Scholar Articles
 

When Was Jesus Born?

NO SURPRISE...the answer is in the Land!    

Written by Hani Abu Dayyeh (2009-2010)
(Hani is the owner of NET Transportation - and more. He is an esteemed leader... and a respected and trusted friend with wisdom. It is he who "makes things happen" for DTBL! Tours - accommodating my drive for excellence with many special requests - which also demonstrates his high level of patience!)

Hani lives near Bethlehem...where his ancestors have lived for many, many generations - perhaps back to ancient times.

K's Note: The following information was from a personal email correspondence.

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Shepherding in the Holy Land

Based on a very old way of our life. I would say the correct date will be more like September. Here is my reasoning drawn from own cultural heritage:

The shepherd's throughout history would be moving between the Jordan Valley in the winter where it is warm and they move out in the spring time as the Judean Hills begin to get green from the winter rains.

In March they would be at the lower side of the Judean Hills where it would get green earlier and they will keep moving up in search of the tufts of grass and greenery as the months progress into late spring and summer where it gets greener at the higher elevations.

The harvest of the wheat in the Bethlehem region and certainly in the shepherd's fields will occur in the end of May...beginning of June. (That is why the Jews celebrate Shavuot.)

"Three times of year you should keep a feast for me…and the feast of the harvest, the first fruits of your labors which you have sown in the field." (Exodus 23:13-16)

The three major holidays mentioned referred to in these verses have agricultural ties. First Passover is celebrated in the spring, when the earth awakens from its winter dormancy. Second is Shavuot when the first fruits and grains would be harvested. Thirdly, Sukkot is observed when the fully ripened bounty would be gathered. These holidays would find the farmer alternately thanking and beseeching God for a successful planting season.

So the sheep could have been only allowed in the fields in June afterwards. This would lead us to believe that the Christmas story happened anytime after Shavuot. However, there is the issue of the shepherd's in the fields at night.

(Eid El Saleeb, which Is Sept. 14, is the date for proceeding with the plowing of the Land. So this is another indication that the Shepherd in the "Shepherd Field" would not have been allowed to stay in the fields much beyond Sept. 14.

So now we have the two evidences to proof that September even early September is the date of birth.

1. Shepherding and the lambing season
2, The Palestinian agricultural Calendar

Why is the suggested September date? We go back again to the Bible and try to infer from it as to the possible date and see if we can connect to the shepherding cycle as practiced for millenniums.

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night." Luke 2:8

So why were they out in the fields at night when they could have been sleeping in one of the caves with their sheep? Again it has to do with understanding the agricultural calendar.

The "lambing season" is directly relevant, like all mammals reproduction, to the time of mating. This only occurs naturally in the sheep world with the declining day light in the autumn. The offspring would appear in the spring when the grass starts to grow in order to feed the mother ewe so milk production is maximized.

The farmers will allow the shepherds to come into their fields after the harvest and after the poor people are allowed to go into the fields to glean the wheat ( Book of Ruth ). This is practiced in our villages till to date ( the poor people after the harvest of the Olives would wait until the owners finish harvesting the olives and then they are allowed to go in to glean what is left. They are called in our language "Mitsayfin" - drawn from the word which means summer.)

By our tradition we are told not to be too meticulous in picking all the olives. But to leave some for the "Mitsayfin" as it brings blessing to our household and promises a better harvest next year. (K's note: This was a biblical mandate - and the practice continues.)

This whole process would be finished by the end of August beginning of September. The owners of the fields only then will allow the shepherd's to bring their flocks into their fields as it does help the farmer. The sheep will eat what is left of the wheat stalks and would fertilize the lands by the droppings as they are eating too.

If those shepherd's bring in their sheep in March (spring) when the wheat barely start popping out of the soil or where the animals can trample the well ploughed and sown soil, you will have a war on your hands. A war that has been fought throughout history - Cain and Able, The Bedouins and the farmers, the cowboys and the sod busters.

K's NOTE: A well-known archaeologist and a head of the Archaeology department of a well known University was leading his University's Chancellor's trip to the Holy Land raising money for the biblical archaeological department, heard Hani explain this simple and obvious truth.

Upon hearing this fitting explanation - the gentleman responded in glee by jumping up and hitting his chair! He said that they had reached the same conclusion about the dating...by using a completely different set of analysis with various calendar usage.

Years of study and some scholars are still uncertain and left guessing! And all along, one only has to know the Land! Thanks Hani!

K's NOTE: Some years ago I had the privilege of talking with shepherds as they cared for their sheep and goats in the Judean Hills. I shall never forget that glorious day when Psalm 23 and other biblical "desert" references took on new life!! The answers are in the Land!