WHEN WAS JESUS BORN?

WHEN WAS JESUS BORN?

The exact date of Jesus’ birth is not stated in the gospels or in any historical sources. However, most biblical scholars generally accept a date of birth between 6 BC and 4 BC, around the time of King Herod’s death [2].
Nativity accounts:

• The nativity accounts in the New Testament gospels of Matthew and Luke do not mention a specific date or time of year for Jesus’ birth. They focus more on theological elements rather than historical chronologies [2].
• Matthew 2:1 states that Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the King. It also implies that Jesus could have been as much as two years old at the time of the visit of the Magi, as Herod ordered the murder of all boys up to the age of two years [2].
• Luke 1:5 mentions the reign of Herod shortly before the birth of Jesus. This Herod died in 4 BC. Luke 2:1-2 also places the birth during a census decreed by Caesar Augustus when Quirinius was governing Judah. Most scholars accept a date of birth between 6 and 4 BC based on these accounts [2].

Theories based on other gospel evidence:

• Another approach to estimating the year of Jesus’ birth is based on working backward from the point when Jesus began preaching. Luke 3:23 states that he was “about 30 years of age” at that time. Based on Luke’s gospel, John the Baptist began baptizing people in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, estimated to be around AD 28-29. By working backward, it suggests that Jesus was probably born no later than 1 BC [2].
• Some scholars have also considered the Star of Bethlehem account as a possible astronomical event to help date Jesus’ birth. However, most scholars regard it as pious fiction rather than historical [2].

Learn more:

1. Jesus | Facts, Teachings, Miracles, Death, & Doctrines
2. Date of birth of Jesus – Wikipedia
3. When was Jesus born? Apparently not Dec. 25. | Live Science