Jesus’ Birth​—Where and When?

• JESUS IS BORN IN BETHLEHEM
• SHEPHERDS VISIT THE BABY JESUS

Caesar Augustus, the emperor of the Roman Empire, has decreed that everyone must be registered. So Joseph and Mary must travel to the city of his birth, the city of Bethlehem, south of Jerusalem.

Caesar: Or “Emperor.” The Greek word Kaiʹsar corresponds to the Latin term Caesar. The name Augustus, a Latin word meaning “August One,” was first given by the Roman Senate as a title to Gaius Octavius, the first Roman emperor, in the year 27 B.C.E. He thus became known as Caesar Augustus. His decree resulted in Jesus’ being born in Bethlehem, in fulfillment of Bible prophecy.—Daniel 11:20; Micah 5:2.

to be registered: Augustus likely issued this decree because a census would help him to tax his subjects and conscript men for military service. In doing so, Augustus evidently fulfilled Daniel’s prophecy about a ruler “who causes an exactor to pass through the splendid kingdom.” Daniel further foretold that during the reign of that ruler’s successor, “a despised one,” something momentous would happen: “The Leader of the covenant,” or the Messiah, would be “broken,” or put to death. (Daniel 11:20-22) Jesus was executed during the reign of Augustus’ successor, Tiberius. 

Many people are in Bethlehem to register. The only place that Joseph and Mary can find to stay is a stable, where donkeys and other animals are kept. Jesus, her firstborn, is born there. Mary wraps him in strips of cloth and lays him in a manger, the place where food for the animals is put.

the firstborn: This expression implies that Mary later had other children.—Matthew 13:55, 56; Mark 6:3. 

God must have seen to it that Caesar Augustus made this registration law. Why? Because this made it possible for Jesus to be born in Bethlehem, the hometown of his ancestor King David. The Scriptures had long before foretold that this would be the city where the promised Ruler would be born.​—Micah 5:2.

went up from Galilee: There was a town named Bethlehem just 11 km (7 mi) from Nazareth, but prophecy specified that the Messiah would come from “Bethlehem Ephrathah.” (Micah 5:2) That Bethlehem, referred to as David’s city, was located in Judea, in the south. (1 Samuel 16:​1, 11, 13) The direct distance (as the crow flies) from Nazareth to Bethlehem Ephrathah is about 110 km (69 mi). The actual travel distance through Samaria (based on present-day roads) may have been up to 150 km (93 mi). The route passes through hilly country, and the journey would have been an arduous one, taking several days.

What an important night this is! Out in the fields, a bright light gleams around a group of shepherds. It is Jehovah’s glory! One of God’s angels tells the shepherds: “Do not be afraid, for look! I am declaring to you good news of a great joy that all the people will have. For today there was born to you in David’s city a savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this is a sign for you: You will find an infant wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.” Suddenly, many more angels appear and say: “Glory in the heights above to God, and on earth peace among men of goodwill.”​—Luke 2:10-14.

living out of doors: The Greek expression comes from a verb that combines a·grosʹ (“field”) and au·leʹ (“place open to the air”), so the word means “to live in the fields, to live under the open sky,” and implies spending the night outdoors. Sheep may be led out to pasture during the daytime in any season of the year.

When the angels leave, the shepherds say to one another: “Let us by all means go over to Bethlehem and see what has taken place, which Jehovah has made known to us.” (Luke 2:15) They go in a hurry and find the newborn Jesus just where the angel said they would. When the shepherds relate what the angel told them, all who hear about it are astonished. Mary cherishes all these sayings and draws conclusions in her heart.

Many people today believe that Jesus was born on December 25. But in the area of Bethlehem, December is rainy and cold. On occasion, it even snows. At that time of the year, shepherds would hardly be out in the fields overnight with their flocks. Also, it is unlikely that the Roman emperor would have required a people who were already inclined to revolt against him to travel for days in the dead of winter to register. Evidently, Jesus was born sometime in October.

Winter in Bethlehem

The shepherds were spending the night out in the fields with their flocks. So this indicates the time of Jesus’ birth. The rainy season in Israel begins about mid-October and lasts several months. By December, Bethlehem, like Jerusalem, frequently experiences frost at night. The fact that Bethlehem’s shepherds were in the fields at night points to a season prior to the start of the rains.

source: www.jw.org