Sarah Mitchell
While the Catholic Church celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ on the 25th of December, it does not claim that this was the actual date of his birth. The Church's official position is that the date of Jesus's birth is not relevant to his being the Messiah. The nativity accounts in the New Testament gospels of Matthew and Luke do not mention a date or time of year for the birth of Jesus. However, they associate his birth with the time of Herod the Great, implying that Jesus could have been as old as two years at the time of the visit of the Magi. Jesus was born to Mary, a Jewish woman, and thus was himself Jewish. The Catholic Church teaches the dogma of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ, which states that Mary was a virgin before, during, and after giving birth to Jesus.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | The Church's official position is that the actual date of Jesus's birth is not relevant to his being the Messiah. The Church celebrates Jesus's birth on December 25, but this doesn't amount to a claim that he was born on that day. The nativity accounts in the New Testament gospels of Matthew and Luke do not mention a date or time of year for the birth of Jesus. However, some saints, like St John Chrysostomos, have claimed absolute certainty that Christ was born on the 25th of December. |
| Year of birth | There is a consensus among early Christian sources that Jesus was born in either 3 or 2 BC. However, some scholars place the year of Jesus's birth at 1 BC or even 1 AD. |
| Place of birth | Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea. |
| Parents | Jesus was born to Mary, a virgin before, during, and after the conception and birth of her son. |
| Religion | Jesus was born Jewish and died Jewish. |
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What You'll Learn
Jesus was born Jewish
The term "Jew" is used in two senses in Scripture: to refer to those who are ethnically Jews and to refer to those who are religiously Jews. Jesus was a Jew in both senses. He was ethnically Jewish, and he also completed the Jewish religion by serving as the Messiah (Christ) whom the prophets had long foretold. The completed form of the Jewish religion is known as Christianity, and its adherents are Christians or "followers of Christ".
Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the King. The exact date of his birth is unknown, but it is estimated to be no later than 1 BC. The Church celebrates Jesus' birth on December 25, but this doesn't mean that he was born on that day. The liturgical commemoration of an event doesn't always align with the actual date of the event. For example, the day a saint is commemorated is frequently the day of their death, but not always.
Jesus' Jewishness is critically connected to his familiar role as Christ—more than a spiritual role, but a role rooted in the history of the people of Israel. Disassociating Jesus from his ethnic roots can lead to violence toward his own people, as seen in the 20th-century Holocaust. Theological studies are discovering the Jewish Jesus and what his Jewishness means to Christian theology and Jewish-Christian relations.
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The Virgin Birth
The Catholic Church has consistently taught the dogma of the Virgin Birth of Christ, which states that Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, was a virgin before, during, and after giving birth to her son. This belief is supported by the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, the Apostles' Creed, and the Gospel of St. Luke. According to St. Luke, Mary asked the angel how she could give birth as she knew not of man, and the angel replied that the Holy Ghost would come upon her, and the power of the Most High would overshadow her. The Gospel of St. Matthew also confirms this belief, as St. Joseph is told by an angel not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife, as the child she carries is of the Holy Ghost.
The Lateran Council of 649, confirmed by Pope Martin I, further emphasised Mary's perpetual virginity, stating that she conceived without seed and gave birth without losing her integrity. This belief is also reflected in the liturgy of the Church, which celebrates Mary as the "Ever-Virgin." The Virgin Birth is seen as a sign of the Messiah, with the Second Vatican Council highlighting the union of the Mother with the Son.
While some modern theologians may question the historical accuracy of the Virgin Birth, it remains a core belief for Catholics and is often depicted in art and literature, such as the movie "The Nativity Story." The Virgin Birth is seen as a miraculous event, reflecting the unique nature of Jesus Christ's birth and mission on Earth.
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The date of birth
The date of Jesus' birth is not mentioned in the New Testament gospels of Matthew and Luke. The Church's official position is that the actual date of Jesus' birth is not relevant to his being the Messiah. However, the Church celebrates Jesus' birth on December 25. This date is supported by the Chronograph of 354 AD, which lists Jesus' birthday as December 25. The Christian Chronography of A.D. 354 also records the "Birthday of the Unconquerable" on December 25, though the identity of "the Unconquerable" is unclear.
Some scholars estimate that Jesus was born no later than 1 BC, based on the statement in Luke 3:23 that he was "about 30 years old" when he began preaching in the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar (AD 28–29). Another theory suggests that Herod's death occurred after the January eclipse of 1 BC or the eclipse of 1 December BC, placing Jesus' birth no later than 1 BC.
Other theories propose an earlier birth year for Jesus. For example, the Gospel of Luke mentions that Jesus' conception was announced when John the Baptist's mother was six months pregnant, and John's birth is dated to the summer solstice in the treatise "De solstitiis et aequinoctiis conceptionis et nativitatis Domini Nostri Iesu Christi et Iohannis Baptistae" from the second half of the fourth century. This would place Jesus' birth around the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year.
Some early Christian writers equated the 14th of Nisan (March 25) with the equinox, suggesting that Jesus was born and died on the same day. This theory is not supported by early Christian texts, but it provides a basis for calculating Jesus' birth date as December 25.
In summary, while the exact date of Jesus' birth is unknown, various sources and calculations point to a birth year of no later than 1 BC, with some estimates placing it earlier in 3 or 2 BC. The Church celebrates his birth on December 25, a date that holds symbolic significance.
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The place of birth
The exact date and year of Jesus's birth are uncertain. The Church celebrates Jesus's birth on December 25, but this is not a claim that he was born on that day. The liturgical commemoration of an event does not always align with the day it occurred. For instance, St. Ambrose’s memorial is on December 7, but he died on April 4.
The New Testament gospels of Matthew and Luke do not mention a date or time of year for the birth of Jesus. However, both gospels associate Jesus' birth with the time of Herod the Great. Matthew 2:1 states that "Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king". Herod ordered the murder of all boys up to the age of two years, which could indicate that Jesus was born sometime before 4 BC, the estimated year of Herod's death.
Another approach to estimating the year of Jesus's birth is to work backward from the time he began preaching. Luke 3:23 states that Jesus was "about 30 years old" at that time, and Jesus began preaching after being baptized by John the Baptist. John began baptizing people in "the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar," estimated to be around AD 28–29. This suggests that Jesus was likely born no later than 1 BC.
The Chronograph of AD 354, a Christian document, lists Jesus's birthday as December 25. However, this is not considered a magisterial document, and the Church does not claim to know the exact date of Jesus's birth. The Church's official position is that the actual date of Jesus's birth is not relevant to his status as the Messiah.
Some early Christian writers equated the 14th of Nisan (March 25) with the equinox, and proposed that Jesus was born and died on the same day. This theory is not supported by early Christian texts.
According to the Gospel of Luke, John the Baptist's conception was foretold to Zechariah when he was serving as a priest at the Temple in Jerusalem. Jesus's conception was announced when John's mother was six months pregnant, which could place Jesus's birth in December.
In conclusion, while the exact date and year of Jesus's birth are unknown, various sources and calculations place it sometime between 3 or 2 BC and 1 BC, with December 25 being a widely accepted date of celebration, if not the exact date of his birth.
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The time of year
One theory suggests that Jesus was born on the Jewish festival of lights, which could vary by a few days each year. According to this theory, the festival coincided with December 25th in the year of Jesus' birth. This theory is supported by the Chronograph of 354 AD, which lists Jesus' birthday as December 25th. Additionally, some calculations based on the Gospel of Luke indicate that Jesus was born in December.
Another theory, proposed by Steven Hijmans of the University of Alberta, suggests that Jesus was born on the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. This theory is based on the interpretation of a Christian treatise from the second half of the fourth century, which associates the birth of Jesus with the lengthening days after midwinter.
Some early Christian writers equated the 14th of Nisan with the equinox on March 25th and suggested that Jesus was born and died on the same day, living a whole number of years. However, this theory is not supported by any early Christian text.
The Church celebrates Jesus' birth on December 25th, but this is not a claim that he was born on that exact day. The liturgical commemoration of an event does not necessarily indicate the date it occurred. The Church's official position is that the actual date of Jesus' birth is not relevant to his status as the Messiah, and they do not claim to know the exact date.
Based on the Gospel of Luke, which states that Jesus was "about thirty" when he began preaching, scholars estimate that Jesus was born no later than 1 BC, with some suggesting he was born in 2 BC or 3 BC. This estimate is based on the interpretation that "about thirty" refers to a range narrower than 25 to 35 years of age.
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Frequently asked questions
The Church celebrates Jesus’ birth on December 25th, but this doesn't mean that they claim he was born on that day. The actual date of Jesus's birth is not stated in the gospels or in any historical sources.
Jesus was born Jewish and died Jewish. However, it is believed that he was a Catholic Christian by faith.
It is believed that Jesus was born in the springtime, around 6 to 4 BC.
Yes, according to the Anno Mundi calendar, which is based on the Old Testament, Jesus was born in the year 5500.
Yes, the Catholic Church teaches that Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary.
