When Was Jesus Really Born?

"We don't know the date Jesus was born," Edwin Yamauchi said. "The earliest date celebrated by Christians was January 6—in fact, it's still celebrated by many churches in the East. Of course, December 25 is very close to the winter solstice. This was the date chosen by the emperor Aurelian for the dedication of his temple to Sol Invictus, the god called the 'Unconquerable Sun.'

"It seems [December 25 became Christmas for Christians] in 336, a year before the death of Constantine, the first Roman emperor to embrace Christianity. We know that before his conversion, he worshiped Sol Invictus. We know for sure that Constantine made Sunday, or the Lord's Day, an official holiday. So it's conceivable Constantine also may have appropriated December 25 for the birthday of Christ. We know that Christian emperors and popes suggested that instead of simply banning pagan ceremonies that they appropriate them for Christianity."

—Lee Strobel, The Case for the Real Jesus: A Journalist Investigates Current Attacks on the Identity of Christ

Any comments or testimonies today?

---

Technorati tags:
Christianity, Bible, Christmas, Lee Strobel, Jesus, Zondervan