The Birth of Jesus | Eric Fugett

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David Chilton (1987)
"What �clear warnings� had God given them? Apart from the apostolic preaching, which was all they really needed (cf. Luke 16:27-31), God had sent miraculous signs and wonders to testify of the coming judgment; Jesus had warned that, preceding the Fall of Jerusalem, �there will be terrors and great signs from heaven� (Luke 21:11). This was especially true during the festival seasons of the year 66. Josephus continues in his report: �While the people were assembling for the Feast of Unleavened Bread, on the eighth of the month of Nisan, at the ninth hour of the night [3:00 A. M.] so bright a light shone round the altar and Temple that it looked like broad daylight; and this lasted for half an hour. The inexperienced regarded it as a good omen, but it was immediately interpreted by the sacred scribes in conformity with subsequent events.�

Those who were unable to attend the regular Feast of Passover were required to celebrate it a month later (Numbers 9:9-13). Josephus reports a third great wonder that happened at the end of this Second Passover in 66: �A supernatural apparition was seen, too amazing to be believed. What I am now to relate would, I imagine, be dismissed as imaginary, had this not been vouched for by eyewitnesses, then followed by subsequent disasters that deserved to be thus signalized. For before sunset chariots were seen in the air over the whole country, and armed battalions speeding through the clouds and encircling the cities.� (Jerusalem Under Siege)

The Birth of Jesus

By Eric Fugett

In this article on the birth of Jesus, "A Personal Revelation" author Eric Fugett examines key evidence in order to determine an exact date for the birth of Jesus. Let's begin in the book of Daniel.

According to Daniel 9:25-26, some decree will be issued to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. Exactly sixty-nine "sevens" (69x7) or 483 years after this occurs, the Anointed One will come. The decree in question is the one issued by King Artaxerxes in 458 BCE (Ezra 7:11-26). Ezra left Jerusalem in April and arrived in Jerusalem in August of that same year (Ezra 7:8-9). Originally, I believed that Ezra read the decree to the Israelites on or near the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), which fell on September 11, in 458 BCE. He may have actually read it on The Feast of Trumpets, which fell on September 2, 458 BCE. If Ezra is truly when we should start counting, then 483 years from 458 BCE brings us to 26 CE.

Now if I am correct, Jesus began His ministry and was baptized on or near His 30th birthday (Luke 3:23) on The Day of Atonement in 26 CE. FYI, the Greek words used in Luke 3:23, which tell us that "Jesus was about 30 years of age when He began his ministry," should be translated, Jesus began (commenced) to be or, in other words, just turned 30 years of age when He began his ministry. Also, in John 2:13-20, when it was almost time for the Passover, the Jews told Jesus it had taken 46 years to build the temple up to its current state. The work on the Jewish temple began in 20 BCE, so 46 years from that time brings us to 27 CE (year 0 does not exist). Since this is the Passover that occurred just after Jesus� baptism, we now have further assurance that it was in 26 CE that Jesus celebrated His 30th birthday, was baptized, and began his ministry.

Now, read the description of The Day of Atonement in Leviticus 16 and compare it to Matthew chapters three and four. You will see some very obvious similarities. In Leviticus 16, we find priests using water for purification, sacrifices being made for sin atonement, and a goat being sent into the desert carrying the sins of the people. In Matthew 3-4, we find people coming out to John for sin atonement through baptism, and Jesus being sent into the desert by the Holy Spirit.

As a final observation, seven lambs were sacrificed on the Day of Atonement. Seven is a biblical number representing fullness, completion or perfection. Jesus is referred to as a Lamb without blemish or defect (therefore, perfect) in 1 Peter 1:19, and as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world in John 1:29. By the way, the Day of Atonement fell on September 11 in 26 CE when Jesus celebrated His 30th birthday.

Now if we subtract 30 years from 26 CE, then we arrive at the birth of Jesus occurring on The Day of Atonement in 5 BCE (year 0 does not exist). Some scholars believe that Jesus was actually born in September. With that in mind, I am surprised that no one has chosen The Day of Atonement for Jesus' birthday.

We know that Jesus came to offer his life as an atoning sacrifice for our sins (Matthew 20:28, Romans 3:25, Hebrews 7:27, 9:23-28, 10:5-14, and 1 John 2:2, 4:10). Therefore, The Day of Atonement, as the day of his birth, makes even more sense when you take into account that he did not die on that day. The Day of Atonement also fell on September 11 in 5 BCE.

I will give you something else to consider in regard to the Day of Atonement for the birthday of Jesus. As you read Hebrews 9-10, the subject of much of these two chapters is the Day of Atonement sacrifice. Hebrews 10:5-6 tells us that when Christ entered the world, God was not pleased with those sacrifices and He prepared a body for Jesus. There is definitely a strong inference that Jesus came into the world on the Day of Atonement from these verses.

As further proof that the date for Jesus� birth is correct, I will also show you what I discovered concerning Herod�s death. If you check history, you will discover that Herod was born in 74/73 BCE. Josephus tells us that Herod was 25 in 48/47 BCE when he was made governor (Josephus, The Antiquities Book XVII, Chapter 9, Section 2 (Also see footnote)). Before he died, at the age 70, Herod killed a man named Matthias on a day that had a lunar eclipse (Josephus, The Antiquities Book XVII, Chapter 6, Sections 1-4). Herod died sometime after this event and just before a Passover occurred (Josephus, The Antiquities Book XVII, Chapter 9, Sections 3).

At the very beginning of The Wars Book II, Josephus also tells us that it was 69 years from the death of Herod to the coming of Vespasian. We know that Vespasian came to Jerusalem to lead the Roman armies against the Jews in the spring of 67 CE. Herod would have been 69 turning 70 in 4 BCE, and 70 turning 71 in 3 BCE. Tradition has it that Herod died in the winter of 4 BCE. If 4 BCE is truly when Herod died, then the 69^th Jewish year from Herod's death would have begun in September of 66 CE and ended in September of 67 CE.

Lastly (recent discovery & correction for date of Herod's eclipse in the book), in the Antiquities, Book 17, Chapter 6, Section 4, Josephus also records that Joseph, the son of Ellemus, was temporarily made High Priest for a day. It was a day on which a fast occurred and was just before the eclipse mentioned above. The Talmud records, in Horayoth 12b that this event occurred on The Day of Atonement. This Day of Atonement was more than likely September 11, 5 BCE. There was a total eclipse a couple of days later on the night of September 15, 5 BCE, sometime around 10:22 p.m. This is probably the day that Herod had Matthias (not the high priest Matthias) killed. This eclipse would probably be more visible & memorable than a partial eclipse that occurred on March 13, 4 BCE (the traditional date for the eclipse) around 2:52 a.m.

Is it just a coincidence that when the one true High Priest comes into the world, that for the first and only time, a temporary High Priest is appointed to perform the important duties for the Day of Atonement? Not if you believe, as I do, that the exact date for Jesus' birthday is the Day of Atonement or September 11, 5 BCE.

A Personal Revelation, Copyright � 2003 by Eric Fugett. Printed in the United States of America. All rights reserved. No material on this website may be copied, translated, reproduced, duplicated, stored or sold in any manner, mechanically, electronically, or otherwise, without written permission from the author.

Date:: 22 Dec 2004
Time:: 20:10:39

Comments

Very nearly correct. Jesus was born in autumn in the year 5 BC on the first of the eight days of the feast of tabernacles (Lev. 23:39) and circumcised on the last of those eight days. Those first and eighth days were special sabbaths (Strong's 7677 rather than the usual 7676). Tabernacles is also known as the feast of sukkot or booths, thus the birth of Jesus in a stable -- "the season of our joy" -- the feast of lights because of the four great lights that were placed in in the temple in Jerusalem at that time, signifying that Israel's Savior and King would also be the Light of the world, and the Savior and King of the world -- and the feast of dedication, commemorating Solomon's dedication of Israel's first temple and thus the appropriate time for the birth of Christ, the true Temple.

Date:: 22 Dec 2004
Time:: 22:13:14

Comments

What you say may be true. I just think that the substitute high priest is very significant, espescially since it is the only time in history that this occurred. Tying that in with what Hebrews 9-10 says, I am still holding to the Day of Atonement. Because Jesus did not die on this day, it only makes sense, when you think about what it stands for, that he would be born on this day.

Date:: 22 Dec 2004
Time:: 22:46:13

Comments

"May be true?" Have you read anything about the themes and concepts of the seven feasts of Lev. 23? Everything listed in the first comment above is true. Your guess at the sixth feast, atonement, instead of the seventh, tabernacles, fails to provide for a fulfillment date for his circumcision on the eighth day. Preterists also don't understand how Christ's atoning death on Good Friday, the sixth day of the week that began with Palm Sunday, relates to the sixth day of creation (Gen. 1) and to the sixth feast, atonement, and how the seventh day of that week, Saturday, when his body rested in the tomb, relates to the seventh day of creation (Gen. 2:2) and to the seventh feast, tabernacles.

Date:: 23 Dec 2004
Time:: 08:35:50

Comments

In my article entitled, The Crucifixion of Jesus, I put forth the idea that Jesus was crucified on Wednesday April 5, 30 before Passover began at sundown. Therefore, I would definitely disagree with a Friday crucifixion & so would anyone who can count to more than three. All of the passages that we read that say Jesus would rise "on" the third day, have the word "on" added. However, there are a couple of passages, Matthew 27:63 & Mark 8:31, that say He would rise after 3 days. This is why Revelation 11 says 3 1/2 days. Eric

Date:: 23 Dec 2004
Time:: 11:42:43

Comments

Sorry. There were widely unrecognized but critically important spiritual matters involved in that last week. The hopelessly fallen Jerusalem was Satan's city (Jn. 8:44), i.e., hell on earth, and rather than spending the nights there Jesus returned to Bethany, i.e., heaven on earth. Jerusalem, far from being a heavenly place, was pathetically earthly, and was, in fact, "the heart of the earth" referred to in Mt. 12:40. Jesus' capture after eating the passover with his disciples and his subsequent torture and murder kept him in the heart of the earth for 3 1/2 days, until his resurrection early Sunday morning. Your idea of a Wednesday death and hasty burial would have had him in the ground 4 days. You've got to understand that matters relating to God's covenantal relationship with the world (Adam and Noah were NOT Israelites), as well as natters relating to God's later covenantal relationship with Israel, were involved during the 8 days from Palm Sunday to Resurrection Sunday. For example, the typifying first Adam was created on the sixth day, Friday, and through his disobedience brought death to mankind; Christ, the last Adam, was killed on the sixth day of that last week, Friday and through his obedience brought life.

Date:: 23 Dec 2004
Time:: 11:51:02

Comments

Correction. The sentence, "Your idea of a Wednesday death and hasty burial would have had him in the ground four days," should read "four nights" (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights).

Date:: 23 Dec 2004
Time:: 12:01:32

Comments

If they actually ate the Passover meal, then why in John 18:28, are the Jews still wanting to eat it just before Jesus is to be crucified? Perhaps the translation of Luke 22 is incorrect. As for the timing of "Psalm Sunday", go back & read the gospel accounts or just read my article on the Crucifixion of Jesus. Thanks. Eric

Date:: 23 Dec 2004
Time:: 12:20:29

Comments

I am looking at the Calendar Notes at the beginning of the book, The Last Disciple. 3rd hour = 8:00 a.m to 9:00 a.m., 6th hour = 11:00 a.m to noon, 9th hour = 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Now I will give you some Scriptures to reckon: Mark 15:25, John 19:14, Matthew 27:45. There definitely appears to be a timing problem here, unless you believe what I have written in my article, The Crucifixion of Jesus. John 19:38 explains how they got him in the grave before 6:00 p.m. The tomb was nearby. Let's say He died a little after 2:00 p.m. and they had Him in the tomb by 4:00 p.m Wednesday, then 4:00 p.m Saturday would put us at 3 days & 4:00 a.m. Sunday would put us at 3 1/2 days. Unless my engineering math has suddenly gone awry, I believe that is 3 1/2 days total. And if I'm not mistaken, Passover would count as a "special Sabbath" as John puts it. Eric

Date:: 25 Dec 2004
Time:: 08:27:03

Comments

I want to apologize for the way I came across in the last response. I keep forgetting that we are all in search of truth and I got defensive rather than just trying to explain what I believe to be the truth. I don't have all of the answers and don't want to pretend that I do. Eric