(8) The Birth of Jesus
Luke 2:1-7
And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. 2This census was first taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3And all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.
4And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David. 5He went to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was great with child.
6And so it was, while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
(8) The Birth of Jesus
Luke 2:1-7 (KJV)
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. 2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
According to Luke 3:23 Jesus was about 30 when He began His ministry. John the Baptist was six months older than Jesus and he began in the 15th year of Tiberius (Luke 3:1-2). Tiberius began in August 14 A.D. which puts the birth of Christ later than 4 B.C., the supposed date that Herod died.
Dr. Ernest L. Martin, Director of the Foundation for Biblical Research in Pasadena, and John Mosley, Program Supervisor for the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, commenting on our calendar, says: It is often claimed in planetariums that Dionysius Exiguus made an error of four years in calculating the date of Christ’s birth by forgetting to allow for the four years that Augustus reigned under the name of Octavian. . . . Although it is hard to know where this was first suggested, it appears to be a planetarium myth. Dionysius was a prominent scholar who lived in Rome and who had access to accurate records including many now lost to us.”