When was Christ really born according to the Scriptures?

 

There is much debate about Christ's birth. When was it, where exactly was it – a cave, a stable, under the Church of the Nativity? What was the star? How did the wise men know to come, etc.? We are not going to concern ourselves with what scholars all conjecture, for they do not agree with each other. This article is going to look at what the Scriptures tell us, what we can glean from history, and what picture puzzle we can assemble from these pieces.

The prophecies of the Messiah of course begin with the one given to Eve, but the background about the specific prophecies about his birth, what time of year it occurred, what year it might have been, and what events occurred are the specific ones we are going to look at.

The first question is, what time of year was Christ born? Was it December 25? If not, then when was it? To find the answer to this question, we must go to the book of Luke. We'll start with the story of Zacharias and Elizabeth.

Zacharias was a priest, a descendant of the Aaronic priesthood, as was his wife, Elizabeth. Luke starts out by telling us about them.

Luke 1:5-25 (My commentary will be in between verses.)

[5] There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.

Back when David was king, he divided the priests into 24 courses. 1 Chron. 24. They were the descendants of the sons of Aaron and therefore were priests as well as Levites. Abijah (Abia) was the ancestor of Zacharias and Abijah was in the 8^th course of the priesthood. Each course served two weeks out of the year, six months apart. The courses began in the first month of the year, Nissan, in the spring. As the two feast weeks were excluded from this schedule, given that everyone had to work on those two weeks, the Feast of Unleavened bread in the spring, and the Feast of Tabernacles in the fall (the Hebrew calendar has 50 weeks), the eighth course would generally fall sometime between late May and middle of June depending on the year and exactly six months later. Continuing in Luke;

[6] And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
[7] And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.
[8] And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course,

Again this would have probably been sometime in the beginning to middle of June in the spring or six months later in the fall.

[9] According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.

Only the priests could enter into the temple holy place. Not the holy of holies, for that was for the high priest alone on Yom Kippur, but there were those who were designated from the course to go in and offer incense on the altar twice a day. Now it should be known that the high priest was not necessarily the person who was to have the position of high priest, for Rome had taken over the job of appointing a new high priest every year, even though the high priest was supposed to be a lifelong position for the one to whom it fell by virtue of the father/son privilege. He was only replaced upon death by a son, but Rome had taken over that authority, as in the past there had been murder and corruption among the priesthood defiling it, and Rome had gotten in there and taken it over. Who the actual high priest should have been is unknown, however this may give us a clue. That God made John the herald of the Messiah, seems to make it a possibility that had things not been taken over by Rome or had not the murder and corruption occurred within the priesthood, that Zacharias and then John would have been the high priests. It would make sense for the high priest to be the one to introduce the Messiah, for the Levitical system was about to be passed back to the order of Melchizadek's priesthood through Christ.

[10] And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.

It was the usual practice for the people to pray in the temple courtyard (and possibly in town) during the half hour that it took for the incense to burn. This was at 9 am and 3 pm.

[11] And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

While Zacharias was bringing the prayers of the people before the Lord after offering the incense, an angel appeared to him. As he would be the only one in there at the time, he was the only one to witness this angelic appearance.

[12] And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.

Zacharias was afraid, because he didn't know what he could have done to require an angel to come to speak to him. He was a righteous man, and a priest and held to a higher standard than others. He couldn't imagine what God could have to say to him. Angels appearing was not always a good thing.

[13] But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.

So we now know that besides offering the prayers of the people, Zacharias was sending up his own prayer for a son, as Elizabeth had not been able to get pregnant And they were both well beyond the age of child-bearing, so to still be praying for it showed a faith like that of Abraham's. He is told that he will name the child John or the Hebrew equivalent of that, Johanan, a name that several high priests had borne.

[14] And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.

It wouldn't just be Zacharias and Elizabeth that were happy over this, a lot of people would be happy when they finally heard the story.

[15] For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.

John would be indwelt by the Holy Spirit even while in utero. This was unprecedented and showed how special he was to be chosen to herald the Messiah. And while it doesn't say that he was to be a Nazarite, he had to not drink wine or any strong drink. Nazarites were not to drink wine or eat grapes or have anything from the fruit of the grapevine while they were under the vow. It does not say he had to grow his hair or not eat grapes, so the implication isn't enough to say he was a Nazarite, but it is interesting that he was forbidden any kind of alcohol. It could be that because he was so strange in his clothes and his calling that God didn't want people to think he was simply a crazy drunkard. He would be a priest of the Aaronic line though and everyone would have known that.

[16] And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.

This prophesied the ministry John would have of people repenting with him baptizing.

[17] And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

It is mentioned here that he would have the spirit and power of Elijah. While he was not known for doing miracles, his preaching was powerful and he preached the coming of the Lord. His preaching of repentance was preparing them for the Christ. Preaching the coming of the Lord was something that Malachi prophesied (Mal 4:5) saying that God would send Elijah before the great and terrible Day of the Lord (when the Messiah was expected to come - and still is, but for a second time, as we know). Had they accepted Christ as a nation, Christ said that John would have been the fulfillment of being Elijah, as he came in the spirit of Elijah and the Day of the Lord and Kingdom of God would have come then instead of now, 2000 years later, which we are soon expecting. That the people as a nation didn't accept Jesus means that the Elijah that is still to come (in Revelation) does not actually have to be Elijah, as some believe, just as John was not. The witnesses that are yet to come need only come in the spirit of Elijah.

John would turn people's lives around, healing families and turning the sinful to righteousness. He would be the one fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy Is. 40:3-6 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.[4] Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:[5] And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

[18] And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.

Zacharias asks the same question Abraham had asked, although with different results. They were both well advanced in years and Elizabeth was beyond the child-bearing age, just as Sarah was. And yet he had been praying for this. He feels he needs some sign of the promise God was making with him, and because God gave one to Abraham, feels he should get one too. Only this time it was not necessary for a blood covenant, as there was no land involved in this promise, and he already had the sign, but he's not acknowledging that.

[19] And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.

We are told that the angel who is bringing the message is Gabriel. This is significant in that shortly we will see that Gabriel had announced the coming of the Messiah many centuries earlier. Gabriel is basically saying to him, “Hey, I'm an angel, the same one that spoke to Daniel and told him what year the Messiah would come, who is bringing this news to you. Isn't my appearance and that prophecy sign enough for you?” It should have been, and Zacharias suffered for that mistake.

[20] And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.

As a punishment for his lack of faith in questioning this and asking for a sign, he is told that he will be mute until John is born. It is nowhere implied that he is deaf as well. He is simply unable to speak.

[21] And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple.

This had taken much longer than the usual half hour that people usually waited to have the priest come out of the temple and say that God had accepted their prayers and incense, so they were wondering what had happened. Nobody could go in, as only a priest could, so all they could do was wait.

[22] And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless.

His muteness and his behavior clued them in that something supernatural had occurred, and they figured he had seen a vision or something like that. It actually was Gabriel appearing, not just a vision. It doesn't say that at this time he managed to convey to them what had transpired, so we don't know if they knew what was going to happen or not.

[23] And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.

When his week of work was ended, he went back home.

[24] And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,
[25] Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.

Shortly after his return home, Elizabeth gets pregnant and hides herself for five months. She didn't want anyone to know yet. So it seems that Zacharias didn't tell anyone. However, she realizes this is a gift from God to take away her reproach, for barrenness was thought to be a curse or punishment on a woman, but she was a righteous woman, so this attitude of others toward her would have been hard to bear.

Now, as Elizabeth conceived shortly after Zacharias came home, we can know that she conceived either around the beginning to the middle of June or the beginning to the middle of December. So John would have been born sometime around March/April or September/October. There is some play in this timing, as the Hebrew calendar moves every year due to its shortened length, which is why it can be within the two month period.

Now we go to Jesus conception.

26] And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

Again it is Gabriel who is sent.

[27] To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
[28] And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

Mary was just a young woman, probably a teenager, but she was a very righteous young woman. And that righteousness was about to be rewarded.

[29] And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.

Mary can't imagine what was about to happen, as the last thing she had on her mind was becoming the mother of the Messiah.

[30] And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
[31] And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.

[32] He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
[33] And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

So now she knows why she is being visited. She is about to become the mother of God incarnate, the long awaited Messiah. His name tells what He will do as it means “Yahweh saves”. Yahweh is the name God gave Moses when asked what His name was, and it is Jesus who will save, showing us by His name who He is.

[34] Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

A natural question for a young virgin to ask.

[35] And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

While the prophecy is not mentioned, Isaiah 7:14 must have come to her mind at that point. Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (which means “God with us”.)

[36] And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
[37] For with God nothing shall be impossible.

This miraculous news would help Mary accept that miracles did indeed still occur. That God could do as He said. And the statement that Elizabeth is six months along lets us know that the difference in the ages of the two cousins was six months.

[38] And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

Mary accepts this announcement as an already accomplished fact and showed her obedience and belief through her praise Magnificat.

So now we continue with John's story.

[39] And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;
[40] And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.
[41] And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:

Mary needs to talk to someone about this, and who better than her cousin, who is experiencing a miracle of her own. We see the fulfillment of what Zacharias had been told by Gabriel that from the womb, John would be indwelt by the Holy Spirit, when he leaps in Elizabeth's womb. This shows that a baby is a baby from conception, not just when it is born. Life starts at conception. The Holy Spirit only indwells a person's spirit, not a clump of cells. God did have the Holy Spirit indwell certain O.T. People at certain times in their lives, while now when a person truly accepts Christ as their Savior (versus simply acting out a ritual or saying some words) they receive the Holy Spirit as the sealing of that commitment.

[42] And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
[43] And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

[44] For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.

Zacharias has imparted to Elizabeth that John would be the one to prepare the way of the Lord, and Elizabeth realizes when the baby leaps in her womb that Mary's child is that baby.

[45] And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.

Elizabeth also praises Mary for believing in God's message to her and that all those things told to Mary would come true. Both women are of great faith to be honored with these two babies.

[56] And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.

Clearly since Elizabeth was six months along when Mary went to visit her, she stayed until John was born.

Now we return to John's story.

[57] Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son.
[58] And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.

Now everyone has heard about this miracle of Elizabeth having a son and come to rejoice with her, for her shame has been lifted from her by the Lord. The news that he will one day herald the Messiah is also something to look forward to, if they remember it thirty years later.

[59] And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father.
[60] And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.
[61] And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.
[62] And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called.
[63] And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all.

When it is time for John's bris, at eight days as the Law required, the people all start calling him Zacharias after his father, for that seemed to be a custom in this family. Pretty bold of them to do so without being told by the parents what his name is, but again, it seems it was a family custom from what is said about none of the kindred having that name. The implication being that you had to name the baby after someone in the family, most notably the father. (This is a big custom in my husband's family and it gets quite confusing at times as there are so many with the same male or female name. I insisted that our children have their own names.) And it was not necessarily a custom beyond this family, as we see that none of the disciples or others mentioned had their father's name. Zacharias is still mute, so Elizabeth speaks up and says, no, he will be called John, as clearly Zacharias had written out the story or somehow conveyed it to her. The folks get upset and make signs to ask Zacharias what he says. I find it humorous that they are making signs to him, as it says he is mute, not deaf. He can hear just fine. People will do odd things like talking louder and slower when someone doesn't understand the language, as if doing that will help them understand. So because he couldn't talk, they treat him as if he is deaf too. So he writes and tells them that John is what he will be called.

[64] And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God.
[65] And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea.
[66] And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him.

Zacharias now can tell the entire story to everyone who will listen of this miraculous visit by Gabriel, and the pronouncement of who John was and what he would do. He will herald the coming of the Messiah. Thirty years later, people of this town would remember this prophecy and there is a fear that comes on them, for the idea that the Messiah is finally coming is quite daunting and not a little scary.

[67] And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,
[68] Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,
[69] And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;
[70] As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:
[71] That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;
[72] To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;
[73] The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,
[74] That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,
[75] In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.
[76] And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
[77] To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,
[78] Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,
[79] To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Zacharias then prophecied about the coming of the Redeemer from the House of David, as prophesied of old, to save God's people and deliver them from their enemies. He then prophesies about John and that he will be the prophet of the Messiah and go before Him to prepare people for His coming which will give knowledge of the way of salvation and remission for their sins. That the long awaited Messiah will soon be there to bring light to a dark work and guide them into the way of peace.

[80] And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.

So John grew strong in spirit and went out to the desert, when old enough to do so, until the day God called him back for his ministry.

John would be a priest from the Aaronic line, so as already mentioned, it may be that Zacharias should have been the legitimate high priest, as the Romans were putting in whon they wanted, not who was the one to hold the position. We are not told this, but it makes sense that if Zacharias was high priest, John would then follow as high priest, and as high priest it makes sense that he would be the one to baptize Jesus and pass the priesthood from the Levitical system back over to the order of Melchizadek. Just as Melchizadek had met with Abraham, when God met with Abraham to make the covenant by the blood oath, that essentially transferred the priesthood from Melchizadek to the Levitical one in Abraham. Now it will be passed back.

We will stop here and address the information about the two babies being born six months apart and how due to the information given, we can determine what time of year Christ was born.

If John was conceived in the spring around June, then Christ was conceived sometime around early Dec. And vice-versa. If John was conceived in early Dec, Christ was conceived in June. That would put the due dates around March, or Sept.

So according to Scripture, The idea that Christ was born in December is false. He was not even conceived at Christmas, which is what some say to reconcile celebrating Christmas, when they accept that He was actually born in the fall, as that would be a little too late. So now we know it is either spring or fall when Christ was born. Another indication that it was at one of these times, is the census taking.

Luke 2:1-6 1] And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
[2] (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
[3] And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
[4] And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
[5] To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

People dispute when this census took place, but records show that there were actually two censuses. The second being in 6 AD, which is mentioned in the book of Acts. The first is disputed, but is known to have occurred somewhere between 4 and 1 BC. It is the first census that Luke is referring to, as he says that the taxing was first done (the first census) when Cyrenius was governor. The word governor is what causes some of the dispute, as he was not actually governor at the time of the first census, but the Greek word does not indicate that it was the position of governor, but merely of a person who was ruling in some capacity, which Cyrenius was at that time.

Rome would not have had a census done in the winter, as the weather would have made travel difficult, as well as other considerations. They were also aware that the Jews had two big feasts when they were required to travel, so it was an easy matter to have the census taken around the times when the people would be traveling anyhow. There is much debate around what year this happened, but it seems after much research that Cyrenius was a leader over Syria from 4 BC to 1 BC and then later during 6 AD, and sometime during that first time period (it will become clear as we go on that it was 1 BC), he began the registration of people for taxation. So we've narrowed down the years somewhat to the period from 4BC to 1BC.

[6] And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

[7] And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

So it would be during this time that Joseph had to take Mary to Bethlehem, where those of the House of David had to registered, and Jesus was born there in Bethlehem in fulfillment of the prophecy in Micah 5:2 “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”

Why Bethlehem and why did Jesus end up in a manger? Besides being the place where the House of David registered, and the Messiah had to be of the line of David, God chose it for other reasons. First of all, as we will see later, it appears that this was at the time of the Feast of Tabernacles when the city would have been overflowing with people, hence all the rooms at the inns would have been taken already. So they looked for any port in a storm to get her inside to birth the baby. They ended up in a place where the animals were being kept. Hence a manger.

Secondly, this town had great symbolic significance for the birth of the Messiah and God loves using symbolism. Bethlehem means “The House of Bread.” Christ would be the Bread of Life, so it was symbolic He be born there. Then there was Migdal Eder. While the tradition started by Constantine's mother says that the cave under what is now the Catholic Church of the Nativity is where Christ was born, the Scriptures say otherwise.

Migdal Eder, which translated is“Tower of the Flock” has an important history attached to it. It was a look-out post located just on the north side of Bethlehem, the city of David. What made the tower special was that the bottom portion was used as the sheep care facility that served as a place where Jerusalem’s sacrificial lambs were birthed and inspected.

The flocks, which pastured there, were destined for Temple sacrifices and accordingly, the shepherds, who watched over them, were not ordinary shepherds. They were Levitical shepherds and these were temple flocks.

The ewes from these special flocks designated for sacrifice at the temple were brought to Migal Eder to give birth. It protected the flocks from the predators. This Migdal Edar was not for the ordinary flocks which pastured on the grounds beyond Bethlehem, but lay close to the town, on the road to Jerusalem and was used solely for this purpose.

Of course mangers are animal feeding troughs, but in ancient Israel they were made of carved out stone - not like what you would see in a modern day nativity scene. Not comfortable, but great for protection. That’s why those who were experts in this matter, the priest-shepherds, would put their newborn lambs in them for protection. But not just any lambs, the unblemished perfect lambs that were chosen and used in the sacrifice for sins. And Bethlehem, where Jesus was born was famous for their unblemished lambs used for the sacrifices. These lambs had to be inspected to make sure they were perfect and then they would wrap them tightly in swaddling clothes and lie them in the manger to keep them safe from injury so they would not become hurt and blemished.

Why is the name Migdal Eder which translates “Tower of the Flock” so important? Micah tells us.

“And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.” Micah 4:8 To restate it another way, “And thou, O Migdal Eder, the lookout post and protection of Jerusalem, unto thee shall salvation come, even the former rule of God (The Law being restored and fulfilled through Christ, which Israel had basically rejected the Law for most of their existence and would reject Christ as well); the Kingdom of God through the Messiah's sovereignty shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.” Micah 4:8

The place, Migdal Eder, first appears in Genesis 35:19- 21 where Jacob buried Rachel after she gave birth to Benjamin. [19] And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, (“place of fruitfulness” which is Bethlehem (“House of Bread”).
[20] And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave: that is the pillar of Rachel's grave unto this day.
[21] And Israel journeyed, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Edar.

So Migdal Eder went back a long time. In its earliest days, the tower of Migdal Eder was a military structure, but in the time of Jesus it had become the Tower of the Flock where the Levitical shepherds would inspect the sacrificial lambs. To repeat this for emphasis, Migdal Eder was the place where the spotless lambs were wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger to be inspected for sacrifice at the Temple in Jerusalem. The were inspected by shepherds, who were Levites or a type of priest, and this is important. Now, back to Rachel and Benjamin.

As Rachel lay dying, she desired that her son Benjamin should be called Benoni, which means ‘son of my sorrow’, but Jacob wanted his name to be called Benjamin, which means ‘son of the right hand.’Does this sound like anything you know from scripture? Does not Isaiah 53:3 say that Jesus was a‘man of sorrows’ and doesn’t Ephesians 1:20 tell us that He is seated at the ‘right hand’ of God?

Regarding the birth of the baby Jesus, we see in Luke 2:7 that He was laid in a manger. Not a wooden trough, but a stone structure that was carved out of rock as a cradle of sorts that Levitical shepherds would normally use to wrap the lambs in swaddling clothes and lay them in.

Mary and Joseph were not sent to a first century B&B, hotel, or even to the barn or cave behind it. No, as the Spirit of God led them, they found that the only place that had room was the birthing place for the lambs to be sacrificed at the temple -. Migdal Eder. And those swaddling clothes that they used? They were for the lambs to protect them from getting bruised, so they could be sacrificed ‘without spot’ according to the Law. Jesus is the lamb ‘without spot and blemish’ (1 Peter 1:19).

This is exactly why the only time mangers are mentioned in Jesus’ birth story is when it is announced to shepherds. In Luke 2 it says that the angel said to the shepherds “This will be a sign for you, you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” The sign would be the clue to tell the shepherds exactly where to find this baby. They knew what the swaddling clothes and the manger meant. They were no doubt the Levitical shepherds. This baby would be The Perfect Lamb of God. The Messiah who would sacrifice His life for the sins of the whole world. He wasn’t just a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger, He was GOD: perfect, sinless and Holy, humbling Himself to become the perfect sacrifice to reconcile us back to Himself. They understood the significance and message which we miss in not knowing this historical and cultural fact. The perfect unblemished Lamb was wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in the manger in Migdal Eder to become the perfect temple sacrifice for sin.

It is of note that it is said of the shepherds: “And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.” They did not have to go around Bethlehem searching each and every stable for this newly born baby. The impression given is that they were able to go“with haste” because they knew from the description of the “wrapped in swaddling clothes” and “lying in a manger” exactly where to go – to the “Tower of the Flock,”Migdal Edar. It was not just any stable in Bethlehem. There was no need for the angel to give the shepherds directions to the place of Jesus’ birth – they already knew exactly where to find him. As Levites, they would know the prophecies.

Now we know where Jesus was born, but when was he born. Spring or fall.

The shepherds are also a good clue to the answer to that.

Luke says [8] And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

The special flocks for the temple sacrifices were kept near the city. They needed to be near the temple, as they were taken to the temple by the Levites for sacrifices. And since sacrificing required many lambs, this was one reason for keeping them near the city. Another reason was to keep the lambs safe from predators. But what about the shepherds being in the fields? During the spring they would be harvesting the barley crop and planting the wheat, so the fields further out from the city would be occupied by that. Instead the sheep would graze on the grass in and around the city near Bethlehem. And just coming out of winter, the weather would be chilly and rainy as March/April is when the late rains occurred, just as Oct./Nov was when the early rains occurred. So it was not conducive for the shepherds to be out in the fields at night. Certainly it wouldn't be winter when they were out there.

The fields would have barley growing in them in the spring. Then the wheat followed. It wouldn't be until the wheat was harvested (in June for Shavuot or Pentecost) that the fields were empty of crops until the fall when the winter crops would be sown. During the summer months, the sheep could be taken out in the fields to graze on what was left of the grain after harvest and their dung would fertilize the land for the fall/winter crops. The shepherds would be able to stay outside and since the day was so hot, they usually did their watches more at night when the predators came out and it was cooler than during the daytime. So they would be watching their flocks at night in the summer through early fall out in the fields. By the time the early rains in the fall came when the fields were being planted again, they would bring the flocks back into the sheepfolds near to town, as the grass would have been allowed to grow again during the summer where they had grazed during the spring, and they would keep them in the pens. So this is the scene when the following occurred. They were watching the flocks in the nearby fields during the night in the late summer/early fall.

[9] And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

Now in the O.T. The angel of the Lord was the pre-incarnate Jesus, but now a new angel has taken that job.

[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.
[11] For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
[12] And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
[13] And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
[14] Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
[15] And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
[16] And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
[17] And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
[18] And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
[19] But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
[20] And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

So why appear to shepherds?

The angel of the Lord could have appeared to anyone, to everyone, and yet he appeared to a group of people with a specialized skill set, shepherds who were trained in inspecting the sacrificial lambs in the stone mangers of Migdal Eder.

The angel said“And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” The angel of the Lord directed the shepherds to the very place where the sacrificial baby lambs laid, by the clue given, not by telling them where he was. But to their amazement and joy, instead of a baby lamb they saw a baby boy wrapped in the lamb’s swaddling clothes lying in the stone manger.

The shepherds knew what to expect and where to go when the angel said that the baby was wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger. They were told it was the Messiah, They knew exactly what this meant and where He would be found for they knew the two prophecies of Micah and the prophecies of Isaiah.

Jesus, The Lamb of God was the Son of God who would one day take away the sins of the people permanently as prophesied in Isaiah 9:6-8 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel.

and

Isaiah 53 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?
[2] For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
[3] He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
[4] Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
[5] But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
[6] All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
[7] He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
[8] He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
[9] And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
[10] Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
[11] He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
[12] Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. .

On that first Christmas day 2000 years ago, the angel of the Lord directed the shepherds to the very place where they laid the baby lambs to be sacrificed to see a baby boy wrapped in the lamb’s swaddling clothes and being presented for inspection by the shepherds in the stone manger, Migdal Eder, the Tower of the Flocks.

Proverbs 18:10 says “The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.”

When the Bible tells us that the ‘name of the LORD’ is a ‘strong tower’, it’s the same word ‘migdal’ pointing to the well known actual tower where Benjamin was born. The word ‘migdal’ shows up again in Nehemiah 3:1, connecting it to the ‘sheep gate’ where the sacrificial lambs would be led through on their journey to the Temple in Jerusalem. During Passover, thousands of lambs were brought in from the fields by the Levitical shepherds from the Tower of the Flock through the Sheep Gate on the 10^th of Nissan, chosen to be sacrificed by the Levitical priests on the alter at the Temple on the 14th. Just to jump ahead to Christ's death, this is what Christ did as the Lamb of God, when he rode a donkey into town on Palm Sunday the 10th, in fulfillment of prophecy (Zech.9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. ) the day when the Passover Lamb was chosen and put on display for inspection until it was sacrificed on the 14^th.

So now the shepherds go to see the baby, and when they saw him told everybody far and wide whom they knew and ran into, what they had experienced and knew concerning the baby. And all that heard about it wondered about what they had been told. Those who remembered John's birth and the prophecy Zacharias gave might have now recalled that and realized what this all meant.

Now you see, why Jesus is called a lamb in scripture. He came into the world just as a Lamb and was sacrificed as one as well. Jesus is the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. John 1:29

As such, being a Lamb, the Son of God was born at Migdal Eder, wrapped in the very same swaddling clothes used for lambs, and placed in the protective stone manger to be presented for inspection by the Levitical shepherds. That’s why the angel of the Lord called shepherds, to inspect the baby Jesus according to the Law of Moses. How can we be sure that Jesus was born at Migdal Eder? As before shown, Scripture tells us. The prophet Micah confirms this in two verses Micah 5;2 : “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. And ”Micah 4:8 And “And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion ;the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.” Of course because Israel rejected her Messiah, the kingdom only came spiritually instead of both spiritually and tangibly.

The word ‘Ephratah’ here indicates the place where Rachel died, which is also the place where Benjamin was born, by the tower of Migdal Eder. Micah is telling us that the Savior Jesus, would be born at the very place where Benjamin was born, at Migdal Eder, the Tower of the Flock.

So now we can conclude by many evidences that Jesus was born in the fall sometime in September to early October. As it was already discussed that the census usually was conducted when the people would be traveling anyhow, and I've mentioned that Christ's birth occurring in the fall might have fallen somewhere during the Feast of Tabernacles, is there any reason to suspect that God would do that since He is very big on symbolism? Yes there is. During the Feast of Tabernacles there were two significant rituals performed. The first was the lighting ceremony and the second was the water pouring ceremony.

First we have the menorah lighting ceremony.

Following the evening sacrifice on the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles, the gates of the temple were left open so the public could gather in the Court of the Women and participate in the Illumination of the Temple ritual which was the lighting of four giant lampstands or menorahs, each over seventy to seventy-five feet tall. Each lampstand had golden bowls filled with oil at their tops. Priests climbed ladders to each bowl and lit the wicks, which were made from the worn-out clothing of the priests collected throughout the year. The light from the lampstands was so bright that it was said to light up every courtyard in Jerusalem. The event was to symbolize 1) the pillar of fire in the wilderness wanderings (The Feast of Tabernacles memorialized the Exodus) and 2) the promise that God would send a light to the world, the Messiah, to renew Israel's glory, release them from bondage, and restore their joy. Jesus was coming to bring light to the darkness of sin. So His birth at this time would symbolize the coming of the Light of the World as He said about Himself.

John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

John 9:5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

The Second ritual that pointed to Christ was The Water Pouring ceremony.

During the preparation of the morning burnt offering, (there were two offerings a day at 9 am and 3 pm), a procession of priests, with the accompaniment of singing and flute playing, wended their way from the temple down to the Pool of Siloam, where a priest filled a golden flask with water while a choir repeated Isaiah 12:3: “With joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.”...

The priests returned to the temple via the Water Gate, a gate on the south side of the wall immediately surrounding the temple within the Court of the Gentiles [where the procession was joined by other pilgrims who had come to the temple for the feast]. When they arrived at the Water Gate, a blast was made on a shofar, or ram’s horn.

Upon the blasting of the shofar, the group moved toward the altar of sacrifice located in the Court of the Priests (men only allowed here) that immediately surrounded the temple. The priest carrying the golden flask filled with water ascended the altar and prepared to pour the libation on the morning burnt offering. While doing this, the procession that had followed the priest circled the altar. The priest who had charge of pouring the water then offered the water libation upon the altar.

This ritual performed at the sacrificial altar consists of several aspects that added to its spiritual significance. The Pool of Siloam received its water from the Gihon Spring, a natural water source, making the water in Siloam “living water,” or water suitable for ritual purification, as God had ruled that the water had to be running water, not stagnant water. The concept of “living water” is critical to understanding the significance of this ceremony. Living water had to come directly from God (via rain or other “pure” or natural sources, such as a spring). It was used for all ordinances and rituals requiring water in the law of Moses. Based on recent archaeological research, the Pool of Siloam was likely a mikveh, an ancient ritual bath for purification, and not a reservoir for drinking water. Thus the water from Siloam symbolized the cleansing and sanctification necessary to prepare one to return to God. (The mikveh is the forerunner of the immersion baptism that John did when people repented. Even in O.T. Times, converts to Judaism had to be mikvehed or baptized when they became Jewish converts).

The Jews believed the libation (water pouring) ceremony primarily represented the pouring out of God's Holy Spirit based on the book of Isaiah.

Isaiah 12:1 – 3 And in that day thou shalt say, O LORD, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortest me. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.

The Lord was among the crowd on the morning on the last day during the Feast of Tabernacles to witness the water pouring ceremony carried out by the High Priest. When the liquid was being offered at the altar (or possibly after it was completed) John tells us in 7:37-38 “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”

He was referencing Isaiah 44:3-4, which said, “For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses.”

God calls Himself the fountain of living waters. Jeremiah 2:13 For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

Jesus said He brings living waters when speaking to the Samaritan woman.

John 4:9-14 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
[10] Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
[11] The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
[12] Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
[13] Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
[14] But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

Both of these rituals clearly point to the Messiah and it is fitting that He would be born during this Feast. So while we cannot prove it, it seems that all biblical indications point to the fall, and more particularly the Feast of Tabernacles as the time of His birth.

The Star of Bethlehem

Now as to the star itself, the idea that it was a conjunction of the planets in the sky, which is what the popular theory is, holds a problem with what we are told in Scripture. First we know that this star brought the magi or wise men to see Christ. But how would magi, most thought to come from the area where Babylon had been, know about Christ just because of a star? This brings us back quite a few hundred years back to Daniel.

We know how Daniel was taken captive by Babylon and brought to serve the king's court. As a young man, he had apparently been put in the training school (Daniel having been a youth of some nobility) to learn the sciences and arts of Babylon and become a magi. When Nebuchadnezzar had the dream of the statue and none of his wise men could interpret the dream, Daniel was the one who could interpret it for him. As a result, Daniel was elevated to the rank of the second highest person in the empire. When Persia took over, Daniel continued in a high position. As the captivity came to an end, Daniel, having read in Jeremiah that it would last 70 years, prayed asking God as to what came next. God sent Gabriel (See how Gabriel is the bearer of the Messianic promises and news hundreds of years apart?) and in chapter 9 we read how he tells Daniel that seventy sevens (“weeks” or a period of a week of seven years) or 490 years had been determined by God at the end of which their sins would be finished and they would be reconciled to God, and everlasting righteousness would come in, the visions and prophecies would be sealed up and the most Holy would be anointed. Then it is explained that there would be a division of those years. From the decree to rebuild and restore Jerusalem (given after Cyrus took Babylon) until the Messiah would come would be sixty-nine “weeks” or 483 of those 490 years. Then the Messiah would die, and the temple would be destroyed. So from the giving of the decree during the Persian empire there would be 483 years until the Messiah would show up and then be killed. This gave the Jews (who ignored it) and the magi (who listened to it) information as to when to expect Christ to arrive. (The last “week” of seven years is still future and is known as Daniel's 70^th week and the book of Revelation explains about these seven years.)

Daniel, by being elevated to the highest position after the king and being a magi or wise man, would have taught this important prophecy along with the other prophecies about the Messiah, in particular the one Balaam, (yes the guy with the ass) gave about a Star coming out of Israel. Numbers 24:17 I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel.

These prophecies would have been taught even after Daniel was long gone, as they were given to the greatest magi of the Babylonian and Persian empires. Many of the Jews stayed in Persia when Cyrus allowed them to return. In fact only 25% or so returned. So these prophecies would have been taught in the synagogues, as well as in the schools of the magi. As the prophecy given to Daniel actually gave a time when they could be looking for Israel's Messiah to come, the magi were looking to see a star to indicate that the Messiah had been born.

So now we understand why the magi would know about the Messiah and be looking for His star and why they came to worship. However they did not have all the prophecies, including the one about Bethlehem, for Daniel may not have had access to them having been removed from Jerusalem during the time of some of the prophets. There is a great likelihood that these magi were actually Persian Jews.

So now we go to Matthew to learn about the magi and the star.

Matt. 2:1-10 “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.”

The first thing that it tells us is that the wise men were not basing their knowledge of Jesus on astrology or even astronomy, as most assume, but says that they knew that the special star they saw indicated a Jewish king being born. This, no doubt, they learned from Daniel. As will be seen shortly, this was no normal star up in the heavens. Again, it is assumed that these men were pagan magi, but as already mentioned, they were the descendants of those taught by Daniel. There is every possibility that these were Jewish scholars from that area. At the very least, they were studying the prophecies of Daniel which would have been greatly revered. These men came to worship the Messiah that Daniel prophesied.. Would pagan magicians worship the Jewish God? It is doubtful.

The next thing has to do with the star itself. This very bright, visible, and unusual star had just suddenly appeared out of nowhere. It wasn’t that they were following the procession of planets coming to a conjunction, as astronomers or astrologers would do. This star just suddenly appeared, for Herod asked for the specific time that it appeared. The next part of this is that which people have trouble wrapping their heads around. It says that the star went before them, until it came and stood over the very domicile where the child was living. A star that is millions of miles away in outer space does not move in such a way that we can literally follow it. We can go in the general direction of north, south, east, or west, but that is the extent that the stars can guide our direction. It does not lead us to a town somewhere on the earth, for literal stars are not that precise. Nor does a star place itself directly above a single house, which this star did. It pointed to the exact house where Jesus was and hovered over it. This star was not a star in the sense that we think of stars. It is literally impossible for a star to do what this star did. Therefore it was not a star out there somewhere in the universe.

In Scripture when one studies the angels, we find there are several places where angels are referred to as stars. Revelation being one of them. We know that the angels appeared to the shepherds in the field, so angels were very actively appearing at the time of the birth of Christ. It is not far-fetched to believe that this was a special angel who, in his glorified body of light (angels are known to be bright at times, hence calling them stars), led the wise men on their journey and stood over the place where Jesus lived. That this would be impossible for a star out in the universe to do is just common sense. A star or planetary conjunction does not stand over anything on earth. It is simply way out there in space. Nothing in this passage about the wise men indicates that this was an astronomical event or an astrological event, but everything points to it being a supernatural event discerned by the scholars of the Scriptures, who were watching for the sign of the Messiah due to Daniel's timeline. They would have then seen the angelic manifestation as a star (which no doubt appeared at the time of Christ’s birth) which then propelled them to go to Bethlehem to seek the Christ child. This journey would take about four months by camel caravan.

Now we look at more of the story of the wise men and see Herod's role in all this.

[11] And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
[12] And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

So by the time the magi arrive, the multitude of people have gone home from the Feast and Mary and Joseph have found a place to stay. This is where they are when the magi arrive and present him with the three gifts. These three gifts represent who Christ is. The gold is for the King, the frankincense is for the Priest to offer at the altar, and the myrh is the spice to be used for His burial. We see the significance in these three gifts of His kingship, His priesthood, and his death on the cross.

Herod had inquired of the wise men as to the time the child was born, and called his own religious authorities to ask where this baby would be born, as he needed to have information about the child who threatened his own kingship. The wise men could not tell him exactly where the child was, as they did not yet know, so he finds out from his scribes and tells the wise men He is at Bethlehem. Then he tells them to come back and give him all the info so he could go worship the child as well, when his true intent was to kill him. An angel appears to them and tells them to leave the city another way so they are not waylaid by Herod and the information forced out of them.

[13] And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.

[14] When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:
[15] And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.

So God tells Joseph to flee to Egypt with his family as Herod will seek to kill Jesus. They did not have to be gone long, as Herod died shortly thereafter.

[16] Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men.
[17] Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying,
[18] In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.

When the wise men do not return, Herod sent out soldiers to kill all of the children who were in Bethlehem and the surrounding areas, just in case the family has moved away from Bethlehem. He said to go around and kill all the children from two years and under. In the ancient Hebrew culture, the counting of age was done differently. The Jews started counting life from conception, so when a child was born, they said it was one year old. Where we would say a child was one on their first birthday, they would say the child was two. It was entering its second year of life outside the womb, and had completed two years of life from conception, As it took four months or maybe five to travel from Babylon/Persia down to Jerusalem, and given another month for Herod to realize he had been stood up by the wise men when they left, it is unlikely that the star which appeared when Christ was born had appeared more than six months or eight to nine months tops before the wise men appeared before him to tell him when the star was first seen. So it is more likely that the two year old and under decree was really by our standards one year old and under.

Matthew is quoting Jeremiah 31;15 when he speaks of Rama. “Thus saith the LORD; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not.” Rahel is Rachel. We again see how Rachel, associated with Bethlehem and Migdal Eder, is part of this prophecy of the massacre of the children as well.

So far we have determined what time of year Jesus was born (the autumn), and more specifically during the Feast of Tabernacles. Where He was born - at Migdal Eder, and how the star was not a planetary conjunction, but far more likely an angel posing as a star, which led the wise men to worship Him. This latter piece of knowledge allows us to dismiss the placing of the time of Christ's birth according to a planetary conjunction or some other celestial astrological or astronomical event.

As to what year Jesus was born, that may never truly be decided as the discrepancies in dating that far back make it impossible to be absolutely sure about any date, but there are some things that can lead us to a general idea of when it probably was.

The year of the death of Herod is a widely debated time. Some say between 6 and 4 BC and others say 1 BC. Both are based on a lunar eclipse, but the 1 BC proponents say the eclipse of Jan 1 BC fits the record better due to historical interpretation discrepancies. Due to many factors, I am inclined to go with the 1 BC date as will be shown. Herod began his reign in 36 BC and started rebuilding the temple sometime in 19 BC. This would make the temple already 18 years (plus some smaller part of a year) in construction by the year 1 BC. You go directly from 1 BC to 1 AD. No zero year. This becomes important later on.

Luke gives us some timeline information with John's commencement of his ministry.

Luke 3:1-Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene,

Tiberius took over when Augustus died in 14 AD. So the 15^th year of his reign would bring us to 29 AD. So when Luke says that John began his ministry in the 15^th year of his reign, we add 15 years to 14 and get 29 AD as the year John began.

[2] Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.
[3] And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;
[4] As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
[5] Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth;
[6] And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

John could not by the Jewish laws begin his ministry until he was thirty (which he turned in the spring) as one had to be 30 before one could embark upon ministry, whether a rabbi, Levite, priest, musician or any religious work. So as a prophet and technically a priest, John would have started his ministry in the spring of 29 AD according to Luke's timeline, when he turned 30. This means Christ would be 30 the following fall in 29 AD and He would begin his ministry then according to Luke 3:21-23a Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,[22] And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.[23] And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age,

Six months after Christ began his ministry would be the first Passover that He celebrated during His ministry. It was at this Passover when the people said to Him that the temple was already 46 years in the building of it. It could not mean that the temple was finished in 46 years, for the temple was not finished until around 63/64 AD just six or seven years before it was totally destroyed again. They meant that 46 years had passed while it was under construction and they were now in the beginning of the 47^th year of it being built. The temple is said to have been begun sometime during 19 BC, which means that when the dates (from our perspective) changed over from 1 BC to 1 AD, which is merely a line drawn dividing the two dates, the temple would be considered to have been 18 years in the construction when 1 AD commenced, as the period of time when it was under construction during 19 BC could have been anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, so wouldn't count as an entire year. As 1 AD began, the year 1 BC had just ended. It was not the first anniversary of its commencement, but the actual commencement of year 1 AD. A year has not passed since 1 BC, so you do not count a year in that break of time. When one goes forward to when Christ appears at the Passover in his first year, the temple would have already been 46 years in the construction, or somewhere in its 47^th year, so this helps us place the time of His ministry as well.

As Christ's ministry was to last 3 ½ years, this would bring us to the spring of the year 33 AD. Looking at charts of the Hebrew calendar back then, we find that the evening of Nissan 14, which came before the day of the 14^th, would have occurred on a Wednesday, beginning at sundown, which is exactly when it would have to occur for Christ to be crucified on Thursday at the same time as the Paschal lamb, which He was. Why some church fathers decided it was Friday is something I cannot answer, but they were not following Scripture, or they would have realized they were wrong. Christ was three days and nights in the grave by His own statement. Nissan 10, which was Sunday that year, would be the day that the lambs were chosen and sold to people, so they could take them into their homes for the next four days as commanded by the Law, so that they could examine them to make sure they were perfect and without blemish for the Paschal sacrifice. It was also the day the “nation's sacrificial lamb” was paraded from Migdal Eder to the temple to be put on display. The other lambs that were to be sold were shepherded from Migdal Eder through the Sheep Gate that day for the same reason. People would gather to watch the parade.

This was the same day (we call it Palm Sunday) that Christ made His entry on a donkey and was hailed as the Messiah. (The lamb parade was why there were a lot of people around to do this. He came through the same gate.) He was the nation's Lamb of God who would be sacrificed for the world's sins. He was the Lamb paraded to the temple to be put on display for four days to be examined (by the Pharisees) to make sure He was unblemished and perfect for sacrifice. Four days later on the 14^th (a Thursday) Christ would be die at the same time that the Paschal lamb was slaughtered – at 3 pm. Then He would spend three days – part of the day on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in the grave, as well as the nights of Thursday, Friday, and Saturday making three days and nights, as He had prophesied. He was then resurrected on Sunday the 17^th (the same day that the ark of Noah came to rest on Mount Ararat. Gen. 8:4 – the months back in Noah's day started around Sept. not in the spring so it corresponded to the month of Nissan in the new calendar God gave Israel). The Sunday after Passover is always the Feast of Firstfruits, according to Scripture, which was why Christ was resurrected on that first day of the week. He was the firstfruits of the resurrection. God was not resetting the Sabbath to move it to the first day of the week. Man did that in disobedience to God's Fourth Commandment, thinking that they were honoring God by celebrating the day Christ arose instead of keeping the Sabbath. They were in error. He arose on that Sunday to fulfill the Feast God gave to symbolically teach them a lesson (about the resurrection), just as Passover and the other Feasts were to symbolize parts of Christ's first and second comings and God's plan of salvation. It had no bearing on the Sabbath at all. Our intentions may appear good to us, but if we break the Law of God, He considers it a sin, no matter how good we think our intentions are.

So it would seem that all of this works to show that Christ was born in 1 BC. The evidence of Tiberius, the evidence of the date of Passover occurring when it did that year, (Passover can be any day of the week, so it only works out occasionally the way it did that year), the evidence of the 46 years of the temple being built, all seem to point to this date. The death of Herod, which scholars dispute as being either 4 BC or 1 BC, points to 1 BC being the choice year rather than 4 BC, which would not line up with Tiberius's reign nor the age of the construction of the temple.

The last thing that points to the year of Christ's birth has to do with his ministry. As shown, He seems to have begun His ministry in 29 AD in the fall, but didn't do His first miracle and really start his ministry until the spring of 30 AD after He had spent his 40 days in the wilderness and chosen His disciples. As God is very big on using patterns over and over to help us understand His word and His ways, we need to look at one more time period.

The pattern of 40 is seen many times as a time of testing or trial. We have the following examples of this.

Forty days of rain for the Flood

Moses was 40 when he had to run from Egypt.

Moses was 40 years in the desert before returning to Egypt.

Moses was forty days in the Mount Sinai two times to receive the commandments

Forty years wanderings in the desert

Moses lived forty years after the Exodus

Five Judges judged for 40 years.

Saul, David, and Solomon all reigned for 40 years

Elijah spent forty days in the wilderness without food and water after the episode with the prophets of Baal

Jonah warned Ninevah for forty days.

Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness being tempted by Satan and without food and water

Forty days between the resurrection of Christ and His ascension.

There is one more forty we need to look at. We can see that God gave Israel 40 years from the time Christ first brought the gospel to them in the spring of 30 AD when His ministry really began with His first miracle and His appearance at the temple. It is known that Titus destroyed the temple in 70 AD. This was 40 years after Christ began His ministry. God gave Israel 40 years, just as He had once before given them 40 years, to change their ways and follow Him. But again, they chose not to. And so they were punished. God gave them 2000 years from Abraham to Christ to follow Him and His ways. They chose to reject Him. So God turned to he Gentiles and has given them 2000 years to choose His ways. While many have, over the millennia, we have reached the point in time where we are told there will be great apostasy, and it is evident in all the churches. We too have turned our backs on God's ways. And just as Israel has been punished, we too will be punished. And just as Israel listened to their false prophets that told them it would not happen to them, there are preachers and false “prophets” and teachers out there telling Christians that nothing bad will happen to them. They lie, God has seven years left on that prophecy He gave to Daniel. Seven years in which He will chastise His church and clean her up and get her to repent. Then Christ will return and the Day of the Lord will commence as spoken of by the prophets, and Christ will finally reign on earth as the King of Kings that He is.

So now with all that information, while we cannot say definitively that Christ was born during the Feast of Tabernacles in 1 BC, all things based on Scripture seem to point to this conclusion. If we have been given 2000 years like Israel was, we are rapidly approaching the 2000^th anniversary of the dates when Christ began and ended His ministries. Consider that fact.