Birth of Jesus
Life of Jesus · Draft · BSB
Content revision: 59cb29f427f6f505 · No editorial review date recorded
Date: Birth and childhood. A guided comparison of Gospel accounts, not a measured calendar or a claim that every parallel follows the same sequence.
Luke’s census account brings Joseph and Mary from Nazareth to Bethlehem, where Jesus is born and laid in a manger. Shepherds receive an angelic announcement, visit the child and spread what they have heard.
Luke names Quirinius, whose known census is dated to AD 6, while Matthew places the birth before Herod’s death, commonly dated to 4 BC. The historical reconciliation is disputed; no exact birth year or census itinerary is asserted.
Primary Scripture
2:1 Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that a census should be taken of the whole empire.
2:2 This was the first census to take place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.
2:3 And everyone went to his own town to register.
2:4 So Joseph also went up from Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, since he was from the house and line of David.
2:5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to him in marriage and was expecting a child.
2:6 While they were there, the time came for her Child to be born.
2:7 And she gave birth to her firstborn, a Son. She wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
2:8 And there were shepherds residing in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks by night.
2:9 Just then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
2:10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid! For behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people:
2:11 Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord!
2:12 And this will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”
2:13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a great multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying:
2:14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests!”
2:15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
2:16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the Baby, who was lying in the manger.
2:17 After they had seen the Child, they spread the message they had received about Him.
2:18 And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
2:19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
2:20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, which was just as the angel had told them.
Related Scripture
Matthew’s Bethlehem citation connects the birthplace with prophetic hope for a ruler.
Location evidence
Luke describes travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem. The city marker identifies Bethlehem, not the manger, lodging building or a surveyed travel route.
Event map marker: Identified site; [longitude, latitude] = [35.21027, 31.70536]. This is a teaching marker, not an exact event venue.
Bethlehem: Identified site. Coordinates [longitude, latitude]: [35.21027, 31.70536]. Classification source: rule.
Digital Atlas of the Roman Empire
Nazareth: Identified site. Coordinates [longitude, latitude]: [35.30153, 32.70675]. Classification source: rule.
Digital Atlas of the Roman Empire
Luke 2 notes · census chronology
For the class
How do the shepherds and Mary respond differently to the same news?
Interpretation and reuse
Narrative order is a reading arrangement, not a proven chronology. Dates retain their stated uncertainty. An identified locality does not establish the exact venue or prove an event. Region extents and routes are illustrative, not surveyed boundaries or ancient roads. Draft material has not completed editorial review.
Record source: theographic (254)
Record source: editorial
Events and places adapted from Theographic Bible Metadata (github.com/robertrouse/theographic-bible-metadata), CC BY-SA 4.0. This adapted data is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Place coordinates from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding Data, CC BY 4.0.
Teaching stops, summaries and regional extents are original editorial content of this atlas.
Berean Standard Bible (BSB), public domain. https://berean.bible/licensing.htm