The year of Jesus' birth?

[BassDeist]

This is something I asked my ministers and elders (I was Baptist) and no-one could really give me an answer.

We are told in Matthew's Gospel that Jesus' birth occurred in the rule of Herod, who DIED in 4BC. So at latest, Jesus' birth and the flight to Egypt must have occurred in the previous year, in 5BC.

Now the Gospel of Luke tells us that Joseph and Mary travelled for the census in the governorship of Quirinius, who didn't rule in Syria until 6AD.

Assuming Jesus to be 29-31ish when he started ministry, the first date given in Matthew would make Jesus' ministry too late for Jesus to be baptised by John the Baptist, who started ministry around 31AD, and the Luke date shortens the Jesus ministry to months, not the three years traditionally claimed.

So, can someone help me out?

 

[angellous_evangellous]

I'll go with 4CE.

 

[dogsgod]

The birth stories serve to set the plot, they tell us that a future king is born, one that will eventually come to challenge the throne in order to usher in a new kingdom. It's a story of good vs evil and It may just be allegorical fiction. On the other hand, some view an historical setting and may have a reason for choosing one birth story over the other, there's probably arguments for either one.