December?

[may]

Jesus Born in December?​

THE Bible does not tell us when Jesus was born. However, it does give us sound reason to conclude that his birth did not take place in December.​

Consider the weather conditions at that time of the year in Bethlehem, where Jesus was born. The Jewish month of Chislev (corresponding to November/December) was a month with cold and rainy weather. The month after that was Tebeth (December/January). It saw the lowest temperatures of the year, with occasional snows in the highlands. Let us see what the Bible tells us about the climate of that region.​

The Bible writer Ezra shows that Chislev was indeed a month known for cold and rainy weather. After stating that a crowd had gathered in Jerusalem "in the ninth month [Chislev] on the twentieth day of the month," Ezra reports that people were "shivering . . . on account of the showers of rain." Concerning weather conditions at that time of the year, the congregated people themselves said: "It is the season of showers of rain, and it is not possible to stand outside." (Ezra 10:9, 13; Jeremiah 36:22) No wonder shepherds living in that part of the world made sure that they and their flocks were no longer out of doors at night when December came around!​

The Bible reports, however, that shepherds were in the fields tending their flocks on the night of Jesus’ birth. In fact, the Bible writer Luke shows that at that time, shepherds were "living out of doors and keeping watches in the night over their flocks" near Bethlehem. (Luke 2:8-12) Notice that the shepherds were actually living out of doors, not just strolling outside during the day. They had their flocks in the fields at night. Does that description of outdoor living fit the chilly and rainy weather conditions of Bethlehem in December? No, it does not. So the circumstances surrounding Jesus’ birth indicate that he was not born in December.​

God’s Word tells us precisely when Jesus died, but it gives little direct indication as to when he was born. This brings to mind King Solomon’s words: "A name is better than good oil, and the day of death than the day of one’s being born." (Ecclesiastes 7:1) It is not surprising, then, that the Bible provides many details about Jesus’ ministry and death but few details about the time of his birth.​

 

[athanasius]

Jesus Born in December?​

THE Bible does not tell us when Jesus was born. However, it does give us sound reason to conclude that his birth did not take place in December.​

Consider the weather conditions at that time of the year in Bethlehem, where Jesus was born. The Jewish month of Chislev (corresponding to November/December) was a month with cold and rainy weather. The month after that was Tebeth (December/January). It saw the lowest temperatures of the year, with occasional snows in the highlands. Let us see what the Bible tells us about the climate of that region.​

The Bible writer Ezra shows that Chislev was indeed a month known for cold and rainy weather. After stating that a crowd had gathered in Jerusalem "in the ninth month [Chislev] on the twentieth day of the month," Ezra reports that people were "shivering . . . on account of the showers of rain." Concerning weather conditions at that time of the year, the congregated people themselves said: "It is the season of showers of rain, and it is not possible to stand outside." (Ezra 10:9, 13; Jeremiah 36:22) No wonder shepherds living in that part of the world made sure that they and their flocks were no longer out of doors at night when December came around!​

The Bible reports, however, that shepherds were in the fields tending their flocks on the night of Jesus’ birth. In fact, the Bible writer Luke shows that at that time, shepherds were "living out of doors and keeping watches in the night over their flocks" near Bethlehem. (Luke 2:8-12) Notice that the shepherds were actually living out of doors, not just strolling outside during the day. They had their flocks in the fields at night. Does that description of outdoor living fit the chilly and rainy weather conditions of Bethlehem in December? No, it does not. So the circumstances surrounding Jesus’ birth indicate that he was not born in December.​

God’s Word tells us precisely when Jesus died, but it gives little direct indication as to when he was born. This brings to mind King Solomon’s words: "A name is better than good oil, and the day of death than the day of one’s being born." (Ecclesiastes 7:1) It is not surprising, then, that the Bible provides many details about Jesus’ ministry and death but few details about the time of his birth.​

It doesn't really matter when Jesus bithday really was. The whole point is that we know he was born for our salvation and he is our greatest Gift. So we should set aside some time in the year to listen to his birth story and prayerfully reflect on that and celebrate it . The Church simply set aside December for that reason.


I celebrated my birthday a week late last year.

In the Jesus our King through Mary our Queen Mother,
Athanasius

 

[Katzpur]

It doesn't really matter when Jesus bithday really was. The whole point is that we know he was born for our salvation and he is our greatest Gift. So we should set aside some time in the year to listen to his birth story and prayerfully reflect on that and celebrate it . The Church simply set aside December for that reason.

I agree. I don't know of any Christians who still believe Christ was born in December. When we celebrate His birth is no big deal, but I agree with you that His birth it truly a cause for celebration.

 

[may]

why december 25th ? i think i am correct in saying that yet again it is something to do with mixing true worship with false worship . and it is always babylonish worship involved, which brings to mind revelation 18;4 yet again . what a big influence this symbolic woman.... BABYLON THE GREAT..... has on the world of religion. and Gods people are out of her .

 

[dawny0826]

why december 25th ? i think i am correct in saying that yet again it is something to do with mixing true worship with false worship . and it is always babylonish worship involved, which brings to mind revelation 18;4 yet again . what a big influence this symbolic woman.... BABYLON THE GREAT..... has on the world of religion. and Gods people are out of her .

Is this another example of how every other Christian isn't a true Christian?

Again, who are YOU and those of YOUR faith to tell others that they're in the wrong for doing something that fills THEM with the Spirit and reminds them of Christ. Without Christ, there is no salvation.

I'm not ignorant. I know that Christ wasn't born in December. I know that we aren't to rejoice at birth.

HOWEVER, we are to rejoice at the REBIRTH that we obtain when we grasp hold of God's plan for our salvation and allow Christ into our life. That REBIRTH is very much something to be celebrated and it wouldn't be had it not been for the Christ Jesus.

Christmas is a time to honor the things that are good and wholesome...LOVE...PATIENCE...KINDNESS...SHARING...CARING...and so on and so forth. We exalt our Lord with song and prayer and we share as a family.

 

[michel]

Like the others, I don't think it matters one iota when Jesus was born, that we celebrate his birthday when we do is just a "convenient day".

I don't know how much truth there is in Dan Brown's book "Angels and Demons", but this is what he has to say:-

"December 25th is the ancient pagan holiday of sol invictus - unconquered sun - coinciding with the winter solstice. It's that wonderful time of the year when the sun returns, and the days start getting longer.

Conquering religions often adopt existing holidays to make conversion less shockin. It helps people to acclimatise to the new faith. Worshipers keep the same holy days, pray in the same sacred locations, use a similar symbology, and simply substitute a different God.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The ritual Christianity canonisation is taken from the anciet "god-making" rite of Euhemerus. The ptactice of "god-eating" - Holy communion - was borrowed from the Aztecs.

Even the concept of Christ dying for our sins is not exclusively Christian; the self sacrifice of a young man to absolve the sins of his people appears in the earliest tradition of the Quetzalcoatl."

As I say, I haven't a clue if any of the above is true, accurate, mere coincidence, or true.......it doesn't change a thing in the way I view my Faith.

 

[athanasius]

why december 25th ? i think i am correct in saying that yet again it is something to do with mixing true worship with false worship . and it is always babylonish worship involved, which brings to mind revelation 18;4 yet again . what a big influence this symbolic woman.... BABYLON THE GREAT..... has on the world of religion. and Gods people are out of her .

Not really because no Catholic Mass begins to worship anything Pagan or any one else but Jesus on his Birthday. the Scripture readings and the music and the entire mass is focused on Jesus, not Mithra or anyone else.

But so what if the day is on a same day as Pagans holiday. Christmass is not a pagan holiday. Its a Christians Holy day Its Jesus(Biblical) birhtday we celebrate. The wedding ring has pagan origins, do you wear one? I do. I even know Jehovha's witness's who do. Does htis mean that weddings are pagan too? Does htis mean that the Jehovha's witness are pagan too? Of coarse not. December 25th is a day we take time out to celebrate the birth of Christ. Thats is all. If other pagans want to hold holidays on that day fine. You really need ot get over this false idea you have.

 

[sojourner]

why december 25th ? i think i am correct in saying that yet again it is something to do with mixing true worship with false worship . and it is always babylonish worship involved, which brings to mind revelation 18;4 yet again . what a big influence this symbolic woman.... BABYLON THE GREAT..... has on the world of religion. and Gods people are out of her .

Is telling others that they're wrong the only tool you have to convince yourself that your beliefs are right? If so, that's a pretty shaky basis for belief in something.

 

[constantine]

He was born in december because Constantine the Great said so, just like easter.
Constantine knew nobody would take christian holiday serious so he made them fall in line with pagan holidays.

 

[constantine]

I agree. I don't know of any Christians who still believe Christ was born in December. When we celebrate His birth is no big deal, but I agree with you that His birth it truly a cause for celebration.

l think this is funny. Oh they lied to us about his birthday but we'll still believe everything else they tell us.

 

[Super Universe]

All that night Mary was restless so that neither of them slept much. By the break of day the pangs of childbirth were well in evidence, and at noon, August 21, 7 B.C., with the help and kind ministrations of women fellow travelers, Mary was delivered of a male child. Jesus of Nazareth was born into the world, was wrapped in the clothes which Mary had brought along for such a possible contingency, and laid in a near-by manger.

In just the same manner as all babies before that day and since have come into the world, the promised child was born; and on the eighth day, according to the Jewish practice, he was circumcised and formally named Joshua (Jesus).

 

[may]

Is telling others that they're wrong the only tool you have to convince yourself that your beliefs are right? If so, that's a pretty shaky basis for belief in something.

i dont think i have told others they are wrong .

 

[James the Persian]

He was born in december because Constantine the Great said so, just like easter.

Constantine said no such thing. He set the date for neither Christmas nor Pascha (Easter) and, in fact, Christmas was mostly a western festival in its early years with the east celebrating Theophany above it. It took a very long time and a lot more than one person to standardize the calendar.

Constantine knew nobody would take christian holiday serious so he made them fall in line with pagan holidays.

Well, I'd love to know which pagan holiday Pascha supposedly falls into line with (and what about the third Great Feast, Theophany?). Given that Pascha moves every year because it is tied to a Jewish lunar calendar, I find it hard to believe that there can possibly be a pagan feast it corresponds to. This is nothing more than wishful thinking based on extremely shoddy 'scholarship'. The actually history of the calendar does not support anything you have posted here.

James

 

[may]

Not really because no Catholic Mass begins to worship anything Pagan or any one else but Jesus on his Birthday. the Scripture readings and the music and the entire mass is focused on Jesus, not Mithra or anyone else.

But so what if the day is on a same day as Pagans holiday. Christmass is not a pagan holiday. Its a Christians Holy day Its Jesus(Biblical) birhtday we celebrate. The wedding ring has pagan origins, do you wear one? I do. I even know Jehovha's witness's who do. Does htis mean that weddings are pagan too? Does htis mean that the Jehovha's witness are pagan too? Of coarse not. December 25th is a day we take time out to celebrate the birth of Christ. Thats is all. If other pagans want to hold holidays on that day fine. You really need ot get over this false idea you have.

you say christmas is not a pagan holiday , have you looked into everything attached to this holiday . ? mixing true with false is not the way to go , pure worship is the way to go and attaching pagan beliefs to pure worship would make it offensive to the true God , i am not telling others not to take part, but for me my concience would not allow me to mix the two . as for the marriage arrangement ,it was Jehovah God who instituted the marriage arrangement back in the Garden of eden . yes i think you are quite right to mention the rings .
many popular wedding customs—including the exchanging of rings and the eating of cake—may have pagan origins.
each Christian must weigh the circumstances at hand and make a personal decision. i must admit that this is something that i have often wondered about . but maybe at a future time Jehovah will reveal what his people should do regarding this custom , as far as i can tell there is no violating of bible princibles attached to rings , but you never know maybe as Jehovahs people progress things maybe revealed. we can only wait and see , many things have been revealed in these the last days , and those who are willing to follow the channel that Jesus is using will be quite willing to respond in a positive way to the instruction coming through this channel matthew 24;45-47

 

[may]

here is an article of interest taken from the 1972 watchtower about wedding rings, it is something i have often wondered about , it is good that Jehovahs people do not make hard and fast rules unless it is quite clear . it is a question from a reader of the mag about wedding rings.

Questions

From Readers​

●​

​

Is it proper for a Christian to wear a wedding ring?—Greece.​

Many sincere Christians have asked this question out of a desire to avoid any custom of which God might disapprove. Some of the questioners know that Catholic prelate John H. Newman wrote: "The use of temples, and these dedicated to particular saints, . . . sacerdotal vestments, the tonsure, the ring in marriage, turning to the East, images at a later date, perhaps the ecclesiastical chant, and the Kyrie Eleison, are all of pagan origin, and sanctified by their adoption into the Church." (An Essay on the Development of the Christian Doctrine, 1878) While the facts prove that many of the current religious practices Newman lists definitely were adopted from pagan worship, is that true of the wedding ring?
Actually there are conflicting ideas as to the origin of the wedding ring. Let us give a few examples: "Originally . . . the ring was a fetter, used to bind the captive bride." (For Richer, for Poorer) "The ring is a relatively modern substitute for the gold coin or other article of value with which a man literally purchased his wife from her father." (The Jewish Wedding Book) "The wedding ring is supposed to be of Roman origin, and to have sprung from the ancient custom of using rings in making agreements." (American Cyclopædia) "Various explanations have been given of the connection of the ring with marriage. It would appear that wedding-rings were worn by the Jews prior to Christian times."—The International Cyclopaedia.
It is thus seen that the precise origin of the wedding ring is uncertain. Even if it were a fact that pagans first used wedding rings, would that rule such out for Christians? Not necessarily. Many of today’s articles of clothing and aspects of life originated in pagan lands. The present time divisions of hours, minutes and seconds are based on an early Babylonian system. Yet, there is no objection to a Christian’s using these time divisions, for one’s doing so does not involve carrying on false religious practices.
Of course, our concern is greater as regards the use of wedding rings, since this relates, not to minor secular matters, but to the marriage relationship, which the Christian rightly views as sacred before God. Really, the question is not so much whether wedding rings were first used by pagans but whether they were originally used as part of false religious practices and still retain such religious significance. As has been shown, the historical evidence does not allow for any definite conclusion on this. What does the Bible say about the use of rings?
The Bible shows that some of God’s servants in the past wore rings, even ones that had special meaning attached to them. Wearing a signet ring could indicate that one had received authority to act in behalf of the ruler who owned it. (Gen. 41:42; Num. 31:50; Esther 8:2, 8; Job 42:11, 12; Luke 15:22) So, while wedding rings are not mentioned, these true worshipers clearly did not scruple against using rings for more than mere adornment.
Some persons say that a wedding ring represents one’s unending love and devotion in marriage. The increasing divorce rate in many lands where married persons usually wear a wedding ring proves that this meaning is more imagined than real. Nonetheless, for the majority of persons, including Christians, in lands where wedding rings are common, the ring is an outward indication that the wearer is a married person. In other localities the same point is shown in a different way, such as by a woman’s wearing a certain style of clothing.​

Of course, a wedding ring is by no means a Christian requirement. One Christian might decide not to wear a wedding ring, because of conscience, personal taste, cost, local custom, or some other reason. Yet another Christian might decide to indicate his married status by means of a wedding ring. Hence, in the final analysis the decision is a personal one, to be made in accord with the conscientious views one holds.

​

 

[may]

He was born in december because Constantine the Great said so, just like easter.
Constantine knew nobody would take christian holiday serious so he made them fall in line with pagan holidays.

yes ,food for thought.

 

[may]

l think this is funny. Oh they lied to us about his birthday but we'll still believe everything else they tell us.

yes, another food for thought.

 

[may]

and at noon, August 21, 7 B.C., (Jesus).

could you show me that in the bible .

 

[James the Persian]

here is an article of interest taken from the 1972 watchtower about wedding rings, it is something i have often wondered about , it is good that Jehovahs people do not make hard and fast rules unless it is quite clear . it is a question from a reader of the mag about wedding rings.

Interestingly we don't wear wedding rings. The rings we do wear, though they look like western wedding bands, are actually engagement rings and whilst these are blessed also (we have an engagement ceremony in the Church) they actually do not signify the marriage at all. I dare say that these do have their origins in the Roman practice of exchanging rings for agreements as an engagement is an agreement. Marriage, for us, is not and so no vows are made and no rings exchanged - we are crowned to symbolise martyrdom instead. I had never really made the connection with the rings before, but surely it's quite wrong to call something pagan if it comes from the secular sphere, in which case from what I can tell exchanging rings might be Roman but doesn't appear pagan.

James

 

[James the Persian]

yes ,food for thought.

Maybe, but the only thought it feeds me with is 'How can people persist in such ignorance despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary?'. But those with vested interests will convince themselves that black is white if necessary.

James