When Was Jesus Really Born?-- What Does the Bible Say?

Around this time of year millions of people celebrate Christmas. In the past, I have touched briefly on the origins behind the celebrations and customs associated with Christmas, and how their true origins are a far cry from anything related to Christ.

In this article I will solely discuss Jesus and his birth, showing you facts that are backed up by scripture as well as other sources so that you can see, without a doubt, that Jesus WAS NOT born on December 25th as many have believed for so long. In fact this date, December 25 has no basis in scripture at all.

First and foremost, I am not an Athiest. I am a Christian, and I believe in Jesus wholeheartedly, but I also believe what the Bible says about him, not the false doctrines that have been spread for so long, misleading the public.  

John "The Baptist"

So what does John "The Baptist" have to do with Jesus' birth? A lot, actually.


According to the Bible, Jesus was conceived while Mary's cousin, Elizabeth was already 6 months pregnant with John. At the time that Zachariah was notified by God's angel that his wife was to become pregnant, Zachariah was serving in God's temple in Jerusalem under the course of Abijah. Historical records prove that this took place around the month of June, according to the Jewish Calendar.

The Bible account at Luke goes on to state that upon Zachariah's return home days later (towards the end of June), that his wife became pregnant with John. Count 6 months from the end of June and you find the time that God caused Mary to conceive Jesus. Add another 9 months to that and you will find that the date falls around the end of September.

(Please read the account at Luke 1: 5-33)


Shepherds In The Fields

According to the Biblical story of Jesus' birth, the Shepherds were out  in the fields. Had it been December, the Shepherds would not be out in the fields overnight with their flocks because that is very cold season in Bethlehem.

By the month of Bul (Oct-Nov) the weather would have already become rainy and harsh for the flocks, thus they would not be kept outdoors in the night.  The next month, Chislev (Nov-Dec) was even worse, having the lowest temperatures of the year, and even sometimes snow in the highlands.

So, logic firmly tells us that given the fact that the Shepherds were out in the fields with their flocks at the time of Jesus' birth, it had to be around early Fall, the month of Ethanim, (Sept-Oct.) of the year 2 B.C.E., when Christ was born.

(Please read the account at Luke 2: 8-20)


Timing is Everything!

Jesus died when he was 33 1/2 years old. He was baptized at the age of 30 in 29 C.E., around the same time of the year as his birth. He died on Nisan 14, which was approximately 6 months (or half-way through the year) before the date of his birth, and also the anniversary of his baptism. Also note that Jesus' ministry only lasted 3 1/2 years because he died on Nisan 14, halfway through what would have been his 4th year of ministry.  Count back 6 months from Nisan 14, which is during the Spring and you will always end up around September.


The Census

According to Bible accounts, Joseph and Mary had to travel to Bethlehem for the census, ordered by Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus.  Census' were not done in the winter. Why would the Emperor force a people to travel during the worst conditions of the year just to register for the census? It doesn't make sense. The people would have been very likely to revolt against him, had he decreed they trek in below-freezing temperatures during the dead of winter.

Luke 2: 1-4 states: " Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Au·gus′tus for all the inhabited earth to be registered. 2  (This first registration took place when Qui·rin′i·us was governor of Syria.) 3  And all the people went to be registered, each one to his own city. 4  Of course, Joseph+ also went up from Gal′i·lee, from the city of Naz′a·reth, into Ju·de′a, to David’s city, which is called Beth′le·hem,+ because of his being a member of the house and family of David. "


Other Facts:

A Catholic Newspaper was quoted saying: 

"The real date of Jesus’ birth, from the historical viewpoint, lies concealed beneath a veil of uncertainty as regards Roman history, the imperial census of that time and research in the subsequent centuries. . . . The date of 25 December, as is well known, was chosen by the Church of Rome in the fourth century..This date in pagan Rome was dedicated to the Sun god . . . Although Christianity had already been affirmed in Rome by an Edict of Constantine, the myth of . . . the Sun god was still widespread, especially among soldiers. The above-mentioned festivities, centered on 25 December, were deeply rooted in popular tradition. This gave the Church of Rome the idea of impressing a Christian religious significance on the day by replacing the Sun god with the true Sun of Justice, Jesus Christ, choosing it as the day on which to celebrate his birth.”

It was reported that even Pope Benedict of the Catholic Church, claimed his doubts that Jesus was born on December 25th.  Remember, after Jesus and his apostles died, just as the Bible foretold, there would be a time when Christianity as a whole would fall away from true worship and plummet into a dark period. It was during such times that that Christianity became corrupted and diluted by outside sources. 

During the the 4th century the idea of Christmas, which derived from various pagan customs,  and other doctrines or beliefs were adopted by the Catholic Church, including forms of idolatry. It was at this time that the celebration of Jesus' birth became intertwined with the Winter Solstice and other pagan customs, as a means to invite pagans to convert. 

The answers have always been right here in the Bible. It just takes time to research and find it. Some people won't go through the trouble to find the answers. They would rather choose to continue believing what they were taught without a second thought. However, some will take the time to research and study the scriptures, in order to learn what the Bible says. Not just following blindly on what imperfect man wants us to believe.  Like I always say, if it isn't in the Bible, I am not going to believe it, plain and simple. 

This blog was to inform you of the historical accuracy of the Bible that coincide with other various historical evidence that Jesus was not born on December 25. I hope you have found the information I have provided to be informative, and maybe it will inspire you to look up these scriptures and information for yourself. If you choose to continue to believe that December 25th was the day of Christ's birth, that is up to you. No one can force you to believe or not believe, as we all have free will. 

(2014- Copyright- Origins What Does History Say?)

NISAN 14: Observing The Anniversary of Jesus' Death

Many people often think of  Good Friday & Easter as a time when they celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus, but the true origins of Easter, (as I pointed out in one of my previous articles, "Easter- Do You Really Know The Truth About It?"), date back to Ancient Babylon and their pagan goddess, Ishtar (which the name "Easter" originates from). In fact, Easter was also a time in ancient mythology where the resurrection of the god Tammuz was celebrated. 

In fact, if we are to go back to the origins of when Jesus died and follow the Hebrew Calendar, you would see that the days in which Good Friday and Easter are celebrated each year do not coincide with Nisan 14, the very day in which the Hebrews were commanded to celebrate the Passover. This information is key, as to when to celebrate the anniversary of Jesus' death.

You see, the night of the "Last Supper" as people call it, was in fact Nisan 14. That is the day that is recorded in the Bible when Jesus sat down with his apostles and had his last meal. The same night that Judas betrayed him and the same night that he commanded his apostles to commemorate this event for the sacrifice that he was about to make on behalf of the world, when he said “Keep doing this in remembrance of me.”--- Luke 22: 19

THE PASSOVER or THE LORD'S EVENING MEAL

When Jesus sat around the table with his apostles there were two significant events they were observing. As always that night had served as a night to remember the "Passover" that took place in Ancient Egypt when God sent the angel to passover the land as part of the 10th Plague. If the angel came to the home and saw that the blood of a lamb had been marked over their door, then the angel "passed over" it and spared the life of the firstborn. As history proves, there have been archealogical findings in Egypt that actually support the Bible's mention of the 10 Plagues including the Exodus itself. 

By the time Jesus and his apostles were observing this anniversary of the Passover, he had another commandment to make for this very same day. He told his apostles from then on to keep celebrating this night, now in remembrance of him. This was for the sacrifice that he was about to make of giving up his life on account of imperfect mankind. He used the wine and the unleavened bread as symbols of his blood and his body that was to be poured out and sacrificed for our sins.

Another thing to mention is that back then the day started at sundown and ended the next night at sundown. Therefore the night of Nisan 14 not only is a night to observe "The Lord's Evening Meal" or Last Supper, but the anniversary of Jesus' death, being that he died that very next day which was still Nisan 14. 

Every year the date is different as the Hebrew Calendar does not work according to the calendars that we use in this present time. So in order to properly observe this date, we must do it according to the Hebrew Calendar.

So now you know what Nisan 14 is and why Christians were commanded to observe it. For more information in regards to the true origins of Easter, please read "Easter- Do You Really Know The Truth About It?"

(Copyright 2014)- Dreaming Casually

Idolatry- Ancient Times and Today

The Adoration of the Golden Calf by Nicolas Poussin:

 

Have you ever stopped and wondered what the true meaning of idolatry was? Where it's origins came from or even why it is considered wrong to many people? This article will touch on various answers to those questions.

Definition

The meaning of idolatry has become diluted and sometimes lost in translation over the centuries. What once was considered idolatrous in one religion’s eyes has now become something now naturally accepted as normal. Many people say idolatry is an ancient practice and has no relevance this day in age, or does it?

According to the American Heritage Dictionary, idolatry is defined as “the worship of idols,” or “blind or excessive devotion to something.” In fact, the Catechism of Catholic Church states: Idolatry not only refers to false pagan worship. Man commits idolatry whenever he honors and reveres a creature in the place of God, whether this be gods or demons (for example Satanism), power, pleasure, race, ancestors, the state, money, etc. "  

Also another publication states this, “An idol is an image, a representation of anything, or a symbol that is an object of passionate devotion, whether material or imagined.”-Insight on the Scriptures.  

So with that being said, it isn’t far fetched to say that the world we live today is encompassed with idolatry all around them, and perhaps they don’t even know it!

Idols of Today

Think about it, besides religious idols, which I will mention, there are other forms of idols all around us. When you turn on the television you are constantly bombarded with television shows about who will be the next superstar that the masses will “idolize” over. What about commercials telling you to be a certain way or to buy certain things in order to be happy?  Our thinking is in a constant state of being molded to be selfish in every aspect of our lives. We strive our entire lives searching for happiness in material things, thus we become the victims of idolatry- we idolize material possessions.

Now some of us may keep our eye simple, but what of those who may be overly interested with a certain genre of books, music or movies to the point we form an unhealthy obsession of it? It does happen, many times to younger ones such as young self impressionable girls becoming obsessed with the latest pop sensation on the airwaves or the hot guy in the latest blockbuster.

And what of the obsessed sports fan?  Those who decorate their entire house in their favorite team, never miss a game and would get into a fist fight with anyone who makes fun of their team….yes, you guessed it, another form of idolatry.

You could be radically obsessed with politics or even just putting your career before your family, by which you then become to worship what you do. I watched a woman on t.v. who spoke of her daughter who won an Olympic Gold Medal in an interview recently. She stated that her daughter’s event became her religion and that she sent her away for months at a time to perfect her sport in order to win. What did she win? She won a gold medal, the medal became the object of her worship.

You see, many of us have to admit that we at one point or another have fell victim to this enticing and yet very invisible vice, while we may not even realize it at the time.

Religious Relics and Worshiping Aides

Most people know the scripture within the Ten Commandments given to Moses in Exodus 20:4 which reads, “You must not make for yourself a carved image or a form like anything that is in the heavens above or that is on the earth underneath or that is in the waters under the earth.”  Another scripture in the Bible adamantly states that "idolaters would not enter into God's kingdom."

So, if Israelites and early Christians did not partake in idol worship or the aids of objects during worship, and the Bible adamantly states not to worship carved images, why then would idols be incorporated into everyday worship in mainstream religions such as Catholicism and Christianity?

Roman Papacy of the Catholic Church, wanting to convert pagans into their religion compromised the commandments within the Holy Scriptures and allowed pagan influence to creep in. 

The Cross was among the first of pagan relics that was adopted into the Catholic Church.

“The same sign of the cross that Rome now worships was used in the Babylonian Mysteries, was applied by Paganism to the same magic purposes, was honoured with the same honours. That which is now called the Christian cross was originally no Christian emblem at all, but was the mystic Tau of the Chaldeans and Egyptians--the true original form of the letter T--the initial of the name of Tammuz--which, in Hebrew, radically the same as ancient Chaldee, was

found on coins. That mystic Tau was marked in baptism on the foreheads of those initiated in the

Mysteries,  and was used in every variety of way as a most sacred symbol.”- The Two Babylons.

The Rosary was also a pagan idol symbol from ancient Chaldea. In fact, the Chaldean word “Ro” means “thought”, and “Shareh” meant “director.” They were also known in early Roman society as “remembrancers” being that you had to remember how many prayers you had to repeat in order for God to hear you. That totally goes against the very scriptures in the Bible that state for people to speak from the heart and not being repetitively speaking without meaning.

Amulets, crosses, statues of various gods, even ones of Jesus or Virgin Mary and Virgen de Guadalupe are all pagan and go against the very commandments in the Bible. Remember Jesus stated for his people to worship his father, the only true God. He told the people not to worship anyone or anything other than God, not even himself.

Whether you are a believer in the Bible or Christianity the facts within the Scriptures prove that idol worship did not originate with God, but with various pagan cultures that have infiltrated nearly every mainstream religion.

History shows that various cultures such as the Egyptians, Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Sumerians and Chaldeans polytheistic beliefs and mythology all coincide with one another in their forms of idol worship and beliefs, based on their true origins dating back to Babylon. The Bible has always stood its ground that idolatry was not something to be practiced by a monotheistic believer. Various events and stories mentioned about acts of idolatry referred to in the Bible, were done by pagan groups who worshipped false gods,  and were revered as something detestable to God. Such practices of these pagan worshipers included ceremonial prostitution, child sacrifice, self- laceration to the point of blood flowing and even sexual orgies and drunkenness.

Recall a story in the Bible of when Moses came down the mountain with the Ten Commandments, and what did he find? The Israelites had fallen away from true worship of God and had melted down all their gold to worship a golden calf that had been cast.  It does not mention in that particular scripture the name of the god they were worshiping, although many scholars claim it could have been the lunar bull that was associated with the pagan Canaanite god, El.

In other stories of idol worship that was detestable in God’s eyes recorded in the Bible, names of the false god Ba’al (or Bel) was mentioned.  Ba’al or Bel was a god of the Babylonians, also referred to as Marduk, possibly Nimrod deified.  You see, many of these pagan gods we have learned about in mythology of various lands, could have quite possibly been your average human being who lived and died on this earth. It wasn’t until later on that others deified them to become ‘immortal.’

Where did this idol worship come from?

Idolatry of gods and goddesses

If you search through any culture you will find mythology of gods and goddesses to which civilization’s  performed idol worship. The Aztecs, Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Sumerians, Norse, Celts and even American Indians all believed in their individual gods and deities and worshipped them, also by carving amulets and even statues to honor them. They would make sacrifices in their gods name in order to appease them in hopes of being blessed. 

In these mythological stories you learn that most of them are actually very similar in stories besides the difference in names. Why is that?

It is because long before mankind spread throughout the earth making civilizations throughout the globe, they at one point were all from one place, thus the various stories all came from one place. Over the years and passed down from generation to generation embellishments and changes transformed one unified story into many individualized stories to which all the different cultures of the world have claimed as their own. Have you ever wondered why it was that every single culture has a story about the Deluge? That is because they all came from the descendants of the survivors of that Deluge.

“Not merely Egyptians, Chaldeans, Phoenicians, Greeks and Romans, but also the Hindus, the Buddhists of China and of Tibet, the Goths, Anglo-Saxons, Druids, Mexicans and Peruvians, the Aborigines of Australia, and even the savages of the South Sea Islands,  must have all derived their religious ideas from a common source and common centre. Everywhere we find the most startling coincidences in the rites, ceremonies, customs, traditions, and in the names and relations of their respective gods and goddesses.”- The Worship of the Dead, London, 1904, p.3.

What Does History Say?

The Tower of Babel by Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1563)

A man by the name of Nimrod (son of Cush, grandson of Ham, great-grandson of Noah) is the one who started post-deluvian idolatry. Nimrod (Hebrew: maradh’), meaning “rebel”, was the founder and king of the first empire to come into existence after the Deluge. Nimrod’s kingdom consisted of the cities of Babel, Erech, Accad and Calneh in the land of Shinar. Nimrod himself deified himself as a god above mankind. It has been suggested that the Babylonian god Marduk (Merodach), who was regarded as the founder of Babylon, was in fact Nimrod deified.

“Why, then, was he called Nimrod? Because he stirred up the whole world to rebel (himrid) against his [God’s] sovereignty.”-Encyclopedia of Biblical Interpretation, by Menahem M. Kasher, Vol. II, 1955, p.79.

Under the direction of Nimrod, the building of the tower of Babel began.  Josephus wrote: “Nimrod little by little transformed the state of affairs into a tyranny, holding that the only way to detach men from the fear of God was by making them continuously dependent upon his own power. He threatened to have his revenge on God is he wished to inundate the earth again; for he would build a tower higher than the water could reach and avenge the destruction of their forefathers. The people were eager to follow this advice of Nimrod, deeming it slavery to submit to God; so they set out to build the tower…and it rose with a speed beyond all expectation.”-Jewish Antiquities, I, 114,115 (iv, 2, 3).

As the story goes, God was angered at Nimrod for the dishonor it brought him and the false worship to himself he was demanding of the people, so God frustrated the plans to complete the tower by confusing their language. In fact the word Babel means “confusion.” The scattered people then went throughout the earth and settled in various locations, taking with them not only their new language but also the the false religious beliefs and idolatry learned by Nimrod, with them. 

What about pre-deluvian times? Was there idolatry prior to the Deluge? Yes, by the time of Noah’s days nearly every person on the earth was considered to be full of badness, even to the point that God himself “felt regrets that he had made men in the earth, and he felt hurt at his heart.”- Genesis 6:6.  The earth had become so wicked and filled with corruption to the point that the earth needed to be wiped clean,  just as an eraser to a slate chalkboard. 

Where did the corruption start? Well, to be technical and accurate, we would have to go back even further in time to see that the true origin of idolatry did not come from earthly beings. No, it came from the spirit realm itself. If one is to believe the scriptures it was then when a spirit being (later known as Satan), developed a covetous desire to be worshipped like God, that his own idolatry caused the rebellion in the heavens. Then, Eve became the first human idolater by coveting the forbidden fruit of the Garden of Eden. Since then, only a small fraction of mankind have remained free from idolatry throughout the ages. 

 Are you part of that fraction of mankind?

 (Copyright- Origins-What Does History Say) 2012

The Truth About Christmas

 

How would you feel if you were to find out that some of the most important people in your life had lied to you? I am sure you would be very upset possibly even angry. You may even find that you could no longer trust them. Am I right?

The pain and disappointment are felt even worse when we learn it from our own parents or adults we have looked up to our entire lives. We as parents have a right to teach and instill in our children the basic need to search for “TRUTH” in all aspects of life.

We cannot allow ourselves nor our children, whom we are responsible for sending out into the world later, to be brain-washed or just be lazy and believe whatever is thrown our way.

Sadly the majority of the world is lazy and does not want to seek out the truth of anything, especially in regards celebrations and entertainment. Because once the truth is made known to them, they will either find that it put a ‘damper’ on the whole subject or they dismiss the truth altogether for selfish reasons.

The bottom line is that the truth is the truth and as President Franklin D. Roosevelt stated “Repetition does not transform a lie into a truth.” With that being said, you can celebrate Christmas all you want, it does not make it right. You can say its for Jesus all you want, but the origins have absolutely nothing to do with Jesus. This blog is to reveal the truth about Christmas and then you can make your own educated decision based on the facts.

When many look to origins of certain words, language and even rituals or holidays they often look to the Romans, Greeks, Egyptians and even the Druids and Celts. But what strikes me as odd is that they were not the original civilizations, ancient Babylon was. They were the original world empire that actually taught the Romans, Egyptians, Sumerians, Greeks and all the other small tribes of people their culture and religion. It was ancient Mesopotamian beliefs and cultures that transformed the very civilizations we know today in Roman, Greek and Egyptian history.

Perhaps in another article I will explain further on that subject, but back to the Christmas link we find that according to Babylonian belief, December was a time of the year that the queen goddess was worshiped in honor of the birth of her son. The Romans adopted this ritual and used the name “Christ” as the son of the queen to appease the Christians to draw them into conforming to the newly established Catholic Church and it kept the pagan ritual of “Mother-son worship” in line. You see, “Mother-son worship” has been going on way before Jesus was even born, so if you think Christmas is about Jesus you are mistaken.

Gifts-

During the pagan Saturnalia and Matronalia ceremonial celebrations gifts were given to one another. Even in Egypt this was the same time that they worshiped Isis’ birth in the winter time. (Isis and Osiris also originate from Babylon and the “Mother-son worship” as Isis was known as the mother, while Osiris was her son and also her husband).

Christmas Trees- 

In Rome and Egypt, Christmas trees or celebratory trees were common. However, in Egypt the tree was a palm tree and Rome used fir trees. Palm tree worship was a ritualistic worship to the pagan Babylonian god Baal-Tamar. While the fir tree was for the pagan god Baal-Berith.

Mistletoe- 

The Druids derived their pagan superstitions from ancient Babylon as well. Mistletoe was considered the “man branch” that was considered a divine branch that grew from nothing onto a tree. We all know now that mistletoe is a form of fungus that grows on certain trees, however the Druids believed in their superstitions that it was a branch from Heaven and thus they later referred to the mistletoe to being from their messiah. 

Christmas Goose or Boar’s Head- 

In England that is a standard dish during the Christmas season, however during the time of the year the Egyptians, Romans and even the Saxons used these animals as a sacrifice to their pagan gods.

Yule Day-

In ancient Babylon the Chaldean word for “yule” means “infant” and the date of December 25^th was considered “Yule Day”. The night after “Yule Day” was considered “Mother Night.” Remember, this was long before Jesus or Mary was ever born, this is not referring to Jesus in any way. 

Many other groups of peoples such as the Sabeans of Arabia and the Saxons believe December to be the “birth month” of the Sun Goddess, or “Goddess Mother” while others believe that it was the birth month of the Moon, who was considered a male. Always the male deity would be referred to as a “son” and the woman as the “mother”.

In “The Trouble With Christmas”, author Tom Flynn explains that the conclusions he reached after years spent researching Christmas was far from Christian.

"One of the great ironies of Christmas is how little of its content is truly Christian. Once we dispose of the pre-Christian elements, most of what remains is post-Christian, rather than authentically Christian, in origin."—Page 155.

The Encyclopedia Americana says: "Most of the customs now associated with Christmas were not originally Christmas customs but rather were pre-Christian and non-Christian customs taken up by the Christian church.”

Jesus, the Nativity and Mary- 

According to a Catholic Newspaper,"The real date of Jesus’ birth, from the historical viewpoint, lies concealed beneath a veil of uncertainty as regards Roman history, the imperial census of that time and research in the subsequent centuries. . . . The date of 25 December, as is well known, was chosen by the Church of Rome in the fourth century. This date in pagan Rome was dedicated to the Sun god . . . Although Christianity had already been affirmed in Rome by an Edict of Constantine, the myth of . . . the Sun god was still widespread, especially among soldiers. The above-mentioned festivities, centered on 25 December, were deeply rooted in popular tradition. This gave the Church of Rome the idea of impressing a Christian religious significance on the day by replacing the Sun god with the true Sun of Justice, Jesus Christ, choosing it as the day on which to celebrate his birth.”

Christmas or the Nativity, was not celebrated by early Christians. One encyclopedia says about this: "The celebration was not observed in the first centuries of the Christian church, since the Christian usage in general was to celebrate the death of remarkable persons rather than their birth.” 

It is a fact that Jesus could not have been born in December as the region of Bethlehem was very cold and shepherds would not be out in the fields with their flocks. As many know that the reason that Joseph and Mary came to Bethlehem was for the Census. This fact and the fact that the shepherds** were out doors with their flocks at night left even the most revered Bible Scholars to conclude that Jesus could not have been born in December. Even Caesar himself would not have forced the Jews to trek to their home cities during cold and rainy seasons which would have resulted in further enraging this group of people.

So in my conclusion, I believe I have outlined many of the pagan origins of what many believe to be a Christian holiday. You may choose to ignore what I have placed before your eyes, and you may actually listen to what I have to say. The best part of being a human being is that you may believe what you wish. After all, we do have free will. The truth isn’t always easy to swallow, but it is there and most of the time its hidden in plain sight. You just have to be willing and open minded enough to see it.-

(footnote: **Luke 2:8 “There were also in that same country shepherds living out of doors and keeping watches in the night over their flocks.”)

J'aime Rubio (2011 Copyright)

Sources:

Encyclopedia Americana

Catholic Newspaper

Two Babylons- Alexander Hislop

Christmas Customs- Are they Christian?- Magazine Article

The Trouble With Christmas- Tom Flynn

Wikipedia