hristmas began as a celebration of the birth of Jesus, believed by many to be anointed by God (“Christ”) to save the world. The birth of Jesus is both a religious and a historical event. Historians talk about belief in angels. Actual angels are religious matters. The historical setting (time, place, and background) of the birth of Jesus can provide helpful context to religious believers. Religious accounts can also provide useful historical context.
Christmas in Historical Context
Christmas originated as “Christ’s Mass,” the religious celebration (mass) of the birth of Jesus. Many believe Jesus is the “anointed one” (Christ), anointed by God to redeem humanity.
The gospels of the Christian Bible (New Testament) discuss these matters. They are religious works, acts of faith. The gospels cite some history; they are not history books.
The birth of Jesus can be studied as a secular historical event.
Roman Palestine
In those days, Caesar Augustus issued a decree …
Gospel of Luke
Jesus was born during the reign of Caesar Augustus in Roman-controlled Palestine (Israel today). Augustus was the first emperor of Rome. His reign was the beginning of Pax Romana, the golden age of the Roman Empire.
The Roman general Pompey, in 63 BCE, marched into Jerusalem, ending a century of Jewish independence. Local Jewish leaders, including Temple priests, had to consider the demands of the Roman Empire. Many Jews saw Rome as corrupt and ungodly. They dreamed of redemption.
Non-Jews also were unsatisfied with Pax Romana. There was a great deal of misery and injustice in the empire. Pagans often were dissatisfied and open to new possibilities.
King Herod
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?”
Gospel of Matthew
The Christian Bible states that Jesus was born during the reign of King Herod, the Jewish client king of Rome. Herod was powerful, successful, and tyrannical.
Jesus was born in the final days of his reign, when Herod was ailing and even more suspicious about possible enemies. He killed his own family members. The biblical Herod, including the killing of innocent children, is not completely historical. It does match his overall nature.
Herod died in 4 BCE. The birth of Jesus is the starting point of our dating system. It is set before or after the birth of Christ (or “the Common Era”). How can Jesus be born during Herod’s reign? It turns out the person who originated the dating system miscalculated a bit.
Mary and Joseph
Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.
Gospel of Luke
The gospels are our original source for the names of the parents of Jesus.
We also learn the names of some of his siblings, including James, who became a leader of the Christian community in Jerusalem some time after the death of Jesus. Josephus, the Jewish historian, also mentions “the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose name was James.”
Mary and Joseph lived in a tiny rural backwater (Nazareth). They were faithful Jews and appear not to have had much money. Historically, though later writings provided unreliable details, we do not know much about their particular lives.
We do know how people like them lived. We also know about events that took place, including a failed Jewish uprising not too far from Nazareth around the time of the birth of Jesus.
We are left to do this for many historical figures. We do not know the specific details as we do about people later in history. Historians, however, can form a general impression of the typical person and their life and times. This inexact process can provide some useful context.
Angels, Census, Magis, and More
The gospels (“good news”) provide many well-known details about the birth of Jesus. Schools have Christmas pageants that show Jesus being born in a manger and three wise men coming bearing gifts. They have special religious significance. They are not likely to be acts of history.
Secular historians can talk about belief in angels. Angels, including those who supposedly predict miraculous births, are not part of secular history. They are religious concepts.
The gospels have a religious reason for wanting Jesus to be born in Bethlehem, even though people knew he grew up in Nazareth. Secular historians who study religious works realize that they are not written as history books. The “facts” sometimes are not historically accurate.
Luke cites a supposed census, which historically probably didn’t happen, that he places during the term of a certain governor of Syria. The person existed but was not the governor at that time. Rome also didn’t care if you were a descendant of David, including for tax purposes.
Matthew tells us that the Magi delivered presents to Jesus and engaged with King Herod. Magi were magicians and astrologers from Persia. Matthew used them to send a religious message that even pagans knew the birth of Jesus was a special event, signified by a star.
A star was born under a star. Again, the gospels are not history. They were not written as history. The Magi story is best understood as a specific Christian religious message.
A Window Into An Era
The birth narratives in the gospels provide a window into the life of typical Jews at the beginning of the common era in Roman Palestine. We learn about Jewish marriage practices, birth rituals, and religious practices.
Oral and written religious traditions often provide historians with helpful details about everyday life in a certain date, time, and location. The specific details might not be true.
They remain significant historical sources of information.