at this time. Quirinius Priscus was governor too early for the 7 B.C. Census, so this was a puzzle. But later it was found that his son, Quirinius Diodorus, was also made govenor of Syria, and he was in charge at the right time!
It is true that December 25th was an arbitrary date settled on to celebrate the birth of Christ. It was in fact the birthdate of Mithras, a dying and rising god who was also very popular with the Roman army, as was also christianity, at the time of Constantine. It was probably chosen as a way of making christianity as acceptable as possible to worshippers of Mithras when Constantine made it the state religion of the Roman Empire.
Herod the Great died in 4 B.C., so Jesu's birth must have occurred before then. The flight to Egypt would probably have been in the last eighteen months of Herod's life, as he had a long, debilitating and agonising illness, which may have explained the vicious and somewhat irrational slaughter of the innocents in order to make sure he killed the infant Christ-child. Say, somewhere between 5 B.C. And Herod's death. As he slaughtered all children up to the age of two, he had reason to believe the child might have been at least eighteen months old. This gives quite a wide range of time for the birth, from sometime in 7 B.C. To a short while before Herod's death in 4 B.C.
In Luke chapter 2, Luke says that Augustus Caesar ordered a census of the whole Roman Empire, which meant that every man had to return to his ancestral home for the purpose of the count. Hence Joseph and Mary's journey to Bethlehem. Documents of the Roman Empire from this time tell us that there was indeed a census ordered by Augustus in 7 B.C. At least two years would have been allowed for everyone to make their journeys and be counted. Hence Jesus could have been born any time between late 7 B.C. And early 4 B.C. With some time from autumn of 6 B.C. To autumn of 5 B. C. The most likely.
Most people think that the start of the A.D. Years are supposed to mark the birth of Christ. But I was taught at Bible College that they actually mark the return of the Holy family from Egypt. In the same way that God brought his son (the nation of Israel) from Egypt in the exodus, so He also brought his Son, Jesus, out of Egypt. As the first Exodus marked the beginning of the nation of Israel, so the return of the Messiah from Egypt marked the beginning of the second Israel, the Church.
Luke also says that a Roman called Cyrenius, or "Quirinius" was governor of Syria at this time. Quirinius Priscus was governor too early for the 7 B.C. Census, so this was a puzzle. But later it was found that his son, Quirinius Diodorus, was also made govenor of Syria, and he was in charge at the right time!
It is true that December 25th was an arbitrary date settled on to celebrate the birth of Christ. It was in fact the birthdate of Mithras, a dying and rising god who was also very popular with the Roman army, as was also christianity, at the time of Constantine. It was probably chosen as a way of making christianity as acceptable as possible to worshippers of Mithras when Constantine made it the state religion of the Roman Empire.
