So Jesus was born "Once Upon A Time", can anyone narrow this down some?

Question

Huge range of dates here, I think we'll have to put it to the vote, but be honest nobody has a clue do they?

Answer 1

No. Noone can claim to accurately narrow this down. For our only source of information regarding the birth of Jesus is the New Testament scriptures of Matthew and Luke. And regarding this matter, these scriptures stand in sore unreconciliable contradiction.

Matthew says, "After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod....." (Matthew 2:1).

Luke says " In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up.....to register with Mary....and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son." (Luke 2:1-7)

Now it is a well known historical fact that King Herod died in March of 4BC. So, according to Matthew, Jesus had to be born, at latest, in 4BC.

It is also a well known historical fact, well documented in roman documentation, as well as in the works of Josephus, that Quirinius conducted one great census, under the direct command of Ceasar Augustus, and this was when he was governor over Judea in 6-9 CE (AD). He conducted the census in the years 6 and 7. So according to Luke, Jesus was born, at earliest, in 6 CE.

So, unfortunately, it is impossible to answer your question. For the sources of our information regarding the matter themselves do not corroborate each other. If those who were nearest and closest to the time and place of Jesus- those who are the source of information regarding him- if their information itself is irreconciliable, then how can we possibly have information regarding the matter.

In truth, Matthew and Luke were both written quite a few decades after the death of Jesus, by anonymous authors (as neither book itself even ever claims to be written by neither Matthew nor Luke, respectively- they are just traditionally referred to by these titles). These authors were transcribing stories of hearsay which they had come across, without any empiracle knowledge on the matter- not even having knowledge of what the other had written. In fact, "Matthew" and "Luke" both copied much of their writings from "Mark." Further, nothing stated about the life of Jesus in any of the gospels has ever been substantiated or found to be documented in any other source at all. Likely, the stories of the life and person of Jesus were forged by weaving togehter various related and unrelated tales, into a new tale (or rather, four new related but very different and irreconciliable tales), about a supposed person names Jesus of Nazareth.

I hope my inability to answer your question answers your question for you.

Answer 2

there was this little god/man born to a noble couple named Hercules

he grew up strong and wise, full of strenth

he went upon a quest to Asia and then came back talking about rebirth and enlightment, or "the word"

he was attacked by the religious crowd and was killed while still being a god/man and was sent to Hades to be trapped as part of the evil plot to spite god for being cast out of heaven

little did the evil one know that Herc / Jesus was still god and he triumphed over death and brought back lost souls from paradise and if we believe this then we too will have everlasting life

all we need to do is seize the day, be the change we wish to see in others and respect life

LOVE ALL / Serve All = Hard Rock Cafe

Answer 3

Jesus was born . hmmm Well under Leo, when Regulius star shined the brightest . about 2000 yrs. I was taught 9 /11 3 BC. I'm still searching the research.
GOD BLESS

Answer 4

i think the only people that can narrow this down is to find either a vampire or something that has lived for that long to confirm this "once upon a time" then and only than will you have your answer. but beware dont let the vampire get you or you will be telling others what happened "once upon a time"!!

Answer 5

Love Caroline, Savannah, Felicity, Laurel and Lydia. of those Caroline is probable my renowned. Cade Alexander sounds stable. unquestionably, Cade and Caden sound the two expert. Caden seems to pass a sprint greater suitable, yet the two sound fantastic to me.

Answer 6

Best Guess: September 29, 5 B.C.

Answer 7

Second chapter of the Gospel of Luke defines it pretty good. Research the names listed there, and you'll get the time frame.

Answer 8

Its not "Once upon a Time" ..get a Bible and read the new testiment...all of it to follow the birth and death and resurection of Jesus.

Answer 9

Sometime in September of 3 BC, before the 26th.

"We know from Biblical references that Christ was born six months after his cousin John the Baptist. Again from Biblical references we can pin down the date of John’s birth. John’s father, Zachariah, was in the temple performing his priestly duties when an angel visited him in a vision and informed him that his wife Elizabeth, who was barren and on in years, would soon conceive a son. We know from Luke that Zachariah was responsible for the eighth of the 24 Priestly Courses of the Jewish Faith. Each of the 24 courses lasted a week and were repeated twice during the year. The Jews used a luni-solar calendar of 51 weeks - the other three weeks of the year were for the three major Jewish religious celebrations - Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles. Because the calendar only had 51 weeks, the Jews had to add 30 days at prescribed intervals so that the calendar kept pace with the solar year.

In the case of Zachariah, he was officiating in the 8th course, or 8th week of the Jewish year, when the angel paid him a visit. The priestly courses probably started their serving in the springtime month of Nisan - the first month of the Jewish ecclesiastical year. This is a chronological clue - it tells us the general time of year that Zachariah was serving. We also know that he was not serving at a festival period because the priests suspended their normal weekly duties and all served together during the major Jewish high holy seasons.

Assuming that the springtime month of Nisan began that year (it varied with the state of the crops - in 4 BC it began after midnight on March 28 - March 29) on what corresponds to the end of March of our current calendar, then Zacharias was visited by the angel, and his wife became pregnant, in the month of June. Remember also that Passover, one of the High Holy weeks of the Jews, occurred during the time interval from late March to June - putting off Zacharias’ priestly course for one week. Assuming a full-term pregnancy of 9 months, Elizabeth gave birth to John sometime in March. This means Jesus’ birth would have taken place the following September.

But in which year? And what if Zacharias was serving his priestly course during his second time of the year, in December? This would mean that Elizabeth gave birth to John in September, and Jesus was born the following March. In fact, many modern historians and theologians readily accept a spring date for the birth of Christ because of the passage in Luke regarding the angel who appeared to shepherds guarding their flocks in the field. Several of these historians assert that the only time shepherds were in the fields with the flocks was spring, which was lambing season. The lambs were an important part of the feast of the Passover. However, flocks of sheep were habitually kept in the fields, from early March until late October, and sometimes all year round. It does not seem reasonable that the shepherds would leave them unattended at all, as important as they were to Passover, where they would be subject to predators and theft. In other words, the sheep provide us with no real clue as to the time of the Nativity.

Again let us go back to the census of Caesar Augustus - the oath required of all people in the Roman empire and client kingdoms, which began in the late summer or early autumn of 3 BC. If this was indeed the census that brought Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem, and it seems quite probable that it was, than Jesus had to have been born sometime around this period. We know from the Biblical stories of the Nativity that Mary was “great with child” - in other words, close to full-term. We know that once Joseph and Mary arrived at their destination, Bethlehem, she went into labor and delivered. This makes September of 3 BC the most likely month of Jesus’ birth, with John being born in March of 3 BC. We know also that Jesus’ birth had to occur before September 26 of that year, because the High Holy week of Tabernacles was from September 26 to October 3 in 3 BC; this required Jews to be in Jerusalem to celebrate this holy festival. Yet Mary and Joseph were in Bethlehem when Jesus was born."

Answer 10

Although many people will tell you BC and AD is the answer, the new initials, BCE before common era and CE common era our probably more accurate.