Adversaries of Christianity sometimes argue against the reality of Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah, even that he is not a real historical figure, by claiming Christianity itself is a fictional story. One conspiracy theory claims Christianity and thus Jesus are the result of various groups colluding to invent a morphed deity image of a messiah:[1]
“…Christianity and the story of Jesus Christ were created by members of various secret societies, mystery schools and religions in order to unify the Roman Empire under one state religion. …this multinational cabal drew upon a multitude of myths and rituals that existed long before the Christian era, and reworked them for centuries into the religion passed down to us today.” – Acharya S.
Challenges to create a fictional messiah figure would have been enormous at the beginning of the millennium, especially in an era without any means of electronic communication, media, even the printed word. Just the opposite occurred. Christianity rose so rapidly, Jewish leaders tried to snuff it out quickly and Rome tried to quell it by killing people who professed it.
Creating a Christian religion with a Jewish messiah ups the ante to the highest degree. Probably the most scorned, if not hated, ethnic group in the Roman Empire were Jews, yet at least one conspiracy theory ironically maintains the created fictitious messiah image was himself a Jew. Consider that Judaism, too, views Christianity as blasphemous for its belief that Jesus is the Messiah.
Espousing the theory that an alleged Christianity conspiracy theory began “centuries” earlier, “long before the Christian era,” but history provides a different reality. Centuries earlier in Biblical history, Jews themselves were warring against each other before being taken captive in Babylon. After being freed by the Persian overthrow, enemies still wanted to subvert the Jew’s efforts.[2]
During the four centuries before the Roman Empire, cabals from three Empires – Babylonians, Persians and Greeks – with authority over Judea had to be complicit in the conspiracy.[3] It then has to be accepted there was a long-term strategy “to unify the Roman Empire under one state religion” even though the concept of a Roman Empire was yet unknown.
Pilate had Jesus crucified and to refute that fact means declaring renowned Roman historians Tacitus, Suetonius, Josephus others as well as the religion of Judaism were wrong. The theory proposes that Jewish leadership was supporting Rome when, in fact, Rome was crucifying Jews by the thousands and eventually destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 AD.[4]
For the invention of a fictional Jewish messiah, the image would call for a flawless ancestral background of pure Jewish lineage, not to mention an ancestral history free of unsavory or illegal activities. Alleged collaborators would then have to weave this complex lineage into a 2000 year timeline to create a messiah narrative.
Genealogy of Jesus of Nazareth was anything but pure and flawless. A perfect lineage of a made-up messiah was simply not possible as demonstrated time and again by Scriptural history.
Disgraceful accounts pulled straight from the Old Testament, the Tenakh, include deceptions, lies, a prostitute, Gentile intermarriages, voyeurism, adultery, murder, greed, lascivious pleasures, etc. The background lineage of Jesus involved the most ignoble examples of disobedience to God, turning lemons into lemonade where each involved blessings from God.
Grandson of Abraham, Jacob swindled his older twin brother’s inheritance blessing from his father, Isaac. Jacob was later renamed by God and became the father of the 12 tribes of Israel.[5]
Jacob’s own conniving sons sold their younger brother, Joseph, into slavery and lied to their father saying he had been killed by a wild animal. Joseph went on to become the second most powerful ruler in Egypt under Pharaoh and eventually saved his same Hebrew family from a famine.[6]
Rahab, a Gentile prostitute spared from the destruction of Jericho, married a Hebrew named Salmon and their son was named Boaz who became a wealthy resident of Bethlehem.[7] Boaz married the Gentile Ruth, daughter-in-law of his Jewish relative Naomi, allowing Naomi to redeem her otherwise lost inheritance.[8]
Jewish sage Rabbi Rashi professed his distaste of having a Gentile in the prophetic lineage of the Messiah. His disgust appears in his commentary on the Bethlehem prophecy of Micah 5:2:[9]
“you should have been the lowest of the clans of Judah: [Rashi] You should have been the lowest of the clans of Judah because of the stigma of Ruth the Moabitess in you.” – The Complete Jewish Bible
Son of Boaz and Ruth was Jesse whose son, David, became the King of Israel.[10] David committed some dastardly deeds that would be scandalous in any century.
King David’s voyeurism led to an affair with his neighbor’s wife and when his plan to cover-up her illicit pregnancy failed, the King had her husband sent to the front lines of a war knowing he would be killed.[11] In spite of this, subsequent prophecies foretold the future Messiah would come from the lineage of King David.
Solomon, King David’s son, indulged in the pleasures of 700 wives and 300 concubines, many of whom were Gentiles who brought with them forbidden idolatry influences. Still, Solomon built the Temple of God and was blessed with great wealth and wisdom.[12]
A flawed genealogy would have been a huge obstacle for anyone who attempted to “rework them for centuries into the religion passed down to us today.” According to the Gospel accounts of Matthew and Luke, Jesus was born into this flawed Jewish royal lineage.
Arrival of Jesus of Nazareth happened during the era when Rome was experiencing it’s height of glory. In one weekend, one morning dawn, everything changed rather than taking “centuries” to rework “the religion passed down to us today.”
Unique to Christianity and the center of its core creed are the Resurrection accounts of Jesus.[13] No one, including the followers of Jesus, ever believed a resurrection could happen before Jesus was crucified. Afterwards, he actually had to prove his own followers that he was back from the dead.
Witness accounts about Jesus rang true with people, many believed and were labeled as “Christians.” Adversaries of the Resurrection accounts refuted, ridiculed, imprisoned and even killed witnesses – they were willing to die for what they believed.
Nativity accounts of both Matthew and Luke report that Jesus of Nazareth was born during the lifetimes of three historical personages – Augustus, Herod and Quirinius.[1] King Herod’s death occurred shortly after the birth of Jesus of Nazareth making it the lynch pin date to determine his birth year, but it isn’t easy to determine.
Standardized calendars during Antiquity do not exist; instead, timelines and dates are linked to well-known historical events. Establishing the date of Herod’s death requires piecing together such clues as the reigns of Tiberius, King Herod and his sons; the Battle of Actium; the Jewish religious calendar; astronomy data, Josephus’ history accounts, etc.
Adding another level of complexity is “inclusive reckoning,” the question of whether a partial year was counted as a full year in historical references. The unsettled question instills a plus or minus factor of at least a year.[2]
Josephus wrote extensively in Antiquities of the Jews about the days surrounding Herod’s death. They are marked by bookend events of a lunar eclipse and the following Passover that Spring.
Calculations
Tetrarch Philip
Philip, one of King Herod’s sons, began reigning part of Judea after the death of his father when he was appointed by Caesar Augustus as tetrarch. Printed copies of Antiquities say Philip died in the “twentieth year of Tiberius,” after ruling for 37 years.[3]
“…Philip, Herod’s brother, departed this life, in the twentieth year of the reign of Tiberius after he had been tetrarch of Trachonitis, and Gaulonitis, and of the nation of Bataneana also thirty-seven years.” – Josephus (*printed)[4]
Tiberius began his reign when Caesar Augustus died in 14 AD, then adding 20 years it lands in 34 AD, minus Philip’s reign of 37 years calculates to 3 BC when King Herod died. With the partial lunar eclipse on March 13th, 4 BC, that year becomes the commonly accepted secular date for Herod’s death meaning Jesus of Nazareth had to be born in an earlier year.[5]
Secular history ends the reign of Tiberius in March, 37 AD, after almost 22 and half years when he began his reign in August, 14 AD. After factoring in the 37-year reign of Philip, he could not have began his reign in 4 BC.
Consultant and Biblical hobbyist, David Beyer, compared the 1544 Gutenberg printings of Antiquities to two dozen older, handwritten manuscripts predating Gutenberg. He discovered all older handwritten Antiquities manuscripts said that Philip died in the 22nd year of Tiberius, not the 20th year, and when corrected to 22 years places Herod’s death in the 1 BC time frame.[6]
Josephus’ two other references in Antiquities of the Jews and Wars of the Jews each back-up Beyer. In Antiquities, Josephus states that Tiberius died after serving as Caesar “twenty-two years, five months and three days” aligning with the secular history date of early 37 AD this placing Herod’s death in the 1 BC.[7]
Wars marked the Battle of Actium in the 7th year of Herod’s reign academically recognized as occurring in the year 31 BC. Josephus wrote that Herod served for 37 years backdating the beginning of Herod’s reign to 38 BC who then reigned himself for 37 years thereby again reckoning Herod’s death in the year 1 BC.
Agrippa, in 36 AD, traveled to Rome before the death of Tiberius. After saying to Caligula (Caius/Gaius) in a carriage ride that he wished Tiberius would die. The carriage driver told Tiberius who had Agrippa thrown into prison.
Six months later after the death of Tiberius, his successor, Caligula, gave the unfilled tetrarchy of Philip to Agrippa in 37 AD. Once again, factoring in the reign of Tiberius and backdating Philip’s death after reigning for 37 years, reckons to Herod’s death in 1 BC.[8]
Three historical references by Josephus are calculated three different ways. All land in the year 1 BC.
Historian expert Gerard Gertoux, using several calculations methods, arrived at similar results. Approaching the dilemma from several angles, Gertoux determined the King’s death occurred in 1 BC.[9]
Astronomy
Changing the date of Herod’s death to 1 BC poses a second question – what about the lunar eclipse referenced by Josephus marking the final days of King Herod?
NASA lunar eclipse data for Jerusalem reveals that on January 9-10, 1 BC, a full lunar eclipse occurred. Passover that year was observed on April 6th, twelve and half weeks later allowing eight additional weeks for the events described by Josephus to occur.[10]
By comparison, NASA data for Jerusalem shows only a partial, less-than-half, lunar eclipse occurred on March 13th, 4 BC, used to support the secular 4 BC timeline.[11] Passover in 4 BC fell on April 10th, four weeks later.[12]
Span of Eclipse to Passover Events
Aside from various dating methods, some experts question the timeline between the eclipse and Passover. Could all the events described by Josephus have occurred in the span of just 4 weeks if Herod died in 4 BC?
Josephus described in detail the events that took place between the eclipse and the upcoming Passover.[13] A gripping scene in Jerusalem began with rumors that Herod had died inciting insurrectionists to remove the long-hated sacrilege of Rome’s golden eagle insignia Herod had mounted over the entrance gate.[14]
Unfortunately for the insurrectionists, the King was not yet dead. Herod had the High Priest removed from office and 40 insurrectionists burned alive marked by a lunar eclipse that night.
Herod’s loathsome protruding bowels and gangrenous groin condition worsened. Physicians recommended therapy in the warm baths of Callirrhoe, about a 2-days journey from Jerusalem past another of Herod’s palace in Jericho, then across the Jordan River to the hot springs.[15]
Gaining no relief, his physicians then recommended soaking in a full vat of oil. Back to his closer palace in Jericho, King Herod soaked in a vat for three days, but that treatment also failed.
Preparing for the final chapter in his life, the King sent letters throughout Judea summoning all the “principal men” to Jericho:
“all the principal men of the entire Jewish nation, wheresoever they lived, should be called to him…a great number that came, because the whole nation was called, and all men heard of this call, and death was the penalty of such as should despise the epistles.” – Josephus[16]
Death would bring welcome relief. Misery overcame the King who decided to hasten his inevitable death with a kitchen carving knife, but his cousin saw what was about to happen, grabbed the King’s hand and began screaming.[17]
Echoing screams throughout the halls of the palace were misinterpreted that Herod had died touching off a great wailing lamentation. Antipater, Herod’s imprisoned eldest son, believed a twist of fate had now posited the kingdom into his grasp.
Antipater promised his jailer fortunes to release him immediately. Instead, the jailer informed Herod who became enraged, beat his head and ordered his son to be promptly executed.[18]
Herod died 5 days later, after Antipater’s execution, according to Josephus.[19] News of the King’s death spread across Judea and to other nations.
International dignitaries and top military personnel including centurions, captains and officers; and full regiments of the Thracians, Germans, Galatians and Gauls all outfitted in full battle gear traveled to the King’s funeral in Jericho. Meanwhile, a funeral bier was built of gold embroidered by “very precious stones of a great variety” and lined with purple material “of various contexture.”
After the funeral, an elaborate and slow procession to Herodium for the King’s interment took many more days. Following the King’s burial was a 7-day morning period, then a feast was given for the people of Judea before the Passover.[20]
Question
Historical records, archeological discoveries and astronomy data point to the death of Herod in the 1 BC time frame vs. the questionable secular 4 BC date. Did Herod’s death actually occur in 1 BC or the traditionally accepted year of 4 BC?
Magi were scorned by Judaism for their mystical reputation.[1] Not motivated by an ancient prophecy nor a prophet, an angelic appearance, or any type of divine revelation; rather, the Magi’s actions were compelled by an awe-inspiring scene they observed in the night sky.
Clearly was not worried the inclusion of the Magi in his account would be called into question by his contemporaries, Matthew’s introduction of the Magi into the Nativity story had a full historical context behind its setting. Matthew covered the wise men magi story with 12 verses, at least 10 providing specific details.[3]
Greek text of Matthew uses the word magos, the Latin word equivalent to magus, its plural form is magi.[2]The word is sometimes translated into English as “wise men” – both translations are correct.
Babylonians, Medes and Persians viewed magos as an eclectic group of priests, physicians, teachers, soothsayers, interpreters of dreams, astrologers, and sorcerers making it easy for magi to be referred to as “mystics.” Not surprisingly, magi is the root word of “magic.”
MT 2:1 “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem…” (NIV)
MT 2:1 “In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem…” (NRSV)
Roman era Jewish society had a dual-perspective of magi. One perspective was that of the famed Hebrew, Daniel, a Israelite of royal descent captured by Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel was placed into the elite Babylonian school of the Chaldeans where he received an education in astronomy and astrology.[5]
God gave “Daniel understanding in all visions and dreams,” a gift that landed him in Nebuchadnezzar’s royal council of wise men, the chakkiym.[6] Later, Nebuchadnezzar made Daniel chief of all magi, a position known as Rab-mag.[7]
After the Medes and Persians overthrew the Babylonian Empire, Daniel’s “extraordinary spirit” again elevated him to a high level in the new government.[8] Under King Cyrus the main religion was Zoroastrianism where its founder, Zoroaster, was is often considered to be the original magi and priests of Zoroastrianism were called “magi.”.[9]
Setting the stage for the other Jewish perspective of magi began when Alexander the Great marched through Judea. Open-minded Hellenistic culture of the Greek Empire allowed the Jews religious freedom, but it also introduced Zoroastrianism that was intermingled with the influences of the Babylonian chakkiym.[10]
Over the coming decades, the effects of Hellenism on Jewish culture was unavoidable much to the frustration of the Jewish Rabbis. Liberal philosophies of Hellenism permeated Jewish culture meanwhile Greek became the common language.[11] Next came the Roman Empire which seemed content to leave the prevailing culture in Judea alone.[12]
As expert astronomers, magi used the legendary Babylonian astronomical science and charts to study of the motion of stars past, present and future. Ability to plot upcoming cosmic events by these wise men were scientifically predictive, not “mystical.”[13]
Toward the very end of the BC era a series of rare celestial conjunctions occurred, ones hard to ignore by astronomers then or today. Witnessing just one such rare conjunction can be an once-in-a-lifetime experience. Imagine the scenario where, in a space of just 5 years from 7-2 BC, there were 13 rare conjunctions including two triple conjunctions![14]
Zoroastrianism beliefs held that celestial events served as signs with earthly significance. Signs of a newborn king observed by the magi were so awe-inspiring, they set out on a month’s long quest to find and worship him.[15] Matthew does not say there were only three magi...the number of magi may or may not be accurate.
Not just anyone appearing on the door step of the King’s palace would expect to gain entry. Signifying King Herod‘s regard for magi, when they arrived unannounced the magi had no problem gaining direct access to the King who gave them his immediate and full attention.
Herod did not question the credibility of the magi when they gave him the alarming news about the birth of a King of the Jews. Neither did Herod’s Jewish religious experts who pointed the King to Micah’s prophecy saying a Jewish ruler was to be born in Bethlehem.
Believing the prophecy to be true, Herod invited the magi back for another meeting to investigate the timing of the star, directed them to Bethlehem, slyly asking for their help in finding the exact location of this newborn king. Angered when they didn’t return, Herod’s reaction by killing all the children 2 years old and under in the Bethlehem district demonstrates his belief in the truth of the magi’s message about a newborn King of the Jews.
King Herod and his royal Jewish religious council believed the credibility and message of the magi. How likely is it that the Jewish author of Matthew would unnecessarily introduce the magi…unless the author also believed it to be true?
