Was Jesus born in 6BC or 6AD?

Answer 1

The common belief that Jesus was born on the year 1 is the result of an innocent mistake made in 533 by the Roman abbot Dionysus Exiguus. He knew that it was impossible to say when Jesus was born, but he knew, or thought he knew, when Herod died. So, he devised the new Christian calendar to begin on the year of Herod's death. He based the date of Herod's death on the reign of the Roman emperor Augustus, but was unaware that Augustus only adopted that name four years after his reign began, going by his birth name of Octavius until then. So, Exiguus commenced his calendar 4 years after the death of Herod.

Also, there is no reason to believe that Jesus was not born before 6 BC. Matthew seem to suggest that he was born well before the death of Herod. And, John 8:57 suggests that Jesus looked well over thirty years old at the time of his ministry: "Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old ... " So, while the biblical evidence suggests that Jesus was born before 4 BC, it does not say how long before.

This discrepancy is one reason for a developing preference for the alternative acronym 'BCE' (Before Common Era), which is at least accurate.

Answer 2

because the inventor of the terms bc and ad lived at a time when he could not precisly calculate when Jesus was born, so he got it a bit wrong. now we know more historical evidence, we can tell almost exactly when Jesus was born.

Answer/

It is at times stated that Christ was born before he was born because there was no thought to qualify the statement.

Answer 3

A:If Jesus was born during the reign of King Herod, he was born approximately 6 BC.

If Jesus was born at the time of the census when Quirinius was governor of Syria, he was born in 6 or 7 AD.

Answer 4

Herod the Great was alive when Jesus was born. Herod died in 4 B.C.