what are some hints as to the real birthdate of jesus?

Answer 1

History convincingly shows that Dec. 25 was popularized as the date for Christmas, not because Christ was born on that day, but because it was already popular in pagan religious celebrations as the birthday of the sun.

But is it possible that Dec. 25 could be the day of Christ's birth?

"Lacking any scriptural pointers to Jesus's birthday, early Christian teachers suggested dates all over the calendar. Clement ... picked November 18. Hippolytus ... figured Christ must have been born on a Wednesday ... An anonymous document[,] believed to have been written in North Africa around A.D. 243, placed Jesus's birth on March 28" (Joseph L. Sheler, U.S. News & World Report, "In Search of Christmas," Dec. 23, 1996, p. 58).

A careful analysis of Scripture, however, clearly indicates that Dec. 25 is an unlikely date for Christ's birth. Here are two primary reasons:

First, we know that shepherds were in the fields watching their flocks at the time of Jesus' birth (Luke 2:7-8). Shepherds were not in the fields during December. According to Celebrations: The Complete Book of American Holidays, Luke's account "suggests that Jesus may have been born in summer or early fall. Since December is cold and rainy in Judea, it is likely the shepherds would have sought shelter for their flocks at night" (p. 309).

Similarly, The Interpreter's One-Volume Commentary says this passage argues "against the birth [of Christ] occurring on Dec. 25 since the weather would not have permitted" shepherds watching over their flocks in the fields at night.

Second, Jesus' parents came to Bethlehem to register in a Roman census (Luke 2:1-4). Such censuses were not taken in winter, when temperatures often dropped below freezing and roads were in poor condition. Taking a census under such conditions would have been self-defeating.

Given the difficulties and the desire to bring pagans into Christianity, "the important fact then which I have asked you to get clearly into your head is that the fixing of the date as December 25th was a compromise with paganism" (William Walsh, The Story of Santa Klaus, 1970, p. 62).

If Jesus Christ weren't born on Dec. 25, does the Bible indicate when He was born? The biblical accounts point to the fall of the year as the most likely time of Jesus' birth, based on the conception and birth of John the Baptist.

Since Elizabeth (John's mother) was in her sixth month of pregnancy when Jesus was conceived (Luke 1:24-36), we can determine the approximate time of year Jesus was born if we know when John was born. John's father, Zacharias, was a priest serving in the Jerusalem temple during the course of Abijah (Luke 1:5). Historical calculations indicate this course of service corresponded to June 13-19 in that year (The Companion Bible, 1974, Appendix 179, p. 200).

It was during this time of temple service that Zacharias learned that he and his wife, Elizabeth, would have a child (Luke 1:8-13). After he completed his service and traveled home, Elizabeth conceived (verses 23-24). Assuming John's conception took place near the end of June, adding nine months brings us to the end of March as the most likely time for John's birth. Adding another six months (the difference in ages between John and Jesus) brings us to the end of September as the likely time of Jesus' birth.
Did Jesus Christ tell us to celebrate His birth? No. However, He left explicit instructions regarding how His followers are to commemorate His death (1 Corinthians 11:23-26).

Answer 2

There is historic evidence that Jesus did exist. In a Christmas star program I watched once at the Morrison Planetarium in San Francisco, the birthdate was placed at around June or early July.

Answer 3

No one knows for sure what month, not to mention which day, that Jesus was born on. Various theories have been raised that put Jesus' birth in April, October, and September. But no one knows for sure.
Additionally, our calendar is inaccurate. It set about 4 years too late. This is known by comparing the biblical accounts of gospels and the extrabiblical records known about Quirinius, the governor of Syria (Luke 2:2) and Herod the Great (Matt. 2:19) who died in 4 B.C. in the year of Jesus' birth. Humorously, that would make Jesus, born in 4 B.C.

Answer 4

Just saw a program on PBS last night on this topic. The answer they came up with was April 17, 6 BC. They based it on an alignment of Jupiter and the moon in the constellation of Aries. Apparently, the Magi were big into astrology.

Answer 5

Shepherds watch over the flocks and keep vigil all night sometime in the early spring. This is when the lambs are being born and they have to be present and alert in case of a a difficult lambing.
bible says the shepherds who were up all night watching their flocks saw what happened - so that would set the date sometime in the spring, maybe march.

Answer 6

He never was born, the Jesus story is an Egyptian story written 2000 years prior to his so called birth.

Answer 7

Date trees and their harvest period.

Mary was asked to shake a tree and eat from what she had shaken when she gave birth to Jesus peace to them both.

The best food a women can eat after giving birth is a date from a date tree. That was and never can be ripe in December. Imagine shaking this big tree after you gave birth, she was granted great ability. No woman on this earth can do such things asked of her at those times.

Answer 8

Read Luke it will tell you. the shepherds put there sheep up in winter. and thy were out. when the angles came.

Luk 2:8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

Answer 9

Jesus was actually born sometime in the spring.

Answer 10

That he never existed as anything other than a myth, and thus has no birthday.