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| The Star of Christ |
The exact birthdate of Jesus Christ is a subject of debate
among scholars, and there is no consensus on the matter. The most commonly held
view is that Jesus was born sometime between 6 and 4 BC, although some scholars
have suggested other dates.
One reason for the uncertainty surrounding Jesus' birthdate
is that the Bible does not provide a specific date or even a clear timeframe
for his birth. The Gospel of Matthew places Jesus' birth during the reign of
Herod the Great, who died in 4 BC, while the Gospel of Luke states that Jesus
was born during a census conducted by Quirinius, who became governor of Syria
in 6 AD. This discrepancy has led some scholars to propose alternative theories
about the date of Jesus' birth.
Some scholars have suggested that Jesus was actually born in
the spring, rather than in December as celebrated in Christmas. This theory is
based on the description in the Bible of shepherds tending their flocks in the
fields, which is more likely to occur in the spring than in the winter. Others
have proposed that Jesus was born in the fall, possibly during the Jewish
holiday of Sukkot.
Clues to Date
One of the main clues that scholars use to date the birth of
Jesus is the reign of Herod the Great, who was the king of Judea at the time.
Both Matthew and Luke associate Jesus' birth with Herod's rule, and Matthew
implies that Jesus could have been as much as two years old when Herod ordered
the massacre of all boys in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:16). Herod died in 4 BC,
according to historical sources, so most scholars agree that Jesus was born
sometime between 6 and 4 BC.
Another clue that scholars use to date the birth of Jesus is
the census of Quirinius, which Luke mentions as the reason why Joseph and Mary
had to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem (Luke 2:1-5). However, this census
poses a problem, because historical sources indicate that Quirinius became the
governor of Syria and conducted a census in AD 6, about ten years after Herod's
death. Some scholars try to solve this discrepancy by proposing that Luke was
referring to a different census, or that Quirinius had a previous term as
governor, or that there was a mistake in the transmission of the text. Others
simply dismiss Luke's account as historically inaccurate.
A third clue that scholars use to date the birth of Jesus is
the astronomical phenomenon known as the Star of Bethlehem, which Matthew
describes as guiding the Magi (or wise men) to find Jesus (Matthew 2:1-12).
Some scholars suggest that this star was a natural event, such as a conjunction
of planets, a comet, a supernova, or a meteor. They try to identify such events
that occurred around the time of Jesus' birth using historical records and
astronomical calculations. However, other scholars doubt that the star was a
literal object, and interpret it as a symbolic or miraculous sign.
Besides these clues, scholars also consider other factors,
such as the season of the year, the cultural and religious context, and the
theological significance of Jesus' birth. However, none of these factors
provide a definitive answer either. The traditional date of December 25 or
January 7 (depending on the calendar) is not based on historical evidence, but
on a later decision by the church. Some scholars propose alternative dates,
such as September or October, based on arguments from Jewish festivals,
shepherds' activities, or agricultural cycles. Others argue that the exact date
of Jesus' birth is not important for Christian faith.
Attempt to Date
There have been various scholars throughout history who have
suggested alternative dates for the birth of Jesus Christ. Here are some
examples:
Clement
of Alexandria: Clement was an early Christian
theologian and scholar who lived in the late 2nd century AD. He suggested that
Jesus was born on November 18th, 3 BC. His reasoning was based on the
assumption that Jesus was conceived on March 25th and that the pregnancy lasted
exactly nine months, leading to a birthdate of November 18th.
Tertullian: Tertullian was another early Christian writer
and theologian who lived in the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD. He proposed that
Jesus was born on March 28th, 4 BC. His reasoning was based on an
interpretation of the Gospel of Luke that suggests Jesus was baptized on his
30th birthday, which Tertullian calculated as March 28th, 29 AD. He then worked
backwards to arrive at a birthdate of March 28th, 4 BC.
Hippolytus
of Rome: Hippolytus was a 3rd-century theologian
and bishop who suggested that Jesus was born on December 25th, but in the year
2 BC. His reasoning was based on the idea that the birth of Jesus was
foreshadowed by the winter solstice, which falls on December 25th in the Julian
calendar. He believed that the date of the winter solstice had been calculated
by the ancient Egyptians and that this knowledge had been passed down to the
Jews, who used it to determine the date of Jesus' birth.
Isaac
Newton: Newton was a famous physicist and
mathematician who also had an interest in theology and biblical studies. He
proposed that Jesus was born on December 25th, 4 BC. His reasoning was based on
astronomical calculations, including the positions of the planets and stars at
the time of Jesus' birth.
Colin
J. Humphreys: He is a professor of Materials Science
at the University of Cambridge and has published numerous books and articles on
biblical chronology and astronomy. Humphreys is a modern-day physicist and
biblical scholar who has suggested that Jesus was born on April 17th, 5 BC. His
reasoning is based on a variety of factors, including the date of King Herod's
death, the date of a lunar eclipse mentioned in the Bible, and the position of
the stars in the sky at the time of Jesus' birth. Humphrey "suggests that
the birth of Christ was in the Spring, in the period 9 March–4 May 5 BC. Tentatively
the period around Passover time is suggested (13–27 April 5 BC).”[1]
Humphreys' proposed birthdate of Jesus on April 17th, 5 BC,
is based on a careful analysis of various historical and astronomical records,
as well as a critical reading of the biblical accounts of Jesus' birth. He
said, "We have deduced that Jesus was born in the spring of 5 BC. We note
that in 5 BC the first day of the feast of Passover (Nisan 15 in the Jewish
calendar) fell on 20 April and we tentatively give several reasons which
suggest that Jesus may have been born around Passover time."[2]
One of the key pieces of evidence that Humphreys has used to support his theory is the account of King Herod the Great's death. According to the historian Josephus, Herod died shortly after a lunar eclipse that was visible in the Middle East. Humphreys has identified this eclipse as the one that occurred on March 13th, 4 BC, and has used this date to establish a timeline for the events surrounding Jesus' birth.
Humphreys has also studied the Gospel of Matthew's account
of the star of Bethlehem. According to this account, a star appeared in the
east, guiding the Magi to the birthplace of Jesus. Humphreys has suggested that
this "star" may have been a conjunction of the planets Jupiter and
Saturn, which occurred in the constellation Pisces in 7 BC. He argues that this
event would have been visible from the Middle East and could have been
interpreted as a sign of the birth of a great king.
Another piece of evidence that Humphreys has used to support
his theory is the dating of the reign of the Roman emperor Augustus. According
to the Roman historian Suetonius, Augustus celebrated his silver jubilee (25th
year as emperor) in 2 BC. Humphreys believes that this event can be used to
establish a timeline for the reigns of Augustus and his predecessor, Julius
Caesar, which in turn can be used to date the events surrounding Jesus' birth.
Despite the rigor and depth of Humphreys' analysis, his
theory remains controversial among scholars. Some critics have challenged the
accuracy of the historical and astronomical data that he has used, while others
have questioned his methods of interpretation. Nevertheless, Humphreys' work
represents a significant attempt to reconcile the biblical accounts of Jesus'
birth with the scientific evidence available to us today.
Grant Mathews on the April 17, 6 BC: The True Birthday of Jesus Christ
Grant Mathews is a professor of theoretical astrophysics and
cosmology at the University of Notre Dame. He has been studying the possible
astronomical events that could explain the biblical account of the star of
Bethlehem that guided the wise men to the birthplace of Jesus Christ.
According to the Gospel of Matthew, the star in the East
appeared before sunrise and seemed to rest in the sky. It led the wise men from
Jerusalem to Bethlehem, where they found Jesus in a manger. The star also
alerted King Herod, who ordered the massacre of all male infants in Bethlehem,
fearing that a new king had been born.
Mathews used NASA databases to search for any celestial
phenomena that could match these descriptions around the time of Jesus' birth.
He considered several possibilities, such as supernovas, novas, comets and
planetary alignments. He ruled out supernovas and novas because they would have
been too faint or too short-lived to be noticed by ancient observers. He also
ruled out comets because they were considered bad omens by the Jews and the
Romans, and they would not have been associated with a divine message.
Mathews concluded that the most likely explanation for the
star of Bethlehem was a rare alignment of planets, the sun and the moon that
occurred on April 17, 6 BC. On that date, Jupiter, Saturn, Mars and Venus
formed a triangle in the constellation Aries, while the sun was in Pisces and
the moon was in Gemini. This alignment would have created a bright and
stationary point of light in the eastern sky before dawn. Mathews believes that
this alignment was also significant from an astrological perspective, as it
represented a symbolic message of peace, justice and harmony.
Mathews argues that this date fits well with other historical clues about Jesus' birth. He notes that King Herod died in 4 BC, so Jesus must have been born before that. He also notes that Luke's gospel mentions that Jesus was about 30 years old when he began his ministry, which would place his birth around 6 BC. Moreover, Mathews points out that April 17 was also the first day of spring and the Jewish Passover, which could have added to the meaning of Jesus' birth as a new beginning and a liberation from bondage.
Michael Molnar and the Coins from Antioch
In 1999, a Rutgers astronomer named Michael Molnar published
a book that offered a new and convincing solution, based on ancient astrology
and a rare coin he bought for $50.
Molnar's book, The
Star of Bethlehem: The Legacy of the Magi, argues that the star of Bethlehem was not a star at all, but rather a
regal portent centering around the planet Jupiter that was eclipsed by the
moon. He bases this theory on the actual beliefs of astrologers, such as the
Magi, who lived around the time of Christ. Molnar found some intriguing clues
to the mystery while researching the meaning of astrological symbols he found
on an ancient coin, which bore the image of Aries looking back at a star. He
found that Aries was a symbol of Judea at the time, and that ancient
astrologers believed that a new king would be born when the moon passed in
front of Jupiter.
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| Image: Michael R. Molnar / Eclipse.net |
Molnar wondered, could the coin have been issued as a response
to the Great Messianic Portent, the star of Bethlehem? To match the story of
the appearance of the Christmas star, Molnar also knew the event had to happen
when Jupiter was "in the east." Using these criteria and a computer
program, he was able to chart an eclipse of Jupiter in Aries on April 17, 6 BC,
a day when Jupiter was precisely "in the east," which confirmed his
theory. Moreover, he found that a Roman astrologer described the conditions of
that day as fitting the birth of a "divine and immortal" person.
According to Molnar, this astrological event was so rare and
impressive that it would have caught the attention of any astrologer in the
ancient world, especially those who were looking for signs of a Jewish messiah.
He suggests that the Magi were probably from Babylon or Persia, where astrology
was well developed and where there were Jewish communities that could have
informed them about the prophecies. Molnar also explains how they could have
followed Jupiter as their guide, since it would have appeared to move westward
as they traveled from east to west.
Molnar's theory has received praise from many scholars and
astronomers, who consider it to be the most original and plausible explanation
for the star of Bethlehem. It also has some theological implications, since it
shows how God could have used natural phenomena and human knowledge to reveal
his plan of salvation. Molnar's book is a fascinating read for anyone
interested in astronomy, history, or religion. It is also a testament to how a
simple coin can unlock one of the world's greatest mysteries.
It's worth noting that each of these scholars had their own
reasons for proposing a particular birthdate for Jesus, and their ideas were
based on a variety of different factors, including biblical texts, historical
records, and astronomical observations. Despite their differences, these
scholars all shared a common interest in understanding the historical and
theological significance of Jesus' birth, and their ideas have contributed to
ongoing debates and discussions about the nature of Jesus and his place in
history
Why did the early Church Fathers place the birthday of Jesus
on December 25?
The date of December 25 for the celebration of Jesus' birth
is not found in the Bible, nor is there any clear historical evidence that
Jesus was actually born on that day. The Bible does not mention his exact
birthday, and the nativity story contains conflicting clues. For instance, the
presence of shepherds and their sheep suggest a spring birth.
So how did December 25 become associated with Jesus' birth?
The answer lies in the complex interaction between Christianity and paganism in
the Roman Empire. For the first three centuries of Christianity, Jesus' birth
was not celebrated at all. The most important holidays were Epiphany on January
6, which commemorated the arrival of the Magi after Jesus' birth, and Easter,
which celebrated Jesus' resurrection. Some church leaders even opposed the idea
of a birth celebration, arguing that it would be wrong to honor Christ in the
same way as pagan gods.
However, by the fourth century, Christianity had become the
official religion of the Roman Empire, and church officials wanted to increase
its popularity and influence among the masses. They noticed that December 25
already hosted two other related festivals: natalis solis invicti (the Roman
"birth of the unconquered sun"), and the birthday of Mithras, the
Iranian "Sun of Righteousness" whose worship was popular with Roman
soldiers. The winter solstice, another celebration of the sun, fell just a few
days earlier .
Seeing that pagans were already exalting deities with some
parallels to the true deity, church leaders decided to commandeer the date and
introduce a new festival. They also identified Jesus with the celestial sun,
based on biblical passages such as Malachi 4:2 ("But for you who fear my
name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings") and
John 8:12 ("I am the light of the world"). The first official mention
of December 25 as a holiday honoring Jesus' birthday appears in an early Roman
calendar from AD 336. The choice of December 25 was probably influenced by a
calculation that Jesus was conceived on March 25 (the date of Passover and
later of Easter), which is exactly nine months before December 25.
The celebration of Christmas spread throughout the Western
world over the next several centuries, but many Christians continued to view
Epiphany and Easter as more important. Some, including the Puritans of colonial
New England, even banned its observance because they viewed its traditions—the
offering of gifts and decorating trees, for example—as linked to paganism. In
the early days of the United States, celebrating Christmas was considered a
British custom and fell out of style following the American Revolution. It
wasn't until 1870 that Christmas became a federal holiday.
Eastern churches, however, held on to January 6 as the date
for Christ's birth and his baptism. Most easterners eventually adopted December
25, celebrating Christ's birth on the earlier date and his baptism on the
latter, but the Armenian church still celebrates his birth on January 6.
Today, Christians around the world celebrate Christmas on
December 25 as a commemoration of God's love and grace manifested in the
incarnation of his Son. While the exact date of Jesus' birth may remain
unknown, what matters most is that he was born to save us from our sins and to
give us eternal life.
What can we expect now that modern research has revealed that
Jesus was not born on December 25th?
Many Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ on
December 25, a date that has become a global holiday. However, modern research
has shown that this date is not based on historical evidence, but rather on a
combination of pagan traditions, astrological calculations, and political
motives. So what could we expect now that we learn from modern research that
Jesus' birth is not December 25?
One possible outcome is that Christians may choose to
celebrate Jesus' birth on a different date, based on more reliable sources. For
example, some scholars have suggested that Jesus was born in the spring or
autumn, based on clues from the biblical narratives, such as the shepherds
watching their flocks at night and the census ordered by Caesar Augustus.
Others have proposed that Jesus was born in September or October, based on the
Jewish calendar and the timing of John the Baptist's conception and birth.
Still others have argued that Jesus was born in March or April, based on the
star of Bethlehem and its alignment with certain constellations.
Another possible outcome is that Christians may decide to
keep celebrating Jesus' birth on December 25, but with a different
understanding and attitude. Rather than viewing it as a historical fact, they
may see it as a symbolic date that represents the incarnation of God in human
form. They may also acknowledge and appreciate the influence of other cultures
and religions that have contributed to the development of Christmas traditions,
such as the winter solstice, the Roman Saturnalia, and the Germanic Yule. They
may also focus more on the spiritual meaning and message of Christmas, rather
than on the materialistic and commercial aspects.
A third possible outcome is that Christians may become more
diverse and flexible in their celebration of Jesus' birth, depending on their
personal preferences, beliefs, and contexts. Some may choose to celebrate it on
multiple dates throughout the year, following different calendars and
traditions. Some may opt to celebrate it only once a year, but on a date that
is meaningful and relevant to them. Some may even choose not to celebrate it at
all, but rather to commemorate other events in Jesus' life, such as his
baptism, his resurrection, or his ascension.
Whatever the outcome may be, the important thing is that
Christians do not lose sight of the core of their faith: the love of God that
was manifested in Jesus Christ. As the apostle Paul wrote in Romans 14:5-6:
"One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers
every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind.
Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does
so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to
the Lord and gives thanks to God."
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