The Course of Abijah
In the Gospel of Luke we are told that a certain priest named Zacharias was performing his service in the Temple at Jerusalem when a most marvelous thing happened. He was privately told that his wife Elisabeth, who was quite advanced in years, was going to conceive and bear a son and that the son's name was to be John.
This, of course, is familiar to us all. But I wonder how many have noticed the time period in which Zacharias received this information? Let us notice this section of Scripture closely.
"There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, OF THE COURSE OF ABIA [Abijah in Hebrew]: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth" (Luke 1:5).
This scripture clearly tells us the particular course of the 24 priestly divisions that Zacharias was serving in. It was the course of Abijah.
Notice further:
"And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God In THE ORDER OF HIS COURSE, according to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the Temple of the Lord" (Luke 1:8, 9).
Now this is very significant! It shows that Zacharias was serving in the prescribed time intended for the course of Abijah. By referring to I Chronicles 24:10, you will see that the course of Abijah was the eighth in order!
This plainly means that he was ministering in the ninth week after the beginning of God's first month Nisan. The reason it was the ninth week and not the eighth is that the Passover season always occurs in the first month and during the third week. Since all 24 courses served that particular week, according to the laws set down by David, this means that Zacharias officiated during the ninth week after the beginning of Nisan, the first month in spring.
Now comes the question: On what days did Zacharias serve?
The year in which all of this occurred was 5 B.C. The first day of Nisan in this year was a Sabbath, the very day on which the first priestly course began its ministration. On our Roman calendar, this day was April 8. Thus, by simple arithmetic, Zacharias, who served in the ninth week, was serving from Iyar 27 to Sivan 5 (June 3 to June 10). This was the time he was told that his wife was going to conceive and bear a son. But let us go one step further.
There was no chance of Zacharias' leaving immediately after the ninth week to return home. Why? Because the next week was a holy day "week" — it was Pentecost! Zacharias was obliged to remain over one more week with the other 23 priestly courses and serve in the Temple. This extra service kept him in Jerusalem until Sivan 12, or June 17. At that time he was free to return to his home.
Now why are all these dates important? We will see if we pay attention to what the sacred writer tells us.
"And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house" (Luke 1:23).
This shows Zacharias returned home immediately after his ministration and then his wife conceived (verse 24). This would have occurred about the first week after he returned from Jerusalem. Gabriel had told him that he was to remain dumb, completely speechless, until the child was born. It should be obvious that no man would want to stay in such a condition — and certainly no longer than necessary. And too, Zacharias was a righteous man and was anxious to see God's command fulfilled. So, with reasonable assurance, Elisabeth must have conceived sometime immediately after Pentecost week. This week was from Sivan 12 to Sivan 19 (mid June).
With this information we are able to come to the exact season for John the Baptist's birth.
The human gestation period is very near 280 days or 9 months and 10 days. If we go forward this amount of time from about Sivan 16 or mid June in 5 B.C., we arrive at about the first of Nisan (March 27th), 4 B.C. The birth of John the Baptist was undoubtedly near this time — in the very early spring.
Now, let us come to the main question: What about the birth of Christ?
The Gospel says that Christ was just 6 months younger than John the Baptist (Luke 1:26-27, 36). And, by adding this six months to the time of John's birth (the 1st of Nisan), we come to about the 1st of Tishri or near mid-September for the birth of Christ. So again, we arrive at an early autumn birth for Christ. So Christ was not born in the winter after all!
Other Substantiating Information
There are many other evidences which show Christ's early autumn birth. For one, we are told that Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem to be taxed (Luke 2:1-5). At first sight we might think that this may have been the only reason for their journey from Galilee to Bethlehem. Such, however, was not the case. For if the journey were for taxation purposes alone, only Joseph, the head of the house, would have been required by law to go. There were absolutely no Roman or Jewish laws which required Mary's presence. But yet, Mary went with Joseph. This fact alone has puzzled commentators for centuries. Why was Mary there?
The fact is, this taxation was coincident with the end of the agricultural year in the land of Israel — that is, in the early autumn just before the Feast of Tabernacles. It was customary to pay taxes on agricultural products at the end of the civil year — at the end of the harvest. For example, the Law of God commanded that the tithes of agricultural products should be paid year by year (Deut. 14:22). The civil year for tithes and taxes was reckoned from early autumn to early autumn. And also in ancient Israel the agricultural or civil year ended and began on the first of Tishri (Hebrew calendar) — in early autumn.
Some, however, assume that while all this was very true among the Jews, this particular taxation was decreed by Augustus Caesar, the Roman Emperor (Luke 2:1). Thus, they conclude, it must have been conducted in the Roman manner and not dependent upon Jewish laws. This assumption is not consistent with the facts of history. At the time of this taxing, Judea was merely a "protectorate" of Rome. The Romans did not exact direct taxes from the people during this early period. They were receiving tribute from Herod, but the Romans allowed Herod to gather the taxes as he saw fit. And, it is plainly known that Herod was endeavoring to follow the customary laws of the Jews. Even the most critical of scholars hold that this particular taxation in 4 B.C. was conducted purely in the Jewish manner (Encyclopedia Biblica, cols. 3994-3996). This is, then, a plain indication that the taxation was very near the 1st of Tishri (the early autumn) — the ending of the civil year in Judea when such things were common.
This, again, shows an early autumn birth for Christ.
Why "No Room at the Inn"?
Many people have wondered why there was such a large crowd of people in Bethlehem at the time of Christ's birth. Of course, there was the taxation at the time (Luke 2:1), but it never was customary for many people to crowd a town and stay there for a period of time just for taxation purposes. And, as already mentioned, why did Mary journey to the south with Joseph when there was no Roman or Jewish law which commanded her presence at such a place of taxation?
The reason these historical indications are "difficulties" to many biblical commentators, and seem to be beyond explanation, is because most people fail to realize the true time of year all these things took place.
Actually, Joseph and Mary had gone to Bethlehem just at the end of the Jewish civil year. They would have been there at just the beginning of the Hebrew seventh month of Tishri. During this particular month, Jerusalem and all the immediate towns were filled with people who had come to observe the holy days in this seventh month: the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles.
Bethlehem was one of the towns right near Jerusalem (about 5 miles south) and was considered in the "festival area" of Jerusalem. (See Talmud, Shekalim, vii, 4) When people came to keep the ordained holy days of God, Bethlehem became filled with people. Josephus, the Jewish historian, mentions that it was customary for over two million Jews to go to Jerusalem for Passover (one of the holy days). (See Wars, vi, 9, 3) Normally, Jerusalem was a city of only 120,000 inhabitants. You can imagine what some 2 million people would do to the housing situation in Jerusalem and the surrounding towns. No wonder, then, that in Bethlehem "there was no room in the inn" (Luke 2:7). The time Christ was born was at a season when Bethlehem was filled with people coming to observe the holy days at Jerusalem.
And, no wonder that we find Mary along with Joseph. It was customary for Joseph and Mary (and later their family) to go to Jerusalem for the Holy Festivals (Luke 2:41; John 7:1-10). But there was another important reason for being in Bethlehem. There was an official government census which must have involved taxation and other necessary matters. The census must have been particularly important to Joseph because he brought his pregnant wife, near to be delivered, to Bethlehem. Also he may have known the miraculous birth had to be in Bethlehem (see Micah 5:2 and Matthew 2:4-6) and that God would protect them in such an arduous journey. At least, we can be certain that Joseph would never have subjected Mary to such a journey had it not been of utmost urgency. And they got to Bethlehem when it was overflowing with crowds.
What Was the Inn?
It is also interesting to note that the "inn" in which Joseph and Mary were to stay was not an ordinary caravan hotel. This word in the Greek is used only two other times in the Bible — Mark 14:14 and Luke 22:11. In both places it refers exclusively to temporary "guest chambers" which housed people in Jerusalem during the festival periods. And, since Bethlehem was one of the "overflow" towns which housed many of the people coming to Jerusalem for the holy days, it is readily understandable why such "guest chambers" would be in Bethlehem as well.
Actually, these "guest chambers" were primarily in the private homes of people who had opened up their rooms for the influx of people attending the Feast.
Rather than remaining at home as ordinarily would have been done, Mary had to come to Bethlehem, and while residing in the "overflow" town of Bethlehem (there being no room for them except in a manger), Christ was born.
With this evidence, we can confidently place the birth of Christ sometime in the early autumn, undoubtedly in the seventh Hebrew month. It could not possibly have been in any other season.
We have Christ's ministry commencing in autumn, A.D. 27, right near His 30th year. This places His birth in the early autumn of 4 B.C.
Also, the time for the eighth course of Abijah indicates that John the Baptist was born very near the first of Nisan, 4 B.C. — the early spring. Christ was born six months after John — or again, in the early autumn.
We know that this particular taxation mentioned in Luke was reckoned after the Jewish manner. Their civil or harvest year also ended in the early autumn.
And too, there was no room in the "guest chamber," for there were many people staying in Bethlehem for a period of time. This again corroborates the early autumn birth.
But still, with all these indications of the proper season of Christ's birth, we still do not know the exact day! God never intended us to determine it!