[Daniel 9:25] Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks (69 weeks): the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troubled times. The total years from the decree to restore Jerusalem can thus be stated: 69 weeks x 7 is 483 prophetic days.....or years [Ezekiel 4:4-6][Numbers 14:34].
Ezra had been ordered to rebuild the temple by King Artaxerxes of Assyria during the 7th year [Ezra 7:8] of his reign [Ezra 7:11-26]. Secular history tells us that the King's ascension year was 465 B.C. so his 7th complete year would be 458/457 B.C. (Babylonian Chronology, Brown University, page 17; Chronology of Ezra). 483 minus 457 equals 25 years....or 25 A.D. and since there was no year Zero the actual year would be 26 A.D.
Therefore the first complete year of Our Savior's ministry would have begun in 26/27 A.D. [Daniel 9:27] And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. A prophetic week is seven years of time and Our Messiah was to be cut off in the middle of this week.....or 3 1/2 years after He began his ministry.
We know from scripture that Our Lord was crucified at Passover 30 A.D. so it is simply a matter of subtracting 3 1/2 years from that date to arrive at his Baptism by John at the beginning of his ministry in the fall of 26 A.D. [Luke 3:23][Numbers 4:3,23,29]. The first complete year of His ministry would have been from the fall of 26 A.D. to the fall of 27 A.D. and since He was thirty years old when He began......this would place His birth (again no zero year) at 5 B.C.
A three and one half year ministry beginning in the fall of 26 A.D. would bring us to his crucifixion during the Passover week of 30 A.D. as outlined in my previous post #92.
Other folks on this thread have indicated the correct chronology from [Luke 1:5-25] regarding Zechariah and his temple service. As we know the priestly division of Abijah [I Chronicles 24] was the eighth course and each division served two separate weeks plus a week during the required Festivals of Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles. Zechariah's eighth course of the year would have him in the temple for two straight weeks.....the first week of his division and the week of Shavuot (Pentecost) which is the ninth week of the Hebrew year (see above calendar and click next month for "Sivan" 6 which is Pentecost). The Hebrew year begins on Nisan 1 and Pentecost falls nine weeks later.
This chronology would bring the conception (shortly after Pentecost) [Luke 1:23-24] and subsequent birth of John to the Passover week the following year. It is interesting to note the prophecy from Malachi regarding John: [Malachi 3:1] Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the LORD, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts and Our Lord Himself confirmed it was John of whom Malachi spoke {Matthew 11:10-14] For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.
It is tradition to this day to place a cup of wine for Elijah (Elias) on the Passover table during many a Seder. The Jews have been anticipating the return of Elijah during Passover before the coming of the Messiah......for centuries. With John being born during the eight day celebration of Unleavened bread it is quite fitting that Our Lord would be born during the eight day celebration of Tabernacles......exactly 6 months later [Luke 1:26]. These two celebrations (Pesach and Sukkot) are the only ones during God's Holy Calendar which have a Sabbath at the beginning and another at the end [Leviticus 23]. The first for the day of birth and the second for the dedication [Luke 2:21]. Our Lord was said to have "Tabernacled" among us [John 1:14]. John came to us in the first month of the year and Our Lord in the Seventh and one day we will all be required to keep this particular Feast of The Lord God [Zechariah 14:16-19].......And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.
The above is a Millennial prophecy.
The Romans would have no reason to require folks to travel during the winter months for such an important occasion (to them)....taxation and census....as they would naturally desire full and complete obedience to this decree [Luke 2:1-3]. This is one of the reasons that there was no room in the Inn.....everyone being in Jerusalem and Suburbs (Bethlehem) for the Festival (Sukkot).....and the census. This would have been a natural time to tax the citizenry (the fall harvests completed) and everyone attending the Festival.
During the Festival weeks it is estimated that the population of Jerusalem swelled to over two million men who were required to attend. All homes were open to guests as the normal population was around 120 thousand. And, of course.....Inns and houses of lodging would also be quite full. This is the reason Our Savior was laid on a food tray after birth as He, Joseph and Mary were staying in a "Sukkah" as this was the only place for them. A sukkah is a temporary shelter everyone was expected to spend time in during the Feast of Tabernacles. A sukkah is a tabernacle and the temporary nature of it was to remind the folks of their temporary stay in the Sinai desert during their 40 years of wandering. A food tray was installed in the sukkah to keep food off the floor and to provide a table for the temporary inhabitants. When the King James folks translated the Bible they could not understand what a food tray would mean to the Hebrews since they had long ago in their history forsaken the celebration of any of God's Holy observances. So.....they assumed a "Food Tray" was a manger or something to feed the cattle with and this is where the tradition of Our Lord being born in a stable among the cattle and being laid in a manger came about.
He was born on the first Sabbath of the Feast of Tabernacles, laid on a food tray and dedicated eight days later on the second Sabbath of Tabernacles.....and our understanding of the Greek is much better now than it was 400 years ago.
Now.....perhaps I have given you something else to ponder besides the obvious reasons many folks stipulate that the birth could not have been anywhere around Christmas time. I pray that will be the case. It is interesting to note that Our Savior did indeed observe Chanukah [John 10:22]....the Feast of Dedication and the anniversary of His own conception..... nine months before Sukkot.
please give your thoughts on this objection by foremost scripture scholar Fr William Most;
Josephus also tells what events happened between the Eclipse and the
Passover (cf. Martin pp. 85-87).They would occupy probably about 12 weeks.
Martin also, pp. 99-101 shows that the eclipse of Sept. 15,5 BC could not
fit with known data, especially the fact that Herod was seriously ill in
Jericho (over 800 feet below sea level) when the eclipse happened - but
Jericho was a furnace of heat at that time, Sept. 15. Herod would not have
stayed there when he could have had the much better climate of Jerusalem.
But if the eclipse was in midwinter - Jan. 10—Herod would find Jericho
comfortable.
I dispute your contention that the birth could not have occured “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 interpretaion of John 1:14.
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 year is something more fluid...
more for you to consider...
(3) We know from an inscription from Paphlagonia in Asia Minor - cf.
Lewis and Reinhold, Roman Civilization, Source Book II, pp. 34-35 - that in
3 BC all the people took an oath of allegiance to Augustus. The same oath
is also reported by the Armenian historian Moses of Khorene, and by the
later historian Orosius.
(4) 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”.
(5) There is an obscure decade in history, 6 BC to 4 AD, as Classicists
readily recognize. Yet this period is important, including the time when
Tiberius was absent from political life at Rome, being at Capri. It is hard
to fit the events of this period into place if we make the birth of Christ
early as is commonly done. But if we put it in 3 BC the difficulties are
over. For example, we know Augustus received his 15th acclamation for a
major victory, won by one of his generals, around this time. If we pick 4
BC for the death of Herod, we cannot find a victory to warrant the
acclamation, which came in 1 AD. But if we put the birth of Christ in 3 BC,
then the war would be running at about the needed time, and finished in 1
AD.
Objection: a) Josephus says Herod had a reign of 37 years after being
proclaimed king by Romans, and had 34 yrs. after death of Antigonus, which
came soon after Herod took Jerusalem. b) Further, his 3 successors,
Archelaus, Antipas and Philip started to reign in 4 BC. So Herod died in 4
BC.
Reply: a) That calculation would make death of Herod actually in 3 BC,
not in 4 BC - scholars have to stretch the date to 4 BC, since no eclipse
of moon happened in 3 BC. - But, Herod took Jerusalem late in 36 BC (on Yom
Kippur in a sabbatical year, so well remembered - and Josephus says Pompey
had taken Jerusalem in 63 which was 27 yrs. to the day of Herod’s capture
of Jerusalem). Using the common accession year dating, we see Herod started
his 34 years on Nisan 1 in 35 BC, and those years would end on Nisan 1 BC.
So 34 years after 35 BC yields 1 BC for death of Herod after eclipse of
Jan. 10.—b) As to the 3 successors, Herod lost favor of Augustus in 4 BC,
on a false report, was no longer “Friend of Caesar”, but “Subject”.
Antedating of reigns was common - reason here was to make the three seem to
connect with the two “royal” sons, of Hasmonean descent, Alexander and
Aristobulus, whom Herod executed on false reports from Antipater (do not
confuse with Antipas).
The Star: In the evening of June 17, 2 BC, there was a spectacular
astronomical event in the western sky. Venus moved eastward seemingly going
to collide with Jupiter. They appeared as one star, not two, dominating the
twilight of the western sky in the direction of Palestine. This conjunction
had not happened for centuries, would not happen again for more centuries.
Jupiter was considered the Father, Venus the Mother. Ten 19 days later, on
August 31st. Venus came within .36 degrees of Mercury. On Sept. 11 came the
New Moon, the Jewish New Year. This happened when Jupiter, the Kin planed
was approaching Regulus, the King star. Further, there were three
conjunctions of Jupiter and Regulus within the constellation of Leo, the
lion which was considered the head of the Zodiac. Now Gen. 49:10 had
foretold there would always be a ruler from Judah, whom Jacob called the
lion, until the time of the Messiah. Leo was dominated by the star Regulus,
which astronomers called the King Star. The Magi, being astronomers and
astrologers, would surely read these signs. (The three conjunctions with
Regulus were Aug. 12, 3 BC; Feb. 17, 2 BC, and May 8/9 2 BC).
Also, on Dec. 25 of 2 B.C., Jupiter stopped for 6 days over Bethlehem.
This is a normal motion for Jupiter, it stops twice, and reverses its
seeming movement. This may have been the very time the Magi came with their
gifts. This was also the time of the Hanukkah festival, during which it was
customary for Jewish Fathers to give gifts to their children.
.....the December 25th, 2BC date actually fits very well to almost all criteria...but I’ll keep looking into this.
Also, isn’t it true that Herod did not begin construction of the second temple in 19 BC but rather, destroyed the first temple then. I have read that it was 8 years of aquiring material, so that Construction would have commenced circa 11 BC and the 46 years (45 years by our calender) would take us to circa 34 AD?