When Was Jesus Born?

When was Jesus born? Does anyone actually know? Not really, but perhaps an educated guess can be made. Let's take a crack at it...

There is no precise date given in the Bible, only some allusions that point to the general time. Extra-biblical history of the period offers no more than allusions as well. Most historians date Herod the Great's death in the spring of 4 BC; therefore, they place the birth of Christ sometime before that because of the slaughter of the innocents. Certainly makes sense.

Yet other historians, like W. E. Filmer, date Herod's death in 1 BC, and for what seem to be very good reasons. Either theory has arguments that can be made, but I think the 1 BC date is more likely and fits the accounts in the gospels better. Those accounts also offer a host of other synchronizable details, although some (like the reference to Quirinius) remain puzzles that, to all appearances, seem absolutely unresolvable.

As I see it, rather than words on a page, words written by God in the heavens through astronomical phenomenon go a long way to pinpointing the likely date of Jesus' birth. There are two groups and one singular occurrence of astronomical events which set not only the timeline for Herod's death, but also the birth of Christ, his presentation at the Temple, the visit of the Magi, the escape of the holy family to Egypt, and the slaughter of the innocents.

The first group of events was the triple conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in 7 BC with Venus joining in a close grouping with those two within the constellation Pisces in 6 BC. The Magi, from their likely location in Mesopotamia, would have seen all this and would have interpreted it according to their astrological symbology. Jupiter would have been seen as a sign of significant change in kingly power; Saturn in terms of possible misfortune; Venus, queen of heaven, as an omen of fertility and thus birth; Pisces, the fishes, as the “House of the Hebrews.” 

Specifically, the events in this first group came about as follows:

• On May 29, 7 BC, Jupiter passed Saturn, the first of three conjunctions
• On September 30, 7 BC, Jupiter retrograded past Saturn for the second conjunction
• On December 5, 7 BC, Jupiter repassed Saturn for the third conjunction
• Late in April 6 BC, a close grouping of Jupiter, Saturn and Venus became visible within Pisces. 

The second group of conjunctions occurred from 3 to 2 BC and were the ones that would have provoked the Magi to take their journey. The details which fill out this picture:

• On September 11, 3 BC: Jupiter passed by Regulus ("King Star") in the constellation Leo for the first conjunction, which is also alluded to in Revelation 12:1 (although that was not the point of that prophecy). This probably marked the conception of the child Jesus by the Holy Spirit in Mary's womb
• On February 17, 2 BC: Jupiter retrograded past Regulus for the second conjunction
• On May 8, 2 BC: Jupiter repassed Regulus, completing a "circling" of the "King Star" by the "King Planet"
• On June 17, 2 BC: Jupiter and Venus had an extraordinarily close conjunction, to the point of looking as if the two were one very bright object in the evening sky (the west).

The singular astronomical event was a lunar eclipse occurring on January 10, 1 BC. The mainstream dating of Herod’s death is 4 BC, also based on a lunar eclipse just before Passover in the spring of that year. However, historian W.E. Filmer, believes the lunar eclipse which occurred in 1 BC was the one that Josephus said marked Herod’s death. If so, Herod died in 1 BC and the biblical sequence of events neatly falls in line with the astronomical events in the following manner:

• In 2 BC, in the area of Bethlehem, shepherds were abiding with flocks overnight (which would not have been uncommon throughout most of the year)
• The birth of Christ occurred in a stable since the inn was full (Bethlehem was a tiny town) probably during the week starting May 18th in 2 BC
• Mary and Joseph remained in the area at an unnamed house for 8 days until Jesus' circumcision was accomplished and another 33 days for postpartum purification according to the Law (so at least 40 days)
• The Magi came to Jerusalem between June 15th and 17th, 2 BC, to Herod, to find the one born King of the Jews. They departed for Bethlehem to visit the child on the evening of June 17, 2 BC, following the star they had seen in the east (Jupiter). Incredibly brighter now (due to the close conjunction with Venus), the star (actually two planets seen as a singular object) hung low in the western sky, and probably just for that one night. Easily perceivable as aligning over the house where the holy family was staying, the Magi were lead in the correct direction directly to the house
• Joseph and Mary brought the infant to Jerusalem on his 40th day (the week of June 27th) so Mary could fulfill the purification rite and ran into Simeon and Anna  
• God warned Joseph in a dream that the child's life was in danger, so the family escaped to Egypt soon after Mary's purification
• When the Magi didn’t report back to him, Herod had all the males born after the star was first seen (September 11, 3 BC) slaughtered, and to be sure, he killed any male born in Bethlehem under 2 yrs of age at the time of his order (likely sometime after July began) 
• Herod died before Passover (April 6) in 1 BC, after the lunar eclipse in January fitting Josephus' details
• The holy family was given the okay to return home to Nazareth in a dream some time shortly after Herod's death.

There you have it. Marked in the heavens by the hand of God from the very foundations of the universe. Could it have all occurred strictly supernaturally instead, without any of these naturalistic markers, or even at a different date? Yes, of course, and that would certainly still demonstrate God's power. But to think that he set these markers all in place before the foundations of the world, well, I find that an absolutely amazing demonstration of his sovereignty and purpose.

And so with that, Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!