Three Centuries Before Christ's Birth, People Celeberated 25 December, Archaeologists Claim

Independent (UK) ^ | 12-24-2003 | Dr David Keys

[blam]

Three centuries before Christ's birth, people celebrated 25 December, archaeologists claim

By David Keys Archaelology Correspondent
24 December 2003

Archeologists say they have traced the origins of the first Christmas to be celebrated on 25 December, 300 years before the birth of Christ. The original event marked the consecration of the ancient world's largest sun god statue, the 34m tall, 200 ton Colossus of Rhodes.

It has long been known that 25 December was not the real date of Christ's birth and that the decision to turn it into Jesus's birthday was made by Constantine, the Roman Emperor, in the early 4th century AD. But experts believe the origins of that decision go back to 283 BC, when, in Rhodes, the winter solstice occurred at about sunrise on 25 December.

The event was preserved by academics on Rhodes or in Alexandria, and seems to have been passed to Caesar by the Hellenistic Egyptian scientists, who advised him on his calendrical reforms.

The date was chosen because the emperor seems to have believed that the Roman sun god and Christ were virtually one and the same, and the sun's birthday had been decreed as 25 December some 50 years earlier by one of Constantine's predecessors, the Emperor Aurelian. He, in turn, seems to have chosen 25 December because, ever since Julius Caesar's calendar reforms of 46 BC, that date had been fixed as the official winter solstice, even though the real date for the solstice in Caesar's time was 23 December.

Dr Alaric Watson, one of the British historians involved in the current research and author of the major book on the period, Aurelian and the Third Century, said: "Constantine's choice of 25 December as the day on which to celebrate the birth of his divine patron, Christ, must be viewed in terms of the tradition on which Aurelian had drawn and which may well have originated in the celebration of the winter solstice at Rhodes some six centuries earlier.

"Constantine clearly saw his divine patron, initially Sol Invictus but later Christ, in much the same way as Aurelian had done. The imagery of Christ, like that of the ruler cults of the Hellenistic and Roman worlds, owed much to solar theology."

Jesus's real date of birth is not known, although various different pre-4th century traditions and computations put it either in the January to March period or in November.

[icydanger]

cough

[jwh_Denver]

I was under the impression that The Lion Of Juda was born in late July or August.

I saw a research paper where a guy explained how he came up with the date of Sept 11 between the hours of 6:30 PM to 7:15 PM. He used Scripture and he also reversed the stars/planets to show them as there were at Jesus Christ's birth. It was a convincing read but I can't say he's necessarily right or wrong.

[dandelion]

I agree, it's fascinating, but the idea that they were celebrating "Christmas" is blatant isegesis.

The Romans were celebrating Saturnalia, a completely different holiday, and everyone else had mid-winter rituals. These should be held in the regard of the cultures which created them - not held up as a "debunking" of Christianity, which is a pursuit which clearly belongs to our own culture...

Still, a way cool Ancient Holiday bump!!!

[steplock]

Why does this make me cranky? Add this incrememtal jab on religion (that's the real reason for this story!) alongside with......

Antonio Gramsci:
< excerpt >

...E. Both Capitalism and Judaeo-Christian culture must be destroyed before a Communist revolution can succeed

......1. Religious sentiment cannot be destroyed through legislation, as Lenin believed, but must be redirected from the divine to the state

.........a. Terror will only drive Religion underground

.........b. Religion will then reemerge when Leninism fails

.........c. So Religion must be destroyed in the minds of men

......2. Infiltrate religious academies and become priests and clergymen

.........a. Subtly promote heresy within religious organizations

.........b. Infiltrators must act so as to discredit the church

............(1) Cause financial and sexual scandals

............(2) See that this is given a high profile in the news

............(3) Like-minded infiltrators in the media will cooperate

......3. Once religion is discredited from within, continuously promote the idea that only the state can solve the problems that have been traditionally brought before the church

[eastsider]

Archeologists say they have traced the origins of the first Christmas to be celebrated on 25 December, 300 years before the birth of Christ.

HO! HO! HO!

[Oztrich Boy]

Pastor Arnold Murray ,Shepherds Chapel does an interesting study of the biblical record of Christs' birth and suggests (as have others that Christ was concieved in late Dec. and a babe in the manger in March

is that a 3 month or a 15 month pregnancy?

[yankeedame]

Jeez, like I guess they never heard of Saturnalia or Winter Solstice...

No, but did you know that New Year's Day in ancient Rome was/is our April 1st? And that on New Year's Day the Romans ran around playing (practical) jokes and tricks on one another? Which is why we today clown around on April 1st and call it "April Fools Day". We're unknowingly celebrating the ancient Roman's New Year Day.

(Hey, when it comes to worthless trivia I'm full of it!)

[Oztrich Boy]

One of the decrees sent out from Caesar Augustus that Judeans must return to their birth places to register for tax purposes has been found..

Total Barbra Streisand

What did the census at the time of the birth of Christ accomplish?

[kaboom]

One of the decrees sent out from Caesar Augustus that Judeans must return to their birth places to register for tax purposes has been found.

So we should really be celebrating April 15!

[dandelion]

It's not worthless, it's FUN!!! I LUV ancient cultures...

[icydanger]

yes,
may i add: the Romans around 300BC used to also cut a pine tree mourning the death of the Goddess Cybele's husband.

The pine tree rituals symbolizes rebirth, renewal

[Damagro]

"as have others that Christ was concieved in late Dec. and
a babe in the manger in March"


Wow, that really was a miracle. I don't think I've heard of a baby surviving a 12 week gestation period in modern times. The local hospital must've had one fantastic neo-natal unit.

[Ichneumon]

Add this incrememtal jab on religion (that's the real reason for this story!)

Um, ooookay.... Where can I get a mindreading crystal ball like yours? Is it possible to order one without the conspiracy filter? And did you have to pay extra for the persecution-complex option?

But seriously... If it somehow undermines a religion to examine the origins of its traditions, exactly where does the fault then rest? If you feel that the roots of Christian practices don't bear close examination, well...

alongside with...... Antonio Gramsci: < excerpt > ...E. Both Capitalism and Judaeo-Christian culture must be destroyed before a Communist revolution can succeed

Yeah, so? To quote your earlier post, "Yeah --- and WHAT else have you discovered? ... The sun rises in east and sets in the west?"

How does that constitute some sort of "proof" that a straightforward historical examination of religious traditions must be another cog in the vast conspiracy to destroy religion?

In your mind is every historian a Communist bent on world domination?

You know, the decaffeinated brands taste just as good.

[yankeedame]

...Science seems to always go OUT OF ITS WAY to attack religion...

You mean Christianity. Somehow I doubt these scientists (sic?) will go to the same lengths to "enlighten" the followers of Islam.

[Vermont Lt]

15 month pregnancy? I usually dont buy into the Saint thing, but a 15 month pregnancy? Joseph must have been a Saint--and Mary too. Yikes.

[MrsEmmaPeel]

My thoughts exactly

[Vermont Lt]

And to top the Saturnalia....I give you Mithra. I mean if we are going to back in time, lets go way, way back.

In the end you believe what you believe.


Mithra was:

born of a virgin in a stable on the winter solstice--frequently December 25 in the Julian calendar (the emperor Aurelian declared December 25 to be the official birthday of Mithra, circa 270 CE)--attended by shepherds who brought gifts;
worshiped on Sundays;
shown with a nimbus, or halo, around his head;
said to take a last supper with his followers when he returned to his father;
believed not to have died, but to have ascended to heaven, whence it was believed he would return at the end of time to raise the dead in a physical resurrection for a final judgement, sending the good to heaven and the wicked to hell, after the world had been destroyed by fire;
to grant his followers immortal life following baptism.
Followers of Mithra:

followed a leader called a 'papa' (pope), who ruled from the Vatican hill in Rome;
celebrated the atoning death of a savior who has resurrected on a Sunday;
celebrated sacramenta (a consecrated meal of bread and wine), termed a Myazda (corresponding exactly to the Catholic Missa (mass), using chanting, bells, candles, incense, and holy water, in remembrance of the last supper of Mithra).
The emperor Constantine was a follower of Mithra until he declared December 25 the official birthday of Jesus in 313 CE and adopted the cult of Christianity as the state religion.

[Don Corleone]

Archeologists say they have traced the origins of the first Christmas to be celebrated on 25 December, 300 years before the birth of Christ. The original event marked the consecration of the ancient world's largest sun god statue, the 34m tall, 200 ton Colossus of Rhodes.

Was that date under the "OLD STYLE" or "New Style" calandar? Those dirt sifters are as nuts as can be.

[Skywalk]

I thought everyone knew that a great deal of "Christian" culture was, in fact, co-opted from contemporary or more ancient sources?

Mithras is the Savior-God whose birthday was celebrated on December 25th. Not just "winter solstice" but specifically Dec. 25th. Why is that important? Because Christianity was in competition with Mithraism and later needed to win over more adherents, thus they brought that date in.

Just as we all know Easter is derived from the many-named, many-faced goddesses of fertility--Astaroth, Ishtar, Astarte, etc.

Why is this important? Well, if you go around claiming that JESUS, specifically, is the only Way to the Father then it makes a dent in your credibility if these holidays that are allegedly built around your deity are taken from other religions/cultures. It further dents the credibility of said religion, because there are so many other savior gods who have similar myths that came BEFORE the birth of Christ, that it makes Christianity seem like the copy of other religions, rather than the reverse being true.

[Lloyd227]

this is news?