Christmas Traditions throughout History True or False Quiz

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   R December 15, 2019 at 9:55 pm

   Jesus is believed to have been born around 4 to 6 B.C because the recorded census actually took part then. That’s when the Governor guy was in charge. However, other local censuses took part every year, so it could be any time during those six years. The death of Herod the Great also coincided with the correct period.

   The time of the year is based on

   1) The census, it was taken during the Summer, so in June
   2) The fact that the sheep were outside on the hillside. The royal flocks around Bethlehem were cared for by local shepherding outside in the late Spring so between May and June or in September, another favourite time of year for scholars, for the birth of Jesus.
   3) The most likely candidate for the star rises every 2000 years or so, also in June and July but rarely to September.

   It’s interesting how something we don’t have a specific date for, can be worked out by tiny clues. The actual known historical references in the Gospels are really good clues for historians and the almost pinpoint accuracy of a birth date and time of year. It’s cold in the Holy Land in December so no way would the sheep be outside. It’s too hot by far in July and August but just right in September and the Spring. The census in June makes perfect sense as the best time to travel, not too hot, not too cold. I can’t recall but there is something which links to the Romans taking one then as well. June is the month of Juno Goddess/God of Victory and the tax collections paid for massive celebrations, you know the usual thing, gladiators, wild animals, slaves, criminals all on the bill down the local amphitheatre. Juno was honoured at the games. What do you use for largesse and to pay for several days of lavish entertainment, money and where do you get it, taxes. So the census and taxes makes perfect sense, and as the Empire was vast and in the Holy Land rural, having everyone go to a town near by for central registration sounds very Roman, effective and efficient.

   When you think about it, looking for clues to the date of birth of Jesus is the same as trying to work out the clues for the dob of Anne Boleyn or Kathryn Howard, there are alternatives and many scattered clues. There are wills and letters and conventions and the laying in for a birth of a sibling to work around. One date makes more sense than another but the alternatives have merits. All Biblical scholars and Roman historians have are the odd name to give them a clue and when Herod was around or the hints about the sheep on the hillside. It’s like a conundrum. A great big conundrum and we are still looking for clues.

   Sorry about the babbling. I just find it interesting how it was all worked out. We can’t work something out for the sixteenth century without guessing, imagine someone sitting down and working out the birth of Jesus 2000 years ago. Wow!

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