The Gospels of Matthew and Luke describe the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem in Judea, in the days of King Herod the Great, to Mary, who was betrothed to Joseph. Matthew tells of the visit of the Magi, who followed a star, while Luke tells of shepherds and a journey to Bethlehem for a census. Since Herod died in 4 BCE by the usual reckoning, Jesus must have been born before then, even though the Christian calendar later devised in the sixth century placed his birth at year one. Historians cannot fix the exact date, and the celebration of Christmas on 25 December is a tradition that emerged in the fourth century.
Before and after
- 12 BCEOrigins of Pyramid of Cestius
- 1 August 10 BCEBirth of Claudius
- 9 BCEOrigins of Ara Pacis
- 27 November 8 BCEDeath of Horace
- c. 4 BCENativity of Jesus
- 4 BCEConstruction of Ise Jingū
- from 1st century BCE to 5th centuryCaucasian Albania
- 1st millennium BCEPublication of 2 Maccabees
- 1 BCEBirth of Saint Peter
More in Art, literature & culture
- from c. 776 BCE to 500 CEAncient Olympic Games
- c. 520 BCECarving of the Behistun inscription
- c. 430s BCEHerodotus writes the Histories
- 2nd century BCEVenus de Milo
- June 313 CEEdict of Milan
- 1 November 451 CECouncil of Chalcedon
The era
This moment belongs to the Ancient civilizations (3,200 BCE to 500 CE), writing, cities and empires. You can also browse everything in the 1st century BCE.