How December 25 Became Christmas

Biblical Archaeology Society ^ | 8/12/2104 | Andrew McGowan

[Laissez-faire capitalist]

Please stay on the discussion at hand and not use a Red Herring and deflect this to a discussion about me as a way to change the topic. Thank you.

The ancients did not select the best and only evidence that was around 200 AD - which would have led them to go with March or April - and thus we would not have Christmas being torn up because of their actions in choosing a celebration of Christ’s birth that was too close to comfort to certain pagan holidays. Blame them, not me.

What wisdom they had in choosing the 25th of December, instead of going with the best evidence they had, which Clement provided!!!!

BTW, by bring in people celebrating their birthday on other days other than the one they were born on, is an apples to oranges argument, as these “many people” aren’t Christ the Lord, and the day chosen for his birth was not in keeping with the evidence they had then to go with from 200 AD.

[Claud]

There is no mention of birth celebrations in the writings of early Christian writers such as Irenaeus (c. 130-200) or Tertullian (c. 160-225).

Tertullian gives the date as Dec. 25 actually. The passage is disputed as an interpolation, but it's there.

Moreover, even if it is an interpolation, Tertullian also gives the Annunciation as March 25, from which Christ's birthday on Dec. 25 nine months later is inferred.

And the evidence from Tertullian harmonizes well with Chrysostom's claim in the 4th century as he was trying to get the feast spread in the East, that the Roman Church celebrated it on the 25th from time immemorial. He even claims the date was found in the census records, at Rome.

[kosciusko51]

I am not trying to change the subject, I am trying to understand why you bring the subject up.

As for: “The ancients did not select the best and only evidence that was around 200 AD - which would have led them to go with March or April - and thus we would not have Christmas being torn up because of their actions in choosing a celebration of Christ’s birth that was too close to comfort to certain pagan holidays. Blame them, not me.” is a fallacious statement, since you cannot know if we would be in the same situation or not had His birth been celebrated at a different time.

[Claud]

What the church has always believe is that Jesus was born, and that is what is being celebrated. I know many people who celebrate their “birthday” on a different day then when they were born.

That is dead on. Liturgical calendars have always had some flexibility to them. For almost 2000 years feasts have been moved, added, dropped, changed, shifted temporarily and permanently. We know, for example, that St. Kateri Tekakwitha died on April 17, 1680. But that date very often conflicts with Holy Week and Easter Week, so in this country the American bishops moved it to later in the summer.

The rabid insistence on a historically correct date is symptomatic of misplaced modern priorities.

[CodeToad]

Does it even matter at this point? Christmas has moved from Jesus and into “Good will to all mankind.” For the most part, Christmas is a celebration anyone can participate celebrating and, outside of some acts of greed, it is a holiday that I think Jesus would appreciate. It is the one holiday where giving versus receiving is the focus, where happiness and joy are integral to its meaning. Many do celebrate Jesus at Christmas. The Catholic mass is an amazing celebration in many churches. Protestants of all denominations make a huge celebration as well. I don’t think Jesus would disapprove.

[DNME]

The theory that makes the most sense to me has to do with marketing.

The pagans held one of their biggest feasts of the year on the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year. This maked the end of the year and the start of the new one.

Not to be outdone, Christians held THEIR biggest feast right after the pagan feast ended.

Which feast would prospective converts remember? The last one they attended, most likely. And Christianity prospered. Simple.

[SkyDancer]

On our modern Gregorian calendar, which did NOT exist at the time of Christ Jesus’ birth, He was born on October 4, 4BC.
Born, sometime overnight, on 15 Tishri, 3758 on the Hebrew’s calendar. See:http://antipas.net/heb_cal_3758.htm

[zeugma]

The Bible offers few clues: Celebrations of Jesus' nativity are not mentioned in the Gospels or Acts; the date is not given, not even the time of year. The biblical reference to shepherds tending their flocks at night when the hear the news of Jesus' birth (Luke 2:8) night suggest the spring lambing season; in the cold month of December, on the other hand, sheep might well have been corralled. Yet most scholars would urge caution about extracting such a precise but incidental detail from a narrative whose focus is theological rather than calendrical.

I've long suspected that Jesus was born in the spring. Doesn't really matter particularly to me when we celebrate the event. We ought to do it every day.

[BikerTrash]

For your perusal enjoyment...

This Is Appendix 179 From The Companion Bible.

I. Parallel Datings of the Times of Our Lord.

II. Dates of "The Begetting" and The Nativity.

III. "The Course of Abia".

A.M. = Anno Mundi; that is to say, in the year of the world.
B.C. = Before Christ. Reckoned as from 4004 A.M.
A.C. = Anno Christi; that is to say, in the year of Christ. Reckoned from the Nativity, in 4000 A.M. and 749-750 A.U.C.
A.U.C. = Anno Urbis Conditoe; that is to say; the year in which the City (Rome) was founded.

I.
PARALLEL DATINGS OF THE TIMES OF OUR LORD.

A.M.	B.C. - A.D.	A.C.	A.U.C.	YEARS OF THE REIGN OF AUGUSTUS (OCTAVIUS).	YEARS OF THE REIGN OF TIBERIUS.
3960	44		9
1	43		710
2	42		11
3	41		12
4	40		13
5	39		14   Herod declared king by the Romans, according to Josephus (Ant.xvii. 8 § 1), who states that his death took place thiryt-seven years later, and as he always reckoned his years from Nisan to Nisan (including initial and terminal fractions of Nisan as complete years), the death of Herod would be in 749-750 A.U.C., or 4-3 B.C.
6	38		15
7	37		16
8	36		17
9	35		18
3970	34		19
1	33		720
2	32		21
3	Battle of Actium   31		722	1st    year of Octavius.
4	30   Decree of Senate of Rome.		23	2
5	29		24	3
6	28		25	4
7	27		26	5   AUGUSTUS (Octavius) IMPERATOR
8	26		27	6
9	25		28	7
3980	24		29	8
1	23		730	9
2	22		31	10
3	21		32	11
4	20		33	12
5	19		34	13
6	18		35	14
7	17		36	15
8	16		37	16
9	15		38	17
3990	14		39	18
1	13		740	19
2	12		41	20
3	11		42	21
4	10		43	22
5	9		44	23
6	8		45	24
7	7		46	25
8	6		47	26
9	{5}		48	27
(See Appendix 50)   4000	THE NATIVITY 1st taxing or Census Luke 2:2 {4	YEARS OF THE  AGE OF THE LORD 0}	749 Herod d.c end of January 3 B.C.	28 Our Lord birth 15th Tisri = 29th September 4 B.C.
{1	{3	Quirinus' First Governorship.  1}	750	29
{2	{2	2}	51	30
3	{1	3}	52	31
4004	0  A.D.	4	753	32  A.D. reckoning begins, owing to the mistake of Dionysius Exiguus in arranging the Calendar of the Christian Era in A.D. 532.
5	1	5	54	33
6	2	6	55	34
7	3	7	56	35
8	4	8	57	36
9	5	9	58	37
4010	6	10	59	38
1	7	11	760	39
2	8	12  Christ in the Temple	61	40
3	9	13	62	41
4	2nd Census (?) 10	14	63	42	YEARS OF THE REIGN OF TIBERIUS.
5	11	15	64	43
6	12	16	65	44  1st yr. of Tiberius'	1  joint reign with Augustus.
7	13	17	66	45	2
8	14	18	67	19th August   46 Augustus dies.	3 Tiberius alone.
9	15	19	68		4
4020	16	20	69		5
1	17	21	770		6
2	18	22	71		7
3	19	23	72		8
4	20	24	73		9
5	21	25	74		10
6	22	26	75		11
7	23	27	76		12
8	3rd Census (?)  24	28	77		13  3rd Census this year (?).
9	25	29	78		14
4030	26 The Ministry	30 of our	779 Lord	begins (Luke 3:23) in the	15th year of Tiberius.
1	27	31	780		16
2	28	32	81		17
ANNO MUNDI 4033	THE CRUCIFIXION 29	A.D.THE LORD 33	YEARS OF AGE.	A.U.C. ROMAN RECKONING. 782	THE 18th year of Tiberius.

II.
DATES OF "THE BEGETTING" (he gennesis, Matthew 1:18,20 (see Revised Version marg.). John 1:14-) OF OUR LORD AND HIS BIRTH. (Luke 2:7. John 1:-14.)

TEBETH (29)	1 =25-26	DECEMBER (7) (5 B.C.).
	2 = 26-27
	3 = 27-28
	4 = 28-29
	5 = 29-30
	6 = 30-31
	7 = 31-1
	8 = 1-2	JANUARY (31) (4 B.C.).
	9 = 2-3
	10 = 3-4
	11 = 4-5
	12 = 5-6
	13 = 6-7
	14 = 7-8
	15 = 8-9
	16 = 9-10
	17 = 10-11
	18 = 11-12
	19 = 12-13
	20 = 13-14
	21 = 14-15
	22 = 15-16
	23 = 16-17
	24 = 17-18
	25 = 18-19
	26 = 19-20
	27 = 20-21
	28 = 21-22
	29 = 22-23
SEBAT  (30)	1 = 23-24
	2 = 24-25
	3 = 25-26
	4 = 26-27
	5 = 27-28
	6 = 28-29
	7 = 29-30
	8 = 30-31
	9 = 31-1
	10 = 1-2	FEBUARY (29) (Leap Year)
	11 = 2-3
	12 = 3-4
	13 = 4-5
	14 = 5-6
	15 = 6-7
	16 = 7-8
	17 = 8-9
	18 = 9-10
	19 = 10-11
	20 = 11-12
	21 = 12-13
	22 = 13-14
	23 = 14-15
	24 = 15-16
	25 = 16-17
	26 = 17-18
	27 = 18-19
	28 = 19-20
	29 = 20-21
	30 = 21-22
ADAR (29)	1 = 22-23
	2 = 23-24
	3 = 24-25
	4 = 25-26
	5 = 26-27
	6 = 27-28
	7 = 28-29
	8 = 29-1
	9 = 1-2	MARCH (31)
	10 = 2-3
	11 = 3-4
	12 = 4-5
	13 = 5-6
	14 = 6-7
	15 = 7-8
	16 = 8-9
	17 = 9-10
	18 = 10-11
	19 = 11-12
	__________
	78 | 78
	20 = 12-13
	21 = 13-14
	22 = 14-15
	23 = 15-16
	24 = 16-17
	25 = 17-18
	26 = 18-19
	27 = 19-20
	28 = 20-21
	29 = 21-22
NISAN (30)	1 = 22-23
	2 = 23-24
	3 = 24-25
	4 = 25-26
	5 = 26-27
	6 = 27-28
	7 = 28-29
	8 = 29-30
	9 = 30-31
	10 = 31-1
	11 = 1-2	APRIL (30)
	12 = 2-3
	13 = 3-4
	14 = 4-5
	15 = 5-6
	16 = 6-7
	17 = 7-8
	18 = 8-9
	19 = 9-10
	20 = 10-11
	21 = 11-12
	22 = 12-13
	23 = 13-14
	24 = 14-15
	25 = 15-16
	26 = 16-17
	27 = 17-18
	28 = 18-19
	29 = 19-20
	30 = 20-21
ZIF (29)	1 = 21-22
	2 = 22-23
	3 = 23-24
	4 = 24-25
	5 = 25-26
	6 = 26-27
	7 = 27-28
	8 = 28-29
	9 = 29-30
	10 = 30-31
	11 = 1-2	MAY (31)
	12 = 2-3
	13 = 3-4
	14 = 4-5
	15 = 5-6
	16 = 6-7
	17 = 7-8
	18 = 8-9
	19 = 9-10
	20 = 10-11
	21 = 11-12
	22 = 12-13
	23 = 13-14
	24 = 14-15
	25 = 15-16
	26 = 16-17
	27 = 17-18
	28 = 18-19
	29 = 19-20
SIVAN (30)	1 = 20-21
	2 = 21-22
	3 = 22-23
	4 = 23-24
	5 = 24-25
	6 = 25-26
	7 = 26-27
	8 = 27-28
	9 = 28-29
	________
	156 | 156
	10 = 29-30
	11 = 30-31
	12 = 31-1
	13 = 1-2	JUNE (30)
	14 = 2-3
	15 = 3-4
	16 = 4-5
	17 = 5-6
	18 = 6-7
	19 = 7-8
	20 = 8-9
	21 = 9-10
	22 = 10-11
	23 = 11-12
	24 = 12-13
	25 = 13-14
	26 = 14-15
	27 = 15-16
	28 = 16-17
	29 = 17-18
	30 = 18-19
THAMMUZ (29)	1 = 19-20
	2 = 20-21
	3 = 21-22
	4 = 22-23
	5 = 23-24
	6 = 24-25
	7 = 25-26
	8 = 26-27
	9 = 27-28
	10 = 28-29
	11 = 29-30
	12 =30-1
	13 = 1-2	JULY (31)
	14 = 2-3
	15 = 3-4
	16 = 4-5
	17 = 5-6
	18 = 6-7
	19 = 7-8
	20 = 8-9
	21 = 9-10
	22 = 10-11
	23 = 11-12
	24 = 12-13
	25 = 13-14
	26 = 14-15
	27 = 15-16
	28 = 16-17
	29 = 17-18
AB (30)	1 = 18-19
	2 = 19-20
	3 = 20-21
	4 = 21-22
	5 = 22-23
	6 = 23-24
	7 = 24-25
	8 = 25-26
	9 = 26-27
	10 = 27-28
	11 = 28-29
	12 = 29-30
	13 = 30-31
	14 = 31-1
	15 = 1-2	AUGUST (31)
	16 = 2-3
	17 = 3-4
	18 = 4-5
	19 = 5-6
	20 = 6-7
	21 = 7-8
	22 = 8-9
	23 = 9-10
	24 = 10-11
	25 = 11-12
	26 = 12-13
	27 = 13-14
	28 = 14-15
	__________
	234 | 234
	29 = 15-16
	30 = 16-17
ELUL (29)	1 = 17-18
	2 = 18-19
	3 = 19-20
	4 = 20-21
	5 = 21-22
	6 = 22-23
	7 = 23-24
	8 = 24-25
	9 = 25-26
	10 = 26-27
	11 = 27-28
	12 = 28-29
	13 = 29-30
	14 = 30-31
	15 = 31-1	SEPTEMBER (29)
	16 = 1-2
	17 = 2-3
	18 = 3-4
	19 = 4-5
	20 = 5-6
	21 = 6-7
	22 = 7-8
	23 = 8-9
	24 = 9-10
	25 = 10-11
	26 = 11-12
	27 = 12-13
	28 = 13-14
	29 = 14-15
ETHANIM (TISRI) (15)	1 = 15-16
	2 = 16-17
	3 = 17-18
	4 = 18-19
	5 = 19-20
	6 = 20-21
	7 = 21-22
	8 = 22-23
	9 = 23-24
	10 = 24-25
	11 = 25-26
	12 = 26-27
	13 = 27-28
	14 = 28-29
ETHANIM OR (TISRI)	15 = 29-30	SEPTEMBER
	____________
Days on Jewish reckoning,	280 | 280	days, on Gentile reckoning.
	_____  _____
According to Jewish reckoning.		According to Gentile (Western) reckoning.
TEBETH 29 days		DECEMBER 7 days
SEBAT 30 days		JANUARY 31 days
ADAR 29 days		FEBUARY 29 days
NISAN 30 days		MARCH 31 days
ZIF 29 days		APRIL 30 days
SIVAN 30 days		MAY 31 days
THAMMUZ 29 days		JUNE 30 days
AB 30 days		JULY 31 days
ELUL 29 days		AUGUST 31 days
ETHANIM 15 days		SEPTEMBER 29 days
__________		__________
280		280
==========		==========

280 days = 40 weeks - forty sevens, the perfect period of human gestation [7x5x8=280].

The Component Numbers of 280 are highly significant in this connection.

7 denotes Spiritual Perfection.

5 denotes Divine Grace.

8 denotes Resurrection, Regeneration, etc. (Appendix 10).

1st TEBETH = 25th December (5 B.C.)

15th ETHANIM = 29th September (4 B.C.).

From 1st TEBETH to 15th ETHANIM (inclusive) = 280 days.

From 25th DECEMBER (5 B.C .) to 29th SEPTEMBER (4 B.C.) = 280 days.

1. It thus appears without the shadow of a doubt that the day assigned to the Birth of the Lord, videlicet: December 25, was the day on which He was "begotten of the Holy Ghost", that is to say, by pneuma hagion = divine power (Matthew 1:18, 20 marg.), and His birth took place on the 15th of Ethanim, September 29, in the year following, thus making beautifully clear the meaning of John 1:14,"The Word became flesh" (Matthew 1:18,20) on 1st Tebeth or December 25 (5 B.C.), "and tabernacled (Greek eskenosen) with us", on 15th of Ethanim or September 29 (4 B.C.).

      The 15th of Ethanim (or Tisri) was the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles. The Circumcision therefore took place on the eighth day of the Feast = 22nd Ethanim = October 6-7 (Leviticus 23:33-43). So that these two momentous events fall into their proper place and order, and the real reason is made clear why the 25th of December is associated with our Lord, and was set apart by the Apostolic Church to commemorate the stupendous event of the "Word becoming flesh" - and not, as we have for so long been led to suppose, the commemoration of a pagon festival.

2. An overwhelmingly strong argument in favour of the correctness of this view lies in the fact that the date of "the Festival of Michael and All Angels" has been from very early times the 29th day of September, on Gentile (Western) reckoning.

       But "the Church" even then had lost sight of the reason why this date rather than any other in the Calendar should be so indissolubly associated with the great Angelic Festival.

      The following expresses the almost universal knowledge or rather want of knowledge of "Christendom" on the subject: "We pass on now to consider, in the third place, the commemoration of September 29, the festival of Michaelmas, par excellence. It does not appear at all certain what was the original special idea of the commemoration of this day" (Smith Dictionary of Chr. Antiqq. (1893), volume ii, page 1177 (3) ).

      A reference, however, to the Table and statements above, make the "original special idea" why the Festival of "Michael and All Angels" is held on September 29 abundantly clear. Our Lord was born on that day, the first day of the "Feast of Tabernacle" (Leviticus 23:39). This was on the fifteenth day of the seventh Jewish month called Tisri, or Ethanim (Appendix 51. 5), corresponding to our September 29 (of the year 4 B.C.).

      The "Begetting" (gennesis) Day of the Lord was announced by the Angel Gabriel. See notes on Daniel 8:16, and Luke 1:19.

      The "Birth" Day, by "(the) Angel of the Lord", unnamed in either Matthew and Luke.

      That this Angelic Being was "Michael the Archangel" (of Jude 9), and "Mika'el hassar haggadol-"Michael the Great Prince"-of Daniel 12:1, seems clear for the following reason: If, "when again (yet future) He bringeth the First-begotten into the world, He saith, Let all the Angels of God worship Him" (Hebrews 1:6; quoting Psalm 97:6)-then this must include the great Archangel Michael himself. By parity of reasoning, on the First "bringing" into the world of the only begotten Son, the Archangel must have been present. And the tremendous announcement to the shepherds, that the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6) was on earth in the person of the Babe of Bethlehem, must therefore have been made by the same head of the heavenly host (Luke 2:9-14). In mundane affairs, announcement of supremest importance (of Kings, etc.) are invariably conveyed through the most exalted personage in the realm. The point need not be laboured.

3. The fact of the Birth of our Lord having been revealed to the shepherds by the Archangel Michael on the 15th of Tisri (or Ethtanim), corresponding to September 29, 4 B.C.-the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles-must have been known to believers in the Apostolic Age. But "the mystery of iniquity" which was "already working" in Paul's day (2 Thessalonians 2:7) quickly enshrouded this and the other great fact of the Jewish month Tebeth (corresponding to December 25, 5 B.C.)-as well as other connected with His sojourn on earth,⁴-in a rising mist of obscurity in which they have ever since been lost.

      The earliest allusion to December 25 (modern reckoning) as the date for the Nativity is found in the Stromata of Clement of Alexandria, about the beginning of the third century A.D. (See note ³).⁵

      That "Christmas" was a pagan festival long before the time of our Lord is beyond doubt. In Egypt Horus (or Harpocrates ⁶), the son of Isis (Queen of Heaven), was born about the time of the winter solstice.⁷ By the time of the early part of the fourth century A.D., the real reason for observing Christmas as the date for the miraculous "begetting" of Matthew 1:18 and "the Word becoming flesh" of John 1:14 had been lost sight of. The policy of Constantine, and his Edict of Milan, by establishing universal freedom of religion furthered this. When many of the followers of the old pagan systems-the vast majority of the empire, it must be remembered- adopted the Christian religion as a cult, which Constantine had made fashionable, and the "Church" became the Church of the Roman Empire, they brought in with them, among a number of other things emanating from Egypt and Babylon, the various Festival Days of the old "religious". Thus "Chirstmas Day," the birthday of the Egyptian Horus (Osiris), became gradually substituted for the real Natalis Domini of our blessed Saviour, videlicet: September 29,or Michaelmas Day.

4. If, however, we realize that the centre of gravity, so to speak, of what we call the Incarnation is the Incarnation itself- the wondrous fact of the Divine "begetting", when "the Word became flesh" (see Matthew 1:18 and John 1:14) - and that this is to be associated with December 25 instead of March - as for 1,600 years Christendom has been led to believe - then "Christmas" will be seen in quite another light, and many who have hitherto been troubled with scruples concerning the day being, as they have been taught, the anniversary of a Pagan festival, will be enabled to worship on that Day without alloy of doubt, as the time when the stupendous miracle which is the foundation stone of the Christian faith, came to pass.

      The "Annunciation" by the Angel Gabriel marked the gennesis of Matthew 1:18, and the first words of John 1:14.

      The announcement to the shepherds by the Archangel Michael marked the Birth of our Lord. John 1:14 is read as though "the Word became flesh (Revised Version), and dwelt among us", were one and the same thing where - as they are two clauses.

      The paragraph should read thus:
   

   "And the Word became flesh; (Greek ho logos sarx egeneto.)

   
   

   And tabernacled with (or among) us." (Greek kai eskenosen en hemin).

      The word tabernacled here (preserved in Revised Version marg.) receives beautiful significance from the knowledge that "the Lord of Glory" was "found in fashion as a man" , and thus tabernacling in human flesh. And in turn it shows in equally beautiful significance that our Lord was born on the first day of the great Jewish Feast of Tabernacles, videlicet: the 15th of Tisri, corresponding to September 29, 4 B.C. (modern reckoning).
      The circumcision of our Lord took place therefore on the eighth day, the last day of the Feast, the "Great Day of the Feast" of John 7:37 ("Tabernacles" had eight days. The Feast of Unleavened Bread had seven days, and Pentecost one. See Leviticus 23).

5. The main arguments against the Nativity having taken place in December may be set forth very simply:

   (i) The extreme improbability, amounting almost to impossibility, that Mary, under such circumstances, could have undertaken a journey of about 70 miles (as the crow flies), through a hill district averaging some 3,000 feet above sea - level, in the depth of winter:

   (ii) Shepherds and their flocks would not be found "abiding" (Greek agrauleo) in the open fields at night in December (Tebeth), for the paramount reason that there would be no pasturage at that time. It was the custom then (as now) to withdraw the flocks during the month Marchesvan (October-November)⁸ from the open districts and house them for the winter.

   (iii) The Roman authorities in imposing such a "census taking" for the hated and unpopular "foreign" tax would not have enforced the imperial decree (Luke 2:1) at the most inconvenient and inclement season of the year, by compelling the people to enroll themselves at their respective "cities" in December. In such a case they would naturally choose the "line" of least resistance", and select a time of year that would cause least friction, and interference with the habits and pursuits of the Jewish people. This would be in the autumn, when the agricultural round of the year was complete, and the people generally more or less at liberty to take advantage, as we know many did, of the opportunity of "going up" to Jerusalem for the "Feast of Tabernacles" (compare John 7:8-10, etc.), the crowning Feast of the Jewish year.

      To take advantage of such a time would be to the Romans the simplest and most natural policy, whereas to attempt to enforce the Edict of Registration for the purposes of Imperial taxation in the depth of winter, - when travelling for such a purpose would have been deeply resented, and perhaps have brought about a revolt,-would never have been attempted by such an astute ruler as Augustus.

6. With regard to the other two "Quarter Days", June 24, March 25, these are both associated with the miraculous (Luke 1:7) "conception" and the birth of the Forerunner, as December 25 and September 29 are with our Lord's miraculous "Begetting" and Birth; and are therefore connected with "the Course of Abiah."

III.
"THE COURSE OF ABIA" (Luke 1:5).

   This was the eighth of the priestly courses of ministration in the Temple (1 Chronicles 24:10), and occurred, as did the others, twice in the year.

   The "Courses"were changed every week, beginning each with a Sabbath. The reckoning commenced on the 22nd day of Tisri or Ethanim (Appendix 51. 5). This was the eighth and last day of the Feast of Tabernacles = the "Great Day of the Feast" (John 7:37), and was a Sabbath (Leviticus 23:39).

   The first course fell by lot to Jehoiarib, and the eighth to Abia or Abijah (1 Chronicles 24:10).

   Bearing in mind that all the courses served together at the three Great Feasts, the dates for the two yearly "ministrations" of Abiah will be seen to fall as follows:

   The first ⁹ ministration was from 12-18 Chisleu = December 6-12.

   The second ministration was from 12-18 Sivan = June 13-19.

   The announcement therefore to Zacharias in the Temple as to the conception of John the Baptist took place between 12-18 SIVAN (June 13-19), in the year 5 B.C. After finishing his "ministration", the aged priest "departed to his own house" (Luke 1:23), which was in a city¹⁰ in "the hill country" of Juda (verse 39).

   The day following the end of the "Course of Abia" being a Sabbath (Sivan 19), he would not be able to leave Jerusalem before the 20th.

   The thirty miles journey would probably occupy, for an old man, a couple of days at least. He would therefore arrive at his house on the 21st or 22nd. This leaves ample time for the miraculous "conception" of Elizabeth to take place on or about 23rd of SIVAN ¹¹ - which would correspond to June 23-24 of that year. The fact of the conception and its date would necessarily be known at the time and afterwards, and hence the 23rd SIVAN would henceforth be associated with the conception of John Baptist as the 1st TEBETH would be with that of our Lord.

   But the same influences that speedily obscured and presently obliterated the real dates of our Lord's "Begetting" and Birth, were also at work with regard to those of the Forerunner, and with the same results. As soon as the true Birth day of Christ had been shifted from its proper date, videlicet: the 15th of Tisri (September 29), and a Festival Day from the Pagan Calendars substituted for it (videlicet: December 25), then everything else had to be altered too.

   Hence "Lady Day" in association with March 25 (new style) became necessarily connected with the Annunciation. And June 24 made its appearance, as it still is in our Calendar, as the date of "the Nativity of John the Baptist", instead of, as it really is, the date of his miraculous conception.

   The Four "Quarter Days" may therefore be set forth thus: first in the chronological order of the events with which they are associated, videlicet:

The conception of John Baptist	on or about 23rd SIVAN = June 24	in the year 5 B.C.
The Gennesis (Begetting) of our Lord	on or about 1st TEBETH = December 25	in the year 5 B.C.
The birth of John Baptist	on or about 4th-7th NISAN = March 25-28	in the year 4 B.C.
The birth of our Lord	on or about 15th TISRI = September 29	in the year 4 B.C.

   or, placing the two sets together naturally:-

{The conception of John	23rd SIVAN = June 23-24	in the year 5 B.C.
{The birth of John	7th NISAN = March 28-29	in the year 4 B.C.
{The Miraculous "Begetting"	1st TEBETH = December 25	in the year 5 B.C.
{The NATIVITY	15th TISRI = September 29	in the year 4 B.C.

NOTES

¹ ZUMPT fixes Quirinus' (Cyrenius') First Governorship as 4 B.C. to 1 B.C. Justin Martyr thrice says that our Lord was born under Quirinus (Apol. 1. XXXIV, page 37; XLVI, page 46; Dial. LXXVIII, page 195. Clarks edition).

² According to some, Augustus died August 19, A.D. 14. Therefore if Tiberius' co-regnancy was for two years before Augustus' death his first year was 765 A.U.C. = 12 A.D.. His fifteenth year consequently was A.U.C. 779 = 26 A.D. = 4030 A.M. and A.C. 30, for our Lord was thirty years of age when He begun His Ministry (Luke 3:23). Clement of Alexandria gives the years of Augustus' reign as being 43-46, according to different reckonings in his day.

³ According to Clement of Alexandria (compare A.D. 190-220) "Our Lord was born in the twenty-eighth year when first the census was ordered to be taken in the reign of Augustus" (Stromata, Book i, see Clark's edition i. pages 444-445). If that is correct, and it is true that a Census was taken every fourteen years, then the next would fall in A.D. 10, and the succeeding one would have been due A.D. 24.

⁴ Notably the day of the crucifixion, etc (see Appendix 156 and Appendix 165).

⁵ His statements are, however, very vague, and he mentions several dates claimed by others as correct.

⁶ Osiris reincarnated.

⁷ See Wilkinson's Ancient Egyptians, Volume III, page 79 (Birch's edition).

⁸ It is true that the Lebanon shepherds are in the habit of keeping their flocks alive during the winter months, by cutting down branches of trees in the forests in that district, to feed the sheep on the leaves and twigs, when in autumn the pastures are dried up, and in winter, when snow covers the ground (compare Land and Book, page 204), but there is no evidence that the Bethlehem district was afforested in the manner.

⁹ Reckoning of course from Ethanim or Tisri - the First month of the civil year. The sacred year was six month later, and began on 1st Nisan.

¹⁰ The "city" is not named (possibly Juttah, some 30 miles to the south of Jerusalem).

¹¹ The conception of John Baptist was, in view of Luke 1:7, as miraculous as that of Isaac; but it is not necessary to insist upon the complete period of forty sevens in the case of Elizabeth. Therefore the birth of the Forerunner may have been three or four days short of the full two hundred and eighty days, - as indicated in the above table.

Appendix List

therain.org 1999.

[Jeremiah Jr]

25 Kislev 3756 - Chanukah / Conception of Yeshua

15 Tishri 3757 - Sukkot / Birth of Yeshua

15 Nisan 3790 - (30 C.E.) Pesach / Crucifixion of Yeshua

Yeshua was 30 when His ministry started, it lasted three and a half years and was crucified on Pesach. Throw out the 33 years, back up 6 months on the Hebrew calendar and you fall into Sukkot. There's lots more...

[dangus]

Very poorly researched article.

The discrepancy in dates between the Eastern Orthodox and Western Catholics has nothing to do with disagreement of the time of Christ’s birth; The Catholics realigned their calendars, while the Orthodox didn’t.

Origen’s mocking of birthdays hardly has any relevance to Christmas; he’s not mocking that people recall fondly a birthday, but what he sees as immoral behavior and general jackassery.

Early Christians had two reasons for deciding that Dec. 25th was Christmas... and they certainly were aware of the Mediterranean climate when they did so:

First was the belief that great prophets were assumed into heaven on the day they had been conceived on Earth, their “heavenly birthday.” Since (using the Western calendar) Jesus was believed to have been killed on Friday, March 25th, that date became celebrated as the Feast of the Annunciation (whereas Good Friday remained tied to the Christian interpretation of the Hebrew calendar). December 25th was 9 months after that.

Second, Jesus identified himself as the true and everlasting Temple of Zion. (”Destroy this Temple and on the third day, I will raise it up...”) Dec. 25th was celebrated as the Feast of the Dedication, when the Spirit of the Living God indwelled within the Temple. Hence, it makes sense to celebrate Dec. 25th as the day when the Spirit of the Living God indwelled within Mankind. In fact, it was on Dec. 25th that Christ actually identified himself as the Temple.

Neither of these suppositions are historical in nature, but both are very pious.

[delchiante]

Revelation 12 gives the Messiah’s birth date..

It occurred when the woman was clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet..

That woman in the heavens is a constellation. Part of the Mazzaroth.

This year, that sign was seen on Gregorian September 26th.

A new moon day..

Because of the earth wobbling for 2000 years, that sign has appeared to have ‘moved’ in the sky. they call it the precession of the equinox..

The Messiah was born in the summer, on a New Moon Day. And that New Moon Day was the first day of our Heavenly Father’s 6th month.

And when one follows the calendar in the sky, confirmed in scripture, every major life event the Messiah had occurred on holy appointed days that He gave Israel..

New Moons, Sabbaths and Feasts. His birth, circumcision, dedication, baptism, death burial, resurrection all occurred on those new moons, Sabbaths and feasts detailed in scripture.

Not surprising those holy days are ignored for man’s holy days..

[delchiante]

All of that ignores revelation 12 when a sign in the heavens was seen..

That sign, where a woman was clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet, is a real astronomical event. It occurred Gregorian September 26th this year. (It has moved in 2000 years so it wasn’t in ‘September’ back then.

It is, though, New Moon Day when a visible crescent is used to determine a new month.

It is actually at the end of the new moon day when that sign can be seen..

a full moon would not be under the constellation’s feet at the time of a midmonth feast.
It would be on the opposite side of the sky so He wasn’t born Tabernacles but it doesn’t mean He wasnt born at an appointed time.. what unfolds is truly the Word becoming Flesh and dwelling among us..

The ezekiel 46 calendar template shows us that after the new moon, there are six work days, then the weekly sabbath.

The Messiah’s life followed that calendar. And Israel was taught this very calendar .

New moon day- birth (a specific month-1st day of month)
Eighth day of month is the 7th day Sabbath ( 1 new moon + 6 work days+ 1 sabbath=8)

He was born on a new moon day, circumcised the 8th day, which on our Heavenly Father’s calendar is a weekly Sabbath.
He was to be dedicated in the temple 40 days after His birth, per Torah.

It would be the 10th day of the next month... the only appointed day that falls on the 10th day of any month is Yom Kippur, the 10th day of the 7th month. So He was dedicated in the temple on the Day of Atonement! And we know that 5 days later was Tabernacles so certainly He tabernacled there!

He was then baptized on His 30th birthday, again on a New Moon Day, the first day of the 6th month. Scripture details that he immediately was led into the wilderness for 40 days- certainly a shadow from His mother’s purification at His birth.

We know He laid His life down on Feast of Passover, the 14th day. Rested on the weekly and annual Sabbath of Unleavened Bread, the 15th day of the month,and rose on the first day of the week, the 16th day, Feast of First Fruits.

This year, Passover was on a gregorian Monday for most. Problem is, First Fruits is normally observed on Gregorian Sunday and not the third day as new covenant believers and scripture confirms.

But because Ezekiel’s template is ignored for Rome’s calendar, the 15th day of the 7th month is only seen as a annual Sabbath and not also a weekly one.

The Messiah’s life need not be a mystery to His Bride..we can know it all
But it helps to reject the world’s system and go with scripture.

His birth, an appointed time
His circumcision, an appointed time
His dedication in the temple, an appointed time
His baptism, an appointed time
His death, an appointed time
His burial, an appointed time
His resurrection, an appointed time
His return?????

If we don’t see New Moon Days, Sabbaths and Feasts as appointed times (Moeds) we will settle for things like December 25, easter and Saturday/Sunday Sabbaths..
None of those are truth. They are counterfeits to truth..

On His calendar, yesterday Moon’s day, was His 22nd day of His month, His weekly Sabbath.. the world called it a work day.

But only can one see that if they see scripture as the final authoity and not Rome.. Rome isn’t just influential with catholics or Christians.. the world doesn’t run on a calendar named after pope gregory by accident. It is prophetic.

[who knows what evil?]

On December 25, Christians around the world will gather to celebrate Jesus' birth.

Not all of us.

[Uri’el-2012]

I have no idea what you are talking about.

shalom b'SHEM Yah'shua HaMashiach

[delchiante]

If today is Tiw’s day for you, like it is for the world, the Kingdom calendar would seem foreign.

It was to me until I rejected the world’s system and followed scripture.

It goes against everything we were ever taught..

[roamer_1]

In the end, as long as one finds the true meaning of Christmas, that is what counts.

NOT according to the Father.

Deu 12:30 Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise.
Deu 12:31 Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.
Deu 12:32 What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.

[Laissez-faire capitalist]

The true meaning of Christmas is the recognition that even though December 25th was not the day Jesus Christ was born of a virgin into the world - regardless of whether you use historical precedent (the earliest Christians believed that it was March, April or May (and that the actual day was the 20th or the 21st - no other day than those two) according to historical documents from 200 AD+/- (and no other ironclad documents exist other than those provided by Clement of Alexandria, and Clement’s writing possesses not even a trace of interpolation) - or if you go by a Jewish calendar (the actual exact year that the 6 days of creation took place and thus its origins all the way until now cannot be determined accurately through written, historical documents), the true meaning of Christmas is to celebrate that Jesus is the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us.

That is the true meaning of Christmas, and certainly not commercialism...

[AppyPappy]

Actually, it was chosen because ancient church leaders surmised that 30 shopping days were needed between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

[Laissez-faire capitalist]

You used a Straw Man in ascribing a fallacious statement to me.

I noted that if the ancients had went with the only evidence that was available (Clement’s writings,) and chose March or April, that Christmas would not have been associated with certain Roman pagan holidays (Saturnalia or the Feast of the Unconquered Sun - each close to December 25th).

If you can show that there are at least two Roman pagan festivals like the aforementioned that would have taken place in March or April that could have been associated with Christ’s birth then you would have some proof that we might be in the same situation if the ancients chose March or April and that I used a fallacious statement.

Among other festivals, the Roman’s celebrated five festivals in late March (the 17th, 19th, 23rd, 24th and 31st) and among other festivals, the Roman’s celebrated four in late April (the 21st, 23rd, 25th and 27th) - and none of these festivals in late March or April (in contrast to late December’s “Saturnalia” on the 17th to the 23rd of December and the “Birthday of the Unconquered Sun” on December 25th) could possibly be used in connection with Christ’s birth.

Thus the ancients did not choose well, and I proffered no fallacious statement.