Posted on 12/10/2008 10:51:09 AM PST by Between the Lines
It may not be too late to send the presents back, as astronomers have calculated that Christmas should not be celebrated on December 25 - but on June 17 instead.
Researchers tracked the appearance of the 'Christmas star', which the Bible states three wise men followed to find Jesus.
Australian stargazer Dave Reneke used complex computer software to chart the exact positions of all celestial bodies and map the night sky as it would have appeared over the Holy Land more than 2,000 years ago.
He discovered that a bright star really did appear over Bethlehem 2,000 years ago - but pinpointed the date of Christ's birth as June 17, and not December 25.
Scientists claim the Christmas star was most likely a magnificent conjunction of the planets Venus and Jupiter, which were so close together they would have shone unusually brightly as a single 'beacon of light' which appeared suddenly.
Mr Reneke says the wise men probably interpreted it as the sign they had been waiting for, and they followed the 'star' to Christ's birthplace in a stable in Bethlehem, as described in the Bible.
Generally accepted research has placed the nativity to somewhere between 3BC and 1AD.
Using the St Matthew's Gospel as a reference point, Mr Reneke pinpointed the planetary conjunction, which appeared in the constellation of Leo, to the exact date of June 17 in the year 2BC.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Keep it at Dec. 25, but the odds he was actually born on Dec. 25 are slim-to-none
Don’t the Greek Orthodox followers celebrate Christmas sometime in Spring?
Every year this comes up. Most Christians know that Jesus was not born on December 25th. Christianity took over a pagan holiday that was celebrated on the 25th. in order to bury that pagan god ....
I wasn’t aware of that, I know they celebrate Easter at some other time of the year
Joseph and Mary traveled to Bethlehem to pay taxes around the time of a Jewish holiday which is sometime in the Spring. Is DEC 25th the exact date? WE DON’T CARE!
Most Christians choose to celebrate his birth on Dec 25, regardless on exactly what date He was born. That's not all that complicated, whatever the reason.
It’s not the day he was born. It’s the day we celebrate his birth.
I’ve followed mundane astrology for years, and the credible case for Jesus’ date of birth is under the sign of Virgo, likely in September. There was a grand conjunction involving the star Regulus (king) in Leo, transiting into Virgo. The Bible can be interpreted as containing symbology of such. The Magi knew it, since they were themselves astrologers. The Lion of Judah, king of the Jews, born of a virgin.
Lemme guess — the same “scientists” who came to a consensus that “global warming” is caused by man?
well, wouldn’t He have to have been born AFTER June 17, if the wise men told Herod, “Where is the King of the Jews, for we have seen his star in the East?” See Matt. 2:1-7.
I put it at slightly better than 1/400...
The wise men likely didn’t appear before Herod until many months — if not a year or two — after Christ was born.
If it were February 29th, there might be a problem.
I don’t care either - but the Lib’s and atheists do otherwise why do they keep bringing this up????
Does anyone know when his parents consummated?
The early Church tried to co-opt Pagan holidays to make it easier to assimilate pagans. The Celts and Germans celebrated the Yule Solstice. The Romans had a two week drunk called Saturnalia. Hence, Christmas is in December.
Interestingly they failed by having All Saints Day on 1 Nov. Samhaine morphed intop Halloween. And it’s still with us today.
Actually, the traditional date has a stronger claim than skeptics like to admit. This article is worth a read:
http://www.touchstonemag.com/archives/article.php?id=16-10-012-v
Well, I dunno. Santa is gonna have one heckuva tough time towing his sleigh in June.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.