Keystone Christian Reading Room

Note: The results of this study does not alter in any way the chronology of the life of Christ as previously taught nor does it alter any of the teachings of our Lord and Savior.

The Date of Christ's Birth

Jesus was not born on December 25, 2BC, when the Magi presented their gifts. When the Magi arrived, Joseph and Mary were no longer with Christ in a stable, but in a house (Matthew 2:11). Jesus had been circumcised (Luke 2:21) and dedicated at the Temple some 40 days after His birth (Luke 2:22-24). Soon after the Magi left, Herod killed the male children in and around Bethlehem who were two years of age or younger (Matthew 2:16). The fact that all children under the age of two were slain shows that Herod was taking every possible interpretation into account for the time of Christ's birth, since it was not clear in astrological interpretation whether the appearance of "His star" signified the conception or birth of the baby. These evidences show that Jesus was some months old when the Magi arrived.

Chronological information relative to the birth of John the Baptist. We know that John was six months older than Jesus (Luke 1:24,26,36). We know that John began his ministry sometime in the 15th year of Caesar Tiberius, which was reckoned from 19 August, 28AD, to 18 August, 29AD (Luke 3:1). We know that at the time Jesus "began His ministry" He "was about thirty years of age" (Luke 3:23). We know that John the Baptist was conceived during the time frame when his father "was performing his priestly service before God in the appointed order of his division" at the Temple. Zacharias' course was that of Abia (Heb., Abijah), which was the 8th course (of 24 courses established by David). The 8th course served two times (each course served one week twice a year), once in late Spring, and again in late Autumn. Jewish tradition said that the first priestly course commenced its duty on the Sabbath before Nisan 1 (first month of religious year). In 4BC, Nisan 1 was March 29, and so the preceding Sabbath was March 24, making the week of the duties of the first course (Jehoiarib; see 1Chr 24) from Sabbath noon, March 24 to Sabbath noon, March 31 (2nd: March 31 to April 7, etc.).

The third course (started April 7) was interrupted by the period of the Passover when all priests officiated together; this interruption caused the third course not to end its administration until the Sabbath after Passover, which was April 21 in 4BC.

The period for the 8th course of Abujah would have been from May 19 to May 26.

If it was this late Springtime administration when the angelic messenger appeared to Zacharias about his wife's imminent pregnancy, then we have a chronological clue of the period for John the Baptist's conception.

It must have happened around that time, indeed, because Zacharias was struck dumb during his administration, which immediately disqualified him, from that moment, from exercising the priest's office (Lev 21:16-23).

He left for home and sometime near May 26 to June 1, Elisabeth conceived.

Since the human gestation period is about 280 days (9 months and 10 days), this would place the birth of John near March 10 in 3BC (this would place Christ's birth in the 1st half of September, 3BC).

The reason for rejecting the late Autumn session for Zacharias' duty in the Temple (John would have been born near mid-September, and Jesus in March) is the extreme unlikelihood that Jesus' parents would be traveling to Bethlehem during the rainy season. [Ramsay demonstrates in his book, Born in Bethlehem, that the general time of year for the start of censuses was from August to October, Pg. 193].

In addition to this, we have the witness of Luke that John began his preaching and baptizing of people in the open air when Jesus was "about thirty" (Luke 3:23). If John were baptizing in August or September this makes sense, but if six months later, in February or March, then it would have been very cold for baptisms.

A late Summer or early Autumn date has also been suggested because Luke said the shepherds were tending their flocks at night in the open when Jesus was born (Luke 2:8), and so, many think this precludes a Wintertime birth date, but this evidence is inconclusive, as some Winters were mild, and in mild winters sheep are often out of doors in Palestine all night [Hendriksen, Matthew, pg. 182].

If John began his ministry in spring/summer of 29AD (it could have been August of 28AD), then Christ would have reached His 31st year in September of that year (having been born in September, 3BC).

There's more evidence

The key is symbolically hidden in Revelations 12:1-5: "A great sign (astrological] appeared in heaven [2nd]; a woman [constellation Virgo the Virgin which is the only sign of a Woman which exists along the ecliptic] clothed with the sun [the Supreme Father is mid-bodied in Virgo], and the moon [also a symbol for a Woman; see Genesis 37:9,10] under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars [in Norton's Star Atlas there are 12 visible stars around Virgo's head: (1) Pi, (2) Nu, (3) Beta [near the ecliptic], (4) Sigma, (5) Chi, (6) Iota - these six stars form the southern hemisphere around the head of Virgo. Then there are (7) Theta, (8) Star 60, (9) Delta, (10) Star 93, (11) Beta [the 2nd magnitude star], (12) Omicron - these last six form the northern hemisphere around the head of Virgo. All these stars are visible ones that could have been seen by observers]; and she was with child [Virgin Mary pregnant with Jesus]; and she cried out,being in labor and in pain to give birth. And another sign [astrological] appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon [this is represented by one of the Decans of Leo; "whose length stretches 1/3 of the way around the whole zodiacal sphere, completely expelled from the places into which he had intruded, fleeing now for his life, and the great Lion, with claws and jaws extended, bounding in terrific fury and seizing the foul monster's neck." Seiss, The Gospel in the Stars, p. 135] having seven heads and tenhorns, and on his heads were seven diadems. And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven, [fall of angels] and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth [in person of Herod the Great], so that when she gave birth he might devour her. And she gave birth to a son [Christ], a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God [ascension] and to His throne.

The astronomical synchronism of this sign in the year of Christ's birth in 3 BC.

Virgo occupies, in body form, a space of about 50 degrees along the ecliptic (The head of the Woman actually bridges some 10 degrees into the previous sign of Leo and her feet overlap about 10 degrees into the following sign of Libra the Scales].

In the year of Christ's birth, the Sun entered the head-position of the Woman about August 13, and exited her feet about October 2.

But the apostle John saw the scene when the Sun "clothed" the Woman" (to be mid-bodied], and this happens between about 150 and 170 degrees along the ecliptic, which occurs over about a 20-day period each year, which in 3 BC was from about 27 August and 15 September.

If John in the Book of Revelation were associating the birth of Christ with the period when the Sun is mid-bodied to the Woman, then Christ would have been born within this 20 day period. From the point of view of the Magi back in their homes in Babylon, this would have been the only logical sign under which the Jewish Messiah might be born. Especially if He were to be born of a virgin [Even today, astrologers recognize that the sign of Virgo is the one which has reference to a messianic world ruler to be born of a virgin. Devore, Ency. of Astrology, p. 366].

The key to the very day of Jesus' birth is the words, "and the moon under her feet." The word "under" signifies that the Woman's feet were positioned just over the Moon. Since the feet of Virgo represent the last 7 degrees of the constellation (in the time of Christ this would have been between about 180 and 187 degrees along the ecliptic], the Moon has to be positioned somewhere under the 7 degree arc. But the Moon also has to be in that exact location when the Sun is mid-bodied to Virgo. In the year 3 BC, these two factors came to precise agreement for less than two hours, as observed from Palestine, on September 11. The precise arrangement began about 6:15 p.m. (sunset, and lasted until 7:45 p.m. (moonset]. This is the only day in the whole year that this could have taken place. One day before (Sept. 10] the Moon was located mid-calf, while one day beyond (Sept. 11] the Moon had moved so far beyond the feet of the Virgin that it was positioned at least 25 diameters of the Moon to the east of her feet. This then, was the situation that prevailed in the heavens on the evening of the nativity when the angel announced Christ's birth to the shepherds out under the evening sky (Luke2:8-11]. Apparently Jesus was born in the evening, and Revelation 12 shows that it was a New Moon day (moon 1st appears as a thin crescent; each of the 12 months began with a new moon].

And Lastly...

The further significance of 11 September, 3 BC. It was Tishri One on the Jewish calendar. Tishri One is none other than the Jewish New Year's day (Nisan 1 was the beginning of the Jewish ecclesiastical year; in 3 BC this fell on 18 March). Otherwise known as Rosh sha’shanah, or as the Bible calls it, the Day of Trumpets (Lev 23:23-25].

This is amazing. Almost too amazing! What a significant day for the appearance of the Messiah on earth! To Jewish people this would have been a profound occasion indeed! There could have hardly have been a better day in the calendar of the Jews to introduce the Messiah to the world than the first day of the civil year. Sundown on 11 September 3 BC (6 p.m.), was the beginning of Rosh sha’shanah (Jesus was born very soon after 6 p.m. when the day changed from 30 Elul to 1 Tishri).

The significance of 1 Tishri in Scripture. It is the Jewish New Year’s Day (end of summer and beginning of autumn). It was Noah’s birthday, and the very day he removed the cover from the Ark (Genesis 8:13). It was also the beginning of a new beginning for Earth. The first day of restoration/creation could be reckoned from this day, since all the fruit was on the trees ready for Adam and Eve to eat (the Jews discussed whether creation took place in Spring or Autumn. This would signal another new beginning for the Earth. 1 Tishri "came to be regarded as the birthday of the world", McClintock & Strong, Cyclopaedia, Vol. X, pg. 568. "Judaism regards New Year’s Day not merely as an anniversary of creation, but more importantly, as a renewal of it. This is when the world is reborn", Gaster, Festivals of the Jewish Year, pg. 109).

The festival year of the Jews, comprising seven of twelve months, were all commenced by the blowing of trumpets (Num.10:10); the last month (7th) was the last month (Tishri) for a trumpet introduction (for the festival year). The "last trump" in the series was always sounded on this day. So, it was the final trumpets’ day (Lev 23:24, Numbers 29:1). The next New Moon (the first of each month) on which the trumpet would be sounded would be five months later, 1 Nisan (beginning of the festival year). Note that the seventh (an final) trumpet blast in the Tribulation brings on the seven bowl judgements just before the Second Advent (Revelations.11:15).

The Day of Trumpets was also recognized among the Jews as their "Memorial Day" (the Jewish historian Theodor H. Gaster has special insight into Israel’s ancient feasts. See Festivals of the Jewish Year, pg. 108). It was not the kind of "Memorial Day" to which we are accustomed. It was a time to celebrate when "the dead return to rejoin their descendants at the beginning of the year" (Gaster, pg. 108). In other words, it was a celebration of the doctrine of future resurrection. Such a day was a time when Israel would rally to the call of God for the inauguration of God’s kingdom on earth (Gaster says the Day of Trumpets became "a symbol of the Last Trump", pg.113). Since the Apostle Paul was Jewish, it is possible to connect his mention of "the last trumpet", associated with the Rapture, (1Cor 15:52,1Thess 4:16), with this ancient festival.

The theme of the Day of Trumpets’ is also that of kingship in Israel. This was the very day that the kings of Judah reckoned as the inauguration day of their rule. This procedure was followed consistently in the time of Solomon, Jeremiah, and Ezra (Thiele, The Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings, pp. 28, 31, 161, 163). The Day of Trumpets was acknowledged as the time for counting the years of kingly rule. Indeed, it was customary that the final ceremony in the coronation of kings was the blowing of trumpets (for Solomon, 1Kgs.1:34, for Jehu, 2Kgs.9:13, for Jehoash, 2Kgs.11:11). There may even be a reference to the elevation of Joseph to kingship on the first day of Tishri. Notice that he had been in the dungeon for "two full years" (Gen.41:1). As with Christ in Rev.11:15, the kingdoms of the world became Joseph’s in the day intended for coronations. The day that later became the Day of Trumpets! Of course, Pharaoh retained top leadership, but the NT shows that God the Father still maintains supreme rule over Christ when He Takes over the kingdoms of the world.

The psalms classified as "enthronement psalms" (Ps.47, 93, 96-99) were probably designed for recitation at the New Year Feast of Yahweh (Gaster, pp. 114,115, Mowinckel, Zondervon Pict. Ency. of the Bible, Vol. II, pg. 524). Gaster’s insight is most helpful when he writes, "The Sovereignty of God is a dominant theme of the occasion and it is one of the cardinal features of New Year’s Day" pg.115.

The main issue that prevailed in the significance of the day was the triumph of God as king over all the forces of evil. The symbolic motif of the Day of Trumpets was God "continually fighting His way to the Kingdom, continually asserting His dominion, and continually enthroning Himself as sovereign of creation. At New Year, when the world was annually reborn, that sovereignty was evinced anew" Gaster, pg. 115.