Posted on 12/20/2007 5:43:47 AM PST by Oshkalaboomboom
My understanding that the December 25th date was choosen because it’s symbolic, not because it was believed to be the actual date of birth. The symbolism was that the 25th is the 3rd day after the winter solcest(sp), the lowest point of the suns orbit in the southern hemisphere in a given year. Thus, just as Christ rose from the dead three days after his execution, the birth of Jesus is set on the 3rd day of the rising sun.
It is worth perusing when you do have the time. Actually, I found the date of the crucifixion an even more compelling read. Basically, the website’s author has used computer modeling of the night sky in Jerusalem in conjunction with scripture and other documents to arrive at his conclusion. For the crucifixion, the conjunction of the Sabbath and Passover in the relevant time period greatly narrows the possibilities. On April 3, 33 AD the moon rose at 3 PM as a “blood moon” (already in eclipse) in Jerusalem. Exact dates don’t mean anything to my faith, but I did find his theories fascinating.
Pinging you to my post 101 on what I thought I remember learning as a child, many, many, many moons ago.
That was on ABC Family channel the other night - right after another one of my childhood favorites, "Twas the Night Before Christmas."
“Does that mean Nestor the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey didn’t really carry Mary to Bethlehem either?
That was on ABC Family channel the other night - right after another one of my childhood favorites, “Twas the Night Before Christmas.””
Yup! What’s really cool is introducing the same classics I grew up with to my kids. So far, they’re not put off by the 40 year old animation. ;)
My personal favorite is “The Year Without a Santa Claus”
I would say given when the 'course' of Abia takes place mid June on our modern calendar, that the conception is marked for purpose, to us in Christianity as point of reminder that on the shortest day of literal sunlight the giver of life joined us in the flesh.
LOL! It was a long trip by camel, huh?
None of the gospels say that the moon was darkened, and it wouldn’t have risen as early as 3 p.m.—it would be a full moon because of Passover, and an eclipse can only happen at full moon, so it would have risen about the same time the sun set.
Why would you equate anything Biblical about the 'moon' to Passover, that lessor light.
Christmas wasn’t Celebrated in NE for around a century and a half after the Pilgrims landed. My Puritan ancestors felt much the same about it.
And the question of december 25 being the actual birthday...what difference does it make? THe calander has been changed around so many times in the last 2000years there’s no way to tell for sure. So just pick a day and go with it. December 25th sounds close enough to me.
Archie is, at best, a pagan! He has torn one page from Scripture ......when does he stop tearing pages out! He should spend his time chasing the Tooth Fairy or Santa Claus!
See Exodus 12: Passover is supposed to be celebrated on the 14th day of the month, counting from the new moon. Since they went by when the lunar crescent could be actually seen in the sky, it would probably be the 15th or 16th day of the lunar month by astronomical reckoning. That’s also why Easter is always on the Sunday following a full moon.
That's probably because the Indians in Nebraska weren't Christians in those days.
I know. It just came to me. It was one of those things that had been percolating around in my mind whenever I’d see his picture and it suddenly popped in to focus. He’s a....... swishop. He’s also The Gay Gene.
Prove it.
Atheism doesn’t keep one from becoming an Anglican bishop, even the main bishop.
If I were not a lifelong Catholic, that post would sorely tempt me to Eastern Orthodoxy. Nice!!!
“If I were not a lifelong Catholic, that post would sorely tempt me to Eastern Orthodoxy.”
LOL!!! BE, I’m sure you’re just fine right where you are!
Rush had a great response to this story today.
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