A blog that I enjoy reading is the “Anglican Curmudgeon”. Allan S. Haley is a lawyer from California who practices both secular and canon law. He has published a number of articles on the connection of science and the Bible. One series he published in December 2009 and then followed up on in December 2010 puts together many puzzle pieces which try to resolve the real date of The Christ’s Birth. As Christians we celebrate it on December 25th. There are many reasons that this date was chosen in the early Church but not as a counter to the pagan winter solstice celebrations as some assert. Mr. Haley places the actual date in May-June 2 B.C. which he says from his research is when the very early Church placed it. The determination of B.C. and A.D. was done a few hundred years later and missed the mark by a couple of years. Here are the posts he did on this particular subject.
The Nativity and the Star of Bethlehem
When Herod Ruled – Resolving the Dates
Other Evidence of the Date of the Nativity
The Star of Bethlehem and the Nativity
Dating the Nativity: New Considerations
Using the Bible to Date the Nativity
Again a Merry Christmas to all.
BillB