...except after "C"

I felt compelled to respond in some way to yesterday's comment about the supposed pagan origins of the Christmas holiday, but lacked the time, energy and resources to draw up a full retort. It appears that the mystery of the origin of the date for Christmas is going to be as difficult to track down as "the whole nine yards." According the increasingly authoritative wikipedia, "No explanation of why it is celebrated on December 25 is universally accepted."

Well, let's see if the Bible has anything to say about the timing of the birth of Jesus (the alleged reason for the season.)

In Luke 1, we get a few clues:

1. Herod was king in Judea. According to Antiquities of the Jews (XVII:6:4) by Josephus, there was a lunar eclipse just a few days before he died, likely corresponding to the astronomical event in either 5 or 1 B.C. The latter date roughly matches other milestones listed by Josephus, such as the 37-year reign (from around 39 B.C.) and the 34 years elapsed since the conquest of Jerusalem (around 36 B.C.) In any case, we can reasonably assume that the conception and birth of both John the Baptist and Jesus occurred at least a few years before 1 B.C. (cf. Matthew 2:16, "...according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men.")
2. Zechariah's division (Abijah) was on duty in the temple. This position in the rotation would place the conception of John the Baptist sometime shortly after the middle of the 3rd (Sivan) month of the Jewish calendar (cf I Chronicles 24:10).
3. Mary conceived Jesus around the 6th month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, or somewhere around the 9th (Kislev) Jewish month. Assuming a normal period of human gestation, Jesus would have been born somewhere around the 6th (Elul) or 7th (Tishri) month, near the appointed time for the feast of Tabernacles (cf Leviticus 23:33-43).

Let's see what Luke 2 has to offer:

1. Augustus was the Roman Emperor and Quirinius was ostensibly governing Syria. While Caesar Augustus' reign places the period comfortably between 23 B.C. and A.D. 14, the presence of Quirinius as governor puts the chronology in somewhat of a pickle. Most historians agree that he assumed power in A.D. 6 (several years after the death of Herod) and ordered a census for the purpose of taxation. In fact, Luke mentions the problems caused by this in his second book (cf Acts 5:37).
   The key here seems to be that it was the "first registration" to take place while he was governing, hinting that there would be a subsequent census. Geisler suggests, "When it came time to begin the census, in about 8 or 7 B.C., Augustus entrusted Quirinius with the delicate problem in the volatile area of Palestine, effectively superseding the authority and governorship of Varus by appointing Quirinius to a place of special authority in this matter."
2. There was no room in the inn. Why? Was it because of the census? That's certainly a possibility. However, the census process took several years, and unless Joseph and Mary procrastinated until the last possible date to go and register (which seems unlikely due to the impending birth) it is more plausible that they decided to time the journey to coincide with their required trip to Jerusalem for one of the three annual feasts. This could explain why the accommodations in Bethlehem (just a few miles away from Jerusalem) were scarce.
3. There were shepherds in the field watching their flock. This would be unlikely (but possible) during the cold winters often experienced in the countryside surrounding Bethlehem. However, it would have been a common practice from April through September.
4. They went to the temple in Jerusalem 40 days after the birth of Jesus. Luke mentions that it was "according to the Law" on three separate occasions and specifically lists the sacrifice they made. An odd rendering indicates that it was for their purification, rather than just for hers, as would have been required by law (cf Leviticus 12).
5. The theme of Redemption was on the mind of both Simeon the priest and Anna the old woman. (Interestingly, Luke indicates that she had been in the temple both day and night, and the temple was usually closed at sundown... except for on Yom Kippur.)

What do these facts all lead us to believe? I don't know. Was Jesus born on December 25? I don't know. Did early church leaders celebrate the birth of Jesus on December 25? I don't know. But here's my point: neither do you. I plan to examine some of the evidence around the origin of the celebration of Jesus birth, but in the meantime, go ahead and try to prove that Jesus wasn't born in August or September of 6 B.C.

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