Was Jesus born on December 25?

A popular theory about why Christmas is celebrated on December 25th is that in the early years, the Pope intentionally placed the Christian holy day over an established Pagan celebration to replace it. However, there are problems with this theory, most significantly that the proposal of the birth of Jesus as the 25th of December predates the establishment of the coinciding festival, 'Dies Natalis Invicti', the birth of sun god, Sol, by the Roman emperor Aurelian in 274 AD.

This topic is confusing, however, as many superficial festive traditions like Christmas trees, flying reindeer, Yule logs, mistletoe etc, do reflect pagan/druidic customs, which has reinforced the idea that the date must have pagan roots too.

While it is uncertain exactly why December 25th was proposed, it is certainly not the day Jesus was born. One compelling theory is that the early church fathers believed Jesus was conceived on the same calendar day as his death. In the Jewish calendar, the crucifixion was on the 14th of Nisan. Converting that date to the Roman (solar) calendar gives March 25th, exactly nine months before the supposed birth date. Interestingly, the Eastern Church equated the 14th of Nisan with the 14th of Artemisios, the first spring month of the Macedonian calendar (April 6), which led them to name January 6th as the birth date of Christ, apparently by the same method.

Obviously, the Bible does not specify the date of Jesus’ birth, but many scholars believe the shepherds being present in the field at night (Luke 2:8) indicates the Spring lambing season or at least the milder Summer months, as do the travel expectations imposed by the great Roman census (Luke 2:1). This ties in with some of the earliest datings recorded by Clement of Alexandria (c. 150 – c. 215 AD) “There are those who have determined not only the year of our Lord’s birth but also the day, [...] the 25th day of Pachon [Egyptian calendar = May 20] … Further, others say that He was born on the 24th or 25th of Pharmuthi [April 20 or 21].” 

Therefore, the date of Jesus' birth is unknown, and while the Spring and Summer months seem more likely, based on the gospel text, the traditional mid-winter date is not impossible.  For more information, please read "How December 25 Became Christmas" by Andrew McGowan (biblicalarchaeology.org)

This article is an extract from our new Christmas nativity graphic novel. Find it in our online store : https://www.wordforwordbiblecomic.com/buy

Who were the Magi that visited Jesus?

The prevailing understanding of who the Magi that visited Jesus are is that they were a social caste of men learned in “magic,” astrology, alchemy, medicine, dream interpretation and many related disciplines. Their caste seems to have arisen during the time of the growing affluence of the early empires of the Medes and Persians. When a nation or empire becomes rich, it has the resources to support people exploring art, science, and many other forms of academia. With time to study and understand the world, these learned and “wise” men were relied upon by kings and satraps as advisors and diviners. In this way, they gained political power and with this political power, they consolidated their position as sacerdotal mediators between men and the magical and divine. 

There is a connection between the Magi and the Zoroastrian religion. It is believed that they fulfilled a multitude of roles, including that of priests. However, the presence of Magi around the time of Jesus birth is not limited to Zoroastrian nations. Robert Charles Zaehner writes in The Dawn and Twilight of Zoroastrianism, "We hear of Magi not only in Persia, Parthia, Bactria, Chorasmia, Aria, Media, and among the Sakas, but also in non-Iranian lands like Samaria, Ethiopia, and Egypt. Their influence was also widespread throughout Asia Minor."

Why would a Magi care about the king of the Jews?

The key to this mystery of why the Magi journeyed to see the Christ child is found in the Book of Daniel. Daniel interpreted the undisclosed dream of King Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 2:48) and was given the title Rab-mag, the Chief of the Magi. (Daniel 4:9; 5:11). 

During the first year of the reign of King Ahasuerus, the angel Gabriel (yes, that angel Gabriel) visited Daniel and told him when the Anointed One would come (Daniel 9:25- 26). For nearly 500 years, this sect of Magi held onto this prophecy and its implied connection with Jerusalem. Waiting for this time and apparently cued by the star's appearance, they came to find this promised Messiah. 

Finally, considering all that happened with Daniel in Babylon, Esther as queen, and Mordecai as prime minister of Persia, it's entirely possible that Jews held several Magi positions. As Christopher R. Smith writes in his blog Good Question, "Not all of the Jews who were taken into exile by the Babylonians returned under the Persians. For many centuries afterwards, there was a flourishing Jewish community in Mesopotamia. For example, that’s where the so-called Babylonian Talmud originated in Late Antiquity (though the term 'Babylon' was archaic by then)."

Adoration of the Magi. Panel from a Roman sarcophagus, 4th century CE. From the cemetery of St. Agnes in Rome. Public Domain

What did the Magi look like?

From Dura-Europos, individual in Parthian dress—trousers topped by a tunic—and a ‘Phrygian’ cap. (c.210 AD) Public Domain

At the time of Jesus birth, much of the lands east of Jerusalem, as far as the borders of China, were under the dominion of the Parthian Empire. The earliest surviving images of the Magi date to the 2nd-3rd Century, which is 100 or so years after Jesus's birth. However, I was fascinated to discover that their attire was very much consistent with the dress of contemporaneous Parthians. This convinces me that these images were handed down from people who knew their appearance and origin.

Looking at the length of the journey the Magi would have had to make and considering their social status, I thought it was more likely that they would have used horses rather than ride on camels. However, they also have camels in the caravan as pack animals. White horses were considered sacred and used to pull the chariots that conveyed priests. Therefore, I used white horses here to suggest the high status, wealth, and priestly caste of the Magi.

This article is an extract from our new Christmas nativity graphic novel. Find it in our online store : https://www.wordforwordbiblecomic.com/buy

Who was King Herod in the time of Jesus?

King Herod is a key part of the Nativity Story.

Herod took the throne in 43 BC with the blessing of Rome after his predecessor died. “This appointment caused a lot of resentment among the Jews. After all, Herod was not a Jew. He was the son of a man from Idumea; and although Antipater (his father) had been a pious man who had worshipped the Jewish God sincerely, the Jews had always looked down upon the Idumeans as racially impure. Worse, Herod had an Arab mother, and it was commonly held that one could only be a Jew when one was born from a Jewish mother. When war broke out between the Romans and the Parthians (in Iran and Mesopotamia), the Jewish populace joined the latter.” [1]

Herod always considered himself “a friend of Rome.” After fleeing the Parthian invasion of 40 BC, he was restored to his throne by Octavian after Mark Anthony and the Roman forces drove the Parthians out of Judea.

Later, Herod navigated his way through political understanding to avoid being on the wrong side of a civil war between Mark Anthony and Octavian. He was dubbed “the Great” for his many building works and long reign.

“He continued his building policy to win the hearts of his subjects. ... In Jerusalem, King Herod built a new market, an amphitheater, a theater, a new building where the Sanhedrin could convene, a new royal palace, and last but not least, in 20 BCE, he started to rebuild the Temple.” [1] He built several palaces and fortresses, including Masada, on top of a 1,300-foot-high mesa-like plateau. One of King Herod's most significant achievements was a massive port that he built in honor of the emperor and called Caesarea.

“However, many of his projects won him the bitter hatred of the orthodox Jews, who disliked Herod's Greek taste—a taste he showed in his building projects and several transgressions of the Mosaic Law.

“The orthodox were not the only ones who came to hate the new king. The Sadducees hated him because he had terminated the rule of the old royal house to which many were related; their influence in the Sanhedrin was curtailed. The Pharisees despised any ruler who despised the Law. And probably all his subjects resented his excessive taxation. ... It is no surprise that Herod sometimes had to revert to violence, employing mercenaries and secret police to enforce order.” [2]

King Herod's tenure ended in a reign of terror. In the last few years of his life, the king became ill with what is believed to be a cancer-like affection called Fournier's gangrene. Whether it was the necrosis of his body or his impending death that caused it, Herod seems to have become paranoid and dangerously insane at this time.

Herod burnt rebellious Jewish teachers and their pupils alive for removing a golden eagle from the entrance of the Temple. He arranged for a large number of people to be executed or assassinated, including two of his wives, three of his sons, and his mother-in-law, when he suspected them of conspiracy. According to the Macrobius, Emperor Augustus quipped, “It is better to be Herod’s pig than a son” (Saturnalia 2:4:11 c.431 AD)

“As a final act of vengeance against his contemptuous subjects, he rounded up leading Jews and commanded that at his death, they should be executed. He reasoned that if there was no mourning for his death, at least there would be mourning at his death! (At Herod’s death, the order was overruled, and the prisoners were released.)” [3]

Considering this unbridled psychosis and Herod's lineage, we can understand much more about his encounter with the Parthian Magi in the Nativity Story. "It would seem as if these Magi were attempting to perpetrate a border incident which could bring swift reprisal from Parthian armies. Their request of Herod regarding the one who ‘has been born King of the Jews’ (Matt 2:2) was a calculated insult to him, a non-Jew who had contrived and bribed his way into that office.” [2]. This helps contextualize the innocents' slaughter (Matt 2:2) and explains why the Magi took a different way when they returned to the East after they visited with Jesus.

[1] https://www.livius.org/articles/person/herod-the-great/

[2] Who were the Magi https://www.khouse.org/articles/1999/142/

[3] https://www.biblegateway.com/blog/2017/12/who-was-herod/

This article is an extract from our new Christmas nativity graphic novel. Find it in our online store : https://www.wordforwordbiblecomic.com/buy

(The three black and white images above on this page are public domain)

WIN A SELECTION OF CHRISTMAS BIBLE COMICS AND PICTURE BOOKS

To celebrate the release of The Christmas Nativity: Word for Word Bible Comic we are giving away a bundle of books in time for Christmas. We hope you’ll enter and share the link with your friends and local church leaders too. This is a prize with a retail value of over $200!

To enter:

To enter just add your email address in the box to subscribe to our monthly newsletter! Everyone who subscribes before the 12th of December has a chance to win all of these books.

Plus:

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This selection of books includes colourful books for a range of ages. While our own Word for Word Bible Comics are generally aimed at adults, our new Nativity book is perfect for any age.

This prize bundle includes:

• The Christmas Nativity: Word for Word Bible Comic 9781914299117

• The Action Bible 9780781444996

• The Biggest Story Bible Storybook 9781433557378

• The King of Christmas 9781509834570

• Whistlestop Tales (Both instalments) 9781399801300 + 9781529377538

• St George: Blood and Martyrs comics 9781905496075

• The Apostles Creed 9781683595748

• The Lord’s Prayer 9781683596455

• The King of Easter 9781683596868

All the books are free and postage is included in the prize. We will endeavour to get them to you before Christmas but as with any shipping, there are no guarantees.

Close up images:

Was Jesus born in a stable?

To answer the question of Jesus’s birthplace being a stable, we have to explore the text and culture of the time of his birth. "There's no room at the inn," the innkeeper declares. You may have noticed that this familiar school nativity scene is missing from the biblical narrative. The word "inn" was an unhelpful translation of καταλύματι in Luke 2:7, originating with Englishman William Tyndale (c. 1522–1536), which was later included in the King James Version.

The Greek word is better understood as a “guest room” inside the house. The Gospel writer, Luke, uses the same word in reference to the “upper room” where Jesus observed the Passover (Luke 22:11). If Luke had wanted to indicate a commercial inn, he would have used the word πανδοχεῖον, as he does in the parable of the Good Samaritan (10:34).

In Israel in the days of Jesus, commercial inns were not often used except by Gentiles, as the culture was one of hospitality. Joseph takes Mary to his ancestral home, where his extended family reside (to register for the census). It would be unthinkable, and even an insult to him, for him to have to rent a room in an inn in the village of his extended family. Renowned Biblical scholar Kenneth Bailey explains, “Even if he has never been there before, he can appear suddenly at the home of a distant cousin, recite his genealogy, and he is among friends. Joseph had only to say, ‘I am Joseph, son of Jacob, son of Matthan, son of Eleazar, the son of Eliud,’ and the immediate response must have been, ‘You are welcome. What can we do for you?’ If Joseph did have some members of the extended family resident in the village, he was honor-bound to seek them out. Furthermore, if he did not have family or friends in the village, as a member of the famous house of David, for the ‘sake of David,’ he would still be welcomed into almost any village home” (Bible and Spade, vol. 20, no. 4, Fall 2007).

It seems that with everyone traveling for the census, it was a busy time and the family guest room was already full, so Joseph's relatives accommodated the couple in the area of the house normally used to keep animals overnight. In a first-century home, most families would live in a one or two-room house, with a lower compartment of the main family room reserved for animals. This is where Mary laid Jesus in a manger, not in a drafty barn or separate outbuilding. It is likely that the animals were not even there, but in the comic, I draw them corralled at one end of the room.

This article is an extract from our new Christmas nativity graphic novel. Find it in our online store : https://www.wordforwordbiblecomic.com/buy

More OF OUR Blogs on similar topics:

Who were the Magi that visited Jesus?https://wordforwordbiblecomic.squarespace.com/blog/who-were-the-magi-who-came-to-see-jesus

Was Jesus born in a Stable?
https://wordforwordbiblecomic.squarespace.com/blog/was-jesus-born-in-an-a-stable-or-a-guest-room

Why is Luke and Matthew’s genealogy different? https://wordforwordbiblecomic.squarespace.com/blog/why-does-jesus-genealogy-in-luke-differ-from-matthew

What prophecies did Jesus fulfil by his birth?
https://wordforwordbiblecomic.squarespace.com/blog/what-prophecies-did-jesus-fulfil-by-his-birth

Who were the Shepherds at Jesus’ Birth https://wordforwordbiblecomic.squarespace.com/blog/who-were-the-shepherds-that-came-to-see-baby-jesus

Who was King Herod? https://wordforwordbiblecomic.squarespace.com/blog/who-was-king-herod-from-the-nativity-story

What year was Jesus Born? https://wordforwordbiblecomic.squarespace.com/blog/what-year-was-jesus-born

Was Jesus born on December 25?
https://wordforwordbiblecomic.squarespace.com/blog/was-jesus-born-on-december-25

DECEMBER NEWSLETTER

As Christmas approaches there has never been a more ideal time to purchase our latest book, The Nativity Story, it makes a wonderful gift and if you’ve already got your copy please leave a review on Amazon so others can enjoy it too!

Extra Scholarly Help Received

This last two weeks, I’ve been greatly helped in my research for the Book of Acts by Oxford University’s Doctor of Philosophy, Serra Somersan, who works in the field of Archaeology in Western Turkey (where much of Acts takes place). She’s provided me with images and PDFs of period statues, pottery and other art from the time, corrected mistakes and given lots of advice. What a legend.

Christmas Nativity for Jólabókaflóð?

An Icelandic Christmas tradition called Jólabókaflóð, meaning "Christmas Book Flood" and pronounced: "yo-la-boke-uh-flowed”, is celebrated on Christmas Eve and involves giving and receiving new books accompanied by delicious treats like hot chocolate, sweets/candy and even beer. The night is spent in the company of loved ones, reading and sharing stories, creating memories that last a lifetime. It’s a lovely tradition growing in other parts of the world, and what better book to read than one about the nativity?

Our new Christmas Nativity Book is available now. They make brilliant Christmas gifts and giveaways in churches. I’ve set them up so you can buy bundles of these books.

The pricing goes like this:

• Single copy: £8.99

• 5 copies: £29.99 (£6 each)

• 10 copies: £44.99 (£4.49 each) by using discount code FIFTYQUIDPLUS

 ★★★★★ Please Review ★★★★★

Adding an Amazon review will hugely help us with our ranking, especially when it has just launched! Lots of you have either got the Nativity book through our Kickstarter or already have the Luke and Matthew Bible Comics, if so I’d love for you to add your review to Amazon. Please leave your review on the Kindle as this review will show up in all the marketplaces for the book too (click below).

Black Friday Deal: 40% off!

There’s still a little while left to grab our Black Friday offer and give the gift of the good news this year. (I’ve also fixed the issue with the discount, so it works properly now).

40% off the Gospel of Matthew!
Discount Code: MATTFRIDAY23
Offer ends: Dec 15th

The Gospel of Matthew: Word for Word Bible Comic: NIV

DISCOUNTED PRICE £9.59

Nativity Themed Blogs

I have created several blogs to answer questions about Christmas and the nativity. Here is the link to two and more will follow soon, so keep an eye on our social feed.

Who were the shepherds at Jesus' birth?

There is a common misconception that the shepherds of the day, that we meet in the nativity story, were social outcasts living on the fringes of society and that the angels came to proclaim the birth

What prophecies did Jesus' birth fulfil?

Jesus fulfilled several prophecies when he was born. There are many Old Testament prophecies about Jesus Christ. Some scholars estimate the number of Messianic prophecies is in the hundreds. Several

Prayer

Spanish editions: The Lord has opened a door in the Spanish books world but nothing is settled yet. Please continue to pray we can get the Spanish books into expert hands to get them out to the vast Spanish audience.

Progress: As always, please pray I can continue to make good progress on the Book of Acts.

Who were the shepherds at Jesus' birth?

There is a common misconception that the shepherds of the day, that we meet in the nativity story, were social outcasts living on the fringes of society and that the angels came to proclaim the birth of Christ to "the lowest of the low." But while shepherds were regarded as lowly in ancient Greek and Egyptian cultures, shepherding was not at all despised in the Jewish culture. Not only were the Bible patriarchs shepherds (Abraham, Issac, Jacob, etc.), but Jesus also refers to himself as the Good Shepherd (Matthew 2:6, 26:31; John 10:11). The Bible even refers to God Himself as a shepherd (Genesis 49:24, Ezekiel 34:12, Psalm 23:1; 80:1). Clearly shepherding was a respectable occupation.

Some scholars suggest that these shepherds based in Bethlehem, just outside Jerusalem, may have been tending the sheep reserved for the Temple. This understanding is due not only to their proximity to the Temple but also to the statement in the Mishnah that sheep must usually be kept in the wilderness: “One may not raise small domesticated animals, i.e., sheep and goats, in settled areas of the land of Israel, as they graze on people’s crops. But one may raise them [...] in the wilderness of the land of Israel [...] and the only flocks otherwise kept would be those for the Temple services" (Bab K.7:7; 80a). But the sheep in the Christmas story are in a field (Luke 2:8).

The reason these reserved sheep may have been kept in a field and not the wilderness was because sacrificial animals were required to be without blemish (Deuteronomy 17:1, Leviticus 22:17-25) which includes injuries that could be sustained out in the wilds. These shepherds who worked for the Temple would therefore be the ones who inspected the sheep and judged whether they were acceptable. So perhaps the reason the angels called these shepherds to the baby Jesus was to inspect our unblemished sacrificial lamb!

This article is an extract from our new Christmas nativity graphic novel. Find it in our online store : https://www.wordforwordbiblecomic.com/buy

More of our Blogs on similar topics:

Who were the Magi that visited Jesus?https://wordforwordbiblecomic.squarespace.com/blog/who-were-the-magi-who-came-to-see-jesus

Was Jesus born in a Stable?
https://wordforwordbiblecomic.squarespace.com/blog/was-jesus-born-in-an-a-stable-or-a-guest-room

Why is Luke and Matthew’s genealogy different? https://wordforwordbiblecomic.squarespace.com/blog/why-does-jesus-genealogy-in-luke-differ-from-matthew

What prophecies did Jesus fulfil by his birth?
https://wordforwordbiblecomic.squarespace.com/blog/what-prophecies-did-jesus-fulfil-by-his-birth

Who were the Shepherds at Jesus’ Birth https://wordforwordbiblecomic.squarespace.com/blog/who-were-the-shepherds-that-came-to-see-baby-jesus

Who was King Herod? https://wordforwordbiblecomic.squarespace.com/blog/who-was-king-herod-from-the-nativity-story

What year was Jesus Born? https://wordforwordbiblecomic.squarespace.com/blog/what-year-was-jesus-born

Was Jesus born on December 25?
https://wordforwordbiblecomic.squarespace.com/blog/was-jesus-born-on-december-25

NOVEMBER NEWSLETTER

Free gift, Black Friday deals and the Christmas book is out now!

Christmas Nativity Launched!

Today our new Christmas Nativity Books is out on general release. They make brilliant Christmas gifts and giveaways in churches.

The price goes like this:

• Single copy: £8.99

• 5 copies: £29.99 (£6 each)

• 10 copies: £44.99 (£4.49 each) by using discount code FIFTYQUIDPLUS

 Go to Shop 

Please Review ★★★★★

Adding an Amazon review will hugely help us with our ranking, especially when it has just launched! Lots of you have either got the Nativity book through our Kickstarter or already have the Luke and Matthew Bible Comics, if so I’d love for you to add your review to Amazon. Please leave your review on the Kindle as this review will show up in all the marketplaces for the book too (click below).

Free Kindle edition of Matthew’s Gospel!

To celebrate the launch of the Christmas book, we are giving you an early Christmas present. Download the Kindle edition of Matthew’s Gospel in full now, for five days only. Again, please add a review as they are really valuable.

Offer ends: 25th November.

Black Friday Deal: 40% off!

Give the gift of the good news of the incarnation this year and get 40% off the Gospel of Matthew!

Discount Code: MATTFRIDAY23
Offer ends: Dec 15th

The Gospel of Matthew: Word for Word Bible Comic: NIV

Nativity Themed Blogs

I have created a number of blogs to answer questions like “Why is Luke’s genealogy for Jesus different to Matthew’s?”, “What year was Jesus born?” and more. Here is the link to them and more will follow soon, so keep an eye on our social feed.

I have created a number of blogs to answer questions like “Why is Luke’s genealogy for Jesus different to Matthew’s?”, “What year was Jesus born?” and more. Here is the link to them and more will follow soon, so keep an eye on our social feed.

TUE, OCT 31

Why does Jesus' Genealogy in Luke differ from Matthew?

The gospel writers of Luke and Matthew give us a genealogy for Jesus, but they are different. (Matthew 1:1-17 and Luke 3:23-38). For example, Matthew gives Joseph’s father as Jacob, while Luke records

 Read More 

TUE, NOV 07

Which year was Jesus born in?

The Bible does not provide the exact day or even the exact year in which Jesus was born in Bethlehem. But a close examination of the chronological details of history narrows the possibilities to a

 Read More 

Prayer

Books on Amazon: The Book of Judges and Christmas Nativity still have issues with their ISBNs on Amazon. Please continue to pray the Amazon team sort this out.

Spanish editions: The Lord has opened a door in the Spanish books world but nothing is settled yet. Please continue to pray we can get the Spanish books into expert hands that will get them out to a wide Spanish audience.

Progress: Please pray I can continue to make good progress on the Book of Acts.

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