When was Jesus really born?

OPINION:

Every Christmas, a storm of controversy ignites over the accurate date of Jesus’ birth. Fueled by sensationalist media and a public eager to speculate, these debates churn out myths and historical distortions. But the truth, grounded in compelling evidence, is far more fascinating than the chatter suggests.

Could Jesus Christ have been born on 25 Kislev, the first night of Hanukkah — the Festival of Lights — in 5 BC? It’s an intriguing idea, but is it plausible?

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There is a common misconception that Jesus was born in AD 1. This misconception is based on the work of Dionysius Exiguus, a sixth-century monk, scholar, mathematician, and astronomer. He rejected the Diocletian calendaring system, which counted years from Emperor Diocletian, a persecutor of Christians. Rather than using the Roman dating system of marking years based on emperors or significant events, he sought to construct a calendar centered on the most significant historical figure, Jesus.

Ascertaining what he believed to be the year of Jesus’ birth, he identified this year as AD 1 (Anno Domini, “the year of our Lord”) and labeled earlier years as BC (“before Christ”). However, we know today that Dionysius missed Christ’s birthday by several years. Scholars today argue that, based on the death date of Herod the Great (4 BC), who played a significant role in the story surrounding Jesus’ birth (cf. Matthew 2), Jesus was likely born in the year 4-6 BC or in the years surrounding these dates (some today suggest that Jesus could have been born as late as 2 BC).

Today, Christians in the Western tradition celebrate Christmas Day on December 25 (and in the Eastern tradition, January 6). Contrary to popular opinion, the birth of Christ on December 25 is not the Christian assumption of a pagan holiday; instead, Jesus’ birthdate is calculated based on Gabriel’s announcement to Mary (Luke 1:26-38) and the belief that He died around the same time that He was conceived.

As stated in the Gospels (cf. John 19), the crucifixion of Jesus coincided with the Jewish Feast of Passover (day 14 of the Jewish month of Nisan). Church Father Tertullian calculated (in the late second century) that 14 Nisan coincided with March 25 in the Roman calendar, which would later become the Feast of Annunciation in the Christian tradition. Christian theologian Augustine of Hippo also referred to the date of Christ’s conception as March 25 in his treatise “On The Trinity” (c. AD 400-416; Book 4, Chapter 5).

According to Luke, Jesus’ birth was announced to Mary “in the sixth month” (Luke 1:26), likely referring to the sixth month of the Syro-Macedonian calendar, called Xanthikos. This month coincides with the month of Nisan, which corresponds to March-April in the Gregorian calendar. Nine months later, in the winter month of Kislev, Jesus was born.

It’s possible, though far from certain, based on a typical gestational calendar, that if Jesus were conceived around 14 Nisan 3757 (the Jewish year), He would have been born on or around 25 Kislev 3757, the first night of Hanukkah — the Festival of Lights — which corresponds to December 25, 5 BC (In 2 BC, 25 Kislev would correspond to December 22).

Hanukkah (also spelled “Chanukah”) is an ancient eight-day Jewish festival typically celebrated in November or December. This year, in 2024, the first day of Hanukkah will be celebrated on December 26, and in 2027, it will begin on December 25.

In 167 BC, Antiochus IV “Epiphanes,” the king of Syria, invaded Jerusalem with his armies, took control of the Temple Mount, and desecrated the Temple by setting up a statue of Zeus and offering an unclean sacrifice of a pig on the altar of incense. Antiochus’ actions led to a revolt of Jewish fighters led by Judas Maccabeus (“the Hammer”). Maccabeus and his followers used guerilla warfare to take back villages in the Judean countryside and eventually began to attack Syrian strongholds. In 164 BC, the Maccabees were victorious in driving out the Syrians and successfully recaptured Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. On 25 Kislev, the Jewish people cleansed and rededicated the altar and would subsequently celebrate this victory with the festival of Hannukah.

Jewish tradition recounts that to relight the Temple menorah, the Jewish people searched the Temple complex for the sacred oil bearing the seal of the High Priest. Finding just one jar (enough for one day), they relit the menorah in faith, and the oil burned for eight days (the time needed for new oil to be prepared). This is why Hanukkah is often referred to as the “Festival of Lights.”

While the festival of Hannukah is not explicitly outlined in the Hebrew Bible as one of the High and Holy Days listed in Leviticus 23, it is a Jewish Holy Day that does have roots in the Hebrew Bible, specifically in the prophecies of Daniel. In chapter 8, Daniel relates his vision of the Ram and Goat and foretells that a descendent of the Goat (representing Alexander the Great) would interrupt the Temple sacrifices for “2,300 evenings and mornings.” This prophecy refers to Antiochus IV “Epiphanes” and his invasion and desecration of Jerusalem (December 16, 167 BC), and alludes to the refurbishing and restoring of the Temple accomplished by Maccabeus and his followers in late 164 and into 163 BC when all Jewish sacrifices were fully restored.

Hanukkah is not just a celebration of military victory or the miracle of oil burning for eight days. It also marks the restoration of authentic worship and anticipates a future when the worship of God will be completely renewed.

While celebrating Hanukkah (“the Feast of Dedication”, John 10:22-42), the feast celebrating the renewal of true worship, Jesus chose to reveal to His followers that He was the incarnate Son of God. Jesus states, “I and the Father are one.” To which the Jews took up stones to stone him. Why? Because they took Jesus at His word, He was saying: “I am God.”

In John 8:12, Jesus states, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (e.g., 9:5). When Jesus spoke these words, He was standing in the Temple complex (8:20), declaring Himself to be the Light of the World, the ultimate revelation of God, and the Messiah promised by the prophets. How fitting it is that the incarnate Son of God, the Messiah, the one promised to bring hope and peace to the world, the Light of the World, would be born on the first night of the Festival of Lights.

Thanks to the light of all the evidence, we are no longer left in the dark about the profound connection between Jesus and the Festival of Lights. From the historical roots of Hanukkah to the prophetic significance of Jesus as the Light of the World, the parallels are both compelling and inspiring. This Christmas, we can reflect on the remarkable way history, prophecy, and faith converge in the person of Christ, the ultimate gift of light and life.

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Dr. Jason W. Snyder serves as the Discipleship Pastor at Prestonwood Baptist Church, with campuses in Plano and Prosper, TX. A native of Wyoming, he holds degrees from Dallas Theological Seminary and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Follow him on X and YouTube at @jasonwsnyder.