Arriving at December 25 as the date of CHRIST'S BIRTH

Arriving at December 25 as the date of CHRIST'S BIRTH by Bill Federer

Christianity is the largest religion in the world, approximately a third of the world's population, according to Pew Research Center (2015).

Christmas Day could possibly be considered the most celebrated religious holiday on the planet. The date of Christmas on December 25 has been studied for centuries.

Some think that since it was in the winter, shepherds would not have been in the field with their flocks, but this argument loses credibility when one considers the moderate climate of Bethlehem in December, with an average daily temperature of around 50 degrees, similar to Florida or Texas.

Some think December 25 was chosen to erase the pagan Roman winter solstice festival of Saturnalia, but this is discounted when one realizes the winter solstice is December 21-22, with celebrations beginning as early as December 17 and lasting no later than December 23.

To track down the traditional date of Christmas, it is first necessary to determine the date of the conception of John the Baptist.

The Gospel of Luke, chapter 1, explained how John the Baptist's father, Zechariah, was a Levite priest, of the family of Abijah:

"In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron."

King David divided the Levite priests into 24 family groups, called "divisions" or "courses," which took turns ministering at the altar in Jerusalem for a week at a time, twice-a-year.

This rotating schedule, called sacerdotal rota system, is recorded in I Chronicles 24:

"The sons of Aaron ... served as the priests ... David separated them into divisions for their appointed order of ministering ...

The first lot fell to Jehoiarib,
the second to Jedaiah,
the third to Harim,
the fourth to Seorim,
the fifth to Malkijah,
the sixth to Mijamin,
the seventh to Hakkoz,
the eighth to Abijah..." (The list continues through the twenty-four family divisions.)

The family course of Abijah served in the annual cycle on the 8th week and the 32nd week.

Solomon initiated the courses when he dedicated the First Temple in mid-10th century BC. 2 Chronicles 8:12-14 records:

"Solomon ... in keeping with the ordinance of his father David, he appointed the divisions of the priests for their duties."

The Jewish calendar is based on lunar cycles, while the Roman calendar is based on solar cycles. When was Abijah's course in the Roman calendar?

The Babylonian Talmud (trans. Rabbi Dr. Isadore Epstein, The Soncino Press Ltd., NY, 1990), confirmed in Arachin 11B that the priestly family of Jehoiarib was on duty when the First Temple was burned on the 9th day of the Jewish month Av, c.587 BC.

Josef Heinrich Friedlieb confirmed in his 1887 book, The Life of Jesus the Redeemer, that when the Second Temple was burned, the priestly course of Jehoiarib was again on duty.

Since it is known that the Second Temple was destroyed in early August, 70 AD, on the 9th day of Av, and that the first priestly course of Jehoiarib was on duty that week, then seven weeks later would be the course of Abijah, which would be the second week of the Jewish month of Tishri.

This week, on the Roman calendar, occurred the last week in September.

This is exact week in which took place the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur -- the 10th day of Tishri, and the Feast of Tabernacles, Sukkoth -- the 15th day of Tishri.

The Dead Sea Scrolls confirmed the order of the Levite family courses, as revealed by Israeli scholar Shemaryahu Talmon in his research published in 1958 from the Qumran Dead Sea Scrolls (Parchment No. 321-4Q321).

All this evidence seems to indicate that c.1-4 BC, at the end of the reign of King Herod in Judea, Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, would have been serving in the Temple the last week of September.

His wife, Elizabeth, would have conceived soon after, being pregnant with John the Baptist, known as "The Forerunner" of Jesus.

The Byzantine Rite Church Calendar commemorates September 23 as the date of the conception of John the Baptist, as does the second-century work Protoevangelium of Saint James.

The Gospel of Luke recorded:

"When Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense ...

All the assembled worshipers were praying outside ... Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.

When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear.

... But the angel said to him: 'Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.'"

Luke's Gospel clearly states that Elizabeth was in her 6th month of pregnancy when she was visited by her younger cousin Mary.

Six months after the end of September is the end of March,

Luke, chapter 1: 26-35:

"In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.

The angel went to her and said, 'Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.'

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. ... But the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.'

... 'How will this be,' Mary asked the angel, 'since I am a virgin?'

The angel answered, 'The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.

Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail ...'"

Luke continued:

"At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth.

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

In a loud voice she exclaimed: 'Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.

Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!'”

The respected Early Church Father St. John Chrysostom (349-407), Archbishop of Constantinople, accepted that Zachariah was in the Temple the week of the Day of Atonement and Feast of Tabernacles.

Susan K Roll wrote in Toward the Origins of Christmas (1995, pp. 100-101):

"Chrysostom's third argument follows ... that Zachariah was ... priest during the Feast of Tabernacles in the year John the Baptist was conceived. Chrysostom counts off the months of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, and dates Mary’s conception from the sixth month of Elizabeth’s ... then counts off another nine months to arrive at the birthdate of Christ."

Therefore, if Zachariah ministered at the altar at end of September, and Elizabeth conceived shortly thereafter, then Mary conceived by the Holy Spirit six months later, March 25, the date the liturgical church calendar celebrates as the Feast of the Annunciation.

Nine months after March 25 is December 25, the traditional date of the birth of Jesus.