What time of year was Jesus born?

Question

It wasn't December. I thought it was September or October. Does anyone know what time of year historians and religious leaders feel Jesus was born?

Answer 1

September/October is probably about right. Depending on the year (3 B.C. - 1 A.D.) it's somewhere in that range.

It is felt that (for theological reasons and others) that Jesus was born on the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles

Answer 2

Though many people believe his birth to be December 25, the real date of the birth of Jesus is April 6, 1 B.C. This makes sense when one fully contemplates the significance of this date.
First, a little background about the Christmas story for you (See Scripture 1 below): Caesar Augustus decided that all the world should be taxed, and so he issued a census of all the people. In order to be counted, each man was to return to his city of birth, which is what led Joseph and his wife, Mary, to Bethlehem, where Jesus was born.
Bethlehem is approximately six miles from Jerusalem (See link 1 below), wherein was Herod's Temple. Luke 2:8 says, "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night." Why would there be sheperds so close to the temple? Before entry to the temple, one would prepare an animal sacrifice, the most common instance of which was a firstborn male lamb without blemish (for further details see scripture 2 below). These sheperds were most likely Levitical priests, whose calling was to raise sheep for the sacrifices. We know that the sheperds were intently watching their flocks. Why? Not just for wolves. That would not require intense watching; they would hear both the wolves and the sheep. The only other logical explanation was that it was mating season, and they were watching for firstborn male lambs without blemish. And when does mating season occur? About April.

Doctrine and Covenants 20:1 states, "The rise of the church of Christ in these last days, being one thousand eight hundred and thirty years since the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the flesh, it being regularly organized and established agreeable to the laws of our country, be the will and commandments of God, in the fourth month, and on the sixth day of the month, which is called April."

Answer 3

Jesus was thought to be born sometime in the month of late April or early May, since this is when the Shepherds would've been in the fields and also the farmers, tending crops, which is mentioned in passages in the Gospel birth narratives of Matthew and Luke. The December 25th date was chosen only so as to coincide and compete with the pagan Roman holiday of the Winter Solstice, called Saturnalia.

Answer 4

Bible scholars base the theory of when he was born on the fact that Elizabeth was 6 months pregnant with John the Baptist when Mary became pregnant with Jesus and also the weather. As near as they can guess Jesus was born approximately October 5th or 6th. The important thing to remember is that God would not have allowed it to remain hidden if he wanted us to celebrate this day.

Answer 5

It was actually 3-4 before what we call "0" but there was no "0" anyway -- the calendar worked (I belive) from -1 to +1 with no zero in between. In his time, the calendar would have been computed from creation or the corronation of a recent king or other major historical event. Computing based on his birth didn't come until way later (527 CE I think).

Answer 6

astronomers posit that Jesus' birth was in the Spring, April 17, 7 B.C.E because of the rare occurrence of a conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter which would appear as a very bright star. the magi (astrologers) of that time would have considered this rare conjunction of planets to be of magically significant and would been able to predict it's occurrence in order to begin their search for the child the conjunction portended.

Answer 7

In the LDS religion we believe its April 6 in the spring time when Cesar was taxing the world

Answer 8

September 29th.

Answer 9

April 10th, 3 BC.

Answer 10

The consensus view is that it was sometime in the spring. I have no data to support this or any other date.