Luke Chapter One Birth of Christ
Zacharias was a priest, described in Luke chapter one, as a member of the division of Abijah. Abijah is one of twenty-four divisions set up under the reign of King Solomon to allow the mass numbers of priests to have an appointed time to serve in the ministry of the temple (1Chronicles 28:11-13). Beginning with the first month, Nisan, in the spring (March-April), the schedule of the priest's courses would result with Zacharias serving during the 10th week of the year. This is because he was a member of the course of Abia (Abijah), the 8th course, and both the Feast of Unleavened Bread (15-21 Nisan) and Pentecost (6 Sivan) would have occurred before his scheduled duty. This places Zacharias' administration in the Temple as beginning on the second Sabbath of the third month, Sivan (May-June) for the Feast of Sukkot (Tabernacles). Having completed his Temple service on the third Sabbath of Sivan, Zacharias returned home and soon conceived his son John. So John the Baptist was probably conceived shortly after the third Sabbath of the month of Sivan. This would place John the Baptist birth around Adar - February/March. Jesus was conceived six months after Elizabeth’s conception of John the Baptist so this would place Mary's conception around Kislev - November/December with the birth of Jesus being the 15th day of the month of Tishri - September/October.
Based on a conception shortly after the third Sabbath of the month of Sivan, projecting forward an average term of about 10 lunar months (40 weeks), we arrive in the month of Nisan. It would appear that John the Baptist may have been born in the middle of the month, which would coincide with Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. So then, the Feast of Unleavened Bread begins on the 15th day of the 1st month, Nisan, and this is a likely date for the birth of John the Baptist.
Jesus was born on the 15th day of the month of Tishri, on the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles, which corresponds to the September - October time frame of our present Gregorian calendar. Since Jesus was conceived six months after John the Baptist, and we have established a likely date for John's birth, we need only move six months farther down the Jewish calendar to arrive at a likely date for the birth of Jesus. From the 15th day of the 1st month, Nisan, we go to the 15th day of the 7th month, Tishri and we find on that date the festival of Tabernacles. The 15th day of Tishri begins the third and last festival of the year to which all the men of Israel were to gather in Jerusalem for Temple services. (Lev 23:34). Birth of John was the 15th of Nisan which puts the birth of Jesus on the 15th day of Tishri.
Lunar Jewish calendar consist of 354 days starting in the spring with the month Nisan and as you can see the days are not the same as our
1. Nisan March/April
2. Iyar April/May
3. Sivan May/June
4. Tammuz June/July
5. Av July/August
6. Elul August/September
7. Tishrei September/October
8. Cheshvan October/November
9. Kislev November/December
10. Tevet December/ January
11. Shevet January/February
12. Adar February/March
Zacharias was a priest, described in Luke chapter one, as a member of the division of Abijah. Abijah is one of twenty-four divisions set up under the reign of King Solomon to allow the mass numbers of priests to have an appointed time to serve in the ministry of the temple (1Chronicles 28:11-13). Beginning with the first month, Nisan, in the spring (March-April), the schedule of the priest's courses would result with Zacharias serving during the 10th week of the year. This is because he was a member of the course of Abia (Abijah), the 8th course, and both the Feast of Unleavened Bread (15-21 Nisan) and Pentecost (6 Sivan) would have occurred before his scheduled duty. This places Zacharias' administration in the Temple as beginning on the second Sabbath of the third month, Sivan (May-June) for the Feast of Sukkot (Tabernacles). Having completed his Temple service on the third Sabbath of Sivan, Zacharias returned home and soon conceived his son John. So John the Baptist was probably conceived shortly after the third Sabbath of the month of Sivan. This would place John the Baptist birth around Adar - February/March. Jesus was conceived six months after Elizabeth’s conception of John the Baptist so this would place Mary's conception around Kislev - November/December with the birth of Jesus being the 15th day of the month of Tishri - September/October.
Based on a conception shortly after the third Sabbath of the month of Sivan, projecting forward an average term of about 10 lunar months (40 weeks), we arrive in the month of Nisan. It would appear that John the Baptist may have been born in the middle of the month, which would coincide with Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. So then, the Feast of Unleavened Bread begins on the 15th day of the 1st month, Nisan, and this is a likely date for the birth of John the Baptist.
Jesus was born on the 15th day of the month of Tishri, on the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles, which corresponds to the September - October time frame of our present Gregorian calendar. Since Jesus was conceived six months after John the Baptist, and we have established a likely date for John's birth, we need only move six months farther down the Jewish calendar to arrive at a likely date for the birth of Jesus. From the 15th day of the 1st month, Nisan, we go to the 15th day of the 7th month, Tishri and we find on that date the festival of Tabernacles. The 15th day of Tishri begins the third and last festival of the year to which all the men of Israel were to gather in Jerusalem for Temple services. (Lev 23:34). Birth of John was the 15th of Nisan which puts the birth of Jesus on the 15th day of Tishri.
Lunar Jewish calendar consist of 354 days starting in the spring with the month Nisan and as you can see the days are not the same as our
1. Nisan March/April
2. Iyar April/May
3. Sivan May/June
4. Tammuz June/July
5. Av July/August
6. Elul August/September
7. Tishrei September/October
8. Cheshvan October/November
9. Kislev November/December
10. Tevet December/ January
11. Shevet January/February
12. Adar February/March
My stance is if anyone wants to celebrate Christmas, then do so, but realize it for what it is, a winter solstice party. I have a tree up, but I decorate it with solar themes and zodiac signs and realize it has nothing to do with Christ. But then again, I am a tad hung up on making sundials, too.