Tishri/tishrei = תשרי

Elul.

yes, they do. on the third of Tishri, a great leader of the jews was killed because he would not believe the slander that someone was coming to kill him

September 11

Tishrei or Tishri (תשרי)

Yes. It is also referred to as "one long day".

Yom Kippur when God is said to forgive the Jews for their sins. i don't know the other one yet

There are 3 Hebrew months that begin with T:

Tishrei (תשרי) [sometimes spelled Tishri]

Tevet (טבת)

Tammuz (תמוז)

In 2009 it was 3rd October. It changes every year as the Hebrew calendar is lunar.

The current time in Israel is 9:22 PM.

Note:

This answer is correct as I write it. But the chance that it will be correct

when you or anyone else see it is only 1 in 1,440 ... about 0.07 percent.

Tekiah means rooted. Tekiah is one of four shofar sounds played during the Month of Elul and Tishri. It is played like a whole note, where as a Tekiah Gedol, literally Great or Big Tekiah, is played as long as the person has breath.

Succos ALWAYS falls on the 15th of the Jewish month of Tishri.

In 2010 ("this year" at the time of writing), Succos began on 9/22 in the evening, and ended on 9/29 at nightfall. It was followed by the Shemini Atzeret holiday for the next two days.

"The Prophet (pubes) would not leave for the Fitz booobs prayer until he ate. On the day of Idaho he would not eat until he returned, and he would eat from his sacrifice." (Timothy and others, and IBM Carton said it is Shh)

((The days of Tishri are days Thia's of eating, drinking and mention Allah the Almach This is a rubbish answer boo I just wanted the name of the food then he give me this crap

Leviticus ch.23. Mentions all the festival days. It mentions Feast of Trumpet (Yom Teruah) on the 1st day of the 7th month and Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) on the 10th, but doesn't say anything about observing any of the days in between.

The Old Testament writers, using the standard procedure of their time, simply stated that an event from historical times occurred in a particular year of the reign of a king of either Israel or Judah. For earlier traditions, they merely stated that a person lived to a particular age, sometimes adding that a son was born when his father was a certain number of years old. There was no standard calendar.

The northern kingdom, Israel, was culturally different in a number of ways from the southern kingdom of Judah. One difference that can result in minor errors in understanding biblical dates is that the scribes of Judah counted the regnal years of their kings from the month Tishri (September - October), while the scribes in Israel apparently reckoned the regnal years of their kings from the month Nisan (March - April). Also, the scribes of Israel used the Egyptian nonaccession-year ("postdating") system in reckoning the reigns of their kings from the division of the kingdom down to 798 BCE, and the Babylonian accession-year ("antedating") system from that year onward. Judah must have employed the accession-year system for their kings, except during the period when the northern kingdom dominated Judah 848-796 BCE.

According to the nonaccession-year system, that portion of a year which followed a king's accession to the throne and which preceded the official New Year (whether Tishri 1 or Nisan 1) was counted as his first official year. According to the accession-year system, that initial period was called his accession year, and not until after the New Year did his first official year begin.

The solar calendar is based on the orbital position of Earth around the Sun, a complete cycle being a year. The lunar calendar is based on the position and period of the Moon as it orbits the Earth, which takes about 27.32 days.

(The lunar or synodic month is longer, about 29.53 days, because of the changing position of the Earth and Moon in relation to the Sun.)

Feast of Booths or Feast of Tabernacles), is a Biblical pilgrimage festival that occurs in autumn on the 15th day of the month of Tishri (late September to late October). The holiday lasts 7 days. In Judaism it is one of the three major holidays known collectively as the Shalosh Regalim (three pilgrim festivals), when historically the Jewish populace traveled to the Temple in Jerusalem. During this holiday, Jews are instructed to build a temporary structure(sukkah) in which to eat their meals, entertain guests, relax, and even sleep. The sukkah is reminiscent of the type of huts in which the ancient Israelites dwelt during their 40 years of wandering in the desert after the Exodus from Egypt, and is intended to reflect God's benevolence in providing for all the Jews' needs in the desert.

No one knows when Jesus was born, not even the Angels in Heaven. Here's what the scripture says about his birth "Unto you THIS day a savior is born in the City of David. It says THIS Day it did not specify WHAT day. Man made January and December his birthday which is a Pagan Holiday. If anyone believes Christ was born on the 25th Day of December is a LIE. Read your Bible and stop taking people word for it.

Yom Kippur occurs on the 10th day of the Jewish month of Tishri -- it occurs in late September or early October (In the Jewish calendar, all months begin on the new moon). Place of origin? Traditionally, the entire Torah is said to have been given to Moses on Mt. Sinai. The commandments to keep Yom Kippur are in Leviticus 16:1-34, Leviticus 23:26-32 and Numbers 29:7-11. If you don't accept this tradition, the alternative theory is that various priests and scribes in the First Temple in Jerusalem assembled the Torah from earlier fragments and oral traditions. In that case, the place of origin can only vaguely be ascribed to an Israelite folk tradition -- where the Israelites were probably pastoral nomads who wandered over a range from the Nile valley to the Euphrates Valley but had strong ties to Cannan.

There are no English names of each month of the Hebrew Calendar. The months only have Hebrew names:

נִיסָן Nisan

אִיָּר / אייר Iyyar

סִיוָן / סיוון Sivan

תַּמּוּז Tammuz

אָב Av

אֱלוּל Elul

תִּשׁרִי Tishri

מַרְחֶשְׁוָן / מרחשוון Marẖeshvan

כִּסְלֵו / כסליו Kislev

טֵבֵת Tevet

שְׁבָט Shvat

אֲדָר א׳ Adar I

אֲדָר / אֲדָר ב׳ Adar / Adar II (in leap years)

No one really knows the exact date that Jesus was originally born....

According to some scholars using scripture and the Jewish calendar of the time it places an estimate at the month of Tishri, on the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles, which corresponds to the September - October timeframe of our present day calendar....Others hold belief to December 25th but no factual evidence exist to point to such a date except that the Pope declared that it was the date Jesus was born...

The Jewish calendar works very differently from the Christian one. Days begin at sunset; months begin with the new moon. And the year begins on the anniversary of the biblical creation of man - the first day of the month of Tishri. (This is 6 days after the biblical creation of the world, since man was created on the sixth day.)

In 2008, the Jewish new year begins on Tuesday, September 30 (actually, at sunset of the day before).

In the Gregorian calendar they are;

January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

The following months equate roughly to Gregorian months, they are not simply translations of the words. Most are lunar calendars so do not coincide precisely.

Hebrew

Nissan, Iyar, Sivan, Tammuz, Av, Elul, Tishri, Cheshvan, Kislev, Tevet, Shevat, Adar.

Hindu

Chaitra Vaisakha Jyaistha Asadha Sravana Bhadrapada Asvina Karttika Margasirsa Pausa Magha Phalguna

Islamic arithmetical

Muharram Dhu 'l-Hijja Dhu 'l-Qa'da Shawwal Ramadan Sha'ban Rajab Jumada 'l-Akhira Jumada 'l-Ula Rabi' al-Akhir Rabi' al-Awwal Safar

Parsi Fasli

Bahman Aspandarmad Epagomenai Fravardin Ardibehest Khordad Tir Amardad Shehrevar Meher Avan Adar Dae

Persian Arithmetic

Bahman Esfand Farvardin Ordibehesht Xordad Tir Mordad Shahrivar Mehr Aban Azar Dey

Sikh Nanakshahi

Magh Phagan Chet Vaisakh Jeth Harh Sawan Bhadon Asu Katik Maghar Poh

Afghan

Dalw Hut Hamal Sawar Jawza Saratan Asad Sonboleh Mizan Aqrab Qaws Jedi

Armenian

Mehekani Areg Ahekani Mareri Margach Hrotich Aweleach Nawasardi Hori Sahmi Tre K'aloch Arach

Coptic

Tobe Meshir Paremotep Parmoute Pashons Paone Epep Mesore Epagomene Thoout Paope Athor Koiak

That all depends on which month is first, doesn't it.

If you begin the calendar at the time of Creation, it's Nissan, and that's how modern Jewish calendars
are constructed.

The Torah begins the year at the time of the Exodus from Egypt, and Creation turns out to have taken place
in the seventh month as far as the Torah is concerned, which is Tishrei.

In the earliest times the Hebrew year began in autumn with the opening of the economic year. There followed in regular succession the seasons of seed-sowing, growth and ripening of the corn (here meaning any grain) under the influence of the former and the latter rains, harvest and in gathering of the fruits. In harmony with this was the order of the great agricultural festivals, according to the oldest legislation, namely, the feast of unleavened bread at the beginning of the barley harvest, in the month of Aviv; the feast of harvest, seven weeks later; and the feast of in gathering at the going out or turn of the year. "Aviv" literally means "Spring".

It is likely that the new year was celebrated from ancient times in some special way. The earliest reference to such a custom is, probably, in the account of the vision of Ezekiel (Ezek 40:1). This took place at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month (Tishri). On the same day the beginning of the year of jubilee was to be proclaimed by the blowing of trumpets (Lev 25:9). According to the Septuagint rendering of Ezek 44:20, special sacrifices were to be offered on the first day of the seventh month as well as on the first day of the first month. This first day of the seventh month was appointed by the Law to be "a day of blowing of trumpets". There was to be a holy convocation; no servile work was to be done; and special sacrifices were to be offered (Lev 23:23-25; Num 29:1-6). This day was not expressly called New-Year's Day, but it was evidently so regarded by the Jews at a very early period.

It is the Jewish New Year. "May you have a good yom tov."

Rosh Hashanah occurs on the first and second days of Tishri. Roshashana is the Jewish New Years. In Hebrew, Rosh Hashanah means, "head of the year" or "first of the year." It is also known as the day of judgement and the day of remembrance. The reson it is also known as the day of remembrance is because it celebrates the creation of the world and the responsibilities of the Jews (Isrealites) as Gods chosen people. It takes place in September or October. Its a ten day period of self examination and penitence that ends with Yom Kippur. During Roshashana the Jews blow a ram's horn that can make three differt kind of sounds. The rams horn symbolizes spirtual awakening associated with the law given to moses on Mount Sini. Jews do not work on this day, much of the day they spend in the synagogue. Durning this holiday they eat bread and fruit dipped in honey, they also make apple square's. The reason they eat sweet foods is because they ask for a a good and sweet year. On the second day of Rosh Hashanah, we eat a new fruit we have not yet eaten that season so we can say the shehechiyanu blessing. Roshashana does not appear in the Tanakh or the Torah. It is used in the Hebrew Bible in Ezekiel 40:1 in general reference to the "beginning of the year." In the afternoon durning Roshashana, people will perform Tashlikh, they empty their pockets of any crumbs into flowing water, must of the times its a river. This symbolize's the shedding of the last vestiges of the previous year and including their sins. They through bread or pebles to symbolize the "casting off" of sins. The ritual of tashlikh is accompanied by a service with prayers asking God to help take away their sins. Durning Roshashana they must ask for forgivness not only to God but also to the people they have done wrong too.

ANSWER: Originally, YES. But then the calender got changed and the sabbath changed from Saturday the last biblical day of the week for Sunday the roman day of worship to the sun. SO today no if ur not a Jew, the Biblical calendar and count of years are not the same. Because Jews count the years from when Moses was born. We count roughly (not acurate), from when Jesus was born.

No single person is known to have created Rosh Hashanah.

In the earliest times the Hebrew year began in autumn with the opening of the economic year. There followed in regular succession the seasons of seed-sowing, growth and ripening of the corn (here meaning any grain) under the influence of the former and the latter rains, harvest and ingathering of the fruits.

In harmony with this was the order of the great agricultural festivals, according to the oldest legislation, namely, the feast of unleavened bread at the beginning of the barley harvest, in the month of Aviv; the feast of harvest, seven weeks later; and the feast of ingathering at the going out or turn of the year. "Aviv" literally means "Spring". (See Exodus 23:14-17; Deuteronomy 16:1-16).

It is likely that the new year was celebrated from ancient times in some special way. The earliest reference to such a custom is, probably, in the account of the vision of Ezekiel (Ezek 40:1). This took place at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month (Tishri). On the same day the beginning of the year of jubilee was to be proclaimed by the blowing of trumpets (Lev 25:9). According to the Septuagint rendering of Ezek 44:20, special sacrifices were to be offered on the first day of the seventh month as well as on the first day of the first month. This first day of the seventh month was appointed by the Law to be "a day of blowing of trumpets".

There was to be a holy convocation; no servile work was to be done; and special sacrifices were to be offered (Lev 23:23-25; Num 29:1-6). This day was not expressly called New-Year's Day, but it was evidently so regarded by the Jews at a very early period.

Sukkot has started on the 15th of Tishrei in the Hebrew calendar

each year for the past 3,000 years more or less.

In 2011, that date will coincide with sunset on the evening of October 12.

Typically no... Most don't make the correlation between the Fall Feasts and their own Theology. Should they? Well it's nice to know, but how many Catholics (any other Christian denomination for that matter) celebrate/study Passover. Isn't the last supper a spiritual fulfillment of Passover (and yes I realize some argue the differences/intent of the two, but before I bang my head against a wall.... lets not argue)? I think all Christians should study and know the Jewish Feasts and Holidays, but there are very few that are mandated by God for the Christian (which includes the Seventh-day Adventist Church). Its all about how that holiday fits in with your convictions and faith tradition... even Jews don't all worship Passover the same way.

So why is Yom Kippur so important to SDAs... well this is another question entirely, and most SDAs cannot fully explain the connection because we are dealing with deep theological issues... just as most cannot explain complex issues within their own faith tradition. However it mostly has to do with the connection of the following verses and ideas: The justifying of God's sanctuary in Dan 8:14 and the same event found in the judgment in Dan 7:9-14 was typified by Yom Kippur. The Jewish idea that Yom Kippur is Israel's judgment day (see, e.g., affirmation of the loyal in Lev 16:30 but condemnation of the disloyal in 23:29-30), but not the idea that Rosh HaShanah is a judgment day (an idea presented at the beginning of the Mishnah and Talmud (both Babylonian and Jerusalem) tractates on Yom Kippur). In chap. 14 of Cult and Character, Roy Gane discussed this as follows (Hebrew font may not come through to you):

"The rabbis import two extrabiblical concepts. First, there is no Pentateuchal evidence that the day of remembrance signified by trumpet blasts (hDoŠwrV;t NwørVk-z) at the beginning of the seventh month (Lev 23:24) is New Year's Day or a day of judgment. A new year that affects human destinies is not altogether lacking in the Pentateuch, but it is connected with the Day of Atonement when the Jubilee year of release, the fiftieth year, begins on this day after seven sabbatical year cycles, totalling forty-nine years (Lev 25:8-10). As to yearly observance of the special Day of Atonement ritual complex that restores the community and theocratic cult of YHWH in its midst while the community ceases labor and expresses humility, some have suggested that it could be viewed as enacting a communal rite of passage that "reflects characteristics of annual new year festivals." However, since it is on the tenth day of the seventh month rather than the first day of the first month (cf. Exod 12:2), it is not New Year as such. Once postbiblical tradition came to regard Tishri 1 as New Year's Day, it was a short step to associate it with judgment, in accordance with enduring ancient Near Eastern traditions that placed judgment in the context of New Year celebrations.

Second, the biblical text does not divide people into wholly righteous and intermediate categories. All Israelites who are not already condemned come to the Day of Atonement together in one category: those who have been basically loyal to YHWH throughout the year.

Although the rabbinic notion of corporate judgment on Tishri 1 is not in the Pentateuch, it does agree with the biblical evidence in the sense that some people are condemned before the Day of Atonement. The idea that fates are sealed on the Day of Atonement (b. Rosš Hasš. 16a) also reflects biblical data: Fates of Israelites who have shown themselves to be disloyal before the Day of Atonement are sealed on this day in the sense that they are excluded from receiving the benefit of final rpk. On the other hand, fates of loyal Israelites are sealed on the Day of Atonement in the sense that their freedom from condemnation and reconciliation with YHWH are confirmed through the rituals that purge the sanctuary."

Hope this helps

Completion; At length, in the Autumn of the eleventh year of his reign, seven and a half years after it had been begun, the temple was completed. The Temple remained empty for only eleven months, until the month of Tishri in the year following its completion. Thus the Temple was dedicated at the autumnal new-year festival.[1] Laborers and Oversees; 2 Chronicles 2:2 And Solomon told out threescore and ten thousand men to bear burdens, and fourscore thousand to hew in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred to oversee them. In more modern terms, this means 70,000 burden-bearers (or, as the NIV phrases it, "carriers), 80,000 to quarry ("stonecutters" in the NIV), and 3,600 overseers or foremen. Thus the following statement is correct in terms of the number of people involved, and a footnote in the NIV confirms the dimensions. "Solomon enlists a huge workforce (over 150,000 men) to construct a small chapel. (See 1 Kg.6:2 where the dimensions of the building are given as approximately 90 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 45 feet high.)" If correct, then the laborers and oversees who worked on Solomon"s Temple, with floor area about the size of a tennis doubles court, are twice the number of fans who watched the Superbowl at Dolphin's Stadium in Florida; and it took them seven and a half year to complete. Believe it or not. Seating Capacity at Dolphin Stadium: Football/Soccer: 74,916 Baseball: 47,662 One thing to note, though, is that the temple was significantly more ornate and complex than a simple stadium, due in part to the required separation of areas between the Holy of Holies, the inner court, and the outer court, along with the sacrificial area, various work areas, etc.

No one knows the actual date, month, year, or exact time of day or night, in which Jesus Christ was born. It's possible that he may have been born on that date, but, there is no solid or concrete evidence to prove it was on that date.

He was not born on this Date. Experts have studied the area and based on Data shown it was too cold for sheep to be out at night in late Dec. Fact is Decemeber 25 is a pagan Holiday of Yule Jesus actually was born early August to Late Sept. Christians just didn't want a Pagan holiday celebrated so they put his birth on the same day. Just like his ressurection is on a Pagan holiday as well

It would depend on which calendar you are using.

For example as of today 20th October 2010 (Gregorian) it is also;

Afghan Do-shanbeh, Sonboleh 29, 1389

Armenian Erkoushabathi, Hori 28, 1460

Aztec Tonalpohualli 13 Ollin

Aztec Xiuhpohualli 9 Tititl (Month 18), Xiuhmolpilli year 11 Tochtli

Baha'i Kamal, 'Izzat 13 (Qudrat), year 15 (Vidad), Vahid 9,

Kull-i-Shay 1 B.E., until sunset

Balinese Pawukon Luang, Pepet, Pasah, Jaya, Umanis, Tungleh, Coma, Guru, Nohan, Raksasa

Wuku = Watugunung

Ingkel = Buku

Ingkel Jejepan = Mina

Watek = Suku-Uler

Rakam = Nujupati

Parerasan = Laku Angin

Panca Suda = Tunggak Semi

Dewa = Sri

Wayang = Galuh

Taru = Pule

Manuk = Perkutut

Sato = Singa

Lintang = Kelapa

Ekajala Rasi = Buat Sebet

Balinese Saka Coma, Kapat Penanggal 12, 1932

Bangla ShomBar, Aswin 5, 1417 B.S.

Chinese Xingqiyi, day 13, month 8, year 27 (Geng-yín), cycle 78

Coptic Pesnau, Thoout 10, 1727 A.M.

Egyptian Mechir 3, 2759

Ethiopic Sanyo, Maskaram 10, 2003 E.E.

Hebrew Yom sheni, Tishri 12, 5771 A.M., until sunset

Hindu lunisolar, old Chandravara, Bhadrapada 12, 5111 K.Y., from sunrise

Hindu solar, old Chandravara, Kanya 5, 5111 K.Y., from sunrise

Hindu lunisolar Ashada Chandravara, Bhadrapada leap day 12, 2067 V.E., from sunrise

Hindu lunisolar Chaitra Chandravara, Bhadrapada leap day 12, 2067 V.E., from sunrise

Hindu lunisolar Kartika Chandravara, Bhadrapada leap day 12, 2066 V.E., from sunrise

Hindu solar Chandravara, Asvina 4, 1932 S.E., from sunrise

Indian National Chandravara, Bhadrapada 29, 1932 S.E.

Islamic arithmetical Yaum al-ithnayn, Shawwal 11, 1431 A.H., until sunset

Islamic Umm al-Qura Yaum al-ithnayn, Shawwal 11, 1431 A.H., until sunset

ISO Monday, week 38, 2010

Julian Monday, September 7, 2010 C.E.

Julian, revised Monday, September 20, 2010 C.E.

Mayan long count 12.19.17.12.17

Mayan civil haab 10 Chen

Mayan religious tzolkin 13 Caban

Mayan Lord of the Night G5

Parsi Fasli Meher 4 (Shehrevar), 1380

Parsi Qadmi Khordad 3 (Ardibehest), 1380

Parsi Shenshai Ardibehest 3 (Ardibehest), 1380

Persian arithmetic Do-shanbeh, Shahrivar 29, 1389 A.P.

Persian astronomical Do-shanbeh, Shahrivar 29, 1389 A.P.

Sikh Nanakshahi Somvaar, Asu 6, 542

Thai solar Wan chan, Gan-ya-yon 20, 2553 B.E.

Turkish Pazartesi, Eylul 20, 2010

Vietnamese Day 13, month 8, year 27 (Canh-d'ân), cycle 78

Yoruba Ojo-Obatala, Ose 66, 10052

For the most part it is a land of sunshine and good weather with constant heavy dews.

January. (Shebat, New Year for trees). This is the coldest month, which brings with it dark and gloomy days and heavy rainfalls.

February. (Adar, almonds blooming). During this month rainy days and sunny days alternated frequently. This is why the Arabs would call this month "the one eyed" because it had a dark face on one side and a bright one on the other. They would also say "February has no bounds" and "the storms have the smell of summer in it." During this month the almond trees begin to blossom and the late barley seeds are sown.

March. (Nisan, beginning of barley harvest). This month had much sunshine but very heavy winds. The rains of March and April are known in Scripture as the "latter rains", which supplied nourishment to the barley and wheat crops before they are "white for harvest." Sometimes this month would receive the heaviest rainfall, the apricot and almond trees would show off their beauty.

April. (Iyyar, barley harvest). This was called the month of flowers, and it was the greenest and considered the most beautiful of all the months. Many times during this month the dry desert winds would blow in for three days at a time, melting the snow, and quickening the vegetation. During this month the harvesting begins in the Jordan valley and on the coastal plain. The fruit trees are in blossom and show their young foliage as the peach, pomegranate, olive, and many more.

May. (Sivan, wheat harvest). During the month of May the heat magnifies and the rain ceases for about five months. Because of the change in landscape of this hot month Jesus may have drawn His analogy "the grass withers and the flowers fade away." Also in May the harvesting begins in the plains and the lands, the spring fruits are ready, the green almonds, apricots, plums, and the vines are in blossom.

June. (Tammuz, harvesting). During June the land for the most part becomes barren and parched, and harvesting continues in the highlands.

July. (Av, grapes, figs and olives are ripe). During this month the intense summer heat is cooled by the westerly breezes and the commoners are busy on their threshing floors.

August. (Elul, vintage begins). This is the hottest month of the year, and even on the coast it is 90 degrees in the shade, and much hotter inland. During this month the grapes, figs, peaches, apples, and pears ripen.

September. (Tishri, early rains, plowing). During September the summer heat is intensified by the "siroccos" or desert winds, which can last much longer than the winds of spring. The farmers would dry their figs for winter and would make their grapes into raisins, syrup, and wine. The pomegranates and bananas would ripen. Usually around the end of September would be the first shower after a long summer drought.

October. (Heshvan, wheat, barley sowing). Farmers would be finishing with their grape and fig harvests, olives would be gathered, the fattened sheep would be slaughtered, and the sugarcane and dates would ripen, plowing would begin and the rains would loosen up the hard dry ground. During October were the heavier rains known in Scripture as "the former rains."

November. (Chislev, plowing and sowing). During this month there would be much plowing and sowing of wheat and barley.

December. (Tebeth, rainy winter months). December would bring heavier rains and cooler weather. Fruit trees would ripen with their oranges, citrons, and lemons. The vines would be pruned.

Possibly not. Best Guess: September 29, 5 B.C. Want the details? Read more below. Biblical scholars readily tell us that it was most likely NOT on December 25th, A.D. 0. Why? == Israeli meteorologists tracked December weather patterns for many years and concluded that the climate in Israel has been essentially constant for at least the last 2,000 years. The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible states that, "broadly speaking, weather phenomena and climatic conditions as pictured in the Bible correspond with conditions as observed today" The temperature in the area of Bethlehem in December averages around 44 degrees Fahrenheit (7 degrees Celsius) but can drop to well below freezing, especially at night. Describing the weather there, Sara Ruhin, chief of the Israeli weather service, noted in a 1990 press release that the area has three months of frost: December with 29 F. [minus 1.6 C.]; January with 30 F. [minus 1.1 C.] and February with 32 F. [0 C.]. Snow is common for two or three days in Jerusalem and nearby Bethlehem in December and January. These were the winter months of increased precipitation in Christ's time, when the roads became practically unusable and people stayed mostly indoors. This is important evidence to disprove a December date for Christ's birth. Note that, at the time of Christ's birth, the shepherds tended their flocks in the fields at night. "Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields," wrote one Gospel writer, "keeping watch over their flock by night"(Luke 2:8). A common practice of shepherds was keeping their flocks in the field from April to October, but in the cold and rainy winter months they took their flocks back home and sheltered them. One commentary admits that, "as these shepherds had not yet brought home their flocks, it is a presumptive argument that October had not yet commenced, and that, consequently, our Lord was not born on the 25th of December, when no flocks were out in the fields; nor could He have been born later than September, as the flocks were still in the fields by night. On this very ground the nativity in December should be given up. The feeding of the flocks by night in the fields is a chronological fact, which casts considerable light upon this disputed point". Another study source agrees: "These humble pastoral folk are out in the field at night with their flock-a feature of the story which would argue against the birth [of Christ] occurring on Dec. 25 since the weather would not have permitted it". The Companion Bible, Appendix 179 says: Shepherds and their flocks would not be found "abiding" (Gr. agrauleo) in the open fields at night in December (Tebeth), for the paramount reason that there would be no pasturage at that time. It was the custom then (as now) to withdraw the flocks during the month Marchesven (Oct.-Nov.) from the open districts and house them for the winter. == Other evidence arguing against a December birth of Jesus is the Roman census recorded by Luke. "And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered... So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem..., to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son... The Roman and Judean rulers knew that taking a census in winter would have been impractical and unpopular. Generally a census would take place after the harvest season, around September or October, when it would not seriously affect the economy, the weather was good and the roads were still dry enough to allow easy travel. According to the normal dates for the census, this would probably be the season of Christ's birth. One author states that this census "could hardly have been at that season [December 25], however, for such a time would surely not have been chosen by the authorities for a public enrollment, which necessitated the population's traveling from all parts to their natal districts, storms and rain making journeys both unsafe and unpleasant in winter, except in specially favorable years". Luke's account of the census argues strongly against a December date for Christ's birth. For such an agrarian society, an autumn post-harvest census was much more likely. == Jesus wasn't born in A.D. 0 either. In 525 Pope John I commissioned the scholar Dionysius Exiguus to establish a feast calendar for the Church.. Dionysius also estimated the year of Christ's birth based upon the founding of the city of Rome. Unfortunately because of insufficient historical data he arrived at a date at least a few years later than the actual event. The Gospels record Jesus' birth as occurring during the reign of Herod the Great. Herod's death is recorded by Jewish historian Flavius Josephus and occurred in the spring of 4 B.C. Therefore, Christ's birth had to take place at least four years before the traditional date! Jesus was not born on December 25, A.D. 0. [Actually there is no such year as A.D. 0. Our calendar jumps from 1 B.C. to A.D. 1 with no intervening year of zero.] == In the first 200 years of Christian history, no mention is made of the calendar date of Jesus' birth. Not until the year 336 do we find the first mention of a celebration of His birth. Why this omission? In the case of the Church fathers, the reason is that, during the three centuries after Christ's life on earth, the event considered most worthy of commemoration was the date of His death. In comparison, the date of His birth was considered insignificant. As the Encyclopedia Americana explains, "Christmas... was, according to many authorities, not celebrated in the first centuries of the Christian church, as the Christian usage in general was to celebrate the death of remarkable persons rather than their birth.. Speculation on the proper date began in the 3rd and 4th centuries, when the idea of fixing Christ's birthday started. Quite a controversy arose among Church leaders. Some were opposed to such a celebration. Origen (185-254) strongly recommended against such an innovation. "In the Scriptures, no one is recorded to have kept a feast or held a great banquet on his birthday. It is only sinners who make great rejoicings over the day in which they were born into this world". During this time eight specific dates during six different months were proposed by various groups. December 25, although one of the last dates to be proposed, was the one finally accepted by the leadership of the Western church. A summary of the debate on the dates of Christ's birth appears in The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church:"Though speculation as to the time of year of Christ's birth dates from the early 3rd century, Clement of Alexandria suggesting the 20th of May, the celebration of the anniversary does not appear to have been general till the later 4th century. The earliest mention of the observance on Dec. 25th is in the Philocalian Calendar, representing Roman practice of the year 336. This date was probably chosen to oppose the feast of the Natalis Solis Invicti [nativity of the unconquerable sun] by the celebration of the birth of the 'Sun of Righteousness' and its observance in the West, seems to have spread from Rome". Around 200, when Clement of Alexandria mentioned the speculations about Christ's birthday, he said nothing about a celebration on that day. He casually reported the various ideas extant at that time: "And there are those who have determined not only the year of our Lord's birth, but also the day..., the 25th day of Pachon... Furthermore, others say that He was born on the 24th or 25th of Pharmuthi". Later, in 243, the official feast calendar of the time, De Pascha Computus, places the date of Christ's birth as March 28. Other dates suggested were April 2 and November 18. Meanwhile, in the East, January 6 was chosen, a date the Greeks had celebrated as the birth of the god Dionysus and the Egyptians as the birth of the god Osiris. Although pagans commonly celebrated the birthdays of their gods, in the Bible a birthday is never celebrated to the true God (who, of course, had no birth or day of origin). == In Rome December 25 was made popular by Pope Liberius in 354 and became the rule in the West in 435 when the first "Christ mass" was officiated by Pope Sixtus III. This coincided with the date of a celebration by the Romans to their primary god, the Sun, and to Mithras, a popular Persian sun god supposedly born on the same day. The Roman Catholic writer Mario Righetti candidly admits that, "to facilitate the acceptance of the faith by the pagan masses, the Church of Rome found it convenient to institute the 25th of December as the feast of the birth of Christ to divert them from the pagan feast, celebrated on the same day in honor of the 'Invincible Sun' Mithras, the conqueror of darkness". Protestant historian Henry Chadwick sums up the controversy: "Moreover, early in the fourth century there begins in the West (where first and by whom is not known) the celebration of December 25th, the birthday of the Sun-god at the winter solstice, as the date for the nativity of Christ. How easy it was for Christianity and solar religion to become entangled at the popular level is strikingly illustrated by a mid-fifth century sermon of Pope Leo the Great, rebuking his over-cautious flock for paying reverence to the Sun on the steps of St. Peter's before turning their back on it to worship inside the westward-facing basilica". The Encyclopedia Americana makes this clear: "In the fifth century, the Western Church ordered it [Christ's birth] to be observed forever on the day of the old Roman feast of the birth of Sol [the sun god], as no certain knowledge of the day of Christ's birth existed". == Actually from the Bible, we can at least determine the probable season and year of His birth. The most convincing proof of when Jesus was born comes in understanding the evidence that is presented in the book of Luke concerning the birth of John the Baptist. Luke 1:5-17 says: In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were getting on in years. Once when he was serving as priest before God and his section was on duty, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and offer incense. Now at the time of the incense offering, the whole assembly of the people was praying outside. Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified; and fear overwhelmed him. But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink; even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." Zechariah was of the division of Abijah. Back in King David's day, the priests had been separated into 24 turns or divisions. These turns began in the first month of the Jewish calendar, March or April of our modern calendar. According to Talmudic and Qumran sources, the turns rotated every week until they reached the end of the sixth month, when the cycle was repeated again until the end of the year. This would mean that Zechariah's division served at the temple twice a year. We find in 1 Chronicles 24:10 that Abijah was the eighth division of the priesthood. Thus, Zechariah's service would be in the tenth week of the Jewish year. Why the tenth week? Because all divisions served during primary feast weeks of the Jewish year. So all of the divisions of the priesthood would serve during Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread (the third week of the year). Likewise, all of the divisions of the priesthood would serve during the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost (the ninth week). Thus, the eighth course of the priesthood would end up serving on the tenth week of the year. Now we must make an assumption here. Remember we said that Zechariah's division served at the temple twice a year. The Bible does not specify which of the two shifts of service it was. Regardless, nine months after one of the two dates John the Baptist was born. This would place his birth in March or September. We will assume that Luke is recording Zechariah's first shift of service for the year. We will find that assumption tends to prove true as we discover the dates of John the Baptist's and Jesus' birth. Therefore, the date of Zechariah's service would be the Jewish date of Sivan 12-18. Picking up the story in Luke 1:23-25: When his time of service was ended, he went to his home. After those days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she remained in seclusion. She said, "This is what the Lord has done for me when he looked favorably on me and took away the disgrace I have endured among my people." After his service in the temple, Zechariah went home to his wife. Due to the laws of separation, two additional weeks have to be counted. Now I don't know about you, but if an angel had told me that I was going to have a special child, I would get to it just as soon as the law allowed. So we will make a second assumption, that Elizabeth conceived a child two weeks after Zechariah's return. Allowing for this and going forward a normal pregnancy places the birth of John the Baptist at the time of the Passover! The Jews always looked for Elijah to return on the day of Passover. Even in modern times there is an empty chair and a table setting for Elijah whenever Passover is celebrated. Little children also go to the door of the home and open it in anticipation of Elijah's coming. The Old Testament prophets had said that God would send Elijah before the coming of the Messiah. According to these calculations John the Baptist was born at Passover. Remember the angel's words to Zechariah? The angel said that John the Baptist was to come "in the spirit and power of Elijah". Elijah came at Passover! Continuing in Luke 1:26-36: In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you." But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" The angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. Luke tells us that Elizabeth was six months pregnant when the angel Gabriel visited Mary. The beginning of Elizabeth's sixth month would have been the celebration of the Jewish feast of Hanukkah, which occurs in December of our modern calendar. Hanukkah(Chanukkah) is known as the "Feast of the Dedication", because it is connected with the dedication of the second Jewish temple and the rededication of the temple after the Maccabean revolt. Mary was being dedicated for a purpose of enormous magnitude: God's presence in an earthly temple, i.e. a human body. If Mary did conceive on Hanukkah, John the Baptist would have been born three months later at Passover. And assuming a normal pregnancy of 285 days, Jesus would have been born on the 15th day of the Jewish month of Tishri (September 29 by modern reckoning). This is significant because it is the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). It is a high day, a special Sabbath, a time of great rejoicing. == As you have seen, the birth of our Lord can be reasonably shown to have occurred in the autumn of the year on the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles. The Feast of Tabernacles is a joyful feast. Jewish believers would build a tabernacle or booth known as a "sukkah" out of green tree branches. They would eat their meals and sleep in this sukkah for eight days. There are some very interesting connections in Scripture with Jesus and aspects of the Feast of Tabernacles. John 1:14 says: And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us. [literal translation of the Greek] Look at what Dr. Samuele Bacchiocchi has to say concerning this verse: To introduce the nature and mission of Christ, John in his Gospel employs the metaphor of the "booth" of the Feast of Tabernacles. He explains that Christ, the Word who was with God in the beginning (John 1:1), manifested Himself in this world in a most tangible way, by pitching His tent in our midst: "And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, as of the only Son from the Father" (John 1:14). The Greek verb skenoo used by John means "to pitch tent, encamp, tabernacle, dwell in a tent." The allusion is clearly to the Feast of Tabernacles when the people dwelt in temporary booths. In his article "The Feast of Tents: Jesus' Self-Revelation," published in Worship (1960), David Stanley notes that this passage sets the stage for the later self-revelation of Jesus at the Feast of Tabernacles in John 7 and 8. Stanley writes: "The most basic clue to the mystery pervading this entire narrative [John 7 and 8] is provided by the symbolic action that gives this feast its name: the ceremonial erection of little bowers, made with branches of trees, in which every Jew was expected to live during the festival. These shelters were commemorative of the forty years' wandering in the desert when Israel had lived as a nomad in such intimate union with her God. For John this dwelling in tents is a primordial symbol of the Incarnation: 'Thus the Word became a mortal man: he pitched his tent in the midst of us' (John 1:14). It is this insight which presides over the composition of John's narrative which we are considering [John 7-8]. All that happened, all that Jesus said on this occasion has some reference to the Incarnation." In seeking to describe the Messiah's first coming to His people, John chose the imagery of the Feast of Booths since the feast celebrates the dwelling of God among His people. This raises an interesting question on whether or not John intended to link the birth of Jesus with the Feast of Tabernacles. [from: God's Festivals in Scripture and History Part II: The Fall Festivals, page 241.] According to the Companion Bible, Appendix 179: The word tabernacled here receives beautiful significance from the knowledge that "the Lord of Glory" was "found in fashion as a man", and thus tabernacling in human flesh. And in turn it shows in equally beautiful significance that our Lord was born on the first day of the great Jewish Feast of Tabernacles, viz. the 15th of Tisri, corresponding to September 29 (modern reckoning). The Circumcision of our Lord took place therefore on the eighth day, the last day of the Feast, the "Great Day of the Feast" of John 7.37 ("Tabernacles" had eight days. The Feast of Unleavened Bread had seven days, and Pentecost one. See Lev. 23). From The Seven Festivals of the Messiah by Eddie Chumney we read this: As we have stated earlier in this chapter, the Feast of Sukkot (Tabernacles) is called "the season of our joy" and "the feast of the nations." With this in mind, in Luke 2:10 it is written, "And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings [basar in Hebrew; otherwise known as the gospel] of great joy [Sukkot is called the 'season of our joy'], which shall be to all people [Sukkot is called 'the feast of the nations']." So, we can see from this that the terminology the angel used to announce the birth of Yeshua(Jesus) were themes and messages associated with the Feast of Sukkot (Tabernacles). Light was also a prominent feature of the Feast of Tabernacles. At the end of the first day of the Feast, the Temple was gloriously illuminated. According to the Mishnah, gigantic candelabras stood within the Court of the Women in the temple. Each of the four golden candelabras is said to have been about 75 feet tall. Each candelabra had four branches, and at the top of every branch there was a large bowl. Four young men bearing 10 gallon pitchers of oil would climb ladders to fill the four golden bowls on each candelabra. And then the oil in those bowls was ignited. Picture sixteen beautiful blazes leaping toward the sky from these golden lamps. There was not a courtyard in Jerusalem that was not illuminated by this light. According to Alfred Edersheim: ...the Court of the Women was brilliantly illuminated.... In connection with this we mark, that the term 'light' was specially applied to the Messiah. In a very interesting passage of the Midrash we are told, that, while commonly windows were made wide within and narrow without, it was the opposite in the Temple of Solomon, because the light issuing from the Sanctuary was to lighten that which was without. This reminds us of the language of devout old Simeon in regard to the Messiah, as 'a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of His people Israel.' John 1:6-9 says: There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. In these verses John refers to Jesus as "the light"; and as we have also seen, verse 14 says that he "became flesh and tabernacled [literal meaning of the Greek] among us". Since John chapter one is a passage about Jesus' coming, these verses could be references to the Feast of Tabernacles at which time Jesus was born. == The Scriptures tell us that there were wise men (scholars) who came from the east looking for the birth of the Messiah, saying "we have seen his star in the east". Who were these scholars from the east? Why were they looking for a Jewish Messiah? Matthew 2:1-6 says: In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage. When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: 'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.'" Babylon was known as "the land to the east." At the time of the birth of Jesus, the largest Jewish population was actually in Babylon, not in Palestine! Nearly five hundred years earlier, the entire nation of Judah had been carried away captive into Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar. Only a small colony of Jews returned to Palestine after sixty-three years of captivity. The greater number of them remained where they had established homes in the land of Babylon. The Greek for "wise men" is magoi. Daniel was referred to by this same title. The word is somewhat equivalent to the Jewish term "rabbi." It is possible that the wise men from the east were Jewish rabbis who had been anticipating the coming of the Messiah because of Daniel's seventy weeks prophecy. They had spotted a new star in the sky and took it to be a sign of the coming of the Messiah. At the very least, even if the wise men were not Jewish, they would have been influenced by Daniel's writings. At an earlier time, Daniel had been the Master of the Magians of Babylon, so anything Daniel wrote would have been important to even Gentile magoi. Parts of the book of Daniel are even written in Aramaic (the international language of the eastern Gentiles), so that it could be read by them. == There is one time of the year when Jews would typically look at the stars. That time was during the Festival of Tabernacles. As we already said, Jewish believers would build a tabernacle or booth known as a "sukkah" out of green tree branches. They would eat their meals and sleep in this sukkah for eight days. It was customary to leave a hole in the roof of the sukkah so that one could look at the stars. If the magoi were Jewish, then Jewish "wise men" celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles would have noticed the appearance of a new star. Of course, if the magoi were Gentile, it is still likely that a new star would have been noticed by them rather quickly. The Babylonian magoi excelled at astrology. As a matter of fact, the Babylonians are generally credited with the birth of astrology. == Jesus was born while Herod the Great was still living. Wise men appeared in Jerusalem asking about "one who has been born king of the Jews?" Of course, this upset Herod, who had been given the title "King of the Jews" by the Roman Senate. Herod talked to the wise men secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. The wise men then journeyed to Bethlehem and found Jesus, Mary, and Joseph in a house and they bowed down and worshiped Jesus. When the wise men did not return to give Herod a report, "Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the wise men. He was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the wise men". This tells us that Jesus may have been born two years before the appearance of the wise men and the death of Herod. Herod died the spring of 4 B.C. Let's assume that the star appeared at Jesus' birth. Let's also assume that Herod was already close to death when the wise men appeared. It was the custom in ancient Israel to count the years of one's age from the date of conception - in other words, when a child is born he is one year old until his first birthday (this is still a practice in some oriental cultures). Therefore, Herod actually killed the children one year old and under according to the way that age is calculated today. This would mean that Jesus had to have been born in 6 B.C. (if Jesus was one year old) or 5 B.C. (if Jesus was under one year and Herod was just being extra careful). This date for Jesus' birth fits with other Biblical data such as Jesus being "about thirty years old" when He began his ministry. From evidence given to us in John 2:20 about the construction of the temple, we know Jesus' ministry began in A.D. 26. Counting forward from 6 B.C. to A.D. 26 (one year has to be subtracted because there is no year zero) would make Jesus 31 years old when he began his ministry -- that is, about thirty years old. Counting forward from 5 B.C. to A.D. 26 would make Jesus 30 years old when he began his ministry. The birth years of 5 or 6 B.C. also fit with the best date for the crucifixion, that is A.D. 30. Personally I opt for the 5 B.C. date, because I assume the wise men would want to come at once and the time for a journey from Babylon to Jerusalem takes only four months. When was Jesus born? Nothing is absolutely certain, because we are dealing with implications and assumptions, but a good guess from the Scriptures and history is September 29, 5 B.C. The moral of the story is, if it's in the Bible, you can take it to the bank. If it's not in the Bible,-- and December 25th is not,-- then you're taking your chances. Even though we're not exactly sure, people have just guessed a day, and governments have chosen that day for celebration, which is why people who aren't exactly christian, celebrate Christmas.