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I dispute your contention that the birth could not have occurred “around Christmas time”. All of the data EMPHATICALLY places the birth in late December. Your case for the year is at least compelling but your case for a September birth is very weak....basically consisting of your interpretation of John 1:14.

{John 1:14] And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. Dwelt: 4637. skenoo (skay-no'-o) to tent or encamp, i.e. (figuratively) to occupy (as a mansion) or (specially), to reside (as God did in the Tabernacle of old, a symbol of protection and communion)

[John 7:2] Now the Jew's feast of tabernacles was at hand. Tabernacles: 4634. skenopegia (skay-nop-ayg-ee'-ah) the Festival of Tabernacles (so called from the custom of erecting booths for temporary homes)

It is really not my interpretation.....it is the Greek language. That is why it is proper to render [John 1:14] And the Word was made flesh, and tabernacled among us. To introduce the nature and mission of Christ, John employs in his writings the metaphor of the "booth" of the Feast of Tabernacles. He shows us that Christ....the Word who was with God in the beginning has manifested himself in this world in a way that we cannot mistake. "He has Pitched His tent among us"! Do you think maybe John was linking the birth of Our Messiah to the Feast of Tabernacles? Sukkot was always known as the season of Joy and the Feast of the Nations [Luke 2:10] And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

Given the climate, September is simply impossible. In my view, that Jesus was born on December 25th is an issue of verified historical fact.

The winter months in Israel are similar to what we experience in the central valley of California. Very cold nights....sometimes below freezing with some snow flurries during December and January. September....on the other hand can still be very mild at night....definitely pleasant during daylight hours. To bring your pregnant wife, on the back of a donkey, many miles encompassing more than just a few days .....would not be considered harsh....necessarily during the Fall Festivals.

As far as being historical fact.....Pope Liberius in 354 A.D. was the first Pontiff to recognize any day at all....and December 25th had been selected. The first "Christ-Mass" was celebrated by Pope Sixtus in 435 A.D. and coincided with the existing Roman celebration of Mithras. This was done in an attempt to divert the populace from the popular pagan feasts already instituted throughout the Church/State Empire. For the first three hundred odd years from the resurrection there were no celebrations of Our Lord's birthday.

Origen had written early in the third century that "In the scriptures, no one is recorded to have kept a feast or held a great banquet on his birthday. It is only sinners who make great rejoicings over the day in which they were born into this world". (Catholic Encyclopedia, 1908 edition, Vol. 3,p.724, "Natal Day".)

For the first three hundred years after the resurrection nothing is mentioned about the Birthday of Our Lord. And, of course....in addition to early history being silent about it.....the Apostles did not recognize or celebrate the nativity as well according to scripture.

My calculations and figures regarding the death of Herod from post #92 are correct.....and The Lord was born during the last few months of Herod's life.

It is really not my interpretation.....it is the Greek language. That is why it is proper to render [John 1:14] And the Word was made flesh, and tabernacled among us. and yet,no Bible translation that I am aware of has rendered it that way...only you The winter months in Israel are similar to what we experience in the central valley of California. Very cold nights....sometimes below freezing with some snow flurries during December and January. September....on the other hand can still be very mild at night....definitely pleasant during daylight hours. To bring your pregnant wife, on the back of a donkey, many miles encompassing more than just a few days .....would not be considered harsh....necessarily during the Fall Festivals. So, Mary traveling ON FOOT, ALONE, INTO THE MOUNTAINS to visit Elizabeth is more plausible to you? As far as being historical fact.....Pope Liberius in 354 A.D. was the first Pontiff to recognize any day at all....and December 25th had been selected. The first "Christ-Mass" was celebrated by Pope Sixtus in 435 A.D. and coincided with the existing Roman celebration of Mithras. This was done in an attempt to divert the populace from the popular pagan feasts already instituted throughout the Church/State Empire. For the first three hundred odd years from the resurrection there were no celebrations of Our Lord's birthday. Absoultely absurd! December 25th was almost UNIVERSALLY celebrated as the birth at least 227 years prior to that, under Bishop Telesphorus. Further, a nearly unbroken line of celebration of December 25th can be seen from that point, with the Apostolic Constitution declaring it in the 3rd Century. What there is No evidence of...ZERO...is any mention of the Feast of Tabernacles coinciding with the birth. Even Josephus stated that it coincided with December 25th by tying it to the Solstice which fell on that EXACT day! The evidence for December 25th is overwhelming. In fact, it's basically airtight. For the first three hundred years after the resurrection nothing is mentioned about the Birthday of Our Lord. And, of course....in addition to early history being silent about it.....the Apostles did not recognize or celebrate the nativity as well according to scripture. Simply and demonstrably false, as I have already demonstrated My calculations and figures regarding the death of Herod from post #92 are correct.....and The Lord was born during the last few months of Herod's life No, your calculations of Herod's death are impossible, missing both the eclipse of 4BC and the one of 1 BC as well as the Census under Quirinnius. Augustus was to receive the great title of Pater Patriae on Feb. 5, 2 BC. So the actual governor of Palestine, probably Varus, would have had to go to Rome for the festivities, and since sailing on the Mediterranean stopped about Nov. 1, and did not resume until Spring, he must have gone in the early fall of 3 BC. But Quirinius was nearby, had just finished a successful war against the Homonadenses. So he was left as acting Governor. Luke does not use the noun governor, but the participle, "governing". So, even if Christ were born during the Feast of Tabernacles, 3 BC would be the earliest possible. All of the evidence...all of it....Scripture, the Star, the early church...all of it points to December 25th, 2 BC, with Herod's death occuring in January 1 BC. Your info regarding Christ's death actually would fit better, making him 32 at the time of His death rather than 35 under your scenario. As for His birth, it's a closed issue for me. December 25th, 2 BC. All other dates are simply impossible.