davidbu@tekigm2.men.tek.com (David Buxton) (10/08/89)
Has anyone done a study on dating the time of of year of Christ's birth? I personally favor the fall as I am told the Sheppards of Bethlehem find it too cold to be out on the hills in the winter. They are out there this time of year, the Fall season. The Bible says He came when the fullness of time was come. He died as the Passover Lamb at the end of Passover Week. It seems likely, IMHO, that He was born on a day that God placed on the Jewish Calendar - Perhaps the Day-of-Atonement. Each of these Feast Days and Annual Sabbaths had an appointed reason. Dave
conan@wish-bone.berkeley.edu (10/11/89)
In article <Oct.7.19.11.39.1989.27460@athos.rutgers.edu> davidbu@tekigm2.men.tek.com (David Buxton) writes: > >Has anyone done a study on dating the time of of year of Christ's birth? > There is no way to date Christ's birth without making assumptions which are almost completely unwarranted by the NT--there is simply not enough evidence available. (Though one can argue that it wasn't in December based on the current behavior of shepards in the Middle East.) A related question: what did (or do) the early Fathers of the church have to say on this subject? Yours in Christ, David Cruz-Uribe, SFO
hall@vice.ico.tek.com (Hal Lillywhite) (10/11/89)
In article <Oct.7.19.11.39.1989.27460@athos.rutgers.edu> davidbu@tekigm2.men.tek.com (David Buxton) writes: > >Has anyone done a study on dating the time of of year of Christ's birth? Shepards were watching their flocks by night. I've read several places (sorry I can't remember any references) that this happened only during lambing season when it was necessary to care for the newborn. (Old farmers saying: when a calf is born it tries to live, when a lamb is born it tries to die.) This would mean He was born in the spring.
rock@sun.com (Bill Petro) (10/11/89)
davidbu@tekigm2.men.tek.com (David Buxton) writes: >Has anyone done a study on dating the time of of year of Christ's birth? [David's original suggestions omitted --clh] >Dave NATIVITY SEASON Could the Christ child have been born during winter, as the Christmas cards depict, with snow on the ground? It is possible that there may have been snow on the ground, snow falls 3 to 4 days a year in Palestine. In January on 1950 there was 20 inches on the ground in Israel. Would there have been sheep in the fields, ie. "...while shepherds watched their flocks by night..."? It is even possible that there were sheep in the fields in winter. Sheep destined for sacrifice at the Temple in Jerusalem were kept year round near Bethlehem at Beit Sahur, the "Tower of the Flock". Bill Petro, your friendly neighborhood historian Bill Petro {decwrl,hplabs,ucbvax}!sun!Eng!rock "UNIX for the sake of the kingdom of heaven" Matthew 19:12
phys-bb@garnet.berkeley.edu (10/11/89)
In article <Oct.7.19.11.39.1989.27460@athos.rutgers.edu> davidbu@tekigm2.men.tek.com (David Buxton) writes: > >Has anyone done a study on dating the time of of year of Christ's birth? [David's own guesses omitted --clh] >Dave Dave, Read Luke 1 about Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist. Zechariah is a priest "of the order of Abijah". I believe this the Abijah mentioned in Nehemiah 10:7, 12:4, 12:17, who served around June, which was the time he was told he would have a son. Jesus is 6 months younger than John the Baptist, so that would put our lord's birth in Sept/Oct. I believe that he was born on a day that God placed on the Jewish Calendar; however, that it was not Yom Kippur but Rosh Hashanah, or the Feast of the Trumpets, or the New Year, since Jesus is the new Man. I believe that the Day-of-Atonement has not yet been fulfilled, but will be during the time right before Christ returns.
eickmeye@girtab.usc.edu (Biff Henderson) (10/11/89)
In article <Oct.7.19.11.39.1989.27460@athos.rutgers.edu> davidbu@tekigm2.men.tek.com (David Buxton) writes: >Has anyone done a study on dating the time of of year of Christ's birth? I know that many non-Mormons do not even consider Mormons to be Christian, but I will contribute my 2 cents worth anyway and give you some peoples' interpretation of an exact date. Joseph Smith was divinely-instructed to legally incorporate the LDS Church (under the laws of New York State) on Tuesday, April 6, 1830 (this is found in LDS Scripture in Doctrine and Covenants 20:1, if my memory serves me correctly). He was told that April 6th was the Lord's Day, but it is not a Sunday. Thus, the interpretation of many LDS people is that April 6 is the modern calendar's equivalent to the day of Jesus' birth. Warning: I am not sure if this conclusion has ever been adopted officially by the LDS Church. [For purposes of moderating this group at least, I accept as Christian various groups that are sort of on the borderline of traditional Christianity. This includes for example LDS and Christian Scientists. So LDS views are certainly welcome. This does not of course indicate that I agree with the positions personally. --clh]
wcsa@iwtdr.att.com (Willard C Smith) (10/13/89)
In article <Oct.11.05.16.56.1989.15860@athos.rutgers.edu>, eickmeye@girtab.usc.edu (Biff Henderson) writes: >Joseph Smith was divinely-instructed to legally incorporate the LDS Church >(under the laws of New York State) on Tuesday, April 6, 1830 (this is >found in LDS Scripture in Doctrine and Covenants 20:1, if my memory >serves me correctly). He was told that April 6th was the Lord's Day, but >it is not a Sunday. Thus, the interpretation of many LDS people is that >April 6 is the modern calendar's equivalent to the day of Jesus' birth. >Warning: I am not sure if this conclusion has ever been adopted officially >by the LDS Church. As a Mormon, I would like to respond to *this* view. This idea, that Christ was born on April 6, 1 A.D. is based on a very literal interpretation of D&C 20:1. This view has been *pushed* by several different LDS Church Leaders throughout time (ie. Joseph Fielding Smith, McConkie, Roberts, and Talmage), but has never been official accepted. In fact I can point out at least one major LDS Leader who disagreed with this interpretation. Joseph Fielding Smith's older brother, Hyrum, who was one of the youngest members of the twelve and the president of the quorum, wrote a commentary on the Doctrine and Covenants. In the original commentary, Hyrum openly disagreed with the literal interpretation of D&C 20:1 as setting the date of Christ's birth. Later, after his unfortunate and unexpected death, his younger brother altered the commentary to reflect the literal inter- pretation. Since my father has a first edition, I have been able to examine it for myself. My personal opinion, based on issues raised by Edersheim, is that Jesus was born 4 B.C. and died 28 A.D. -- 1100 E. Warrenville Rd., Naperville, IL Willard C. Smith (312) 979-0024 att!iwtdr!wcsa "It's life, Captain, but not as we know it."