The real date of Jesus’ birth
The official date of Jesus’ birth is the 25th of December 1. But how can we be certain that this was indeed the date Jesus was born? The answer is quite simple: We cannot be certain at all!
The New Testament mentions three major events, occurring at the same time with the birth of Jesus.
- An astronomical event, known as the Star of Bethlehem (Matthew 2:2)
- Herod the Great was still alive (Matthew 2:1, 2:3 etc.)
- A census ordered by Caesar August (Luke 2:1-2)
There is a line of events, which could have been the so called Star of Bethlehem. First of all the comet, shining inside the constellation of Capricorn, on March of 5 BC and for 66 days. Or could have been the Nova which exploded, inside the constellation of Eagle, on April 4 BC. Or the alignment of Jupiter and Saturn on May, September and December of the year 7 BC, inside the constellation of Pisces.
That last phenomenon must have stimulated the curiosity of the astronomers-astrologers, (at those times astronomy and astrology could not be separated from each other) due to the fact that it was extremely rare. That alignment of Jupiter and Saturn, takes place every 139 years. (The last time it took place was on 1961 and the next time will be on 2100). But, inside the constellation of Pisces it’s even more rare and it takes place every 900 years!
Here we must also add that this alignment make the two planets look like one, very bright, star when looked with bare eyes. And there is no need for me to point out that they could only observe it with bare eyes, since the telescope was invented many centuries latter!
Now, we know that Herod the Great had died on 4 BC. So Jesus could not have been born latter then 4 BC. We also know that the only census that took place in the Roman empire, before the year 4 BC, and ordered by Caesar August, occurred on the year 7 BC.
The only year where we have an unique astrological event, we have a census ordered by August and we have Herod still alive was 7 BC. So unless Jesus was born twice, he could have only been born on the year 7 BC.
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