The historical dating of Herod’s death and Jesus’

Описание: Determining the exact date of Jesus' birth is a puzzle that historians and theologians have worked to solve for centuries. Because our modern calendar ($A.D./B.C.$) was not established until centuries later (and contained a small calculation error), the "year zero" doesn't actually align with the birth of Christ.To find the true date, scholars triangulate between three primary historical anchors: the death of Herod, the census of Quirinius, and astronomical events.1. The Anchor: The Death of Herod the GreatThe most solid "endpoint" for Jesus' birth is the death of Herod the Great, because both the Gospels of Matthew and Luke state Jesus was born during his reign.1The Traditional Date (4 B.C.): Most historians follow the 19th-century scholar Emil Schürer, who used the writings of Josephus to date Herod’s death to 4 B.C. Josephus noted a lunar eclipse followed by Passover just before Herod died.2 Astronomy confirms a partial eclipse on March 13, 4 B.C.3The Alternative Date (1 B.C.): Some modern scholars argue for a later date of 1 B.C., noting that the 4 B.C. eclipse was minor and that other Josephus data points to a later death.4 If Herod died in 1 B.C., Jesus could have been born in 2 or 3 B.C.2. The Conflict: The Census of QuiriniusLuke 2:1-2 mentions a census while Quirinius was governor of Syria.5 This creates a famous historical "discrepancy":The Known Census (A.D. 6): Secular history and Josephus record a famous census by Quirinius in A.D. 6, which is roughly 10 years after Herod the Great died.6Proposed Solutions: * Two Censuses: Luke calls this the "first registration," implying there was an earlier one (around 6–4 B.C.) during a previous time Quirinius held authority in the region.Translation: The Greek word protos can be translated as "before," meaning: "This census took place before Quirinius was governor."73. The Window of Jesus' BirthBy combining these records with Jesus being "about thirty" when He began His ministry (c. A.D. 27–29), scholars typically place the birth of Jesus within this window:Supporting EvidenceEstimated YearMost Common Scholarly View6 – 4 B.C.Early Church Tradition3 – 2 B.C.Star of Bethlehem (Conjunctions)7 B.C. or 2 B.C.