Ancient Prophets for a Modern World, Jesus (P):Date & Place of Birth Part 8

THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION 

The Roman Catholic Church has proclaimed a dogma called ‘Immaculate Conception’ since the 19th century. According to this dogma Mary was conceived without original sin. They further teach that Mary was also freed from actual sin by a special grace of God.  Catholics confirm their dogma with a couple of Israelite Ahadith narrated in Bukhari and Muslim. According to these Ahadith Abu-Hurayrah allegedly narrated from the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.w): “No children of Adam are born but Satan has touched them save Mary and her son!”  The finger print of Satan is so obvious in these Ahadith. The implication of the above forged Hadith is that all the Messengers of God including Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.w) as well as any other human being are all born sinful except Prophet Jesus and his mother.

This narration is in absolute contradiction of various Ayaat of the Quran as well as that of common sense. It is also obviously the cultivation of the Christian dogma of Original Sin.  I refuted the dogma of ‘Original Sin’ in the story of Prophet Adam. 

 

THE DATE AND THE PLACE OF THE BIRTH OF JESUS

According to the Gospel of Luke, Mary and Joseph left Galilee for Bethlehem to register for tax. “While they were in Bethlehem her days were completed to give birth, and she bore her first-born son, whom she wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”  [2:7]

A ‘Manger’ is a trough or a container usually in a barn or stable from which cattle or horses feed. Although Luke is not explicit as to whether or not they were accommodated in a stable, for two reasons this is the most likely. Firstly, Luke indicates that there was no room for them in the inn and secondly the baby is placed in a trough. Therefore, according to Luke Jesus is believed to be born in a stable beside the cattle!

The Quran, as is its usual style, does not mention any details of the place and the date of the birth of Prophet Jesus. The place of the labour, however, according to the Quran was under a dried date-palm tree that miraculously became a fruit-bearing tree for Mary. Thus, the birth of Jesus must have been in an outdoor place somewhere away from the town, out of sight of her people. The holy Quran mentions no human companion with Mary at the time of her delivery.  

THE DATE OF JESUS’ BIRTH

The Gospels date the birth of Jesus somewhat 10 years apart. Matthew in his second chapter states that Jesus was born when Herod (the King of Judea) was still alive, no later than 3 or 4 BC.  Luke, on the other hand, in his second chapter states that Jesus was born when Quirinius was the governor of Syria, which did not take place until at least ten years after Herod’s death. Christians in justification of the above contradiction suggest that Quirinius was appointed twice as a governor. Unfortunately, history does not support this suggestion.  Thus, historically there is no evidence that so far 2004 years have passed since the birth of Prophet Jesus. 

WAS JESUS BORN ON 25 DECEMBER?

Most Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus on the 25 December of every year except the Armenian Christians who celebrate it on 6 January.  Unfortunately, neither of the above celebrations have biblical proof. 

According to Luke at the time of the birth of Jesus, the shepherds tended their flocks in the fields at night. “Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields.” [Luke2:8]  December in Bethlehem is in the middle of a freezing, cold and rainy winter and no shepherds would have kept their flock outdoors. Keeping the flocks in the field would be more possible sometime in August or September. The holy Quran also confirms that the birth of Jesus could not be in the winter season, due to the fact that Mary gave birth outdoors under a date-palm. 

The month of June in Bethlehem is the middle of the summer season and hence the above date in the Hadith of Imam Reza (a.s) is in accordance with the Quran and the Biblical record. 

In the northern hemisphere the last days of December are the longest nights of the year, the most suitable time for parties. The celebration of the birth of Jesus on 25 December and the New Year five nights afterward would give the best opportunities for the Christians to get caught up in parties, drinking, driving and an increase of the death toll.  At best, Christmas is mainly a period of celebrations and a family time. This, it must be acknowledged, has made Christmas more of a holiday than a holy day! 

Other links:

Ancient Prophets for a Modern World - Jesus (P): Mary’s Biography (Part 4)

Ancient Prophets for a Modern World, Jesus (P):The Miraculous Virgin Conception (Part 5)

Ancient Prophets for a Modern World, Jesus (P):Mary in the Furnace of Trials (Part 6)