Micah reached into the beautiful bouquet of flowers and picked out a perfect white rose with a blush of red.
“There is a rose here for each of your children.... seven beautiful babies. This white rose celebrates your first one, a baby boy whom God wants you to name Jesus. He will be known as the son of God with the power to heal and teach.”
Interpreting History
It is amazing. Curious. Jesus is one of the most important humans ever to walk on the face of our planet, yet nobody seems to have had the presence of mind to write down the dates of his birth, ministry or death. Although there are many historical and Biblical references to his life and work, there are only vague references to tell us when these events occurred.
It is therefore impossible to establish confirmed dates for the birth, ministry and death of either John the Baptist or Jesus. Biblical references are subject to interpretation, and the Roman historian Flavius Josephus – who does mention both men in his texts – may have been more interested in the narrative he was writing than accurate historical information. Most scholars believe John and Jesus were born sometime between 6 and 4 B.C. (Before Christ, Before the Christian era). It would appear John was born sometime in March or April. Jesus was born about six months later in September or October. Other dates are possible. John started his ministry between 26 and 28 A.D. (Anno Domini, in the Year of Our Lord). Jesus began his ministry between 27 and 28 A.D. John was imprisoned in the spring, and beheaded in August, of 28 or 29 A.D. Jesus was crucified in 30 A.D. It should be noted the popular date of birth we observe for Jesus, December 25, was established by the Catholic Church in 336 A.D. (Julian calendar) in order to replace a pagan Roman holiday (Saturnalia) with a Christian holiday. Ironically, this is also the date when Romans gave tributes to the Sun God.
To further confuse the date issues, we should note the calculation of years and months in the Hebrew calendar does not match the calculation of these time spans in the Julian (old Christian) calendar; the Hebrew New Year may have actually started between the birth of John (in March or April) and the Birth of Jesus (in September or October); and finally, there is no year zero.
Thus the confirmation of specific dates for the life of Jesus is very difficult. Each time we focus on an event in his life, we are immediately confronted with the problems of historical verification. Supporting evidence tends to be amorphous.
However, if we think of individual dates as points in time that must logically relate to other events in the same timeline, then it becomes somewhat easier to develop a sequence that is reasonably supported by historical information. For example: If King Herod died in early 4 B.C. and Jesus was born before Herod dies, then it is logical Jesus was born before 4 B.C. Other historical events in 4 B.C. involving Herod’s family, throne succession, and the time needed to put down a bloody rebellion serve to firm up our conclusion.
With this approach in mind, read on. These dates are an interesting way to visualize history, but in the final analysis what matters to us is that both men existed and both men had an incredible influence on human history
Mary
Mary was born in either Nazareth or her mother’s family compound in Sepphoris. (Note 1) Under Jewish law when a girl began to menstruate she became a woman and could be married. This transition usually occurred when she was 13 or 14 years old. Research suggests Mary (Mariam) was born in 20 B.C., betrothed at age 13 or 14 (7 or 6 B.C.), married at age 14 (late 6 B.C.), and gave birth to Jesus when she was 15 (late September or early October 5 B.C.) She was probably 48 (almost 49) when Jesus was crucified. Mary apparently died when she was 58 or 59 years old in 39 or 40 A.D.
Jesus was born in 5 B.C.
Tradition tells us our Christian calendar starts on the date Jesus was born. That would be at the beginning of the first year A.D. (There is no year zero). But the date of his birth was accidentally miscalculated. In 525 A.D.
Pope John I asked Dionysius Exiguus to create a set of tables that would establish the proper dates for Easter. Dionysius invented a method called Anno Domini (A.D.) to number the years for the Julian calendar (introduced by Julius Caesar in 46 B.C.). Dionysius renumbered the years of the Julian calendar, using the birth of Jesus Christ as year 1 in the Roman numbering system. Unfortunately, Dionysius miscalculated the date Jesus was born because he apparently misunderstood how the years in the Hebrew calendar were numbered.
But we can determine the probable date Jesus was born.
Jesus was born before the death of King Herod the Great, who died in early 4 B.C
Under orders from Emperor Augustus, an enumeration was taken in Syria in 7 B.C. In the lands of the Jews, however, it was delayed by a political quarrel between King Herod and the Emperor. Herod was finally forced to order the enumeration, and it was started in late 6 B.C. or early 5 B.C., when Quirinius was special legatos Aogusti to Syria.
Herod had totally alienated the Jews. Enumerating an oath of allegiance to Emperor Augustus, or simply counting the number of people in Israel, only served to sharply increase the anger of a rebellious Jewish population. It was believed any kind of census was a violation of Jewish (religious) law. Then by late 5 B.C., King Herod, obviously very sick with a painful disease, began to exhibit increasingly erratic and ruthless behavior. No one was safe from his anger.
The people of Nazareth knew what was coming long before Herod died. Joseph, was determined to protect his wife and her baby from the growing rebellion led by Judas the Galilean, son of Hezekiah the Zealot. The was a large Jewish population in Alexandria which had reasonably good relations with the Romans and there would be plenty of work for a skilled carpenter.
Despite the risk, Joseph and Mary left Galilee during the only time of relative safety in September or October of 5 B.C. Jesus was born as they traveled south in the little town of Bethlehem.
Publius Quintilius Varus, Rome's governor in Syria, was ordered to restore order throughout Israel. He led two complete Roman legions and a large number of Arab troops under King Aretas into Galilee. Sepphoris was destroyed and apparently many of its residents were sold as slaves. Varus then marched south to Jerusalem. He systematically crushed the rebellion with incredible brutality. He occupied Jerusalem and as a symbol of Roman power; crucified 2,000 Jewish rebels. It took several months for the Romans to quell the revolt and establish Herod’s son Herod Antipas as the tetrarch of Galilee and Peraea, Philip as tetrarch of the territories north and east of the Jordan, and Herod Archelaus as ethnarch of Judea, Samaria, and Idumea.
The Life of Jesus 4 B.C. – 26 A.D.
Other than a story about Jesus meeting with the Priests in Jerusalem in 9 A.D., we know nothing about his life during these years. However, according to cultural custom it is likely he married a girl from either Nazareth or Sepphoris. We do not know if they had children. The Gospels focus of the years of his ministry and tell us nothing about possible issue.
There would have been plenty of work for him and his father in Sepphoris to augment their jobs in Nazareth. Herod Antipas declared Sepphoris to be the capitol of Galilee in 3(?) A.D. and proceeded with a number of construction projects. Wealthy Jews, government employees, and anyone who wanted to influence government policy moved to Sepphoris, creating a building boom that lasted several years.
In 18 A.D. Herod Antipas, founded a new capitol on the shores of the Sea of Galilee and named it for the reigning emperor Tiberius. Most of those associated with his government also moved over the next few years, creating plenty of work for a carpenter in Tiberias. As we may expect, employment opportunities in Sepphoris quickly declined.
Joseph apparently died sometime between 9 and 25 A.D. Jesus assumed the responsibility of financially supporting his mother and (possibly) two brothers. He needed to find work. The solution was easy. In 19 (?) A.D. Jesus decided to move his mother and two brothers to Capernaum. There would be more work available in the larger town of Capernaum (which was on a trade route between Syria and cities in Israel) and Jesus would also be able to find additional work in Tiberias.
In late 23 A.D. Jesus experiences an intense emotional event that redirects his life toward preparing for his ministry. For 27 year old Jesus it will be a three year period of study and meditation. He learns God is his father. His cousin John visits with Jesus and they share their thoughts on God’s theology, values, and the message he will deliver to all who will listen.
Jesus was baptized in 27 A.D.
An educated guess is late June or during July. He would have been 30. John the Baptist had begun his own Ministry in 26 A.D. and by the time Jesus went to see him at the Jordan river, John had already accumulated a number of dedicated followers. John and Jesus had become close friends who shared many theological and philosophical beliefs. Impressed by his dedication, wisdom and relationship with God, John already knew Jesus was destined to have a significant ministry. His observations also convinced him that Jesus had become the Messiah; the savior of mankind described in ancient prophesies. As Jesus walked toward him down the gentle slope to the river, we hear John cry out in joy: “Here is the one I have been talking about!”
At first an elated John wants to have Jesus baptize him. He believes the act of baptism will wash away all his sins, as is the custom. However, Jesus has a different purpose for coming to see John. He tells John that he is the one who has come to be baptized. But his purpose is not to wash away his sins. For Jesus, the ceremony of baptism will mark the beginning of his ministry. It will be his personal moment of dedication and commitment to the task God has given him. From this day forward, there is no turning back. The baptism occurred in a pool near the Jordan River where a shallow ford permits travelers on the road between Jerusalem and Amman to cross the river.
John began his ministry on the Jordan in June of 26 A.D. A 30 year old Jesus is baptized by John and begins his ministry in August of 27 A.D.
John is arrested for criticizing Antipas in the spring of 29 A.D. Antipas will have him beheaded in August. John’s ministry has lasted 33 months. By fall, all of his followers will join Jesus.
Jesus was crucified in 30 A.D.
When word of John’s beheading reached Jesus in the fall of 29 A.D., he was at the peak of his public mission. But Jesus knew his own Ministry would soon be over. He was encountering the same opposition that had ended John’s work. Thereafter, Jesus spent more personal time with his disciples in order to prepare them for their own individual ministries. Jesus brought his Ministry to a close with his entry into Jerusalem in April, 30 A.D. When he died, Jesus was 33. His ministry has lasted 32 months.
There has been much debate about these dates. There is a line of thought, for example, that Jesus died in 33 A.D. But there is a problem with this conclusion: Neither the Biblical nor the historical records reveal reliable dates. Mark, Matthew, Luke and John were written to present a narrative of personalities, events and doctrine from the viewpoint of the respective authors. The timeline was less important than the story. In like manner, the only other records of this period and place we have reflect the cultural perspective of the author. We can, however, infer reasonably accurate dates by relating them to historical events that occurred in the same timeframe. This analysis favors the dates described above.
Both John and Jesus would have been characterized as rebels. Think about it: They were critical of government power, and frequently censured religious behavior. This was an era when challenges to established authority were regarded as a way to commit suicide. It is unlikely their activities would have been allowed to go on for more than two or three years. John was arrested because he had the audacity to denounce Herod Antipas, Tetrarch of Peraea and Galilee, for the ruler’s adulterous and incestuous marriage with Herodias, divorced wife of his half-brother Philip. Although it is apparent the Romans were not particularly worried about Jesus, the priests who ran the affairs of the temples were furious. Jesus was more popular, and drew larger crowds. Not only was he challenging temple authority, he was even criticizing institutional morality. His demise came after he triumphantly rode into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey (or colt). It must have been quite a sight. A crowd of excited peasants lined both sides of the road. And there was Jesus, 12 apostles and over 100 followers marching down the dusty road and up the ramp into the Temple.
For temple priests, however, that had to be the last straw. Jesus frequently used the phrase “Kingdom of God” in his ministry. For him, it was a reference to a place where God lived (heaven). But most Jews believed only God had the right to rule Israel. For them the phrase “Kingdom of God” meant establishing an Israel free from Roman rule. Hence it was regarded as a rebellion code phrase for kicking out the Romans and restoring God’s rule over Israel.
Thus when Jesus entered Jerusalem to celebrate Passover for the last time, the adulation he received would have thoroughly annoyed his opposition. Many wanted to end his activity. The basis for a confrontation between Jesus and the Romans was already in place.
The ministry of Jesus was on a collision course with destiny.
In Closing
The ministry of Jesus spanned a period of approximately 32 months before he was arrested and crucified.
But in the final analysis, we should not be overly concerned about the chronology of his life. Why? Think about it. Jesus brought us a message that is timeless. His resurrection is about everlasting life. If we do not know the exact dates, perhaps it is because God wants us to focus our thoughts on the significance of what Jesus is teaching. Not a point in time and space.
Let us be thankful Jesus existed. This man, who was the son of God, created a theology and philosophy that would influence the development of civilization for centuries.
Ron
Note 1: Historical information indicates the Virgin Mary and her mother, Saint Anne, were born in Sepphoris. The crusaders built a church over the site and dedicated it to Anna during the twelfth century A.D. The question remains: when did Anna and Joachim move to Nazareth?
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