This archive report was first published on 25 December 2019.
The date of Jesus' birth has been a topic of debate for centuries, with many Christians believing it to be December 25. However, this date may be nothing more than a clever appropriation of a pagan holiday.
According to historical records, the early Christian church did not celebrate Jesus' birth. It wasn't until AD 440 that the church officially proclaimed December 25 as the birth of Christ.
But why was this date chosen? Some scholars believe that the church chose this date to coincide with the Roman pagan holiday of the 'birthday of the unconquered sun,' which was celebrated on December 17 and ended on or around December 25.
As Christianity began to take hold in the Roman world, church leaders made efforts to appropriate the winter-solstice holidays and thereby achieve a more seamless conversion to Christianity for the emperor's subjects.
One of the key pieces of evidence that suggests Jesus was not born on December 25 is the fact that the apostles in the Bible had predicted that some Christians would adopt pagan beliefs to make their religion more palatable to the pagans around them.
Additionally, the birth of John the Baptist, Jesus' cousin, is believed to have occurred in the 15th year of Tiberius Caesar, which would have been in April 29 AD. This, combined with the fact that John was 5 months older than Jesus, suggests that Jesus was born in the autumn of 2 BC.
Further evidence comes from the Bible, which states that Mary visited Elizabeth, John's mother, in the first week of her 6th month, or the 4th week of December 3 BC. If Jesus was born 280 days later, it would place his birth on September 29, 2 BC.
So, for how long will we allow ourselves to be conscripted into following dubious commemorations? It's time to uncover the truth behind the Christmas conspiracy.
