It is established that the eclipse recorded in Josephus occurred on January 9, 1 B.C., and that it was not long before this that Herod interviewed the Magi concerning the appearance of the star (December of 2 B.C.). When Herod discovered that the Magi would not be returning, he arranged to have the children in Bethlehem killed, and specified that they must be “two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men,” Matthew 2:16 tells us. Herod would not have specified two years as the upper limit unless he knew from his diligent inquiry of the Magi that the child was born during 3 B.C.
Biblical, historical, and astronomical evidence converge on 3 B.C. as the year of Jesus Christ’s birth. Building on this information of 3 B.C. as the year of Christ’s birth, we can look at additional Biblical and astronomical testimony and determine with precision the date of Christ’s birth to the day and the hour. The twelfth chapter of the Book of Revelation presents essential information for pin-pointing this exact time.
Revelation 12:1-5:
And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
Here in Revelation 12, events past and future are revealed regarding the spiritual warfare between the true God and the Devil. This passage describes a vision which God gave the Apostle John. The vision involves symbols and words full of great truths. Their meaning can be recaptured by a diligent search of God’s Word: first and foremost in the written Word and secondarily in the Word written in the stars. Parallel truths can be found in both. This entire passage in Revelation 12 takes on a profoundly significant dimension when analyzed in terms of astronomy.
Revelation 12:1 says, “there appeared a great wonder in heaven.” The word “wonder” is the Greek word smeion. In Greek literature smeion is used of any kind of sign, but a notable usage is in reference to a sign of the zodiac. This is particularly interesting in the context of Revelation 12 for the sign is said to have appeared “in heaven.”
The sign spoken of in verse 1 is a woman. And the only sign of the zodiac that could correspond to this description is the constellation Virgo.
Revelation 12 further specifies that the woman was “clothed with the sun,” another celestial body. The sun, as it appears to travel through the ecliptic each year, enters into the mid-body between the neck and the knees of the constellation Virgo, “clothing” her “with the sun,” for approximately a twenty-day period. So this one astronomical detail shown in John’s vision narrows down the astronomical event he is describing to a twenty-day period during any given year. In the year 3 B.C. the sun was in this position from August 27 through September 15.
The woman in Revelation 12 was not only “clothed with the sun,” but also the moon was “under her feet.” With these two specific details, the sun and moon found in Virgo, we can be very precise in our computation of time. In 3 B.C. this configuration of the sun and moon in Virgo occurred on one day only, and that was September 11. This configuration of the sun and the moon in the constellation Virgo was observable in Palestine between sunset and moonset, this twilight period being called “night.”2 On September 11, 3 B.C., sunset was at 6:18 P.M. and moonset at 7:39 P.M. Based on the information given in Revelation 12, it was during this eighty-one-minute period that Jesus Christ took his first breath of life and became a living soul, even as Adam did in Genesis 2:7, perhaps even at the beginning of this new day. The description given in Revelation 12:1 exactly chronicles the astronomical occurrence of the evening of September 11, 3 B.C.
Verse 2 of Revelation 12 describes the woman as being in labor, ready to give birth. Verses 3 and 4 recount symbolically the Adversary’s fall from heaven and his plan to slay the child as soon as he was born. In verses 4 and 5 the woman’s labor finishes and the child is brought forth. Verse 5 refers to the child’s birth and ascension to God’s throne. Clearly, from all these specifics the child can be none other than the Christ, the Messiah, the promised seed.
As if this were not enough evidence, there was yet another significant astronomical display on September 11, 3 B.C. From sunset of September 11 to sunset of September 12 was one day on the Hebrew calendar. Not only did the sign of Revelation 12:1 occur then, but also on this very day Jupiter and Regulus could be seen approaching conjunction before dawn. Although the precise astronomical conjunction occurred on September 14, the angle of observation and Jupiter’s slow apparent motion would have made their close rendezvous obvious as early as the predawn hours of Thursday, September 12, within hours of the Messiah’s birth. At this time the king planet (Jupiter) could be seen approaching the king star (Regulus) in the constellation of Leo, the sign of Judah from whose seed the Messiah, the promised seed, the ultimate ruler, came.
According to chronological tables, September 11, 3 B.C. fell on a Wednesday.4 Jesus Christ was born on the Hebrew day corresponding to our sunset September 11, Wednesday. Therefore Jesus Christ was born on Wednesday, September 11, 3 B.C., between 6:18 and 7:39 P.M., Palestine time. September 11 may appear to be of no particular significance to us, but in Biblical and Hebrew reckoning, this month and day held a special significance. On the evening of what we would call September 11, 3 B.C., the new moon first became visible in the west shortly after sunset. Since the Hebrew calendar months began on the evening that the new moon appeared, the evening of September 11 was the first day of a new month. The evening of September 11 to the evening of September 12 in 3 B.C. was the first day of the seventh month, the month of Tishri.
Hence, in Biblical terminology, Jesus was born on the first of Tishri, between 6:18 and 7:39 P.M. On this night the remarkable astronomical configuration described in Revelation 12:1 occurred: Virgo, the Woman, was clothed with the sun and the moon rested under her feet.
The “Great wonder” of Revelation 12:1 Sunset, 6:18 P.M., September 11, 3 B.C.
The diagram shows the sun half-way set. The sun is on the ecliptic, the dotted line, and the solid line is the celestial equator, which is directly overhead at the earth’s equator. At this point, the first thin crescent of the moon appears, marking the first of the new month, Tishri.
Comments
Could you please clarify in this blog where the astronomical evidence is sourced from? I have searched on Stellarium and do find any alignment of the Sun in Virgo, and the moon at the feet of Virgo (nor the 12 stars at her crown) for the Sept, 11th, 3BC date. Much less for the time frame given in this blog.
To address your question, a brief explanation may help clarify why the article When Was Jesus Born concludes that Jesus was born on September 11, 3 B.C., and how the three reference works support that conclusion.
The article weaves together historical sources, biblical imagery, and astronomical reconstruction. Historically, it relies on Josephus, who records a lunar eclipse shortly before Herod’s death. This places Jesus’ birth near the end of Herod’s life. Both Jesus Christ: Our Promised Seed (pp. 180–186) and The Star That Astonished the World (pp. 3–9) analyze this chronology and suggest that the years 3–2 B.C. best align with Herod’s timeline, the visit of the Magi, and his subsequent actions.
The article then interprets Revelation 12 as describing a literal celestial configuration, with Virgo representing the woman “clothed with the sun” and the moon positioned “under her feet.” This interpretation is explored in Jesus Christ: Our Promised Seed (pp. 187–192), which connects the passage to astronomical events. A similar understanding of Virgo as symbolizing the promised seed appears in The Witness of the Stars (pp. 29–34), which examines how ancient cultures identified Virgo and Leo in connection with messianic themes.
Astronomically, the article focuses on the fact that in 3 B.C., the sun’s position in Virgo’s torso and the moon under her feet occurred only once that year, and only for a brief window of time. This alignment happened in the early evening of September 11, visible in Palestine between sunset and moonset. Jesus Christ: Our Promised Seed describes this alignment on pages 193–203, and The Star That Astonished the World provides supporting data and charts on pages 87–96. Both sources note that this configuration was unique to that year.
Some commentators note that the imagery in Revelation 12 may reflect an actual astronomical configuration connected with the birth of Jesus, and while not all scholars agree on a precise date, the late 3 B.C. timeframe is often considered a reasonable possibility based on a convergence of historical and celestial evidence.
The article further correlates this event with the Hebrew calendar, proposing that the evening of September 11, 3 B.C., corresponded to the first day of Tishri, the civil new year. This connection is discussed in Jesus Christ: Our Promised Seed (pp. 204–206) and The Star That Astonished the World (pp. 93–95), which examine the visibility of the new moon and its calendrical significance.
Lastly, one reason Stellarium may not reproduce this configuration as described is that modern software relies on current constellation boundaries, modern calendar systems, and standardized rendering rather than ancient star-figure outlines. Both The Star That Astonished the World (pp. 102–104) and The Witness of the Stars (pp. 13–18) note that ancient constellation imagery differs from modern IAU boundaries, which explains why a contemporary simulation may not visually match ancient descriptions.
In short, the strength of the article lies in how these strands of evidence converge: historical data pointing to the late years of Herod, biblical imagery depicting a specific celestial scene, and an identifiable astronomical event in 3 B.C. that matches that description. The three reference books support these components from different angles and, taken together, provide the basis for the article’s conclusion.
In addition to these, a few other researchers have highlighted similar astronomical patterns around 3–2 B.C. Ernest Martin’s book The Star That Astonished the World is often cited for its detailed treatment of the Jupiter–Regulus conjunctions and their symbolic significance, proposing that these rare events formed a meaningful celestial sign associated with the birth of a royal figure. Rick Larson’s research, presented in The Star of Bethlehem project, draws attention to the same planetary activity in Leo and suggests that it may help explain the interest of the Magi. Some historians also propose a slightly later date for Herod’s death, which allows the biblical and historical timeline to align more naturally with a late 3 B.C. nativity. These independent lines of inquiry do not all reach identical conclusions, but they reinforce the idea that a rare and meaningful set of celestial events occurred during this period, making it a credible window for the birth of Jesus.
I hope this helps answer your question, and if you’d like to explore any part of this further, please feel free to let me know.
I don’t subscribe to this theory of dating Jesus’ birth, but to find this alignment, you must set the date on Stellarium to -2, because the app has a year 0, which isn’t a thing.
You’re absolutely right that there’s no “year 0” in the traditional B.C./A.D. (or B.C./C.E.) calendar system. However, astronomy software like Stellarium uses astronomical year numbering, which does include a year 0 for calculation purposes. In that system:
1 B.C. = year 0
2 B.C. = year -1
3 B.C. = year -2
So when the article refers to events in 3 B.C., Stellarium will show those same sky configurations in year “-2.” That isn’t adding a year 0 to history; it’s just how the program (and modern astronomical convention) handles the math behind the scenes. I appreciate you raising the point—it’s an important distinction between historical dating and astronomical numbering, and it can definitely be confusing if that difference isn’t made clear.
Christ’s birthdate is calculated by some to be September 12/13, 25 BCE. This date is associated with the planet Venus’s retrograde motion reaching the constellation Crater (The Cup), which is symbolically linked to Christ’s Cup. This astronomical event is proposed to have occurred on Tishrei 1, the Feast of Trumpets. Furthermore, John the Baptist’s birth is placed on Sivan 6.
Christ’s death is fixed on April 19, 26 CE. This date is argued to fulfill the prophecy implicit in the verse where people tell Christ he was “not yet fifty years old.”
This chronological framework is further supported by starting with 70 CE (the destruction of the Temple), subtracting three and a half years (a period when Jerusalem supposedly lacked a High Priest), and then subtracting 40 years to arrive at the date of Christ’s death. The crucifixion date is also identified as a High Sabbath, indicating it coincided with both the weekly Sabbath rest and potentially a Jubilee Year.
I’m still confused… if September 11, 3BC was the correct date our Lord Jesus was born. Can someone quote the verse for me?
The idea that Jesus was born on September 11, 3 BC, comes from a combination of biblical inference, astronomical data, and historical context. This date is not explicitly stated in Scripture, but some scholars have proposed it based on their study of biblical texts and celestial events. Below are some key points from the book “Jesus Christ Our Promised Seed” supporting September 11, 3 BC, as Jesus’ birthdate:
Revelation 12 describes a celestial alignment involving “a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and a crown of twelve stars.” Scholars and researchers, including those referenced in Jesus Christ Our Promised Seed, interpret this passage as symbolic of a specific astronomical configuration visible in the constellation Virgo. Using precise astronomical calculations, this alignment is shown to have occurred on September 11, 3 BC.
Additionally, the timing of the Roman census described in Luke 2 supports this time-frame. Historical records indicate that such a census would likely align with a period when people returned to their ancestral towns for registration, a practice more practical during temperate weather, such as early autumn.
Matthew 2 further describes the visit of the Magi, guided by a “star in the east.” This celestial phenomenon, often identified with the conjunctions of Jupiter and Regulus or the heliacal rising of specific stars, aligns with the same period in 3 BC.
Census Timing: The Roman census in Luke 2 likely occurred in the fall of 3 BC, aligning with favorable travel conditions and the harvest season.
John the Baptist’s Birth: Calculations based on priestly divisions place John’s birth in March 3 BC, making Jesus’ birth six months later, in September.
Star of Bethlehem: On September 11, 3 BC, Jupiter rose in the east as a “morning star,” guiding the Magi.
Hebrew Calendar: This date aligns with Tishri 1 (Feast of Trumpets), symbolizing kingship and new beginnings.
These elements combine biblical, historical, and astronomical evidence, making September 11, 3 BC, a plausible date for Jesus’ birth.
I’ve also used an astronomical program, Stellarium, that allows you to rewind time to see how the celestial bodies moved into this specific alignment. It also makes me wonder about the demonic significance of the sacrifice of 2,977 people during the attacks 24 years ago today.
In his book, “The Star that Astonished the World” by Ernest L. Martin he develops the September 11 3BC date in detail.
1,260 days before the Rev 12 sign in 2017 was The 1st Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse on Passover on 4/14/14. The Blood Moon was at the feet of Virgo the Virgin in Libra or LEVI. There were 12 stars of David leading up to it. Mary was a Virgo. Jesus would have been an Aries, the Lamb of God. The moon was in Libra the scales of Justice where he would pay the price of sin. I believe he was born on Passover and died on Passover. Full circle. Mission complete. It is finished.
There are eschatological reasons why September 11 is more likely the date of his birth. We know Jesus started his ministry around 30, and it lasted for about 3 1/2 years. His crucifixion and death happened on the preparation day before an annual Sabbath, during the daylight portion of the last day of Passover (Abib 14 on the Hebrew calendar), in the year 31AD. So counting back to his birth from this date is Tishrei 14, 3BC. On the Julian calendar, it is Wednesday, September 11th, 3BC.
Thank you and Aloha and Shalom!!!
On September 11, 3 B.C. sunset was at 6:18 pm and moonset at 7:39 pm. It was during this eighty-one minute period of time that Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem of Judaea. In this booklet, September 11th the Day Jesus Christ was born, Tony Ray presents a thorough and careful examination of astronomical, secular, and biblical records. When read carefully, the evidence presented in this book, will help you to determine precisely and conclusively, that September 11th, 3 B.C. was the day Jesus Christ was born!
Jesus Christ was born on Friday, September 11, 0003 BC at 6:18pm
Oddly specific. How did you come to this conclusion?
Hi Carol,
Great question — and I completely understand why it feels “oddly specific.” The conclusion isn’t based on guesswork or someone forcing a date into the text. It comes from a convergence of biblical details, historical records, and astronomical data, all of which point to the same window of time.
Here’s a brief overview of how we arrive at the conclusion:
1. Matthew 2 gives us a fixed frame of reference. Herod asked the Magi when the star first appeared, and based on that timing he ordered the children in Bethlehem “two years old and under.” That tells us Jesus had to be born within a very specific period before Herod’s death.
2. Josephus records an eclipse shortly before Herod died. That eclipse occurred on January 9, 1 B.C., and the timing fits well with the events surrounding Jesus’ birth. Counting backward based on Herod’s inquiry places the birth sometime in 3 B.C.
3. Revelation 12 contains an astronomical description. The vision of the woman “clothed with the sun” with the moon “under her feet” matches a very precise celestial alignment in the constellation Virgo. In 3 B.C., that alignment only happened on one day — September 11.
4. That same evening marked Tishri 1, the biblical new year. The new moon became visible just after sunset on September 11, making it the first day of the seventh month on the Hebrew calendar — a day loaded with prophetic significance.
When you put all four pieces together — Scripture, Josephus, astronomy, and the Hebrew calendar — they all converge on the same date. That’s why the conclusion seems so specific.
If you’d like to dig deeper, we have other articles on our website (The Real Christmas Story, The Birth of Christ, Gospel Chronology of the Birth of Christ, Unwrapping the Mystery: The Truth of Christ’s Birth) that walks through all of this in more detail — the biblical record, the historical context, and the astronomical signs.
I believe Jesus’s birthday was March 11th, but 3 BC as well. And I think He’ll be returning this year (2024). However, I’m sure I’m just one more crazy zealot who’s seeing the signs all pointing in that direction. The only thing I know for sure, is that He’s very real and whatever the dates are, I don’t really care anymore. I’m in love. His compassionionate Heart is just too beautiful! Praise God!
Jesus’s own words put His return to fulfill scripture in the middle of the 7 years of tribulation, during that generation that was the Roman Jewish war from 66 to 73 AD! 42 MONTHS, 1260 Days, into the war, in 70 AD, the Temple was destroyed putting and end to the Old to make way for the New!! The message of Hebrews 8-12 is completed!
Whoever will read this, rest assured Jesus was really born on this date. I know it! Take this as you like 🙂
Amazing, thank you for that wonderful research.