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What Year was Jesus Born? 

It is clear from Matthew 2 that Herod the Great was still King after Jesus was born (Matthew 2:1-3). We know from history that Herod the Great died in the year 4 B.C. The Jewish historian Josephus wrote that a lunar eclipse was observed a short time before Herod’s death That eclipse happened on March 12 or 13 in 4 B.C. Also, the first Passover that was celebrated after Herod’s death occurred on April 11 in 4 B.C. (Hoehner, p. 13) Therefore, Herod’s death would have occurred early in the year of 4 B.C., somewhere in the March/April time frame. 

From Luke’s gospel, we understand that a census is what caused Mary and Joseph to travel to Bethlehem (Luke 2:1-5). While the exact date of the census cannot be determined precisely, some ancient Egyptian records note that a census of the (Roman) world was declared in 8 B.C. Scholars generally think that the census was commanded by Caesar Augustus in 8 B.C. and was probably carried out in Palestine around 6 B.C. (MacArthur, p. 1378).

In the last few years of King Herod’s life, speculation grew about who would succeed him. In response, Herod killed 3 of his sons that he considered rivals for his throne. With Augustus observing Herod’s bad health and mental instability developing, it is reasonable to expect that Augustus would have wanted a census to assess the tax situation while Herod was still alive (Hoehner, p. 22-23). That census would have likely been conducted in the last 2 years of Herod’s life, between 6 B.C. and 4 B.C.  

Luke’s account also mentioned that the census took place while Quirinius governed Syria (Luke 2:1-2). Publius Sulpicius Quirinius has been known to be governor of Syria from A.D. 6 to 9, but these dates would be too late to fit Jesus’ birth. However, a stone fragment was discovered near Rome in A.D. 1764 included the description of a Roman official that governed Syria and Phoenicia in the time of Augustus. A description of the official’s achievements could fit no one other than Quirinius, so Quirinius must have been governor twice (MacArthur, p. 1377-1378). Apparently, his earlier time as governor occurred during the time of the census that Luke mentions.         

What Time of Year was Jesus Born?  

As discussed previously, King Herod died sometime in March or April of the year 4 B.C. In Luke’s account, Luke 2:8 says, “Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night” (NKJV). Some scholars have noted that sheep were usually kept in enclosures during the months of November to March (Hoehner, p. 26). However, if there was a mild winter, it would have been possible for the shepherd to have been with their sheep in the fields. That the sheep were in the vicinity of Bethlehem is notable because it indicates that the time of year was indeed in the winter months since sheep were in the wilderness at other seasons of the year (Hoehner, p. 26).

While we cannot pinpoint a date for Jesus’ birth, a date in the winter months is likely. Since it appears that King Herod died sometime in the March/April time frame of the year 4 B.C. (as discussed previously), and Jesus was born before Herod’s death (Matthew 2:1-3), a birth date in December of the year 5 B.C, or January of 4 B.C., is quite reasonable (Hoehner, p. 27).   

Furthermore, sheep that were used in sacrifices at the Temple in Jerusalem often came from the area around Bethlehem (MacArthur, p. 1378). Of course, at the end of Jesus’ life, Jesus would die on the cross at the Passover. It is interesting that His birth was announced to shepherds who may have been keeping sheep for the Passover sacrifices, and those shepherds were the first witnesses (other than Mary and Joseph) to observe the newborn savior.    

How Could Jesus be Born in a Year “Before Christ”?  

In the 525 A.D., a monk named Dionysius Exiguus came up with the B.C./A.D. calendar that we use today. However, some of his calculations were not accurate, and those miscalculations led to Jesus’ birth having to be in a year B.C. since Jesus was born before King Herod died (Matthew 2:1-3). King Herod died in 4 B.C.