Home · When · The Life of Jesus · Jesus is born in Bethlehem Birth · The Life of Jesus c. 6 BC
Jesus is born in Bethlehem Range across sources: 6–4 BC
True span 4004 BC – AD 100
Beginnings · 4004 BC – 1996 BC · 12 events Beginnings 4004 BC – 1996 BC The Patriarchs · 1996 BC – 1635 BC · 34 events Patriarchs 1996 BC – 1635 BC Egypt and the Exodus · 1635 BC – 1451 BC · 19 events Exodus 1635 BC – 1451 BC Conquest and Settlement · 1451 BC – 1400 BC · 7 events Conquest 1451 BC – 1400 BC The Judges · 1405 BC – 1095 BC · 13 events Judges 1405 BC – 1095 BC The United Kingdom · 1095 BC – 975 BC · 38 events United Kgdm 1095 BC – 975 BC Israel and Judah · 933 BC – 721 BC · 27 events Israel & Judah 933 BC – 721 BC Judah Alone · 721 BC – 586 BC · 22 events Judah alone 721 BC – 586 BC The Exile · 586 BC – 538 BC · 7 events Exile 586 BC – 538 BC Return and Restoration · 538 BC – 400 BC · 13 events Return 538 BC – 400 BC Between the Testaments · 400 BC – 4 BC · 8 events Between 400 BC – 4 BC The Life of Jesus · 6 BC – AD 33 · 42 events Jesus 6 BC – AD 33 The Apostles and the Early Church · AD 30 – AD 100 · 29 events The Church AD 30 – AD 100 6 BC — Jesus is born in Bethlehem 4 BC — Herod the Great dies AD 26 — John preaches and baptizes in the wilderness AD 26 — Jesus is baptized by John in the Jordan AD 27 — Jesus drives the traders from the temple AD 30 — Jesus rides into Jerusalem AD 30 — The Last Supper AD 30 — Gethsemane and the arrest AD 30 — The trial before Caiaphas; Peter's denial AD 30 — Jesus before Pilate; Barabbas released AD 30 — Jesus is crucified at Golgotha AD 30 — Joseph of Arimathea lays Jesus in the tomb AD 30 — Jesus rises on the first day of the week AD 30 — The walk to Emmaus AD 30 — The Great Commission AD 30 — Jesus is taken up from the Mount of Olives Gabriel promises a son to Zechariah — placed by its order in the narrative Gabriel comes to Mary at Nazareth — placed by its order in the narrative Mary visits Elizabeth; the Magnificat — placed by its order in the narrative John the Baptist is born — placed by its order in the narrative Simeon and Anna see the child in the temple — placed by its order in the narrative Wise men from the east come to Bethlehem — placed by its order in the narrative Joseph takes the child to Egypt — placed by its order in the narrative The boy Jesus among the teachers — placed by its order in the narrative Jesus is tempted in the wilderness forty days — placed by its order in the narrative The first disciples follow Jesus — placed by its order in the narrative Water into wine at the wedding in Cana — placed by its order in the narrative Nicodemus comes to Jesus by night — placed by its order in the narrative The Samaritan woman at Jacob's well — placed by its order in the narrative Jesus reads Isaiah and is rejected at Nazareth — placed by its order in the narrative Jesus calls fishermen by the Sea of Galilee — placed by its order in the narrative The Sermon on the Mount — placed by its order in the narrative Jesus chooses the Twelve — placed by its order in the narrative The centurion's servant healed at Capernaum — placed by its order in the narrative John the Baptist is beheaded — placed by its order in the narrative Five thousand fed with five loaves — placed by its order in the narrative Jesus walks on the water — placed by its order in the narrative Peter confesses the Christ at Caesarea Philippi — placed by its order in the narrative The transfiguration — placed by its order in the narrative Seventy are sent out two by two — placed by its order in the narrative Lazarus is raised at Bethany — placed by its order in the narrative Zacchaeus the tax collector — placed by its order in the narrative the whole thread → Told in Opening words from the World English Bible (public domain); the passage list is in-house
Who and where Names and references: STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0 · coordinates: OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding · CC BY 4.0
How we know the date ISBE works back from the death of Herod, the census under Quirinius and the courses of the priests, and settles on 748 by the Roman reckoning, that is 6 BC; Ussher puts the Nativity in his year of the world 4000, 4 BC. Both agree the Dionysian era, from which we number our years, is several years late. ISBE's New Testament chronology (1915) gives 6 BC; Ussher's Annals (1650) gives 4 BC (its year of the world 4000). The sources differ by 2 years; the year shown (6 BC) is the one this timeline follows through this stretch, from ISBE (1915).
Written in-house from the sources below · every year is a quotation
The sources, word for word “The birth of Jesus may therefore be assigned to the period 747/7 to 751/5, before the death of Herod, at the time of a census made by Herod in accordance with a decree of Augustus and when Quirinius was exercising extraordinary authority in Syria--Varus being the regular legate of the province, i.e. probably in 748/6.”
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915) · CHRONOLOGY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT · gives 6 BC “4000. … Jesus Curisrus, Dei filius, in temporis plenitudine, Bethlehemi ex beatissima virgine Maria natus est*?; quem illa fasciis involutum reclinavit in preesepi, eo quod non esset locus in diversorio’.”
Ussher, Annales Veteris Testamenti (1650), Latin text in The Whole Works of James Ussher, vols. VIII–XI (Dublin, 1864) · vol. X, AM 4000 · gives 4 BC Sources