Date of the birth of Jesus

The date of the birth of Jesus is not stated in the gospels or in any historical sources. We do not know the exact date. However, most scholars think that Jesus was born around 6 to 4 BC.

Two main ways have been used to estimate the year of the birth of Jesus. One way looks at the stories in the Gospels about his birth and connects them to the time when King Herod was ruling. Another way subtracts his age, which is said to be “about 30 years,” from when he began preaching.

Besides looking at historical events mentioned in the Bible, some people have tried to figure out the birth year by thinking about when Jesus started his ministry of Jesus. They have also looked at stories about astrological signs in the Bible and tried to match them with special astronomical events in the sky.

People have also tried to figure out the exact day or season of Jesus’s birth. For example, the story mentions shepherds watching their sheep, which can give clues about the time of year. In the third century, early Christian writers suggested different dates in March, April, and May for Jesus’s birth.

Year of birth

The stories of Jesus' birth in the books of Matthew and Luke do not give a specific date or time of year. Scholars usually believe Jesus was born between the years 6 and 4 BC, based on mentions of a king named Herod.

Two main ways help guess the year. One looks at when Herod was king during Jesus' birth. Another guesses the year by thinking about when Jesus started teaching, using a statement that he was "about 30 years old" at that time.

Some people have tried to match the story of the Star of Bethlehem with real stars or planets that appeared around that time. Others have looked at old records to decide when Herod died, which helps narrow down Jesus' birth year. Over time, different ideas have been suggested, and scholars still discuss the best estimate.

Day of birth

In the early years, people tried to find the exact date of Jesus’s birth. Writers from around the year 200 suggested different days, like May 20th or April 20th or 21st.

There are two main ideas about why December 25th was chosen as Jesus’s birthday. One idea is that it was linked to the winter solstice, when the days are shortest and nights are longest. In old Rome, December 25th was when the winter solstice happened, and it was a special day for celebrating the sun. Early Christians may have chosen this date because, after the solstice, the days start getting longer, which they saw as a symbol of Jesus bringing light into the world.

Another idea is that December 25th was chosen because it is nine months after March 25th, a date linked to the spring equinox. Some early Christian thinkers used these kinds of calculations to decide important dates. However, not everyone agrees on why December 25th was chosen, and the true reason is still talked about by historians and scholars.

Season of birth

Many people celebrate Christmas in December, but the Bible does not say what season it was when Jesus was born. Some scholars think shepherds might not have been out with their sheep in winter. Others say that winters in Judea can be mild, and there are rules about sheep near Bethlehem before February.

Other religious views

Islamic view

The Qur'an tells the story of Mary and the birth of Jesus in Chapter 19. It says that when Mary was having her baby, she was told to shake a palm tree so that ripe dates would fall off. This, along with when dates usually ripen, suggests Jesus was born between June and October, with later times being more likely. A religious teacher named Jafar As Sadiq said the birth happened around the middle of June, near the time of the summer solstice.

Jehovah's Witnesses' view

Jehovah's Witnesses believe Christmas comes from old traditions that are not from the Bible. They think Jesus was not born on December 25, which they say was decided many years later. They believe when Christianity became important in the Roman Empire, it used an old festival called Saturnalia and called it Christmas. They also think many Christmas symbols come from older traditions. For example, lights represent the sun coming back, and Father Christmas comes from different cultures. They also think it is unlikely that shepherds would have been outside in winter, suggesting Jesus was born around early October in the year 2 BC.