Some Facts About The Birth of Christ

James Stutz

Events of the Nativity

Two different versions: What Time of Year?
Matthew (Joseph’s POV)  The only clue we have is that the shepherds
 Mary conceives by power of HG were out with their flocks….an activity that
 Angel appears to Joseph likely took place in the spring or summer.
 Wise Men from the East  We don’t really know!
 Flight to Egypt  We celebrate it in December because it is an
 Massacre of babies ancient tradition.
Luke (Mary’s POV) LDS Tradition
 Mary conceives by power of HG  Elder James E. Talmage wrote that Jesus
 Angel appears to Mary was born on April 6.
 Worldwide tax, travel to Bethlehem  This was based on his reading of D&C
 Birth in manger 20:1:“The rise of the Church of Christ in
 Choir of Angels, visit of Shepherds these last days, being one thousand eight
hundred and thirty years since the coming
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the
Mary and Joseph flesh…”
 Mary and Joseph were probably just  Many Latter-day Saints have uncritically
teenagers, based on customary marriage accepted Talmage’s interpretation.
ages of the time.
 But…It is probably a misreading of D&C
 Mary was probably around 14 20:1. It is likely just a fancy way of saying
 Joseph was probably around 18 “This is the year 1830.”
 They were married, but not yet living  Bruce R. McConkie said: “We do not believe
together. It was the custom for parents to it is possible with the present state of our
arrange their teenagers’ marriage, but for knowledge-including that which is known
them to not live together until they were both in and out of the Church-to state with
older. finality when the natal day of the Lord Jesus
actually occurred.”Bruce R. McConkie,
Mortal Messiah (SLC: Bookcraft, 1979)
What Year was Jesus Born?
Evidence from Matthew
 Jesus was born in the days of King Herod Where was Jesus Born?
(Matt 2:1)  The Greek reads: “she wrapped him in cloth
 Herod died in 4 BC and laid him in a corn crib, as there was no
 Before Herod died the wise men found room in the guest room.”
Jesus.
 Before Herod died he had all the boys in  Archeology of the area shows that houses in
Bethlehem age 2 and under massacred. Bethlehem and its vicinity often had caves
Evidence from Luke as the back of the house where they would
 Jesus was born “when Cyrenius was keep their prized ox, or beast of burden, lest
governor of Syria” (Luke 2:1-2) it be stolen. The guest room was in the front
 Cyrenius became governor of Syria in 6 AD of the house, the animal shelter in the back,
 Who is right, Matthew or Luke? and Joseph and Mary had come too late to
 Most scholars think Matthew is right and get the guest room, so the relatives did the
Luke is wrong. best they could by putting them in the back
 Therefore, Jesus was born before 4 BC, of the house. Bethlehem was indeed a one
probably in 6 BC. stoplight town off the beaten track, and we
(See Raymond Brown, Christ in the Gospels of have not a shred of archaeological evidence
the Liturgical Year, 114. there ever was a wayfarer's inn in that little
http://tinyurl.com/2efrftl) village in Jesus' day.
(Ben Witherington: http://tinyurl.com/3bv5xr)

These do not represent “official” LDS views. These are the findings of faithful biblical scholars, both LDS and non-LDS.