Christmas 2011 is being celebrated as usual on December 25. But was Jesus born on the 25th of the 12th month of the year? No, it is only a date that corresponds to an ancient pagan festival that was celebrated in Rome even in the 3rd century AD. As Christians too joined in this, Pope Liberius requested Roman Christians to substitute the “sun” fest with the festival of the birth of Jesus as the “Sun” of Righteousness.
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| The pool of Siloam |
That explains how the Birth of Jesus came to be celebrated at every year end. But what of the year of His birth? None knows that for sure. When the Pontiff of the 6th century asked a monk named Dionysius to make the calendar he went back in time through Roman governors of the first century and decided that Jesus was born in 4 BC, thus dividing time Before Christ (BC) and AD, Anno Domini (Year of the Lord).
In doing so it is found that Dionysius had missed out the reign of Emperor Quireni es resulting in an error of four years. This complicated matters and we have the date of the first Christmas undecided at 4 BC or 6 BC. But as the Resurrection of Jesus has been traced to Sunday April 9, 29 AD, taking into consideration that He died at 33 years of age, His birth is placed at 4 BC. It is conjectured that it was in the year 732 from the founding of Rome that His birth took place.
According to the Bible the birth took place in Palestine when Augustus Caesar was governor in Rome and Palestine was one of his dominions. He had ordered a census of his territory and the parents of Jesus went to Bethlehem, the birth place of Joseph to have their names registered there. St Luke records this in his Christmas narrative. It was then that Mary gave birth to baby Jesus. This census has been recorded in history to have taken place in 7 BC. May be the census took around two to three years for completion, and the Holy couple may have turned up at Bethlehem in 4 BC when their turn came. The star in the firmament too is in history, an astronomical event that is supposed to take place every 794 years, which some identify as Haley’s comet. It was caused by a Jupiter Saturn meeting in the sign of Pisces around 3 BC.
For those doubting Thomasas, who refuse to believe in the historicity of Jesus, well history has it this way. Josephus the historian refers to Jesus in his Antiquities, BK I8. A passage here reads thus, “At this time appeared Jesus, a wise man (if he can be called a man) and performed marvellous things and became the master of those who joyfully received the truth, and many of the Jews, also the Greeks followed him. This was the Christ, being denounced by the priests of our nation to Pilate, he was condemned to die on the cross.” (Jesus & His Times – Daniel Rops, Vol I). Suetonius, a contemporary of Tacitus, in his “Lives of Caesars” writing about Tiberius, mentions the Neronian persecution saying, “Claudius expelled the Jews from Rome because under the influence of one Jesus they had become a permanent source of disorder.”
Tacitus too, in the history of the year II6 refers to Jesus in his report on the fire in Rome in 64 AD. Pliny who had been Procurator (Chief Roman magistrate) in a detailed report to Trajan on the followers of Christ in the first century said, ” It seems that these Christians met together, sang hymns to Jesus and pledged themselves to avoid lying, stealing and adultery. ..”
Then again we have emperor Hadrian’s letter addressed to Fundamus, a proconsul in Asia in 125 AD. He confirms the earlier writings . Justin Martyr in his apology to Antonius Pius, and his son Marcus Aurelius refers to Jesus in AD 150 in the “Records of Pilate” This is also confirmed by Tertulian the great apologist of the 3rd century. “Jesus’s death was reported by Pilate to Tiberius who had him reprimanded, for failing to get his ( Tiberius’s) permission to crucify Jesus.
Not only documents but even locations connected with the birth of Jesus have reference in history. For example, the Inn, which St. Luke mentions at 2/7, ‘which had no room for Joseph & Mary” has been located at the entrance to Bethlehem. This is said to have been built by Gileadite, the son of a friend of David, who built it for his flocks 10 centuries before Jesus’s birth in Bethlehem.
Sites identified with the life of Jesus, like the pool of Siloam (John 5/2) and the scene of Jesus’s trial (ibid 19/13) can be visited even today. I had the privilege of seeing this and other places like the Sycamore tree to which Zachcheus climbed on the road to Jericho, to see Jesus, during my pilgrimage to the Holy Land (Israel) a couple of years ago.
Christmas was not celebrated during the first three centuries for two reasons. Firstly, the early Christians were awaiting the Imminent Coming of Jesus and secondly in Rome in those days, no birthdays save that of the emperor could be celebrated. If those early Christians waited so eagerly for the 2nd Coming of Christ, how much more should the Christians of today hope for His second advent now that two millennia have lapsed? Christmas therefore should be a prelude, a preparation for that coming in glory. A happy and holy Christmas to all. |
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