When was Christ born? I held a livestream to tackle some of the most enduring mysteries surrounding the Christmas story, diving deep into scholarly debates concerning the timing of Christ’s birth, the nature of the Star of Bethlehem, and the identity and traditions surrounding the Wise Men. The discussion also included a giveaway of a free copy of Sand Tanner’s book, Lighthouse, authored by Ronald Huggins.
Don’t miss our other conversations about Christmas: https://gospeltangents.com/lds_theology/christmas/
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The Great Dating Debate: When Was Christ Born?
The discussion began by addressing the fact that the calendar we use today, created by the 6th-century monk Dionysius Exiguus. He mistakenly placed Christ’s birth several years too late. There is no Year Zero. Modern scholars generally agree that Herod the Great died in 4 BC, a crucial historical marker, meaning Jesus could not have been born as late as 1 BC because Herod would have been dead for three or four years by then.
Dr. Jeffrey Chadwick proposes that December of 5 BC is the correct birth month. However, Dr. Thomas Wayment argues that biblical writers like Matthew and Luke were composing gospels, not history, and were unconcerned with precise details, suggesting that historical data only allows us to know the date within a year or two, and certainly not within a specific month. Adding to the complexity is the mention of a census in Luke 2, which is historically problematic, as the census conducted by Quirinius (Cyrenius) is typically placed around 6 AD, about 10 years after Herod’s death, creating a significant timeline contradiction.
Explaining the Star of Bethlehem
The question of what caused the Star of Bethlehem led to an examination of several astronomical and scientific theories, particularly in the context of both the Bible (Matthew 2) and the Book of Mormon (3rd Nephi 1). Information comes from several sources, including the 2004 documentary called Mystery of the Three Kings by Questar Entertainment.
- Planetary Alignment: Astronomer Michael Molnar proposed that the star was actually an occultation where the moon passed in front of Jupiter, a theory based on Babylon’s astrological beliefs concerning the birth dates of divine kings.
- Solar Eclipse: Another possibility, suggested by Jerry Grover, is a solar eclipse which occurred in 6 BC, a date near the proposed birth time. In Mesopotamia, eclipses were frequently associated with the rising of a new king or the death of an old king, which would explain why Herod was troubled. The eclipse was rare, rising in Mesoamerica and setting as a partial eclipse in Persia, where the Wise Men were thought to originate.
- Coronal Mass Ejection (CME): Grover also offered the idea of a CME (a massive ejection of plasma from the sun hitting Earth’s magnetosphere). This event could cause the northern lights (auroras) to become supercharged and move far south, appearing as “weird domes and other shapes in Mesoamerica”. This theory is particularly interesting because it could scientifically explain the Book of Mormon account that the night became “as light as day all night long” in the American Hemisphere, while the phenomenon might not have been noticed in the Middle East. Furthermore, the sign may have been accompanied by a crackling or hissing sound, as ions drop and release their charge in the atmosphere. Supernovas and comets are generally dismissed as options because they are either too short-lived or were historically seen as signs of impending doom.
The Wise Men: Identity, Gifts, and Legacy
The Wise Men (Magi or Magoi) were likely astrologers, healers, and dream readers from the east, specifically the Parthian/Persian Empire (modern Iran/Iraq area.) Their arrival in Jerusalem would have been concerning to Herod, especially since they were Persians entering Roman-controlled territory. The word Magoi is the same word used for magician or sorcerer. They may have been followers of the Zoroastrian religion, which is monotheistic and shares beliefs with Judaism, such as a belief in resurrection and a coming savior. Zoroastrian astronomers may have recognized the confluence of Jupiter and Saturn in 7 BC as a sign of a new king in Israel.
The three traditional gifts carried profound meaning:
- Gold represented kingship.
- Frankincense represented divinity or God.
- Myrrh was extremely valuable (worth seven times the weight of gold) and represented healing; its use in embalming also served as a foreshadowing of Jesus’s eventual death.
The Magi are celebrated in many traditions, particularly in Spanish-speaking countries, where January 6th is known as Three Kings Day24,25. On this day, which occurs 12 days after Christmas, presents are exchanged, left by the Three Kings rather than Santa Claus. Legends regarding the Magi’s relics and tombs are found across the globe, including claims in Sava, Iran (recorded by Marco Polo); Axum, Ethiopia; Milan, Italy, and the most famous location in the West, the Cologne Cathedral in Germany.
Don’t miss our other conversations about Christmas: https://gospeltangents.com/lds_theology/christmas/
Copyright © 2025
Gospel Tangents
All Rights Reserved
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