To:            heb_roots_chr@geocities.com
From:          Bob Blackman
Subject:       Re: The Birthdate of Jesus


    This may be a dumb question, but it is an honest  one.  Two facts are
frequently stated in connection with Jesus' birth.  1] Joseph [with Mary],
as well as all Jewish men were traveling to the cities of their birth for a
tax enrollment.  2] Multitudes of Jews were traveling to Jerusalem for
Sukkot.  These two facts are stated as the reason, "there was no room at
the inn."  In my mind, it seems that these two events tend to conflict with
each other.  If all the men were required to travel to the town of their
birth, I would expect as many to be leaving Jerusalem and Bethlehem, as
were arriving.  Further, if Caeser  was requiring all the men to be at
their place of birth during Sukkot, I would expect Jerusalem to achieve a
record low attendance for the Festival of Tabernacles.  Would you please
enlighten me concerning what I am not perceiving here?  I have no reason to
question either fact, I just don't understand how the two events produced
the situation in Bethehem.

Maranatha,

Bob

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From:          Jack Kilmon
To:            heb_roots_chr@geocities.com
Subject:       Re: The Birthdate of Jesus

My take on the date of Jesus' birth is a bit different than Jim's:  I
apologize for the length, but there is a lot to consider on this
issue.

Jesus is born.


         The date of Jesus' birth cannot be placed with certainty. One
must do a little historical detective work to sort out the biblical
references. This is assisted by Luke who mentions certain personages
whose history is known. First among these is Herod the Great, King of
Judea. Luke 1:5 places the announcement of the birth of John the
Baptist  ".in the days of Herod, King of Judea." The best historical
evidence places the death of Herod shortly after an  eclipse occurring
on the night of Sunday, March 12/13, 4 BCE. and the Passover of
Wednesday, April 11, 4 BCE. This corresponds to the year 750 A.U. of
the Roman Calendar. Jesus was therefore born prior to 4 BCE.

          The second person mentioned by Luke for this detective story
is one "Cyrenius" who was Publius Sulpicius  Quirinius, Roman soldier,
senator and consul under Augustus. In 6 CE Quirinius was sent to Syria
as legate along  with Coponius who would be the first prefect of Judea
and a predecessor of Pontius Pilatus. The registration and   census of
6 CE is too late to be connected with the birth of Jesus.

Additionally, the registration of 6 CE did not  include the Galilee.
This has long been a stumbling block in the determination of the date
of Jesus' birth and many  scholars merely assumed that Luke had made
a mistake. In 1912,however, the discovery by W. M. Ramsey of a
fragmentary inscription at Antioch of Pisidia arguably established
Quirinius was in Syria on a previous occasion. (1)  His role was more
military to lead a campaign against the Homanadenses, a tribe in the
Taurus Mountains. This is confirmed by Tacitus. This means that
Quirinius would have established a seat of government in Syria,
including Palestine, from the years 10 to 7 BCE. In this position he
would have been responsible for the census mentioned by Luke. This
census of 7 BCE would therefore have been the "first" census taken
when Cyrenius was governor (Luke  2:2) and the historically documented
census of 6/7 CE was really the second. There is further evidence of
this first census of 7 BCE in the writings of Tertullian who records
the census "taken in Judea by Sentius Saturninus." (2) C. Sentius
Saturninus was Legate of Syria from 9 to 6 BCE. Another inscription,
the Lapis Tiburtinus, was found in 1764  near Tivoli (Tibur). Composed
after 14 CE, the inscription names an unknown personage who was legate
of Syria twice. The man is described as having been victorious in war.
There is considerable dissension among scholars as to  whether the
unnamed person is Quirinius. I think it is more likely that it refers
to the famous consul and soldier.

           Scholars have debated about the historicity of this first
census since there is no record of it in the Roman archives. Their
chief argument is that Augustus would not have imposed a census for
the purpose of taxation in the  kingdom of a client king like Herod.
Herod had his own tax collectors and paid tribute to Rome from the
proceeds. They further pose that the census in 6 CE was imposed
because Herod's nutty son Archelaus had been deposed and Judea was
placed under direct Roman rule. These are good arguments.

         As a layman, I am forced to go back to Luke and ask why he
would record an event that never took place. Luke was well educated
with diversified talents. He seems careful in his historicity and,
although very young at the time, may very well have met Jesus. He knew
and interviewed those who were closest to Jesus. Some scholars think
that census and the birth in Bethlehem is theologoumenon. This is a
term scholars use for that which expresses an event or notion in
language what may not be factual but supports, enhances, or is related
to a matter of  faith. In other words, a "white lie." I don't buy it
in this case. There is no advantage to matters of faith in the
invention of a census of 6 BCE.

        Some scholars argue that the early census was invented to
support a mythological birth in Bethlehem in support of Messianic
prophecy. We'll cover the Bethlehem issue below. As for the early
census, I am inclined to believe Luke and Tertullian (even though
Tertullian isn't one of my favorite characters). I can think of a
number of reasons based  on the history of the time. Lack of records
is not evidence for or against an historical event. Records are lost
and destroyed, particularly those that are two millennia old. Rome
burned in 64 CE and there have been numerous conflagrations and
sackings of the city over the centuries. Could Augustus had deviated
from convention and imposed a census in Syria/Palestine in 6 B.C.E? Of
course he could. He was the Emperor. Herod the Great was ill and, by
all accounts of the time, nuttier than a fruitcake. He who had once
been an able and effective administrator and builder, was now paranoid
and vicious. He had murdered most of his family, including his sons
and the wife he loved most. The joke in the Roman court by Caesar
himself was that one was safer being Herod's pig than Herod's son.
Josephus records in Antiquities of the Jews, XVI, ix 3 that Augustus
was furious with Herod in 8 BCE and threatened to treat him no longer
as a friend (Client), but as a subject (subject to taxes).

      I believe that the prudent and prudish Augustus, scandalized by
Herod's outrageous reputation and increasing madness, began the
movement toward making Judea a prefecture in 8 BCE and part of that
preparation was a registration. Caesar could have delayed actual
imposition of direct rule in deference to Herod's ill health and the
hope that his successor would not be as loony toony. When Herod died
and Archelaus turned out to be crazier than his father, Augustus threw
in the towel (or Toga) and made Palestine a prefecture. He sent
Quirinius as Legatus (a second time) and Coponius as the first
prefect. The census of 6 CE therefore becomes the first census under
direct Roman rule and fell in schedule with the Roman census on a 14
year rotation. The census of Jesus' birth, perhaps only a
registration, became lost in the archives. In this scenario, it would
make sense to send Quirinius back as Legatus since he presided under
the previous registration. Quirinius was no minor functionary. He was
a Roman senator of the Equestrian order and had been consul since 12
BCE. He had won an insignia of triumph for the Homanadensian war and
had accompanied Caesar to Armenia in 3 CE. He died in 21 CE.(3)
Service in Palestine was not considered "prime duty" by Roman
functionaries but the governorship of Syria was one of the most
important positions in the Empire. The post was always given to the
most respected and capable of Imperial functionaries chosen from the
elite of Roman aristocracy. The Syrian Legatus was the commander-in
chief of the entire Roman East and responsible for the Parthian
border. I believe this Roman soldier, senator and administrator, who
had already served Caesar well, returned to Syria as a personal favor
for his emperor/friend. I must, therefore, be an audacious layman and
disagree with the majority of New Testament scholars. I conclude that
Luke is accurate.

          Jesus' birth in the year 7 BCE would conform with the
statements of Luke but what was the day of his birth?

Scholars are nearly unanimous that Jesus' birth did not occur on
December 25 and on this I do agree. December 25 was the Roman festival
day of Natalis Invictus, the birth of the Sun. The emperor
Constantine, contrary to tradition,   was not a Christian but an
advocate of the cult of Sol Invictus. More for political expediency
than for religious reasons, Constantine tolerated Jesus as an earthly
manifestation of Sol Invictus, the son god. Since Christian doctrine
was being promulgated by Rome, compromises were being made between
Christianity, Sol Invictus and  Mithraism. Constantine saw this as a
way of maintaining harmony. An edict by Constantine in 321 CE ordered
the courts to be closed on the "venerable day of the sun" and Sunday
was chosen as the day of observance rather than the traditional
Saturday Sabbath. If not on Christmas day, therefore, on what day was
Jesus born?

                         The "Star of Bethlehem," Fact or Fiction?

         Many biblical scholars have long contended the story of the
"Star of Bethlehem" to be a myth, another of those theologoumenons
(there's that word again). Astrology played an important role in the
ancient Middle East, including the Jews. It would not be uncommon to
correlate some celestial event with the birth of Jesus, just as the
eclipse had been correlated to the death of Herod and a comet with the
assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 BCE. No comets or Novae, "new
stars," can be associated by astronomers with the period of Jesus'
birth. Hence the source of the Star of Bethlehem remained a mystery or
was considered myth.

         In Prague, in 1603, shortly before Christmas, the astronomer
and mathematician, Johannes Kepler, was making observations of the
stars through his rudimentary telescope. He was observing the
conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in the constellation of Pisces. The
two planets had converged to look like one larger and new "star."
Kepler  later remembered something he had read by the Rabbinical
writer, Abravanel (1437-1508). Jewish astrologers maintained that when
there was a conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter in Pisces, the Messiah
would come. In ancient Jewish astrology, the constellation of Pisces
was known as the House of Israel, the sign of the Messiah. Jupiter was
the royal star of the house of David and Saturn was the protecting
star of Israel, the Messiah's Star. Since the  constellation of Pisces
was the point in the heavens where the sun ended it's old course and
began its new, it is understandable why this conjunction would be
viewed as a portent of the Messiah.

      Kepler concluded that he had found the "star of Bethlehem" but
his hypothesis was rejected. It was not until 1925 that the hypothesis
was re-examined when references to this conjunction were found in the
cuneiform inscriptions of the astrological archives of the ancient
School of Astrology at Sippar in Babylonia. Sippar was an ancient
Sumerian city lying on a canal which linked the Tigris and Euphrates
rivers. It was a very important commercial and religious center.
Excavations at the site of Abu-Habbah during the latter part of the
19th century unearthed the remains of a temple and ziggurat dedicated
to Shamash and the ancient scribal School of Astrology. The most
important discovery were tens of thousands of clay tablets from the
school archives that dated from the Old Babylonian and Neo-Babylonian
periods. In 1925, the German Scholar P. Schnabel found, among the
endless cuneiform records of dates and observations, a note on a
conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in the constellation of Pisces. The
position of Jupiter and Saturn, converged in Pisces, had been recorded
over a period of five months in 7  B.C.E!! Calculations show that the
conjunction was observable three times over the course of the year,
May 29, October 3, and December 4.

         The conjunction in Pisces is observable in the southern sky
over Judea and would sit directly over Bethlehem if one were observing
along the road leading from Jerusalem to Bethlehem. Matthew 2:2
stating "We have seen his star in the east" is a mistranslation of the
Greek phrase EN TH ANATOLH "in the east" from the original wording
which means idiomatically, "the first light of dawn" (which comes from
the east) when the conjunction is visible. The correlation of this
celestial event with the first visit of Quirinius and a preliminary
registration in Syria is too much of a coincidence for this layman to
ignore. I must therefore humbly and respectfully disagree with the
majority of New Testament scholars who again contend that the story of
the Star of Bethlehem is another of those little "white lies." I
conclude again, therefore, that the Gospel account is accurate.

         Accepting the Star of Bethlehem as an historical fact, our
detective work gives us three possible dates for the birth of Jesus,
May 29, October 3, and December 4 in the year 7 BCE. I would rule out
May 29 as too early. Scholarsalso contend that the Gospel account of
the three "Wise Men" is another of those theologoumenon white lies. If
one  were to accept the story of the three magi (astrologers), or at
least three visitors who came to Judea based on the astrological omen,
as containing an element of fact, May 29 is too early. Why would "wise
men," astrologers/magi in Babylon care about a celestial event
predicting the Jewish Messiah? Christians are normally unaware that
Babylon was as important a center for Judaism as Jerusalem in the
ancient world. It is the center for the predominating  Babylonian
Talmud. It is very likely that the "wise men" were scholars of the
School of Astrology in Sippar and likely of Jewish ancestry dating to
the mass deportations of Jews to Babylon in the 7th century BCE.
Steeped in their Jewish messianic hopes and in astrology, these men
would have been convinced that the birth of the Messiah was  imminent.
Given their background, an expedition to the Homeland would seem the
most likely course of action for validation of both their scholarly,
astrological and religious prognostication. These astrologers would
have observed the first conjunction on May 29 and then made
preparations to travel to Judea, arriving for the time of a predicted
second conjunction. October 3 intrigues me because it is within days
of the time of other recorded Roman censuses. Including the one in 6
CE. December 4 would be too late for Shepherds to be tending their
flocks. These were usually brought in around the first of November. I
must therefore again, with all respect to the New Testament scholars,
disagree that the Gospel story of the Wise Men from the East is
fiction. In this historical detective story, correlating the Gospel
accounts of the registration with the celestial phenomenon, I choose
Saturday, 10 Tishri, 3755 (October 3, 7 BCE.) as the date of the birth
of Jesus. Interestingly, that day was a Yom Kippur, the Day of
Atonement.

Jack

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From: Eddie Chumney
To:      heb_roots_chr@geocities.com
Subject: The Birthday of Yeshua During Sukkot

                                    From the Book
                  "The Seven Festivals of the Messiah"
                               by Eddie Chumney

        http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/2175/chap9.html


                     The Birth of Yeshua During Sukkot

      The Scriptures seem to indicate to us that Yeshua was born
during the festival season of Sukkot (Tabernacles). In fact, I
believe that He was born on the Feast of Sukkot (which is Tishrei 15
on the biblical calendar, and is analogous to our September/October).
With this in mind, let's look for some evidence of this in the Bible.

      In Luke 1:5, Zachariah (Z'karyah) is a priest (Cohen) of the
division of Abijah (Avijah). What does this mean? Israel was
divided into 24 districts at the time of Yeshua. Each of these
districts sent two representatives to officiate at the temple during
the weeks of the year. In First Chronicles (Divery Hayamim) 24, the
first division of the priests would serve in the first week of the
year, which would be both in the month of Nisan and the month of
Tishrei since both months begin the new year. As we saw earlier in
this book, Nisan is the first month in the religious calendar set up
by G-d in Exodus (Shemot) 12:2 and Tishrei is the first month of the
year according to the civil calendar.

      During the third week in the month of Nisan, the priests from
all 24 districts would come to the temple to help during the
week of Passover (Pesach). This would also be the case for the
festival of Pentecost (Shavuot) and for the festival of Sukkot
(Tabernacles) when all males were required to go to Jerusalem
(Yerushalayim) as specified by G-d in Deuteronomy (Devarim) 16:16. In
First Chronicles 24:10, we see that abijah was the eighth division or
course of priests. The course of abijah would minister during the
tenth week of the year. Remember, the weeks of Passover and Shavuot
would not be counted because all the priests were required to go to
Jerusalem then.

      In Luke 1:9-10, we see that Zacharias is burning incense. This
is done in the room of the temple known as the Holy Place.
As the incense (which represents the prayers of G-d's people [Psalm
(Tehillim) 141:2; Revelation 8:3-4]) is being burned by the priests in
the temple, 18 special prayers are prayed. These 18 prayers would be
prayed every day in the temple. One of these prayers is that Elijah
(Eliyahu) would come. This is important because it was understood by
the people, as G-d established, that Elijah (Eliyahu) would precede
the coming of the Messiah as stated in Malachi 4:5.

      These 18 special prayers would be prayed twice a day, once in
the morning and once in the afternoon. In Luke 1:11-13,
the angel appeared on the right side of the altar and told Zacharias
that his prayer was heard and John (Yochanan) the Immerser (Baptist)
would be born. John (Yochanan) the Immerser (Baptist) was not
literally Elijah (Eliyahu), but was of the spirit of power of Elijah
(Luke 1:17).

      Allowing two weeks for the laws of separation that G-d commanded
in Leviticus (Vayikra) 12:5; 15:19,24-25 after going
back to the house (Luke 1:23) and then going forward nine months
(Sivan [tenth week] + 2 weeks + 9 months) puts the birth of John
(Yochanan) during the festival of Passover (Pesach). This is an
extremely important point because during the service for Passover,
which is called the Passover Seder, the people are instructed by G-d
to go to the door during one part of the service and look for Elijah
(Eliyahu) while the Passover meal is eaten. The cup is called the cup
of Elijah. The understanding of Elijah preceding the coming of the
Messiah was the basis for the question in Matthew (Mattityahu)
17:10-13.

      In Luke 1:26 during the sixth month of Elisabeth's (Elisheva)
pregnancy, the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary (Miryam).
This should have been around the twenty-fifth of Kislev, otherwise
known as Chanukah. During the time of the first century, Chanukah was
known as the second Sukkot. During the time of Chanukah, all of the
Sukkot prayers are prayed once again. Mary's (Miryam) dialogue with
the angel Gabriel is found in the Sukkot liturgy today. If you
calculate from the twenty-fifth of Kislev and add eight days for the
festival of Chanukah plus nine months for Mary's (Miryam) pregnancy,
this will bring you around the time of the festival of Sukkot, or
Tishrei 15. On Tishrei 22, known as Shemini Atzeret or the eighth day,
Yeshua was circumcised (Luke 2:22-23; Leviticus [Vayikra] 12:1-3).


      Other Evidences of Yeshua's Birth During  Sukkot


      As we have stated earlier in this chapter, the Feast of Sukkot
(Tabernacles) is called "the season of our joy" and "the
feast of the nations." With this in mind, in Luke 2:10 it is written,
"And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good
tidings [basar in Hebrew; otherwise known as the gospel] of great joy
[Sukkot is called the 'season of our joy'], which shall be to all
people [Sukkot is called 'the feast of the nations']." So, we can see
from this that the terminology the angel used to announce the birth of
Yeshua were themes and messages associated with the Feast of Sukkot
(Tabernacles).

      In Luke 2:12, the babe (Yeshua) was wrapped in swaddling cloths
and lying in a manger. The swaddling cloths were also
used as wicks to light the 16 vats of oil within the court of the
women during the festival of Sukkot. So, swaddling cloths are
associated with the festival of Sukkot.

      Notice also in Luke 2:12 that the baby Yeshua was laid in a
manger. The word manger is the Greek word phatn'e. It is
the same word translated as "stall" in Luke 13:15. By seeing how the
word is used in Luke 13:15, we can see that the Greek word phatn'e
means a place for hitching cattle. The Hebrew word for stall is
marbek, which can be found in Amos 6:4 and Malachi 4:2. In Genesis
(Bereishit) 33:17 it is written that Jacob journeyed to Sukkoth and
made booths (the word booth in this passage is the Hebrew word sukkah;
the plural is sukkot) for his cattle. So we can see from these
passages how the word booth (sukkah or sukkot) was used by Jacob
(Ya'akov) for his cattle in Genesis 33:17, and how the Greek word for
manger or "stall," phatn'e, was also used to refer to hitching cattle
in Luke 13:15. Phatn'e is the same word translated as "manger" in Luke
2:12, where Yeshua was laid at the time of His birth.

      During the Feast of Sukkot (Tabernacles), G-d required that all
male Jews come to Jerusalem (Yerushalayim)
(Deuteronomy [Devarim] 16:16). For this reason, the city would be
overcrowded with people and would explain why Mary (Miryam) and Joseph
(Yosef) could not find lodging in and around Jerusalem (Yerushalayim)
(Luke 2:7). Bethlehem, the place where Yeshua was born, is only about
four miles from Jerusalem.

      The last evidence I will give for the birth of Yeshua during
Sukkot according to the Scriptures is in Matthew (Mattityahu)
2:1. There we see that wise men come from the East to visit Yeshua.
The land of the East is Babylon, where the largest Jewish population
was at the time of the birth of Yeshua. These Jews were descendants
from the captivity when King Nebuchadnezzar defeated Israel and took
the Jews to Babylon to serve him. Babylon is referred to as the land
of the East in Genesis (Bereishit) 29:1 and Judges (Shoftim) 6:3. The
wise men in Matthew (Mattityahu) 2:1 were rabbis. The rabbis, also
called sages, are known in Hebrew as chakamim, which means wise men.
The word in Matthew (Mattityahu) 2:1 in Greek is magos, which is
translated into English as "Magi." Magos in Greek is the Hebrew word
ravmag. Ravmag comes from the Hebrew word rav, which means "rabbi." It
should also be noted that the Greek word magos can also mean
scientist, counselor, scholar, or teacher. The rabbis were scholars or
teachers of the Jewish law. Yeshua was referred to as "Rabbi," or
"Teacher" in John (Yochanan) 1:38,47,49; 3:2. So, we can see that the
wise men were Jewish rabbis coming from Babylon to witness the birth
of Yeshua.

      A question we can ask ourselves is, "What made the rabbis make
the journey from Babylon to Bethlehem to witness the
birth of Yeshua?" The answer is given in Matthew (Mattityahu) 2:2, as
it is written, "...we have seen His star in the east...."

      One of the requirements during the time of Sukkot was to build
an outside temporary shelter and live in it during this
festival season. This shelter is called a booth, or sukkah. The sukkah
had to be built with an opening in the roof so the people could see
the stars in heaven. This is another reason for why the rabbis would
be looking for, and thus seeing, the star in the sky when it appeared.
In addition, there was a prophecy in Numbers (Bamidbar), as it is
written, "...a star shall come forth from Jacob..." (Numbers
[Bamidbar] 24:17 NAS). King Herod inquired about where the Messiah
would be born in Matthew (Mattityahu) 2:4. He was told in Bethlehem
(Matthew [Mattityahu] 2:5-6), based upon the prophecy in Micah 5:2. In
Matthew 2:10 it is written, "When they saw the star, they rejoiced
with exceeding great joy." Once again, remember that Sukkot is called
"the season of our joy." In Matthew 2:2, the rabbis saw the star from
the East. Salvation was seen by the Jewish people as coming from the
East. Yeshua descended from the tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5). The
tribe of Judah was positioned on the east side of the tabernacle of
Moses (Moshe) in the wilderness. Finally, in Luke 2:32, Yeshua is
called a light to the Gentiles. Once again, Sukkot is called "the
festival of lights" and "the festival of all nations."

      Therefore, by studying and understanding the festival of Sukkot
and the themes and messages that G-d desired to be
conveyed during this festival, enables us to read the Bible in a new
light; it enables us to understand that Yeshua was born during the
season of Sukkot and that He is the Star we are all called to see with
our (spiritual) eyes!

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To educate, train and equip for study both the Jew and
Non-Jew in the Rich Hebraic Heritage of our Faith.

Please visit the Hebraic Roots Global Network
Web Site located at:

http://www.hebroots.org/

Eddie Chumney
Hebraic Heritage Ministries Int'l