The Nativity of Yahshua HaMashiach
The document discusses the birth of Jesus Christ based on biblical references and Jewish traditions. We will look extensively at what the Holy Scriptures tell us of the birth of our Lord and Saviour Yahshua from the Gospel according to Saint Luke from 1:1 to 2:40. Specifically, it analyzes passages from the Gospel of Luke to determine that John the Baptist was born around Passover, while Jesus was conceived around the Festival of Lights in December and born around the Feast of Tabernacles in September or October. Jewish tradition holds that Elijah will announce the coming of the Messiah at Passover, which John fulfilled as coming in the spirit and power of Elijah.
The Foundations of the Biblical Timeline
The starting foundation to ascertain the nativity of the only begotten Son of God, our Lord and Saviour, begins with the priestly duties. According to 1 Chronicles 24:1-19, the Levites were commanded by YHWH (the LORD) to serve in the Temple during a 24 course cycle. Further, in accordance with Deuteronomy 16:16: “Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles.”
Therefore, during a Hebrew year the priesthood would appear before the LORD once in the first half of the year and once in the second half the year in accordance with 1 Chronicles 24 and three times in accordance with Deuteronomy 16:16. Therefore, the Hebrew year consisted of 51 weeks which is made up as follows: 24 Courses multiplied by 2 Temple duties a year equals 48 weeks, plus the three pilgrimage weeks which totals 51 weeks.
The Hebrew Calendar Months
To understand the timing of these events, we must examine the sacred and civil months of the year:
| Month (Pre- / Post Exilic) | Month of Year (Sacred / Civil) | Modern Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Abib / Nisan | 1 / 7 | March / April |
| Ziv / Iyar | 2 / 8 | April / May |
| Sivan | 3 / 9 | May / June |
| Tammuz | 4 / 10 | June / July |
| Ab | 5 / 11 | July / August |
| Elul | 6 / 12 | August / September |
| Ethanim / Tishri | 7 / 1 | September / October |
| Bul / Heshvan | 8 / 2 | October / November |
| Kislev | 9 / 3 | November / December |
| Tevet | 10 / 4 | December / January |
| Shevat | 11 / 5 | January / February |
| Adar | 12 / 6 | February / March |
As the Hebrew calendar is a lunar/solar calendar based on a 30 day month, being a 360 day year, the 51 weeks times 7 days per week = 357 days per annum that fits within the 360 day year. This structure provides the framework for understanding the timing of the Nativity and the fulfillment of prophecy. In the words of Luke 9:23: “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”