Was Jesus born Dec 25

[JSales]

Not that it matters much but was Jesus really born on Dec 25?

 

[MoreCoffee]

Not that it matters much but was Jesus really born on Dec 25?

Tradition holds that he was but there's no objective historical proof for 25th-December. I am inclined to think that the 25th is a good approximation; one that's good enough to run with. The traditional date for the annunciation is 25th-March and that too seems like a good approximation.

 

[psalms 91]

If you do the research you will find He was concieved around this time and born in the fall, hint compare the scriptures about John the Baptist and Marys visit

 

[Josiah]

It's possible..... I'd consider there's a 1 in 365.4 change of it.

No, it doesn't matter at all. But eventually, Christians CHOSE to CELEBRATE His birth on December 25. Why is not fully known (although theories abound).

 

[Rens]

If you do the research you will find He was concieved around this time and born in the fall, hint compare the scriptures about John the Baptist and Marys visit

Yes, at the same time as Chanuka, the Light came into the world.

 

[MoreCoffee]

Yes, at the same time as Chanuka, the Light came into the world.

Hanukah is close to 25th-December.

 

[psalms 91]

That is correct, no day is pointed out but if I were to hazard a guess I would say in the 10 days whenn the windows of heaven are open

 

[MoreCoffee]

That is correct, no day is pointed out but if I were to hazard a guess I would say in the 10 days whenn the windows of heaven are open

Hanukkah 2016 begins in the evening of
Saturday, December 24
and ends in the evening of
Sunday, January 1

 

[Music]

hahahaha I really thought it is exactly December 25 based on scholar research.

 

[psalms 91]

Hanukkah 2016 begins in the evening of
Saturday, December 24
and ends in the evening of
Sunday, January 1

I didnt say Hanukkah someone else did

 

[Lamb]

There is an interesting article here (I'm not sure I agree with everything): http://taylormarshall.com/2012/12/yes-christ-was-really-born-on-december.html

 

[Wilhemena]

Could the star of Bethlehem provide any data or would that be to determine only what year He would have been born?

 

[psalms 91]

Christmas was a comprimise in order to try to draw pagans in, no other reason. This is thye time when He was conceived

 

[Lamb]

In the middle of the second century Christ's birth was celebrated in Turkey on December 25. http://www.lone-star.net/mall/main-areas/xmas-not-first-choice.htm Antioch was also where the first group of disciples were called Christians.

 

[MoreCoffee]

Christmas was a comprimise in order to try to draw pagans in, no other reason. This is thye time when He was conceived

I think the story your post tells is one of those conspiracy theories that is not supported by the facts. It's a tale oft repeated but quite untrue.

 

[psalms 91]

How so? Was it not sstarted at the time of Constantine

 

[MoreCoffee]

How so? Was it not sstarted at the time of Constantine

No, not at the time of Constantine the Great. It was documented one hundred and fifty years before his time as Emperor as sister Lämmchen mentioned in post #14.

While there is one record of Christmas being celebrated in Antioch (Turkey) on December 25 in the middle of the second century, there is no record of its being observed on that date in Rome until the year 336 AD. In 350 AD Pope Julius I declared December 25 the official date and in 529 AD Emperor Justinian declared Christmas a civic holiday. Further legislation by the Council of Tours in 567 AD officially made Advent a period of fasting and preparation; the time from Christmas to Epiphany (the twelve days of Christmas) was also declared part of the festive season. (source)

 

[JSales]

Christmas was a comprimise in order to try to draw pagans in, no other reason. This is thye time when He was conceived

IMHO, I think that myth was put out there as a ploy to divert the attention away from Jesus because the masses will believe falsehoods easily and blame churches instead of the devil who lies. How many families do you know who refuse to participate in Christmas celebrations because they have been told it's really a pagan holiday so they refuse to even look to the truth of Jesus. Candy canes indicate a shepherds hook as well as an upside down J for Jesus and the red holly berry represents the blood of Jesus and then you got the bells that were a part of the Jewish priests' garb. There are symbols abounding that have been lost in the secular world and mocked by our very own Christian brothers and sisters.

 

[tango]

IMHO, I think that myth was put out there as a ploy to divert the attention away from Jesus because the masses will believe falsehoods easily and blame churches instead of the devil who lies. How many families do you know who refuse to participate in Christmas celebrations because they have been told it's really a pagan holiday so they refuse to even look to the truth of Jesus. Candy canes indicate a shepherds hook as well as an upside down J for Jesus and the red holly berry represents the blood of Jesus and then you got the bells that were a part of the Jewish priests' garb. There are symbols abounding that have been lost in the secular world and mocked by our very own Christian brothers and sisters.

For what it's worth it seems more believable to me to figure that Christmas was put in December to draw attention away from Yule logs and winter solstice celebrations, than arguments about candy canes being a J for Jesus. To me that makes no more sense than the claim that we exchange Easter eggs because the stone in front of the tomb was shaped like an egg, it seems like the kind of story that might persuade a child but then leaves them vulnerable to more reasoned arguments about pagan fertility goddesses.

Ultimately the exact date Jesus was born isn't relevant - he never told us to commemorate the date he was born. Anyone feeling so inclined could probably dredge history books and identify when the census called by Caesar Augustus actually took place (from Luke 2), figure how long it would have taken to travel from Galilee to Bethlehem, and from there gauge roughly when Jesus was actually born. It may be possible to cross-reference Matt 2:16 to determine when such a substantial execution of children took place, to verify the approximate date. Either way the fact that Christ came is far more important than the exact date he was born.

Of course the flip side is that Jesus never told us not to commemorate his birth either. Whether December 25 actually marks the birth of Christ, was hijacked based on Saturnalia, Yuletide, the winter solstice etc, or was just made up because it was as good a guess as any other, doesn't make it obligatory to either commemorate the day or refrain from commemorating the day.

 

[psalms 91]

No, not at the time of Constantine the Great. It was documented one hundred and fifty years before his time as Emperor as sister Lämmchen mentioned in post #14.

While there is one record of Christmas being celebrated in Antioch (Turkey) on December 25 in the middle of the second century, there is no record of its being observed on that date in Rome until the year 336 AD. In 350 AD Pope Julius I declared December 25 the official date and in 529 AD Emperor Justinian declared Christmas a civic holiday. Further legislation by the Council of Tours in 567 AD officially made Advent a period of fasting and preparation; the time from Christmas to Epiphany (the twelve days of Christmas) was also declared part of the festive season. (source)

Yup 350 the date was declared, we are not talking about a local celebration but rather the widespread celebration.