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About This Project
Vol.I - Augustus Caesar
- 9 BC - Zechariah & Gabriel
- 8 BC - Elizabeth & Mary
- 7 BC - Census in Bethlehem
- 6 BC - Living in Egypt
- 5 BC - Herod and Governor Varus
- 4 BC - Herod dies; Joseph picks Nazareth to avoid Archelaus; Varus puts down four rebellions
- 3 BC - Israel Split Three Ways
- 2 BC - Arabian Peace
- 1 BC - Caesar's Grandson
- 1 AD - Gaius, Aretas, Antipas
- 2 AD - Quirinius and Gaius
- 3 AD - Gaius lays dying
- 4 AD - Tiberius Caesar!
- 5 AD - Caesar warns Archelaus
- 6 AD - Jesus turns 12; Archelaus exiled; Quirinius takes Judea
- 7 AD - Jesus still 12 at Passover
- 8 AD - Illyricum
- 9 AD - Pannonia & Dalmatia
- 10 AD - Hillel & Gamaliel
- 11 AD - Germanicus Caesar...
- 12 AD - Tiberius back to Rome
- 13 AD - Equal Power; Still #2!
- 14 AD - Augustus dies; Tiberius Rules
Vol.II - Tiberius Caesar
Vol.III - Caligula & Claudius
Vol.IV - Nero and Beyond
Extras: Before 9 BC
About Me
- Bill Heroman
- Arlington, Texas, United States
- Believer, Husband, Father, Reader, Writer
9 notes:
The birth of Jesus Christ happened in 7 BC. Others suggest 6 BC or 5 BC, but here’s why I believe it was 7.
1) Tertullian says Saturninus held a census in Judea (Against Marcion 4.19.10).
2) Saturninus was only governor of Syria from July 9 BC to July 6 BC.
3) Caesar began provincial censuses in 27 BC. But not in Judea.
4) Herod’s invasion of Nabatea in 9 BC gives Caesar an excuse to begin one there.
5) The triple-sighting of the “star” offers a good timetable for the magi’s travel. (They can leave after the 2nd sighting and arrive by the 3rd.)
6) Jesus will turn 12 the year Archelaus is deposed (and Joseph, who would not bring Jesus to Jerusalem while Archelaus was ruling, brings him for the Passover when he’s 12).
7) Jesus will still be 12 at Passover, early in 7 AD, the year after Archelaus is deposed. (He turns 13 a few weeks later.)
8) Jesus will be 34 in Autumn of 28 AD, when John baptizes him. (Luke says Jesus was “about 30” (not precisely 30) and 34 is still closer to 30 than 40.)
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There's one more cool detail to mention.
Jesus will be 38 at his crucifixion and resurrection, at Passover in 33 AD. Actually, he will be just shy of his 39th birthday, which makes it the 40th actual calendar year that he lived, counting his actual birth year. (And the Hebrew mind often counts part of a time-unit as one whole unit.)
So, to the Hebrew mind, Jesus was on Earth for 40 years - the biblical number for a time of testing.
Of course, this last point doesn’t prove anything. But it’s neat!
And here’s why Luke 2:2 has been misquoted, about Quirinius:
1) Herod the Great died in 4 BC.
2) Varus was Governor of Syria from July 6 BC to July 3 BC.
3) Saturninus was Governor of Syria before Varus, from 9 to 6 BC.
4) The Governor before Saturninus was Marcus Titius, probably from 12 to 9 BC.
5) Publius Sulpicius Quirinius was consul of Rome in 12 BC, and not before.
6) Quirinius could not Govern a province until after being consul (until after 12 BC).
7) Quirinius WAS Governor of Syria in 6-7 AD, and held a census at that time.
8) That census was famous, because Judas the Galilean used it to talk up a rebellion.
9) Judas and his rebellion were still being talked about decades later (see Acts).
10) Theophilus (whom Luke wrote to) probably knows of that later, famous census.
11) Luke 2:2 can be translated, “this census was before Quirinius was Governor of Syria”. (The word is sometimes used as “first” and sometimes as “before”.)
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((For more general information about the census of Saturninus, see my notes to 9 & 8 BC.))
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Now, some try to move the Death of Herod to 2 or 1 BC, and make Quirinius governor in 3-1 BC (for a “first” governorship). It’s a clever idea, but moving Herod’s death causes too many problems for the idea to work.
There is also good evidence that L.Calpurnius Piso was more likely to be Governor of Syria from 3-1 BC. (An inscription describes the career of that Governor, but not his name. Piso’s career fits precisely. Quirinius’ career does not. See B. Levick, Roman Colonies in Sourthern Asia Minor, (Appendix 5).
The worst thing for those who try to move Herod’s death is that they have to re-write dozens of years of historical conclusions about Herod’s rule and what happened afterwards. It just doesn’t work.
The solution given here is the simplest one.
It is much easier to re-translate one word, than to change 50 years of details from Josephus! ;)
The International Planetarium Society (IPS) has an interesting page online that lists some common errors given in Christmas shows about the star of Bethlehem.
Interesting, that is, if you’re into picking through an enormous level of detail!
Here’s the link to IPS.
Have fun!
The major sources for 7 BC are the NT, Dio Cassius and Josephus.
To be more specific...
Dio Cassius, Book 55, Chapter 8 is ALL about 7 BC.
and...
Josephus' Antiquities, Book 16(Ch.9-11) & 17(Ch.1-4) tell events from 12 to 6 BC, but not all in order.
and...
The birth of Jesus Christ was recorded in Matthew 2:1-18 and Luke 2:1-39.
"It is established that a census was taken during Augustus' reign in Judaea at that time by Sentius Saturninus, in which census they might have been able to inquire about his [Jesus'] ancestry."
-- Tertullian, in "Against Marcion" (Book 4, 19.9-10), about 207 AD
About the Magi (Astologers):
For all we know, this may be the only time Astrology ever predicted anything true! What we do know is that God wanted these men to visit his son. And God used a means of communicating to these men that He knew they would listen to.
It’s as simple as that. And glory to Him, because (of course) His strategy worked! ;)
About the Pharisees, and their opinion on when to have Pentecost:
(This is a preview for the crucifixion year - 33 AD.)
Every few years, Sivan 6th would fall on a Saturday or a Sunday. In those years, the Pharisees and Saducees would all celebrate Pentecost together - on the same day - on that Sunday. (The festival could never fall on a Saturday.)
Many years after 7 BC, the most famous Pentecost of all time - when the church in Jerusalem is born - is going to fall on such a sunday.
This is an extra confirmation of the fact that 33 AD was the actual year for the crucifixion, resurrection and birth of the church!
But we'll get to that... :)
(See 33 AD, when completed.)
This year, Mary and Joseph were in Bethlehem when the Magi came to visit. (Otherwise, they had no reason to flee from Herod's soldiers!)
This note explains why Luke 2:39 leaves out that detail.
Luke 2:39 says that Joseph and Mary went back to Nazareth after dedicating Jesus in Jerusalem. This is still true, even though Luke skipped over about three years to make that statement! Joseph and Mary did return to Nazareth when they finished in Jerusalem… they just took a three-year detour in going there!
Now, to believe this, it’s very important to know Luke’s reasons for skipping those three years.
First of all, Luke had no need to go into the Bethlehem massacre and the flight to Egypt. Luke’s only point was to show that Mary & Joseph didn’t stay in Jerusalem. That even though people were making incredible prophecies about their baby, they didn’t stick around there.
As Luke is writing, his very next sentence is going to say that they went back to Jerusalem for the Passover each year. So he’s got to say – as briefly as possible – that they lived in another place during all of those years, as Jesus grew up. So there’s no contradiction. Luke’s statement is accurate. It just isn’t comprehensive!
But here’s the real key:
Luke’s purpose was to defend Paul (and Christianity) to the Romans in Rome. (See 57-59 AD, when completed.) While writing, he knows that if he gets into the massacre story, then he’s accusing Herod of doing something that was not well known, at the time. Accusing Herod would have been inflammatory, distracting, and counter-productive to Luke’s purpose – especially if he put it at the very beginning of his (written down) testimony!
The truth is, Luke was very wise to omit the story about the wise men and Egypt. Even more, his transition sentence here (2:39) is really very good writing! He had to make a long story short, so he summed it up!
To do the same (sum up) then: the omission does not affect the accuracy.
Another word on Luke and the Herods:
Luke was in Caesarea when Agrippa II & Berneice came to listen to Paul. They were gracious to Paul, and their positive interest helped Paul's image in Festus' administration.
So - at the very least - just in case Agrippa II made his way to Rome or mentioned Paul to anyone, Luke has an extra reason to avoid speaking ill of Herod the Great, who was Agrippa II's great-grandfather.
Agrippa II still owed his career to [the positive aspects of] Herod's reputation.
Agrippa's great-uncle, Antipas, however. Had already been deposed by Caligula, almost 20 years before Luke was writing.
So Luke can include the story about Salome, Herodias and Antipas.
But the niceness of Agrippa II (and the off chance he might communicate to Caesar about Paul) gave Luke has extra motivation to avoid disparaging Agrippa's direct ancestor, Herod the Great.
Which is another reason Luke avoids telling the massacre in Bethlehem.
Luke's purpose in writing was mainly to save Paul's neck!
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