It talked about the FIRST snow of the year in Jerusalem. But it appear that I was wrong. The above quote comes from the January 2011 issue of BYU Studies. Wayment–and Brown, Griggs, and Hansen before him–seem willing to at least consider the September 15 eclipse of 5 BC as the one mentioned by Josephus, but they seem more convinced by the 4 BC eclipse of March 13.36 The present study argues that a September eclipse and November death date for Herod in 5 BC are not possible in view of what is known about the length of Jesus’s life. What Does the Bible Really Teach. Chadwick rules out Autumn as well, because the Annunciation of Mary occurred in the Jewish month of Adar, corresponding to March. (Plus Elizabeth Smart Notes). http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=kcp_pc_mkt_lnd?docId=1000426311, […] a 2010 article in BYU Studies, Professor Jeffrey R. Chadwick of BYU made the case that Jesus was born in December of 5 BC. In the most recent issue of BYU studies, professors Lincoln Blumel and Thomas Wayment review […], […] a 2010 article in BYU Studies, Professor Jeffrey R. Chadwick of BYU made the case that Jesus was born in December of 5 BC. | Some scholars argue that he could not have been born there but in Nazareth. This is all evident because Luke reported that after the Annunciation Mary traveled “with haste” (immediately) to Judea, where she stayed for three months with her older kinswoman Elisabeth, and that the older woman, six months pregnant with her own child, instantly recognized that Mary was also carrying a child in her womb (see Luke 2:39-43). 3 Nephi 8:5 states: Christians got December 25 from a pagan holiday. THE Bible does not tell us when Jesus was born. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. God’s Word tells us precisely when Jesus died, but it gives little direct indication as to when he was born. Most scholars generally agree that Herod died in 4 BC, placing Jesus’ birth some time before 4 BC. THE Bible does not tell us when Jesus was born. Trying to precisely date the birth of Jesus is problematic, because Luke and Matthew can’t even agree on when Jesus was born. Chrysostom taught that Zechariah received the message about John's birth on the Day of Atonement and John the Baptist was born sometime in June or July, and the birth of Yeshua took place six months later, in late December (or early January). In the most recent issue of BYU studies, professors Lincoln Blumel and Thomas Wayment review […]. Christ was crucified on the day before Passover – on the Day of Preparation. I wonder what the climate in Israel was like two thousand years ago. Dates in 6 or 7 BC. The Gospel of Matthew states that Jesus was a decade earlier than Luke. Such dates would put Passover on a Tuesday at the death of Christ, making him stay in the tomb longer than the requisite three days recorded in the Gospels. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. “in the fifteenth year in the reign of Tiberius Ceasar” (Luke 3:1), the commencement of which can be confidently dated to autumn A.D. 27. this date fell months prior to Passover and is otherwise difficult to reconcile with the known length of time Herod is recorded to have reigned, as noted by Thomas A. Wayment’s study. Some reference that Herod wanted all children two years and younger killed, so they have proposed an earlier date. They had their flocks in the fields at night. (Chadwick notes another eclipse occurred in September 15 of 5 BC, but argues that. Dr Jeffrey Chadwick, BYU Jerusalem Center. [3] [25] [28] Another theory is that Herod's death was as late as after the January eclipse of 1 BC [30] or even AD 1 [31] after the eclipse that occurred in December 1 BC. The month after that was Tebeth (December/January). Mixed Feelings About 2-hour Block/Pageants, Is the Church Running Scared? This brings to mind King Solomon’s words: “A good name is better than good oil, and the day of death is better than the day of birth.” (Ecclesiastes 7:1) It is not surprising, then, that the Bible provides many details about Jesus’ ministry and death but few details about the time of his birth. God’s Word tells us precisely when Jesus died, but it gives little direct indication as to when he was born. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. However, since it has been demonstrated that Herod died in 4 BC, the year is wrong. Main Street Plaza » Sunday in Outer Blogness: Happy 2012 Edition! Earlier dates would also conflict with John the Baptist’s ministry that occurred. The average December temprature is 7 degrees celsius. The first official mention of December 25 as a holiday honoring Jesus’ birthday appears in an early Roman calendar from 336 A.D. Turns out that it only rarely snows in Bethlehem. The Book of Mormon, 3 Nephi 2:8, teaches us that the Nephites began to reckon their time from the date of Christ’s birth – Consider the weather conditions at that time of the year in Bethlehem, where Jesus was born. The answer is in the Infancy Gospel of James ( a discarded gospel but very reliable resource). At the time, I didn’t have an answer. Does that description of outdoor living fit the chilly and rainy weather conditions of Bethlehem in December? because of the heavy rain.” Concerning weather conditions at that time of the year, the congregated people themselves said: “It is the rainy season. Mormon Heretic » Reassessing the Birth of Jesus, Reassessing the Birth of Jesus | Mormon Heretic. No, it does not. The earliest documented date of Christmas being observed on December 25th was in 336, during the era of the Roman Emperor Constantine (the first Christian Roman Emperor).