Changes

The difficulty raised by this fact is that Jesus was born during the reign of [[Herod the Great]], which ended in 4 B.C.,<ref>The date of Herod’s death is established from information in Josephus, and from the regnal dates of his successors.  Though generally accepted, it is not without its challengers, e.g. W. E. Filmer, ''Journal of Theological Studies'' 17 (1966), pp. 283-98; O. Edwards, ‘Herodian Chronology’, in ''Palestine Exposition Quarterly'' 114 (1982), pp. 29-42; E. L. Martin, ''The Birth of Christ Recalculated'' (Pasadena and Newcastle upon Tyne, 1978); J. Thorley, ‘When was Jesus Born’, ''Greece & Rome'' (1981).</ref> and thus he could not have been born during the census of Quirinius in A.D. 6, as Luke is often understood to be claiming.

The difficulty raised by this fact is that Jesus was born during the reign of [[Herod the Great]], which ended in 4 B.C.,<ref>The date of Herod’s death is established from information in Josephus, and from the regnal dates of his successors.  Though generally accepted, it is not without its challengers, e.g. W. E. Filmer, ''Journal of Theological Studies'' 17 (1966), pp. 283-98; O. Edwards, ‘Herodian Chronology’, in ''Palestine Exposition Quarterly'' 114 (1982), pp. 29-42; E. L. Martin, ''The Birth of Christ Recalculated'' (Pasadena and Newcastle upon Tyne, 1978); J. Thorley, ‘When was Jesus Born’, ''Greece & Rome'' (1981).</ref> and thus he could not have been born during the census of Quirinius in A.D. 6, as Luke is often understood to be claiming.

Both the Gospel of Luke and the [[Gospel of Matthew]] record that Our Lord was born during the reign of Herod the Great.  Matthew is explicit in this regard, and he also gives the added detail that Herod ordered all the male children in [[Bethlehem]] two years old and younger executed, since he learned of a prophecy from the magi that a new King of the Jews had been born in the village (Matthew 2:16).  This implies a terminal date for the birth of Jesus of 6 – 4 B. C.  Luke’s chronology is in harmony with Matthew’s.  He recorded that Elizabeth, Mary’s relative, became pregnant with her child John the Baptist during the reign of Herod the Great (Luke 1:5), and then described Mary’s pregnancy with her child Jesus as occurring six months later.  Luke also stated that Jesus was “around thirty” when he began his ministry (Luke 3:23), which began after the ministry of [[John the Baptist]].  Luke dated John the Baptist’s ministry to “the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar” (Luke 3:23), or A. D. 27.  This also would place Jesus’ birth around 4 B.C.

Both the Gospel of Luke and the [[Gospel of Matthew]] record that Our Lord was born during the reign of Herod the Great.  Matthew is explicit in this regard, and he also gives the added detail that Herod ordered all the male children in [[Bethlehem]] two years old and younger executed, since he learned of a prophecy from the magi that a new King of the Jews had been born in the village (Matthew 2:16).  This implies a terminal date for the birth of Jesus of 6 – 4 B. C.  Luke’s chronology is in harmony with Matthew’s.  He recorded that Elizabeth, Mary’s relative, became pregnant with her child John the Baptist during the reign of Herod the Great (Luke 1:5), and then described Mary’s pregnancy with her child Jesus as occurring six months later.  Luke also stated that Jesus was “around thirty” when he began his ministry (Luke 3:23), which began after the ministry of [[John the Baptist]].  Luke dated John the Baptist’s ministry to “the fifteenth year of [[Tiberius Caesar]]” (Luke 3:23), or A. D. 27.  This also would place Jesus’ birth around 4 B.C.

== Solution ==

== Solution ==