[Click on images of calendar date duration calculations and conversions, and expand for easier readability]
Many credible biblical, historical and archaeological evidences confirm in unison that our Savior was born on the sacred festival of Hanukkah, when the biblical lunar-solar calendar date 25 Kislev 3757 overlapped the solar Roman Julian calendar date December 25th, 5 B.C. It is unfortunate that we are told many speculative untruths in opposition to the factual birth date of Yeshua
haMashiach (Iesous Christos / Jesus the Anointed One)
by non-credible sources who ignorantly spread misinformation propaganda. The purpose of this article is to expose and conclusively refute and disprove those myths.
Many wrongly assume that He "was born on the feast of Sukkot (Tabernacles)", which is a direct contradiction of all of the collective evidence. They quote Yochanan (John) 1:14 as alleged "proof", while not even realizing that the Greek verb, "skenoo" simply means, "to dwell ; encamp, etc.", and is a common word which contextually applies to all human beings, etc., who live in dwellings. It has absolutely nothing at all to do with the feast of Tabernacles, which is a fall harvest that is celebrated as Hebrews gather in Jerusalem. Joseph and Miriam (Mary) were descendants of the tribe of Judah, and did not travel to Jerusalem, but instead, went from the Galilean town of Nazareth to Bethlehem, because it was the city of David, for the Romans demanded that all twelve tribes of Israel return to their original ancestral hometowns for the census.
We know from Scripture that Yeshua was born at the time of the first Roman census (Luke 2:1-2) when Quirinius was Governor of Syria. A review of Roman documents describe this time frame as late in the year of 5 B.C. (3757). The year of the Crucifixion is confirmed by several historians due to the darkness that occurred from noon until 3:00 PM on 14 Nisan 3790 (April 5th, 30 A.D.) during the festival of Passover (Pesach). The historians Phlegon, Thallus, Africanus and Tertullian all mention this three hour period of darkness, that does not have a scientific explanation. It was neither a lunar or solar eclipse for many reasons. Eclipses do not last three hours and cannot happen during the full moon of Passover. This was a supernatural act of Yahweh.
For example Thallus, a Samaritan historian who wrote around 52 AD, and Phlegon, a Greek historian, both recorded the darkness. Thallus tried to explain away the darkness as an eclipse. Julius Africanus (AD 160-240) researched the topic of the darkness and wrote the following: "Upon the whole world there came a most fearful darkness. Many rocks were split in two by an earthquake, and many places in Judea and other districts were thrown down. It seems very unreasonable to me that Thallus, in the third book of his histories, would try to explain away this darkness as an eclipse of the sun."
The Hebrews celebrate their Passover on the 14th day according to the moon. But an eclipse of the sun can only take place when the moon crosses the sun. How then could an eclipse have occurred when the moon is directly opposite the sun? Scientifically it is impossible to have a full moon on the same day that there is an eclipse of the sun. The Roman historian Phlegon is mentioned by Origen who describes a darkening of the sun in the eighteenth year of Tiberius on 14 Nisan-Passover which would be 30 A.D. (3790). According to the context of the Gospel Scriptures, Yeshua (Jesus) was 33 years old when He died. If you calculate 33 years backwards from 30 A.D. (3790), it is 5 B.C. (3757), when He was born.
If
anyone wants to conduct accurate ancient Hebrew biblical lunar-solar
calendar date conversions to the solar Roman Julian calendar dates, then
I highly-recommend this site.
[If the links are not clickable, then please copy-and-paste them into a new internet window/page to visit the websites]
Here is the date conversion data from the
Hebrew calendar year 3757 (Roman Julian year 5 B.C.):
This is the date conversion data from the Hebrew calendar year 3790 (Roman Julian year 30 A.D.):
This site has an accurate calendar date duration calculator :
One of multiple myths is the false claim that it “was too cold in Winter for sheep to be out in the fields”. The shepherds of Bethlehem were in charge of raising sheep for the
temple sacrifices. According to the laws of the time the sheep that were
used for the offerings had to be a one-year-old male sheep that had
been outside for 365 days (one-year). Since these sheep needed to remain
outside the shepherds were also outside, not using the cave during the
winter (rainy season). You can see this in Luke 2: 8, “That night
some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their
flocks of sheep." Once the sheep were of age the shepherds would bring
them to the city of Jerusalem to be sacrificed for the Sabbath (Friday afternoon).
It was important that the sheep that was to be sacrificed did not
possess any blemishes (broken legs, or injuries). Once the sheep’s blood
was completely spilled for all of the sins the priest would return to
the people and proclaim, “It is finished”. (See also Yochanan / John 19:30)
This was one of many prophetic types and foreshadows of Yeshua becoming the final and eternal sacrifice as "the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world" (Yochanan / John 1:29), on the feast of Pesach (Passover) of 14 Abib (Nisan)
3790 ; April 5th 30 A.D.
The claim about Christmas being "substituted for the pagan holidays" is absolutely untrue and very easy to refute and disprove. The specific context and timing are extremely important to understand. The
pagan Romans did celebrate Saturnalia between Dec. 17 and 23, commemorating
the winter solstice Dec. 23, but Christmas does not fit within that time frame. Also, none of the rituals of Saturnalia (including animal sacrifices) are imitated within the Christian celebration of Christmas.
As for the so-called “Birthday of the Unconquered
Sun [Dies Natalis Solis Invicti]”, Emperor Aurelian instituted this celebration in 274
(therefore, AFTER the Christian celebration of Christmas and perhaps to
overshadow it). After legalization in 313, December 25th was purged of any
pagan notion: For example, an ancient codex of that time marked Dec. 25
as the “Nativity of the Unconquered” (meaning Jesus), not the “Nativity
of the Unconquered Sun". Then again, Emperor
Julian the Apostate (reigned 361-63), who had apostatized and wanted to
return the empire to paganism, tried to suppress Christmas and ordered
the celebration of the Birth of the Unconquered Sun, a decision reversed
upon his death. This
record we have of Messiah's birth being December 25 precedes by seventy
years the time the Emperor Aurelian made Sol Invictus a Roman cult, and
it precedes by 150 years the earliest claimed reference to Sol Invictus
being celebrated on December 25—that claim being based on the
Chronography of A.D. 354. In sum, Christmas was celebrated December 25 prior to any
pagan celebration on the same date. (See Taylor Marshall’s The Eternal
City: Rome and the Origins of Christianity).
Yeshua (Jesus) was really born on December 25. The proof of
this fact comes from the Qumran papers, also known as Dead Sea Scrolls,
and the scholar responsible for this particular discovery, Shemarjahu
Talmon, was a professor at the University of Jerusalem in Israel. On
the basis of Qumran’s Book of Jubilees, Talmon reconstructed the
priestly shifts in the Temple of Jerusalem’s service and applied them to
the Gregorian calendar. With this knowledge, what is in the Bible (in
particular in 1Ch 24:1-19, Luke 1,5 and Luke 1,8) leads us to the date
of December 25th for the birth of the Messiah. The discovery was made as early as
the 1950s, but many uninformed sources have totally been ignoring it
for decades and still do. In fact this discovery has later been
confirmed by other scholars, including Annie Jaubert, Tommaso Federici
and Michele Loconsole. He
was born on December 25, and the virginal divine conception occurred 9
months earlier. Christian calendars place the angel
Gabriel’s annunciation to Mary on March 25th. But we know from the
Gospel of Luke that just 6 months earlier the precursor prophet John, who will
be called the Baptist, had been conceived by Elizabeth.
The
Gospel of Luke opens with the story of the elderly couple, Zachariah
and Elizabeth, who were resigned to sterility. Zachariah, who belonged to the priestly class of Abia (Luke
1:5), had the vision of the archangel Gabriel (the same angel who 6
months later visited Mary in Nazareth), who announced to him that,
despite his advanced age, he and his wife would have a son. They were to
call him Yochanan (John), and he would be “great before the Lord”. Zachariah, when
he had the apparition, “was serving as priest before God in the
appointed order of his priestly division” in the temple of Jerusalem
(Luke 1,8). This is where the discovery of Professor Talmon from the
documents of Qumran comes in.
The papyri of
Qumran are ancient Jewish religious manuscripts initially found in 1946
in the Qumran Caves in the Judaean Desert, near the northern shore of
the Dead Sea, hence their more common name of Dead Sea Scrolls. Again
and again they have been proving to be a real gold mine on the origins
of Christianity. Among the documents of
Qumran was found the so-called Book of Jubilees, on the basis of which
scholars were able to reconstruct the succession of priestly shifts
relating to service in the Temple of Jerusalem.
According to what is in
the Bible in 1Ch 24:1-19, King David had ordered that the “sons of
Aaron” be distinguished in 24 turns, so that, alternating according to
an immutable order, they would perform liturgical service for a week,
from Saturday on Saturday twice a year.
The
order of the priestly classes was already known (Iarib, Ideia, Charim,
Seorim, Mechia, Miamin, Kos, Abia, Joshua, Senechia, Eliasib, Iakim,
Occhoffa, Isbaal, Belga, Emmer, Chezir, Afessi, Fetaia, Ezekil, Iachin,
Gamoul, Dalaia, Maasai). Then, thanks to the Book of Jubilees we
discovered that the shift of Abia (the eighth in the order of classes)
corresponded to the last week of September, that is, between the 23rd
and 30th of the month. Therefore, according
to the Book of Jubilees, the announcement of the conception of the
Baptist should have taken place in the last week of September.
In fact,
in the Byzantine area, this event is remembered precisely between 23 and
25 September: it is therefore possible that this date derives from an
ancient tradition, perhaps oral, today confirmed by the discovery of
Qumran. Once the date of the announcement to Zachariah has been fixed,
the whole Christian calendar comes out confirmed: the announcement to
Mary 6 months later (March 25th), the birth of the Baptist after another 3
(June 24th), the birth of Jesus after 6 months more (December 25th). From the conception of Messiah on March 25th (6 Adar II, 3756), around the time of the Spring (Vernal) Equinox, to His birth on December 25th
(25 Kislev 3757)
is exactly 9 months.
It makes sense and is a perfect fit, that Yeshua would be divinely conceived by the Holy Spirit around the time of the Spring Equinox, for the season of Spring represents life :
"Jesus [Yeshua / Iesous] said to him, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father, except by Me." (Yochanan / John 14:6)
“the first advent of our Lord
in the flesh, when he was born in Bethlehem, was eight days before the
Kalends of January, while Augustus was in his forty-second year.”
(Commentary on Daniel 4:23:3). The Kalends was the first day of the
month, and eight days before January 1 is December 25.
Epiphanius
who was the Bishop of Salamis and lived c. 310-407 A.D. wrote about the
birth of Jesus (The Panarion, II 22:5-6) and confirmed that it was on
“the eighth before the Kalends of January” (December 25th)
The mention of
December 25 as Jesus’ birthday is also seen in part
12 of the Chronography, a mid-fourth-century Roman
almanac that lists the death dates of various Christian bishops and
martyrs. The first date listed [December 25], says, “Eight days before the Kalends of January:
Birth of Christ in Bethlehem of Judea.”
Around 408 A.D., Augustine wrote :
“For
Christ is believed to have been conceived on the 25th of March, upon
which day also he suffered; so the womb of the Virgin, in which he was
conceived, where no one of mortals was begotten, corresponds to the new
grave in which he was buried, wherein was never man laid, neither before
him nor since. But he was born, according to tradition, upon December
the 25th.” – (Saint Augustine, De trinitate, Book 4, 5)
Julius
Sextus Africanus lived c. 160-240 A.D. He was born in Jerusalem, highly
educated and well-travelled. He completed an elaborate chronology of
the creation of the world, based on the Hebrew Scriptures and the New
Testament, up until 221 A.D. In these calculations he concluded that the
first day of creation happened March 22 and both Jesus’ annunciation
and resurrection happened on March 25. Nine months from Jesus’
conception takes us to December 25.
Theophilus
(115–181 A.D.) stated: “We ought to celebrate the birthday of Our Lord
on what day soever the 25th of December shall happen.”
Also,
the Syrian early Christian church document from 375-380 A.D.
(Constitutiones Apostolorum, V, 13, 1-2)—mentioned in Section 1— setting
the Nativity Day (birth of Yeshua [Jesus]) on 25 Kislev (Hanukkah).
In
386, John Chrysostom preached a homily on December 20—the memorial of
Philogonius—in which he noted that “the day of Christ’s birth in the
flesh” is about to arrive in “a period of five days,” or on December 25
(On the Incomprehensible Nature of God 6:23, 30).
Over 2,100 years ago, during the 2nd century B.C., the Maccabean revolt occurred as a positive defensive response against the Syrian pagan tyrant Antiochus Epiphanes IV, who sacrificed an unclean pig on the holy brazen altar, and scattered the blood throughout the holy sanctuary, including the Most Holy Place where the Ark of the Covenant was. Yahweh sovereignly empowered the Israelites to succeed in overcoming the Greek armies, and to purify and rededicate the Temple to Him. There was only one container of oil, which was put into the Menorah by faith. It was a divine miracle by Yahweh to keep the holy oil burning in the lampstand for seven extra days (a total of eight), until the Israelites were able to attain more pure virgin olive oil.
Within the Tractate Shabbat (of the Talmud), it is written : “When the Hasmoneans became strong and overcame the enemy, they searched and could only find one bottle of oil with the seal of the high priest. It only contained enough oil for one day. A miracle occurred, and they lit the menorah with it for eight days.” The passages about the dedication of the altar imply that the miracle of the oil was not an end in itself but a stage in the overall rededication, which was where the Maccabean effort was leading. “Hanukkah” means “dedication,” and the festival derives its name not from the oil but from the restoration of the altar.
The collective historical evidences conclusively prove that on the first day of the 8-day holy feast of Hanukkah, Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah was born when lunar-solar Hebrew calendar 25 Kislev 3757 overlapped the solar Roman Julian calendar date December 25th, 5 B.C. It
is an interesting point that “the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month,
that is, the month of Kislev” (1 Mac. 4:22) was already held in honor as
a Festival of Light. It is the Feast of Dedication in winter mentioned
by the apostle Yochanan (John) 10:22. The Hebrew calendar begins in March-April in Nisan,
so its ninth month roughly comes to the Roman Gregorian twelfth month, December, in
most years. It is highly fitting that the 25th day of the 12th month on
the Christian calendar should have been set apart for Christ, “The Light
of the World” (Yochanan / John 8:12), to make His entrance into the world.
The pagan Romans did not decorate pine trees to worship as deities.
YirmiYahu (Jeremiah) 10:3-5 is not contextually about the Christian
Christmas tree,
but rather, idols which were carved out of chopped trees, and overladen
with gold and silver in the form of humanoid deities which they nailed
upright and worshipped. It says so within accurate translations such as
this one : “…They chop down a tree, carve the wood into an idol, cover it with silver and gold,
and then nail it down so it won't fall over. An idol is no better than a
scarecrow. It can't speak, and it has to be carried, because it can't
walk.”
Various translations word this passage of Scripture differently. The context of it is crystal clear whenever perceiving the divinely-inspired Holy Bible Scriptures as one collective whole, for there are many other verses of Scripture, including Wayikra (Leviticus) 19:4 and 26:1, Devarim (Deuteronomy) 4:16-19, 23, 7:25, etc., which use the Hebrew verb, "asah", which means : "to make; carve; shape;", and the Hebrew noun, "pesel", which means : "idol". For example,
"You shall not make [asah] for yourself a carved image [pesel]..." (Shemot / Exodus)
Did you know that King Solomon decorated
palm trees within the holy temple, with chains around them which look
like the decorative ropes on Christmas trees today?
“He
paneled the main room with cypress, which he overlaid with fine gold
and decorated with palm trees and chains.” (2 Chronicles 3:5)
Another
translation says it this way : “He overlaid the main room with
juniper wood and overlaid it with fine gold; and he ornamented it with
palm trees and chains.” (2 Chronicles 3:5)
This was not anything "pagan", but was done according to the will of the Creator. King
Solomon did not commit apostasy until a much later time. Understanding
the proper context and timing is extremely important for accurate
interpretation of the divinely inspired Holy Bible Scriptures. This
first temple in Jerusalem to YaHWeH was holy, and YaHWeH consumed the
sacrifices with supernatural fire from Heaven, and filled the holy
sanctuary with His glory (Kabod /Shekinah) cloud.
He only honors what is holy, for if any idols were therein, YaHWeH
would have killed everyone in the temple, as evidenced by Him consuming
others with His glory in the Mosaic Tabernacle for offering pagan
(strange) fire sacrifices. (Wayikra / Leviticus 10:1-2) Solomon didn’t
sacrifice to pagan deities in the holy temple, but in pagan temples
built elsewhere during later times with his foreign (gentile) wives.
“When
Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed
the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of YaHWeH filled
the temple.” (2 Devarim / Chronicles 7:1)
The Christian Christmas tree is not "pagan in origin" as ignorant people wrongly claim, but the evergreen tree actually represents the everlasting (eternal) life of Yeshua, who said, "I AM the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me." (Yochanan / John 14:6) Also, the star or angel placed upon the top of the tree symbolizes the supernatural angelic "star" which led the wise men (magi) from Persia to Bethlehem. Images of cherubim angels were on the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant, and also the walls of the Tabernacle and Temples. Angels are metaphorically called "stars" within many passages of Scripture (including Iyob / Job 38:7).
"After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star
they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the
place where the child was." (MatisYahu / Matthew 2:9)
This was not a natural conjunction of planets, nor a supernova, but was an angel as a supernatural sign. It rose upwards, moved forwards, and then completely stopped to hover over the specific house where Yeshua lived. Prior to this, multiple angels also appeared in the sky to the shepherds, sung a song of praise about Yeshua, before the shepherds left to find and worship Him. (Luke 2:13-15)
Many people erroneously believe that it is "pagan" to celebrate a person's birth, and to bring gifts. But this is 100% biblical, for the holy angels sang, and the humble shepherds and wise men all celebrated His birth. Yeshua was brought multiple gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. It is not a coincidence that all these lights were in the sky overhead, for YaHWeH is the "Father of lights" (Yakob / James 1:17), and this was Hanukkah, the Festival of Light.
Yeshua observed the
sacred Festival of Hanukkah, and was present in the Temple in Jerusalem
while it was being celebrated. “At that time the Feast of Dedication
took place in Jerusalem; it was winter, and Jesus [Yeshua / Iesous] was
walking in the temple in the porch of Solomon.” (Yochanan / John
10:22-23) It was during this Festival of
Hanukkah (also called “Dedication”) that Yeshua made one of the clearest
assertions of His deity described in the Bible, saying, “I and My
Father are one”, within verse 30. Shortly before the festival of light
began, He also said, “I AM the Light of the world”. (Yochanan / John
8:20)
Yeshua is connected to 8 major events during 8
holy festivals. Also, the gematria (numerical value) of His name in
Koine Greek as "Iesous" is 888. 8 is the sacred biblical number which
represents renewal and also eternal life. The number 8 is also the
symbol for infinity within other philosophies.
Yeshua did multiple holy things on sacred days. He
was born on the feast of Hanukkah. He was crucified on the feast of
Passover (Pesach). He was in the earth on the weekly sabbath and the
feast of Unleavened Bread (haMatzot). He rose from the dead on the feast
of Firstfruits (haBikkurim). Yeshua prayed to the Father to pour out
Ruach haKodesh (the Holy Spirit) upon 120 believers within the upper room in Jerusalem, Israel, during the feast of
Weeks (Shavuot), on the 50th day, also called “Pentecost”. He will very
likely return to Earth on the feast of Trumpets (Teruah), for the angels will
blow seven trumpets in a series, and He will return at the last (7th)
trumpet. Likewise, the biblical prophecies state (within YeshaYahu / Isaiah 52:15) that "He will sprinkle many nations" with blood, which sounds like the Day of
Atonement (Yom Kippur ). Lastly, the prophecies (within ZechariYah / Zechariah 14:16) foretell the time when all nations
will worship the King on the feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). Everything
in His life had meaning, purpose and divine timing. It was not a mere
coincidence but was Divine Providence. It is the perfect will of YaHWeH, that Yeshua was born shortly after the Winter Solstice, and was non-coincidentally the darkest time of the year. Yeshua fulfilled the prophecy of
YeshaYah / Isaiah 9:2: "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned." (MatisYahu / Matthew 4:16) The Hanukkah menorah is called a hanukkiah, which has nine branches instead of the seven found on the Temple Menorah. The ninth branch is very special because It holds the servant candle, or shamash in Hebrew, which is used to light the other eight candles. The shamash candle reminds us that Yeshua came not only as the Light of God (Elohim), our Messiah and Savior, but that He came to serve us: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” (Markos / Mark 10:45) "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it...That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world." (Yochanan / John 1:4,9) As we take a closer look at this ninth candle, it will help us to deepen our understanding and appreciation for who Yeshua is and what He has done for us. It
is not a coincidence that our heavenly Father YaHWeH sent His only
begotten Son, Yeshua to be born as a human being on the exact day when
the
festival of Hanukkah occurred on 25 Kislev 3757 (of the Hebrew
lunar-solar biblical calendar), and overlapped December 25 (of the solar
Julian Roman calendar) in 5 B.C. The number 25 is sacred within biblical numerology. It is composed of 20 (meaning redemption) and five (grace) or grace multiplied (5 x 5). The number 25 represents "grace upon grace". "And the Word became human, and lived among us (and we ourselves beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten with the Father), full of grace and truth...For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus [Yeshua / Iesous] the Messiah." (Yochanan / John 1:14, 17) "May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord." (2 Kepha / Peter 1:2) Yeshua was born to die, redeeming us from
sin, so that we who are in darkness may be born-again as the children
of YaHWeH the Most High God by the Holy Spirit, and filled with His divine
light of eternal life. Light is energy and life. He is the origin,
eternal Source and Well-Spring of it. "In Him is light, and there is no darkness at all."
(1 Yochanan / John 1:5) Outside of Him is darkness and death, both physically and
spiritually. Both Hanukkah and Christmas are festivals of light which
point to Yeshua as our Light of the world, who has removed all spiritual
division, and united both Hebrew Israelites and Gentiles as one by the
Holy Spirit. Yeshua our Messiah and Savior is the Reason for the Season.
Christmas originated from the time of His birth, when the
festival of Hanukkah on 25 Kislev 3757 (of the Hebrew
lunar-solar biblical calendar) perfectly synchronized with December 25th 5 B.C. (of the solar
Julian calendar). Many Hebrew Israelite and Gentile Messianics-Christians
have continued these sacred traditions of the festivals of light in celebration of His birth ever since, for He is our divine Light of salvation who saves us from the darkness of damnation, and is truly worthy of our
thanksgiving, praise and worship, to the ultimate glory of YaHWeH, our heavenly Father of lights. HalleluYah!!!
“Behold, the virgin
shall be with Child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name
Immanuel,” which is translated, “God [Elohim / Theos] with us.””
(MatisYahu / Matthew 1:23) “The
angels sang in the heavens, saying : “Glory to God in the highest, and
on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests!”” (Loukas / Luke 2:14) “For
unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; And the government
will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful,
Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (YeshaYahu /
Isaiah 9:6) “She will give birth to a Son,
and you are to give Him the name Jesus [Yeshua / Iesous] because He will
save His people from their sins.” (MatisYahu / Matthew 1:21)
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