Bible Dictionaries
Nativity of Christ

Easton's Bible Dictionary

The birth of our Lord took place at the time and place predicted by the prophets (Genesis 49:10; Isaiah 7:14; Jeremiah 31:15; Micah 5:2; Haggai 2:6-9; Daniel 9:24,25 ). Joseph and Mary were providentially led to go up to Bethlehem at this period, and there Christ was born (Matthew 2:1,6; Luke 2:1,7 ). The exact year or month or day of his birth cannot, however, now be exactly ascertained. We know, however, that it took place in the "fulness of the time" (Galatians 4:4 ), i.e., at the fittest time in the world's history. Chronologists are now generally agreed that the year 4 before the Christian era was the year of Christ's nativity, and consequently that he was about four years old in the year 1 A.D.