The Western Voyager

By: Bryan Ricardo Marini Quintana

The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John recorded the account of Christ’s Crucifixion in 33 AD during Passover around the late 60s AD at the earliest, until the early 100s AD at the latest, ranging across 40 to 70 years after Jesus’ Death, with this festival celebrating the Israelites’ Exodus from Egypt on the 15^th of Nisan in the Jewish Calendar. Additionally, the Historians Cornelius Tacitus (56-120 AD) in The Annals and Flavius Josephus (37-100 AD) in The Antiquities of the Jews wrote external reports in the 1^st and 2^nd century AD from a Roman and Jewish perspective of the event. Firstly, Tacitus asserted in Book 15 that Christ was Crucified during the reign of Emperor Tiberius (42 BC-37 AD) between 14 to 37 AD and that the population referred to his followers as Christians, who Emperor Nero (37-68 AD) blamed for the Great Fire of Rome in 64 AD. Secondly, Josephus commented in Book 18 that Jesus declared himself the Messiah by achieving miraculous feats. Both resonate with the New Testament’s Gospels when these Historians mentioned Christ’s Crucifixion at the hands of Pontius Pilate, a governor of the Roman Province of Judea from 26 to 36 AD.

On one side, Matthew 27, Mark 15, and Luke 23 concurred that Jesus died on the 15^th of Nisan, but John 19 stated instead the 14^th, a day before Passover. Early Christians believed the 14^th of Nisan corresponded with Christ’s Condemnation on the Cross, converting the date for the Julian Calendar (Introduced by Julius Caesar in 45 BC) into roughly March 25^th. Correspondingly, the 14^th or 15^th of Nisan ranges from March to April 25^th in the Gregorian Calendar (Reformed by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582 AD). Since Jesus was Crucified on a Friday near Passover around 33 AD, according to the Julian Calendar, the 15^th of Nisan would correspond with the 3^rd of April. However, in the Gregorian Calendar, the day would fall instead on the 7^th of April. By identifying the Gospels’ dating and the Early Christians’ beliefs, the Messiah’s Death occurred on March 25^th. When combining this with the Ancient Jewish Tradition of Prophets such as Moses fulfilling the ‘Integral Age,’ then Christ must’ve been Conceived the same day he was Crucified. This means that the Annunciation of the Angel Gabriel happened on March 25^th, and Mother Mary bore God’s Son to give birth 9 months later, around December 25^th. Overall, when accessing the New Testament’s Gospels, the Ancient Judeo-Christian Traditions, the Theologians of Early Christianity, and External Sources from Historians of the Period, the evidence concludes that Jesus’ Birthday is on December 25^th.

Dear reader, enjoy the holidays with your families and remember to take some time off to commemorate the Birth of Christ. The Western Voyager wishes you a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year, and a Cheery Feast of the Three Kings! Thank you for reading this Series on the Christian Roots of Christmas. To explore more research articles, make sure to visit the website and subscribe to the newsletter!

By: Bryan Ricardo Marini Quintana

Although neither of the Gospels provided a date for Christ’s Birth, in Ancient Judaism, there was a belief in a Prophet’s ‘Integral Age,’ where Holy Men who served God died on the day they were born, proposing an estimation for Jesus’ Conception. On the one hand, The Tanakh contains the Old Testament Books about the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Writings from the 12^th to the 1^st century BC with detailed family lineages but no concrete dating. However, The Talmud, an Ancient Text compiling the Oral Torah, where Jewish Scholars and Rabbis recorded their law and theology from the 3^rd to the 6^th century AD, cited that the Prophet Moses, who led them in Exodus out of Egypt, was born and died on the 7^th of Adar as per their calendar. This belief in a Prophet’s ‘Integral Age’ persisted until Christ’s Birth, with the Early Christians deeming him the Son of God. Likewise, they considered him a Messianic Figure akin to Moses, and according to their customs, the Messiah died on the day he was born. This begs the question, when was Jesus Conceived and Crucified?

When consulting Early Christian Theologians from the 2^nd to the 5^th century AD, numerous historians, authors, bishops, and philosophers who lived during the Decline of the Roman Empire agreed that Christ’s Birth was on December 25^th. Firstly, the Historian Sextus Julius Africanus (160-240 AD) wrote Chronographai, a five-volume treatise outlining the Chronology of World History where he calculated, from reading the Gospels of Luke and Matthew, that Jesus must’ve been conceived on March 25^th, adding 9 months to conclude that the Messiah was born on December 25^th. Furthermore, the Author Tertullian (160-240 AD) composed a foundational work for the Early Church Doctrine with Adversus Judaeos, stating that Christ must’ve died on the Cross during Passover, precisely 8 days before the Calends of April, subtracting that number to arrive at March 25^th. Thereafter, the Bishop Hippolytus (170-235 AD) penned a Commentary on Daniel where he interpreted his deeds and visions, commenting that Jesus must’ve been born around 8 days before the Calends of January, landing between either December 24^th or 25^th. Additionally, the Philosopher Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) echoed the profound belief and academic research of his predecessors with De Trinitate by affirming the Christian Tradition of Christ’s Conception on March 25^th, the same day he was Crucified, settling on his Birth as December 25^th. Therefore, these Early Christian Theologians concluded that Jesus died on March 25^th and was born on December 25^th, with Sextus Julius Africanus, Tertullian, and Hippolytus writing in the centuries when the Roman Empire outlawed their faith until the Edict of Milan by Emperor Constantine (272-337 AD), who converted and legalized their religion in 313 AD, while Saint Augustine of Hippo lived through a time of transition in which paganism prevailed.

When combining the Hebrews’ Ancient Beliefs of the ‘Integral Age’ of their Prophets alongside the Early Christian Theologians who meticulously calculated through scripture that the Crucifixion occurred around Passover on March 25^th, then their estimations would suitably place Jesus’ Conception on the same date, only adding 9 months to land on December 25^th. Nevertheless, how can one be certain about the accurate dating of Christ’s Death, and are there any External Historical Sources that support the Gospels? We’ll explore this in the final post!

By: Bryan Ricardo Marini Quintana

Every December 25^th, families gather around the Christmas Tree, waiting for Santa Claus to slide down the chimney with gifts. Around the neighborhood, each house has jolly decorations, holiday music, and delicious food. But everyone is easily distracted by the haste of senseless spending, extravagant adornments, and numerous festivities. Often, people tend to forget why Christmas is celebrated on December 25^th. This Christian Tradition commemorates the Birth of Christ on the day God begot his Son, who became a Man to fulfill his role as the Messiah. Why do Christians believe that the Birth of Jesus was on December 25^th?

In the Gospels of Luke 1 and Matthew 1, the Angel Gabriel delivered his Annunciation to the Virgin Mary, revealing that she would bear the Son of God through the Holy Spirit, with Joseph of Nazareth receiving a divine message to marry her and care for the boy. Both Gospels affirmed that Mary conceived through Divine Conception and gave Birth to Christ in Bethlehem. They also recognized Joseph as a descendant from the House of David, who traced back his ancestors to the days of Abraham’s First Covenant, proclaiming Jesus as a progeny from the Kingdom of Jerusalem. The Messiah was most likely born in a lowly abode, where Luke 2 recounted that he was placed in a small manger, a wooden frame used to feed animals, and visited by shepherds, symbolizing his humble roots. Moreover, Matthew 2 narrated how The Magi, otherwise referred to as The Three Wise Men or Kings, traveled to Bethlehem offering gifts of gold (A Treasure of Kingship), frankincense (A Resin for Incense to denote Worship), and myrrh (An Oil for Mourning).

While the Gospels discuss Mary’s Divine Conception, Joseph’s Kingly Lineage, Christ’s Birthplace, alongside the Shepherds and Magi’s adoration of the newborn, they don’t mention any date. To discover the origins of why December 25^th was chosen as Jesus’ Birthday, one must consult the Hebrews’ Ancient Beliefs and Early Christian Theologians. We’ll explore this in the next post!