Q&A: When Was Jesus Born & Did He Celebrate His Birthday?

Jesus was born one June 17^th 2 B.C., and here is how we can know this for certain. The Book of Genesis tells us that God put the stars and planets in the heavens or space to help mankind keep track of time. But it also said that He would use these celestial bodies,”… for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:” (Genesis 1:14).

So, it should come as no surprise that He would use these heavenly bodies to not only announce the birth of His only begotten physical Son to the entire world, but to also create a permanent record. In this way, every generation of mankind could refer to this permanent sign when inquiring about when to celebrate His Son’s birthday.

In order to accurately find the date, all one would need to do is install an astronomical app on a computer (i.e., Night Sky from the App Store). Then program the app to show the night sky over Israel from say 10 B.C to 10 A.D. The computer monitor will now display the stars and planets moving quickly through the night skies night by night, month by month and year after year. It will also give the exact date and even the exact time to the minute of every star and planetary movement. All you need to do is simply look at the stars on the screen and hit the pause button when you see something very unusual. And there it is, right before your eyes! On June 17^th 2 B.C., you will clearly see Venus, the Planet of Love, and Jupiter, the King Planet, come to within two degrees of each other. To the unaided eye, it would look like they had combined to make the brightest object {star} ever seen in the Judean night sky. Then, as you continue to look for any other astronomical phenomenon up to 10 A.D., you will find there are no other celestial candidates to consider. So, it is clear beyond any reasonable doubt that Jesus was born on June 17^th 2 B.C. and that the Star of Bethlehem was the conjunction of Venus and Jupiter. There … how easy was that? Please see related: "The Actual Star of Bethlehem Revealed".

Fortunately, the Messiah, prophesied by many Old Testament prophets, was born on this date to bring salvation and eternal life to mankind. And the planets, as stated in Genesis, did serve as a permanent sign of His birth that we can see today. Unfortunately, His mother and stepfather had just arrived in the village of Bethlehem to register for a national census and taxation event when Mary went into Active if not Transition Labor. Please see related: "The Trip to Bethlehem Revealed". So, Jesus was unceremoniously born in a stable adjacent to the ancient Inn called, at that time, the Ge Ruth-Chimham Inn. Today known as the Inn at Bethlehem. My research has revealed the high probability that the Inn was originally the ancestral home of Boaz and Ruth later inherited by Jesse the father of King David. As King, he gifted the home to Barzillai’s son, Chimham, for saving his life and kingdom during a coupe initiated by his son Absalom. Thus, the overt symbolism of Jesus being turned away from literally the House of David cannot be overstated. Please see related: "The Inn at Bethlehem Was a Home … But Whose Home?".

The next day Joseph moved the family into a room in a house (Matthew 2:11). It was here that the Magi found the family six months later on December the 25^th and celebrated His birth by giving the family many exquisite gifts. So we know Jesus was born June 17^th 2 B.C. and the first celebration of His birth was on December 25^th. Please see related: "Daniel's Magi Follow a Star".

Now for the question, did people celebrate Jesus’ birthday during His lifetime? While first century Jews did celebrate the day a child was born, they did not celebrate annual birthdays. However, the Jews did have many other celebrations. For example, they celebrated the day a child was weaned usually at one year of age. They celebrated the day a child received its first haircut. They celebrated the day a child mastered the Torah {first five Books of the Old Testament}, usually by the age of twelve or thirteen. And in some cases, they celebrated a marriage.

First century tombstones excavated in Israel attest that most Jewish girls were married at thirteen. This is also the recommended age for marriage according to the Jewish commentary known as the Talmud. Boys were usually married in their late teens and according to Mosaic Law and were considered an adult at nineteen. Most Jewish marriages were not arranged and the girl had to voluntarily agree to marry the boy. Engagements traditionally lasted one year. There was no traditional marriage ceremony as the couples' fathers entered into a legally binding contractual agreement. A Bride Price or dowry was agreed upon and paid in full to the father of the bride. Once the engagement period was completed and the payment was received, the couple were considered legally married. The couple was immediately escorted by a rabbi or the groomsmen to their bed chamber. There they would patiently wait outside the door. Eventually the groom would hand out the bed sheet {aka Proof of Virginity Cloth} for inspection. An announcement would be made that the couple had successful consummated their marriage. The families would rejoice, and the couple along with family and friends, would attend a meal. The cloth would be kept by the bride’s parents to be used as court evidence should the groom ever file for a divorce. An actual wedding ceremony, the presence of a rabbi, or a reception were not required nor affordable for the vast majority of poor farming Jews.

According to Scripture, the latter appears to have been what occurred in the case of Joseph’s marriage to Mary. Scripture tells us that when Mary told Joseph she was visited by an angel and was now pregnant by way of a miracle from God, he understandably became depressed. He eventually fell asleep and in a dream, was told by the "Angel of the Lord" {a preincarnation of Christ}, that her child was conceived by the Holy Spirit and that he was to marry her. Joseph awoke shaken and immediately went to talk with Mary’s father. He would have explained that the one year engagement period was almost over and he wanted to go ahead and marry her. Mary’s father, whose name is thought to have been Joachim, apparently approved his request and received from Joseph the agreed upon Bride Price. Thus, Joseph and Mary were now officially married with little or no fanfare (Matthew 1:24). Please related: "When Did Joseph and Mary Get Married?". Being very poor would explain why, when Jesus was born nine months later and dedicated at the Temple at Jerusalem as a first born male child, the couple could only afford to sacrifice a pair of turtledoves. This was was the least expensive sacrifice allowable by Mosaic Law. Please see related: "Jewish Wedding Symbolic of Rapture".

On an interesting note, the homes of Mary and Joseph began to be venerated before the end of the first century. They were purchased and enshrined in 325 A.D. by Emperor Constantine. These two homes are located literally across the street from each other. So once married, all Mary had to do was to move from her parents home across the street to Joseph's family home. How easy was that? Please see related: "How Sacred Sites Were Discovered".

Now, for Jesus to have been born on June of 2 B.C., He would have to have been conceived in the Fall of 3 B.C. This is in line with the last three of the seven annual Jewish feasts. In September, the Feast of Trumpets or Announcements {a shadow prophecy announcing Messiah's birth and Rapture date} is held followed immediately by the Feast of Yom Kippur. This is the Holiest feast for Jews and a time when they pray to have their sins covered. Also, they prayed to be allowed to live another year {a shadow prophecy of the Tribulation Period}. This feast is followed immediately by the Feast of Tabernacles when God resides with mankind {a shadow prophecy of Birth of Jesus & Second Coming & Millennial Reign of Christ}. Therefore, it is highly likely that Mary was impregnated by the Holy Spirit on Yom Kippur the highest and most Holy of all the feasts. It is the only feast where the High Priest personally conducts a sacrifice. He sacrifices a male goat to cover his sins, and the sins of the Jewish nation {Jesus crucified}.

Scripture intimates that Jesus was trained by His stepfather Joseph to be a “carpenter” (Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3). This is a very limited translation of the Greek word used. A fuller definition of this word in Hebrew according to the Talmud is, “a skilled artesian in wood, stone, brick and metal crafts”. So, Joseph and Jesus probably had a small home shop in which to build wooden furniture and other useful household objects. They also probably worked as brick and stone masons on private and public building projects in wealthier neighboring towns such as Capernaum and Sepphoris. Scripture tells us that Joseph and Mary began to have children after Jesus was born (Matthew 1:25). More children meant more hungry mouths to feed thus, there was no time, money nor inclination to celebrate an ever increasing number of annual birthdays.

Jesus began His ministry at the age of thirty (Luke 3:23). Because He appointed twelve Jewish disciples, there were no expectations of any birthday celebrations. However, all adult male Jews were required by law to celebrate at least three of the seven Mosaic Feasts in Jerusalem. These required feasts were: Passover in the Spring, Pentecost in early Summer, and Tabernacles or Booths in the Fall. Jesus and His disciples also regularly attended dinners given in their honor and various family celebrations, like the wedding in Cana.

So while Jesus, His disciples and the Jewish community all regularly attended celebrations both religious and family oriented throughout the year, they did not celebrate birthdays. However, if they were to celebrate a birthday for Jesus, one would suppose the cake would be Angel Food?