When was Jesus born?

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There are a number of ways of figuring out what time of year Jesus was born in.

- It can't have been December because too cold for sheep outside then.

- The dates of the possible matches for the Star of Bethlehem (see list below).

- Jewish Mazzaroth/Zodiac: Virgo bearing wheat in her hand? "Star Ascendant"? Age of Pisces (100/90 bc / 1/498 ad - ad 1447/2000/2062/2150/2595/2600/2654/2680/2700/3621)?

- The Jewish calendar of feasts and months names and starts of civil & sacred years. Some think Jesus was born on feast of tabernacles or trumps or 1st fruits.

- John was conceived 6 months before, but I'm not aware of any sources saying when John's father was serving in the temple. This might match a similar period between Jewish calendar feasts?

- The time of Roman census or "indiction". The date of the Indiction was Sept 1 (Greek) or 25 (Caesarean) or Jan 1 (Gregorian). The mass oath was in Aug 3 bc.

- "The De Pascha Computus, ... written in ... ca 243 ad, placed Jesus birth on Mar 28." "Clement, a bishop of Alexandria (d ca 215 ad), thought Jesus was born on Nov 18." "Based on historical records, Fitzmyer guesses that Jesus birth occurred on Sept 11".

As to the actual year I find it difficult to narrow down Jesus life to less than the 60 yrs between the 19 bc and 39 ad. One difficulty is most sources are using an BC/AD system and we can't be sure whether the start dates are right or wrong.

- Daniel prophesied 69 weeks of 7 yrs, or 483 yrs from decree to rebuild Jerusalem to the Messiah. This may possibly linked with Halley's comet (76 yrs)?

- Jesus was supposedly born in the year 753? of Rome (which was founded in 753 bc).

- Jesus born "in the 309th year of Alexander (the Great)" & Cyrinus sent year before?
"Archelaus succeeded ... in the year 312 of Alexander".
"in the year 341 of Alexander, 1 year before the crucifixion of our Lord the Christ ...."
"... in the year 342 of Alexander, Our Lord Christ was crucified ...."

- There are candidates for the Star of Bethlehem between 17 bc and 9 ad including:
17 bc comet?
12/11/9 bc Halley's comet Aug 25th 56/63 days China (Dio Cassius RH 54:29)?
9 bc conjunction Uranus & Saturn?
7/6 bc conjunction of (Mars &) Jupiter & Saturn (3 x in Pisces) 5 months in (20th/end Feb, 12th Apr), 20/21/29th May, sep / (2)3rd Oct, 4th Dec, (end Jan)? *
6 bc conjunction (Sun &) Jupiter & Moon & Saturn in Aries (Ven & Mars in neighbouring constellations) 6/17 Apr.
6 bc conjunction Uranus & Venus?
5 bc object/tailed-comet/nova (70 days, China/Korea)?
4 bc comet with no tail that didn't move (Korean)?
ca 4 bc comet & conjunction several planets in Pisces (DSS)? *
(3 bc conjunction of Venus & Saturn (in eastern sky) in 12 Jun?)
(3 bc conjunction of Jupiter & Venus in Leo in 12th Aug?) *
3 bc conjunction Venus & Mercury 31 Aug?
3-2 bc 7 conjunctions Jupiter & Regulus?
3-2 bc conjunction of Jupiter & Regulus in Leo (1st of 3 x over 8 mo) between 14 Sept 3 bc & Jun 2 bc? *
2 bc conjunction of Jupiter & Venus near Regulus in Leo in (West at) sunset in 17 Jun?
2 bc Venus rose to mark scepter in Leo 18/20/24 Aug? *
2 bc Jupiter stationary 25 Dec.
1 bc Jupiter & Venus in Virgo in sw (July)?
1 ad Venus rose in Aries 27 Mar?
9 ad comets (Dio Cassius).
11 ad ban on astrology,
14-37 Tiberius interested in astrology and nativities.
19 Jewish astrologers expelled from Rome.

- Jesus was born near the end of Herod the Great's reign 47/44/41/40/38/37-4/1 bc or 3 ad (ASC).
Jesus born "in the 32nd year of Herod" & Cyrinus sent year before.
Herod's regnal years in Josephus & Oxford are 13 + = 14 + = 17 + = 36 yrs. (Temple built in 15th/17th/18th yr Herod ca 21/20/19/early 17 bc.)
"Then Herod died, having lived in his city 70 years, he reigned 34, in the year 44 of Caesar."
There was an eclipse at/before Herod's death: eclipse 9 bc? 6 bc double occultation of Jupiter by Moon close to sun in Aries 17 April? 4 bc lunar eclipse 13/15 Mar? eclipse 1 bc? Eclipse 10 ad? eclipse 26 ad? eclipse 29 ad?
(Eclipse cycle is 56 (19, 19, 18) or 65 (19, 19, 27) yrs.)

- Jesus was born in the reign of Augustus Caesar 44/43/42-31/30/28/27/19 bc - 14 ad. (Census Augustus & Tiberius 13/14 ad. Josephus has Augustus with 57 yrs (14 yrs with Antony) and died at 77 yrs old. Or "Augustus lived 75 years and died after having reigned for 56 years".)
Cyrenius is the 37th yr of Augustus in Josephus.
"Jesus born 42nd Augustus 1 ad" (ASC, Exiguus) or "the 44th year of Augustus" & Cyrinus sent year before.
"Archelaus succeeded him in the year 45 of Augustus".

- Jesus was born in the time of Cyrenius/Quirinus (or Kyrios "lord"?) whose dates are 14 bc (Cyrene), 12 bc (consul), 12/11-2/1 bc or 10-7 bc or 5-3 bc or 4-1 bc, 6/7-11/12 ad. Cyrenius is the 37th yr of Augustus in Josephus.
"prior to that year (32nd of Herod, 309th Alexander, 1st of Jesus, 44th of Augustus), the Romans had sent the judge Cyrinus to count the population subject to tax."
Or it might be Quin(c)tilius whose dates are 13 bc consul, 7/6-4/3 bc Syria, Varus 6-3 bc?, 8 ad consul.

- There was a census when Jesus was born. The period of censuses in different sources is either 21/20 yrs, 14/15 yrs, 11 yrs, 7 yrs, or 5 yrs. There were censuses in 30 bc (Egypt), 28 bc (Suetonius, RGDA), 27 bc (Gaul), 12 bc (Gaul), census of Herod 12 bc? 12/11 bc (Dio Cassius)? 9 bc (Egypt), 9/8/7 bc (of Roman empire/citizens, RGDA, Censorinus, Josephus 16:6:1-8, Tertullian, Ancyra, Suetonius), 7/6 bc (maybe, not recorded)? 7 bc (Cyrene), 3 bc (mass oath, Josephus 17:41-45, pater patriae 2 bc), 6/7 ad (Quirinus), 13/14 (RGDA, Suetonius), 20, 33/34.
It is also said that there was a census in time of Saturninus according to Tertullian. Saturninus' dates are consul 19 bc, consul 11 bc, 9-7/6 bc (Tertullian), consul 4 bc, "3/2 bc"? 4-6 ad (Tertullian), 19-21 ad (Tertullian).
"prior to that year (32nd of Herod, 309th Alexander, 1st of Jesus, 44th of Augustus), the Romans had sent the judge Cyrinus to count the population subject to tax."

- In Luke Simeon & Anna were at the temple when the child Jesus was presented there. Anna's age is given as 7 yrs married + 84 yrs widow, but this doesn't seem much help unless there is more info on Anna's dates.

- Herod Archelaus was ruling when Joseph & Mary & Jesus came back from Egypt. His dates are 4 bc or 3 ad - 6 ad (Matthew, ASC).
"Archelaus succeeded him in the year 45 of Augustus in the year 312 of Alexander; and Archelaus ruled for 9 years".
Jesus "was then aged 4".

- Jesus was 12 yrs old when they went up to Jerusalem at passover.

- Jesus was "about 30" yrs old in the 15th regnal year of Tiberius whose dates are (13 bc, 7 bc,) heir 4, emperor 12/13/14/15/16-37/39 (census Augustus & Tiberius 13/14, 18, 21, 31). ("Tiberius reigned for 23 years and lived 78 years." Quake in his 1st year. "In the year 7 of his reign, Herod built ... Tiberias. In the year 14 the procurator Pilate was sent to the Jews.")
So the 15th yr would be 27/28/29/30 ad?
"In the year 17 of Tiberius... 1 year before the crucifixion of our Lord the Christ ...." "In the year 19 of Tiberius... Our Lord Christ was crucified ...."
The saying of 'Tammuz' that "great Pan is dead" in the reign of Tiberius might possibly connected with the death of Jesus.

- Luke said Lysanias was reigning when Jesus was baptized. Lysanias' dates are 14-29/42 ad?

- Luke also says there were also reigning/ruling at the time of Jesus baptism Herod Antipas (Galilee) and Herod Philip (Ituraea & Trachonitis).
Antipas was presumably reigning in Galilee when Joseph and Mary came back from Egypt. Some think that Joseph was employed in the building of Sepphoris.
John the Baptist was rebuked Antipas for taking his brother Philip's wife, and John was imprisoned and executed by Antipas. Later Antipas heard of Jesus and thought he was John resurrected, or he knew John was dead and wondered who this person was and wanted to see him. The Pharisees told Jesus that Antipas wanted to kill him and Jesus called him a fox. The wife of Antipas' steward was among the women followers of Jesus. Jesus said to his disciples beware of the leaven of the pharisees & of Herod. Jesus was sent to Antipas by Pilate during his arrest and trial.
Antipas' dates are 4 bc - 17-27/31/35-defeat 36-deposed 38/39 ad. ("Herod as successor who reigned 28 years". "In the year 7 of his (Tiberius') reign, Herod built ... Tiberias.")
Philip's dates are 4 bc or 12 ad - 34 (or 33-36) ad.

- Luke said Annas & Caiaphas were in office when Jesus was baptized. Jesus also was tried before them. Their dates are:
Annas 6-15 (son 16-17, son in law 18-36, son 36-41, 43, 44, 63).
Caiaphas 18-36. ("There were between Hannan and Caiphas less than 4 years".)

- Jews said the temple had been built for 46 yrs (John 2). Temple built in 15th/17th/18th yr Herod ca 21/20/19/17 bc, or 18 yrs from Antigonus to temple (Josephus). Temple quarry date 19 bc. (15 bc Agrippa visits Jerusalem and offers hecatomb in temple.)

- Matthew 16 occurs at Caesarea Philipi. CP's dates include: built 25-13 bc, 3 bc - ad 14 - 29/30 - 34 ad.

- Pilate was in office at time of Jesus baptism (Luke). Jesus was crucified during the rule of Pontius Pilate whose dates are 26 - 36/37 (ASC).
"In the year 14 (of Tiberius) the procurator Pilate was sent to the Jews."

- There was a quake and a darkness/eclipse at the crucifixion.
Eclipse 10 ad?
Quake in 1st year of Tiberius.
17 quake Anatolia.
eclipse 26 ad?
eclipse 29 ad?
"Jewish tradition makes mention of a mysterious spontaneous opening of the heavy iron temple-doors 40 years before the destruction of Jerusalem (70 ad)".
32 ad darkness/eclipse (Thallus/Africanus).
33 ad Fri 3rd Apr "eclipse/blood-moon"?
Crucifixion 33 ad (ASC).
37 ad quake Antioch.
... ad Ban on stealing dead bodies.

- Jesus was "about 30" when he was baptized, and is often supposed to of had a 1-3 yrs ministry (half week in Daniel?) but bible also says "his generation" and says "you are not yet 50", so he might have lived anywhere from 31 to 49 yrs?

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