The baptism of Jesus Christ, how old was he. The Baptism of Jesus: Godparents Should Know This

The Baptism of Jesus Christ Many people asked John who he was, maybe he was the Savior, whom the Lord God promised to send to earth and whose coming, as they knew, was written in the Holy Scriptures. - No, I am not the Savior, - John answered them, - I am the voice,

12. Baptism of Jesus Christ. 12. His shovel is in His hand, and He will clear His threshing floor and gather His wheat into the barn, and He will burn the chaff with unquenchable fire. The speech is full of images. The coming one takes a shovel and is ready to clear the threshing floor; but has not yet begun the action itself, which relates to

The Christian holiday of Epiphany is established in memory of the baptism of Jesus Christ. In Orthodoxy it is one of the especially revered twelve holidays. In the 21st century it falls on January 19 of the Gregorian calendar.

What is known about this event? Jesus decided to be baptized as an adult. This happened in the waters of the Jordan River. And John the Baptist performed the ritual. AiF-Rostov tells the details.

At what age was Jesus Christ baptized?

According to the Gospel narrative, in order to be baptized, Jesus Christ came to John the Baptist at the age of 30. summer age- that means in the year 30 from the Nativity of Christ (or AD). Therefore, it was 1988 years ago.

According to all three Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke), during Jesus' baptism the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus in the form of a dove. At the same time, a voice from heaven proclaimed: “You are my beloved son; my favor is in you!”

According to the Gospel story, after his baptism, Jesus Christ, led by the Spirit, withdrew into the desert in order to prepare in solitude, prayer and fasting for the fulfillment of the mission with which he came to earth. For 40 days he “was tempted by the devil and did not eat anything during these days...”

What is known about the Baptist?

John, who preached a lot about the imminent coming of the Messiah, saw Jesus come and was surprised and said: “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”

To this he received the following answer: “We must fulfill all righteousness,” and received baptism from John.

Thus, with the participation of John, the messianic destiny of Jesus Christ was publicly witnessed, which is considered as the first event of the public ministry of the Baptist.

After Jesus' baptism, “John also baptized at Aenon, near Salem, because there was much water there; and they came [there] and were baptized.”

The Baptism of Christ is associated with the appearance of the first of the 12 apostles. It is believed that this began with the sermon of John the Baptist the day after the baptism of Jesus. “...When he saw Jesus coming, he said: Behold the Lamb of God. When both disciples heard these words from him, they followed Jesus.”

Where did the baptism take place?

From various sources it is known that the baptism of Jesus Christ took place on the Jordan River in the village of Bethavara. But where this very place is located for certain is still being debated. The fact is that in Palestine at that time there were several villages with the same name.

View of Al-Makhtas (Wadi al-Harar) from Qasr al-Yahuda, the supposed site of the Baptism of Jesus Christ. Modern Orthodox church John the Baptist. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org / Idobi

For a long time it was believed that Bethawara was located on Israeli territory, near the town of Qasr El-Yahud, which is four kilometers from the place where the Jordan River flows into the Dead Sea, next to the crossing.

Later, thanks to a mosaic indicating all the Christian Shrines in the Church of St. George, in the Jordanian city of Madaba, it was possible to find out that the place of the baptism of Jesus Christ is not in Israel, but on the opposite bank of the river, in the territory of modern Jordan in the town of Wadi el-Harar.

It is noteworthy that in the place where the Baptism ceremony took place almost two thousand years ago, there is no longer any water - the river has changed its course.

In support of this version, in Wadi el-Harar, in a dry place in 1996, archaeologists discovered the ruins of three Byzantine churches and a marble slab. It is believed that there was a column with a cross on it, installed during early Christianity at the site of the Baptism of Jesus Christ.

It is this column that is often mentioned in written testimonies of pilgrims of the Byzantine era who visited the Holy Places.

see also:
1. On the connection between the chronology from the founding of Rome and the chronology from the birth of Christ

In what year did the baptism of Jesus Christ by John the Baptist and Jesus Christ go out to preach?
As it is narrated in “Luke 3:1-3”, John went out to the people to preach and began to baptize them at the following time: “1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was in charge in Judea, Herod was tetrarch in Galilee, Philip his brother was tetrarch of Ituraea and the Trachonite region, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, 2 under the high priests Annas and Caiaphas" (Luke 3: 1-2)
The starting point in our calculations should be “the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar”; having received an approximate dating of this time in relation to the chronology from AD. it will be possible to see that this dating does not contradict everything else indicated here - the years of the reign of Pontius Pilate, etc. – look at this [Lopukhin, interpretation of Luke 3:1-2]
In [MacArthur, commentary on Luke 3:1-2] ​​about the fifteenth year of the reign of Caesar Tiberius it is said: “Tiberius became co-ruler [of Caesar Augustus] in 11 AD, then automatically became sole ruler upon the death of Augustus on August 19 14 AD If the chronology of Luke is carried out from the appointment of Tiberius as co-emperor, then the 15th year would be 25 or 26 AD. If Luke was counting from the death of Augustus, this date would fall between August 19, 28 and August 18, 29 AD.” That is, the appearance of John the Baptist to preach and the beginning of his baptism should be attributed to either 25-26. according to R.H. or by 28-29. according to R.H. depending on how you count the beginning of Tiberius’s reign - from the beginning of his co-rule with Caesar Augustus or from the beginning of his sole reign after the death of Augustus.
The same [Lopukhin, interpretation of Luke 3:1-2] ​​says that Augustus appointed Tiberius co-ruler “around 765.” from the founding of Rome (that is), and died on August 19, 767. from the founding of Rome, leaving Tiberius as sole ruler.
765 from the founding of Rome is 12. from r.H. (765-754=x-1; x=12)
767 from the founding of Rome is 14. from r.H. (767-754=x-1; x=14)
Thus, according to these data, it turns out that the 15th year of the reign of Caesar Tiberius, about which the ap. Luke, the year in which John the Baptist came out to preach and began to baptize, falls around the year 27. from r.H (12+15) or 29g. from r.H. (14+15).
To summarize, we conclude that the beginning of the preaching of John the Baptist and the beginning of his baptism of Jews occurs approximately in the period 25-26-27. BC. or for a period of 28-29 years. BC. depending on how you count the beginning of Tiberius's reign.
As can be concluded from Luke’s narrative, the baptism of Jesus Christ by John the Baptist occurred somewhere around this same time (Luke 3:21). However, Luke does not explicitly say this; he only says that Christ came to be baptized after John began preaching and after John began to perform baptisms. However, as one should think, Christ came to John already when he became quite famous among the Jews; how much would it take? Year? Two? So we can accept that Christ could have come to John at least a year later than the beginning of his preaching. Then it turns out that Christ could have been baptized on the dates of 25-26-27-28. from r.H. or 28-29-30 - depending on how you count the beginning of Tiberius’s reign.
As the most probable conclusion from the narratives of the Gospel of John, it follows that during the preaching of Christ and his death and resurrection, three Aaskhi passed; that is, according to this opinion, it turns out that He preached for more than two and a half years; others believe that the Gospel of John mentions four Passovers and therefore Christ preached for more than three years. [Nyström, article “Jesus Christ”]
Now, taking as a basis the fact that the preaching of Christ, His death and resurrection took place in a period of approximately two and a half to three and a half years, we will try to estimate, based on the time frame in which he could have been baptized, the time of His crucifixion and death. Instead of two and a half years, let's take two years; instead of three and a half years, let's take four years; as a result we get:
Based on more early date the beginning of the reign of Tiberius, we get the following assessment: the death of Christ occurred between 27 AD. and 32g. from r.H.

It seems that the year of the death of Jesus Christ should be precisely known from the calculations of the Jewish Passover. As we know from the gospels, in the year of the crucifixion and death of Christ, Easter fell on Saturday. This, it seems, would help to accurately date the year of this Easter and, accordingly, the year of the crucifixion of Christ in the interval between 27 AD. and 34g. AD. In [Lopukhin, interpretation on Daniel 9:27], in particular, it is stated that similar calculations of Easter date the death of Christ to 30 AD. AD. However, unfortunately, according to [Bolotov], from the entire period of the reign of Pontius Pilate, which lasted from 26 to 36. from r.H. Of the possible years of Christ's death, based on the calculation of the Jewish Passover, only 26, 27 and 28 are subject to exclusion. from r.H. Thus:
If we proceed from the earlier date of the beginning of the reign of Tiberius, we obtain the following estimate: the death of Christ occurred between 29 AD. and 32g. from r.H.
If we proceed from the later date of the beginning of the reign of Tiberius, we obtain the following estimate: the death of Christ occurred between 30 AD. and 34g. from r.H.

As we can see, the opinion that Luke counted the beginning of the reign of Tiberius from the beginning of his co-rule with Augustus is more suitable to the chronology of the baptism, crucifixion and death of Christ. Therefore, as the most probable, the following picture is built: around 26 AD. from r.H. John the Baptist begins his sermon a year ago and leads it for quite a long time; about 27 from r.H. Jesus Christ is baptized from him and begins his own preaching, which lasts about 3 years; finally, in 30 AD, on the Friday before Easter, which fell on Saturday this year, Jesus Christ undergoes crucifixion and death.
The fact that Luke counted the beginning of the reign of Tiberius from the beginning of his co-rule with Augustus is also supported by the fact that, according to Luke, when Jesus began his ministry after baptism, He “was about thirty years old” (Luke 3:23). As stated in [MacArthur, commentary on Luke 3:23], Luke probably only approximated the age of Christ and said that he was thirty years old because “the usual age for entering into the office of a prophet (Ezek. 1:1) , priest (Num. 4:3, 35, 39, 43, 47) or king (Gen. 41:46; 2 Sam. 5:4) was 30 years old.” If we take the year of Christ's baptism as 27. AD, then if we consider that at that time He was thirty years old - that is, thirty full years, it turns out that Christ was born thirty years ago, in 27-30-1=-4. BC This date is consistent with the words of the Evangelist Matthew that Christ was born in the days of King Herod: “When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod” (Matt. 2:1). Historical sources I date the death of King Herod to 750 from the founding of Rome - that is, 4 AD. BC (750-753=x-(-1); x=-4) [Lopukhin, interpretation on Matthew 2:1]. (From the fact that a prophet, priest or king must be at least 30 years old when taking office, it follows: if Luke, saying that Jesus was “about thirty years old” when he began his ministry, spoke approximately, then his words meant : “thirty years or more.”)
So, most likely, if we count the beginning of the reign of Tiberius from the beginning of his co-rule with Augustus, Jesus Christ was baptized in 27-28. from r.H. and after about three years of preaching he was crucified in 30. from r.H. Moreover, if we assume that He was born in 4 AD. BC, then at baptism he was 30 or 31 years old, which agrees quite well with Luke’s words that Christ was “about thirty years old,” if we understand these words as said approximately, rounded down - that is, "thirty years old or somewhat older." If we count the beginning of Tiberius’s reign from the beginning of his independent reign, then, taking into account that Christ, executed in 30. according to AD, had to preach for at least two and a half years, we find that Christ was Baptized around the same year 28. BC; however, he should have been baptized almost immediately after John the Baptist began his preaching and, thus, by that time John the Baptist would hardly have become famous among the Jews. This period is 28 years. from R.H., we recall, also roughly agrees well with the words of Luke that Christ, beginning his ministry, was “about thirty years old.” But, as is clear, 28 A.D. agrees with these words worse than 27g. AD, which we had in the previous case.
However, it seems that the birth of Christ, calculated in the manner indicated above - including after the year of Herod’s death, and the death of Herod itself are too close; it seems quite reasonable to assume that there is a gap of a year or even two between these events. Then, if we believe that Christ was not born in 4 AD. BC, and in 5 BC, it turns out that 27. according to R.H. (we take the most likely year) when he was baptized, he was not thirty years old, but thirty-one; if we believe that Christ was not born in 4 AD. BC, and in 6 BC and at 27 according to R.H. He, accordingly, was not thirty years old, but thirty-two years old; nevertheless, even this age, apparently, is still consistent with the words of Luke that when he entered the service of Christ he was “about thirty years old.”
Pull back the date of Christ's birth further than 4 AD. for a year or even several years forces a census of the population in which Christ was born, about which the Evangelist Luke speaks: “1 In those days a command came out from Caesar Augustus to make a census throughout the whole earth. 2 This census was the first during the reign of Quirinius in Syria.” (Luke 2:1,2)
Let us first note that last words- “this census was the first during the reign of Quirinius Syria” can be understood in two ways: “it was the first throughout the entire earth that affected Judea, which (census) occurred during the reign of Quirinius Syria (and no more censuses throughout the entire earth affecting Judea during the reign of Quirinius Syria , was not carried out)” and “during the reign of Quirinius Syria there were two censuses throughout the entire land, affecting Judea; Now we're talking about about the first of them." Having made this reservation, let us quote from [MacArthur, commentary on Luke 2:2], regarding the timing of this census:
“It is known that Publius Sulpicius Quirinius ruled Syria from 6 to 9 AD. A well-known census was taken in Palestine in 6 AD. However, this cannot be the census Luke is referring to here because it took place about ten years after Herod's death<…>In light of Luke's exceptional care and scrupulousness as a historian, it would be unreasonable to attribute to him such an obvious blunder. Archaeologists have indeed confirmed the correctness of Luke's description. A fragment of stone discovered at Tivoli near Rome in 1764 AD contains an inscription in honor of the Roman official, who, it is stated there, was twice governor of Syria and Phenicia during the reign of Augustus. There is no name of the official on the fragment, but among his achievements are listed details that, as we know, cannot fit anyone other than Quirinius. Thus he must have served as ruler in Syria twice. He was probably the military ruler at the same time when, as history shows, Varus was the civil ruler there. Regarding the dating of the census, some ancient documents found in Egypt mention a world census scheduled in 8 BC. That date is also problematic. Scholars generally believe that 6 B.C. is the earliest possible date Nativity of Christ. Apparently, Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken in 8 BC, but it actually took place only 2-4 years later, possibly due to political difficulties between Rome and Herod. Therefore, the exact year of the birth of Christ cannot be known with certainty, but it was probably no earlier than 6 BC. and, of course, no later than 4 BC.<…>»
[Lopukhin2] contains the following translation of the inscription on a stone found in Tivoli near Rome in 1764. from r.H. (the supposed text in T. Mommsen’s reconstruction is enclosed in square brackets):
"[P. Sulpicius Quirinius, son of Publius, consul... As proconsul he ruled the province of Crete and Cyrenaica... Legate propraetor of the Divine Augustus of the province of Syria and Phenicia, he waged war against the people of the Gomonads, who [killed Amyntas, their] king. On the occasion of the subjugation of this people [to the power and might of the Divine] Augustus and the people of Rome, the Senate [determined to the immortal gods] two prayers for the successes [achieved by him, and decided upon him] the honors of triumph. [He received as] proconsul of the province of Asia [and as legate propraetor] of the Divine Augustus, for the second time, the province of Syria and Phenicia."
The same source, in [Lopukhin2], also reports other finds indicating that during the first reign of Quirinius in Syria, a census of the population was apparently carried out within the entire state. Firstly, these are two bronze tables discovered in 1527. from r.H. near Lyon with an inscription containing the speech of Emperor Claudius, delivered before the Senate in 48. AD, which speaks of a certain census being carried out by Drusus, the father of Claudius, before he, Drusus, went to war with the Germans; and at the same time it is reported that in those days this census was “a matter ... new and one to which the Gauls were unaccustomed”; that is, Drusus conducted a census among the Gauls; secondly, it was found in 1647. from r.H. in Venice, a stone from the tomb of the Roman general Aemilius Secunda with an inscription that says: “By the command of Quirinius, he took a census in Apamea, a city with a population of 117,000 citizens”)
As for the years of the first reign of Quirinius in Syria, then [Lopukhin, interpretation of Luke 2:2], referring to the Bible interpreters Zumpt, Keil, Viguru and others, gives the following years of Quirinius’s reign: from 750 to 753. from the founding of Rome; that is, from 4 to 1. BC True, the justification for these dates, which follows from this inscription itself, is not given; therefore, it is quite logical to conclude that Quirinius ruled Syria for the first time and several years earlier in 4 AD. BC
As we can see, it is quite reasonable to conclude that appointed in 8 BC. By Caesar Augustus, the world census, which also affected Judea, took place in Judea several years later - in the period from 6 AD. BC up to 4 years BC Moreover, in 27 AD, when, as is most likely to be assumed, Christ was baptized, it could still be said of Him that he was “thirty years old or a little more” (if He was born in 6 BC .H., then in 27 AD He would have been 32 years old.). As an average value between 6g. BC and 4g. BC Let's take the year 5 as the conditional date of the birth of Christ. BC. Let us repeat what was quoted above: “Scholars generally believe that 6 B.C. is the earliest possible date of the birth of Christ<…>The exact year of Christ's birth cannot be known with certainty, but it was probably no earlier than 6 BC. and, of course, no later than 4 BC.”
For more information about the census, see also [Lopukhin, interpretation of Luke 2:2]
So, according to the above calculations, we can imagine the following average dating of the events of the life of Jesus Christ:
born around 5 BC;
was baptized and went out to preach around 27. from R.H.;
was crucified and killed in 30. from r.H.
This, so to speak, is the first “life scenario” of Jesus Christ. But there is also a “second scenario”, which we will discuss below.

In [Zakharyan], the author comes to the conclusion that the information about the year of the reign of Herod the Great over Judea, reported by Josephus Flaivius, is incorrect and estimates the real date of Herod’s reign: May 37. BC Thus, if we follow the message of Josephus that King Herod reigned for 37 years, then, according to [Zakharyan], his death falls on 1 year. from r.H. (if the years of reign are calculated by subtracting the final year of reign from the initial year of reign and if, of course, we assume that Josephus is talking about the real 37 years of Herod’s reign, and not just about the years counted from the year 40 BC indicated by Flavius ​​to death of Herod).
In [Martin], based on tables from, the date of Herod's death is disputed on the grounds that the solar eclipse that occurred on January 10, 1. BC, is more suitable as a starting point for dating the death of Herod since between this eclipse and Easter 1 AD. BC Much more time has passed than between the eclipse of March 13, 4. BC, and Easter 4. BC and, therefore, as it should be assumed, it was precisely in this time period that all the deeds done by Herod between the eclipse and his own death, about which (deeds) Flavius ​​speaks, could easily fit, while in the interval between the eclipse of March 13, 4. BC and Easter 4 BC all these events either fit with difficulty or do not fit at all.
[Zakharyan] also speaks of another eclipse, which occurred not at the beginning, but at the end of 1 AD. BC and thus, according to the author [Zakharyan], there is another interval in which King Herod could have died: between the end of 1 AD. BC and Easter 1 from r.H. The completion of all the deeds that Herod accomplished after the eclipse until his death before Easter also fit well into this interval; (and, let us repeat, according to [Zakharyan] the death of Herod should be attributed to 1 AD and, therefore, according to [Zakharyan] those who believe that Christ was born in 1 AD are right). However, it is known that already 1 year. BC coins were issued with the name of Herod Archelaus, successor of Herod the Great; thus, [Zakharyan's] opinion about the death of Herod the Great in 1 AD. from R.H., apparently, should be rejected. Note that the death of Herod in 1. BC at the beginning of his reign, estimated at 37. BC may also coincide with the 37th year of his reign - it all depends on how to count the years of his reign. (i.e., it turns out that Herod reigned for 35 full years, 2 incomplete years - at the beginning and at the end of his reign; the total years in which he reigned, it turns out 37)
Thus, it is quite likely that King Herod did not actually die in 4 AD. BC, and in 1 BC; then the birth of Christ itself can be separated from the date of Herod’s death by 1 or even 2 years; in this case, it turns out that in reality Jesus Christ was born in 2. BC or even in 3 years. BC
Consequently, taking into account the words of Luke that at baptism and going out to public ministry, Jesus Christ was about thirty years old and understanding them in the sense that he was thirty years old, it turns out that Christ was baptized and went out to preach on the date starting from the year 28. from r.H. up to 30 from R.H.; If he was a little older - say, two years, then it turns out that he was baptized and went out to preach in the period from 30 years. from. R.H. up to 32 R.H. At the same time, as we see, he could have been baptized from 28 AD. from r.H. up to 32 from r.H. It seems that such dates are more suitable for taking the initial year of his independent rule as the initial year of Tiberius’s reign, i.e. 14y. from r.H. Then the beginning of the preaching of John the Baptist, which was in the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, falls on 29. from r.H. (14+15). Assuming this, let us also assume that Christ was baptized by John in the same year 29. or a year or two later - in 30. from r.H. or 31 AD; Then, taking into account that his preaching of Christ took from two to four years, we come to the conclusion that Christ was executed in the interval between 31 AD. from r.H. or 35g. from r.H. It is more logical, however, to accept that Christ was baptized somewhere in the year 30. AD, after about a year of preaching by John the Baptist and preached for about 3 years and, therefore, was crucified and killed in 33. AD. As the average date of the birth of Christ we will take 2d. BC As a result, we get the following alternative picture of the life of Jesus Christ:
Christmas: about 2 BC
Baptism and going out to preach: about 30. from r.H.
Crucifixion and death: around 33 from r.H.
This is the “second scenario” of the lives of Jesus Christ.

It should be noted, however, that some attempt to define the exact date the birth of Jesus Christ from astronomical events and such a definition often has an astrological basis. The astronomer Kepler considered the star of the Magi, which led them to the birthplace of Christ, to be nothing more than a conjunction of the planets Jupiter and Saturn, to which Mars joins somewhat later, and which periodically repeats once every 800 years (that is, what the Magi saw was a “total "glow" of these planets, which created the illusion of one moving star, shining much stronger than the glow of these planets separately). According to Kepler's calculations, this conjunction took place in 748. from the founding of Rome, and he took this year as the year of the birth of Christ (see [Lopukhin, interpretation of Matt. 2:2]). The indicated date is 748 from the founding of Rome - this is 6. BC (748-753=x-(-1); x=-6), which is consistent with the above calculations. But, as was said, Christ could have been born in 5 AD. BC and at 4 BC In addition, it should be said that the star that guided the Magi was not a star, a planet, or a comet at all. Let’s read Matthew 2:9-12: “9 When they had heard the king, they went away. And behold, the star that they saw in the east walked before them, [as] at last it came and stood over [the place] where the Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with very great joy, 11 and entering the house, they saw the Child with Mary His Mother, and, falling down, they worshiped Him; and having opened their treasures, they brought Him gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh.” (Matt. 2:9-11) Could a star, planet or comet, we ask, accurately indicate a place above a specific place in the tens or even hundreds square meters area, need a specific house, above a specific nursery?! In order to accurately indicate such a place, it is necessary that this “star” be very, very close to the earth. Even an airplane flying several kilometers above the ground - how can it serve as a pointer to a specific house? No, this “star” was located and moving in the lowest layers of the atmosphere - perhaps hundreds or even tens of meters above the ground. This “star” only had the appearance of a star, but in fact it was something created and revealed in a miraculous way - like the pillar of fire that the Jews followed at night during the exodus from Egypt (see Ex. 13:21-22 ). That is why, by the way, even if someone considers astrology to be a true science, it is still too early for him to make any astrological calculations based on the phenomenon of the “star of the Magi”, because, we repeat, it was neither an ordinary star nor an ordinary planet, nor an ordinary comet. (John Chrysostom in [Chrysostom, conversation 6] substantiates in detail why this star is something supernatural and miraculous, and not an ordinary celestial body.)

When talking about specific and accurate dating of ancient events based on written documents, one should also remember the following: different peoples had different calendars (chronology): let us at least remember the difference from the Jewish, lunisolar calendar, from the solar Julian; wherein different years could contain a different number of days; these years themselves in various chronologies began in different times; in addition, there were different traditions for how to count the first year of an official's reign, and therefore different traditions for determining which year of that person's reign was currently underway; At the same time, all sorts of calendar reforms could still occur - such as changing the date from which New Year. These circumstances could easily lead to an error in dating the event by one year or even more, especially when it is unclear what chronology system the document’s compiler had in mind. Let's quote Wikipedia, article “Julian calendar”
(https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%AE%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9_% D0%BA%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B4%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%8C):
“In Rus' there were several different calendar styles, due to the fact that the Byzantine calendar counted the year from September 1, and East Slavs when accepting Christianity they kept ancient beginning year in March.
The chronology using the Byzantine beginning of the year is called the September style. The chronology in which the year begins in March of the next year (that is, six months later than the Byzantine beginning of the year) is called the March style. The chronology, which uses the March year, starting six months earlier than the Byzantine one, is called ultra-March. Until the beginning of the 12th century, the March style prevailed in Rus', and in XII-XIII centuries The ultramart style began to be widely used. Since 1492, the September year has become predominant, displacing both March ones.
The scribes of some chronicles could take into account the transition to new styles of chronology and make amendments to the chronicles. This explains why the chronology in different chronicles may differ by one or two years.”

As for more accurate dating of the year of death of Jesus Christ, it should be said that such dating is based on calculating the date of the Jewish Passover in a given year. The matter is complicated by the fact that the actual celebration of Easter could shift relative to the “exact” astronomical date by more late date in accordance with the agreements accepted among the Jews. Thus, calculating the date of the new moon corresponding to Easter in a given year is, in fact, not the job, but half the battle. We will not dwell on this in more detail.

Finally, we note the following: above we received extreme estimates of the year of the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ: from 29 AD. from r.H. up to 34 from r.H. according to the first scenario and from 30g. from r.H. up to 35 from r.H. according to the second scenario. As you know, Pontius Pilate, prefect of Judea, ruled it from 26 AD. from r.H. up to 36 from r.H. Thus, the extreme estimates we received fall precisely in the middle of the reign of Pontius Pilate, and with a margin. Let us recall that the provision that Christ was crucified under Pontius Pilate is included in the Creed, which says: “he was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate.”

Lopukhin Explanatory Bible Lopukhin
http://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Lopuhin/tolkovaja_biblia
Lopukhin2 A.P. Lopukhin. Biblical history in light latest research and discoveries. New Testament.
Interesting excerpts: http://www.hrampokrov.ru/gospel/traditions/2914/
MacArthur J. MacArthur. MacArthur Study Bible. MacArthur Study Bible Commentary
http://bible.by/macarthur-study-bible/
Nyström Eric Nyström. Bible Dictionary
http://logosenc.org/nustrem
Bolotov V.V. Bolotov. About the year of the birth of Christ. // Journal of meetings of the commission on the issue of calendar reform at the Russian Astronomical Society. Appendix II. 1899, p. 7-18.
Retelling of the place of interest: http://apologiya.orthodoxy.ru/si/Year.htm
Chrysostom John Chrysostom. Commentaries on the Gospel of Matthew
https://www.ccel.org/contrib/ru/Zlatmat1/Mat1.html
Zakharyan K Zakharyan.. Christmas Chronicle (42 BC - 14 AD), monograph
http://www.bvahan.com/zakharyan/podrobno1.asp
Kudlek M. Kudlek and E. Mickler, Solar and Lunar Eclipses of the Ancient Near East, 1971
Martin E.L.Martin, The Star of Bethlehem: The Star That Astonished the World

Another possible guide to the date of Christmas could be astronomy. As you know, the birth of Jesus was marked by the appearance of a special star: “When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem and said: “Where is he who has been born King of the Jews? for we saw His star in the east and came to worship Him” (Matthew 2:1-2).

American researcher Robert McIvor, examining Roman coins in honor of Augustus, minted under Emperor Tiberius, noticed that they depicted a six-pointed star next to the portrait, and the reverse showed an Eagle above the ground. He suggested that this is an image of a new star in the constellation Aquila (McIvor R., “Star of Bethlehem, Star of the Messiah”). In Chinese and Korean chronicles under 4 BC. e. The appearance of a nebulous star was noted precisely in the constellation Aquila.

The above data is quite sufficient to formulate a final conclusion. So, Christ was born at the beginning of 4 BC. e.

It is known that Jesus Christ was born into the family of a simple Jewish woman, Mary, from immaculate conception, after an angel brought the good news to her about the birth of a child. According to different versions, Jesus spent his childhood as an ordinary carpenter’s son, skillfully making orders with his father, cultivating peace and love in his heart.

Jesus Christ was cousin John the Baptist, who received such a postscript to his name precisely thanks to the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River, which, after the event itself, was included in the Gospel scripture as a holy action.

It's clear that in a circle family ties Jesus Christ already had some ideas about the views of John, however, he independently came to this only in adulthood, when he was thirty years old.

Long before the rite of baptism, John the Baptist preached about the coming of the Messiah.

EPIPHANY

At the age of 26, Jesus returned to his native land after a long five-year absence. Having learned that John the Baptist was at home, Jesus immediately hurried to see him. On September 3, a meeting between two friends took place.

The rite of baptism arose after the crucifixion of Christ. By receiving baptism, a person began to believe in Christ crucified on the cross. In the time of John, there was no crucifix yet - as a symbol of Christianity. John in those days simply dipped a person in water, washing away all past sins from him.
Having been cleansed, the person was ready for a new life, as if he was ready to accept a new faith.
To this John answered them: “I baptize you in water, but one who is more powerful than me will come, I am not even worthy to untie the straps of His sandals.”

BAPTISM OF JESUS ​​CHRIST Chapters from the Law of God, Seraphim of Slobodsky

At the time when John the Baptist preached on the banks of the Jordan and baptized people, Jesus Christ turned thirty years old. He also came from Nazareth to the Jordan River to John to receive baptism from him.

Jordan River

John considered himself unworthy to baptize Jesus Christ and began to restrain Him, saying: “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”

But Jesus answered him: “Leave me now,” that is, do not hold me back now, “because this is how we need to fulfill all righteousness”—to fulfill everything in the Law of God and set an example for people.

Then John obeyed and baptized Jesus Christ.

Epiphany

After baptism was performed, when Jesus Christ came out of the water, the heavens suddenly opened up (opened) above Him; and John saw the Spirit of God descending on Jesus in the form of a dove.

The role of water in various religions.

In fact, religious purification with water exists in the cultures of many nations. For example, long before the advent of Christianity, cleansing with water was practiced in ancient India, where a person could receive cleansing from sins in the sacred waters of the Ganges River, connecting with the Cosmos. However, Indian sages believed that after leaving the river, the effect of water ceases, sins can return, so a person must cleanse his mind of sinful thoughts through training from a holy person. And before going to study, he must perform ablution. Among the Romans, the baby was washed on the 9th day after birth and given the name he would bear.

Islam is also rich in rituals related to water. The Prophet Muhammad commanded his followers to perform “wuzu” before each prayer (namaz), which includes washing, rinsing the mouth and nose, washing the hands and feet, wiping the ears, and running wet hands through the hair.

In the Christian religion, there are many mysteries associated with certain religious traditions, which for modern man have become commonplace. Such mysteries have existed for centuries, but no one pays attention to them due to their low significance. Nevertheless, many theologians and specialists in the field of the history of Christianity today pay attention to all the facts that in one way or another give us the opportunity to resurrect the events of antiquity. Most topical issue today is the life of Jesus Christ. This personality is truly legendary, although there are a lot of arguments in favor of his historical reality. Many of the actions of this man largely determined the traditions and rituals that subsequently took root in Christianity. Simply put, what Jesus did, we do today, thereby repeating his holy deeds. The most striking event in the life of this historical figure can be called the Baptism of the Lord, which will be discussed in the article.

Determining the year of birth of Jesus Christ. The most ancient Fathers and teachers of the Church, who mention the year of the Nativity of Christ (Justin Martyr and Tertullian), speak about this generally vaguely. The Roman monk Dionysius, nicknamed the Small, who lived in the 6th century, considered the year 754 from the founding of Rome to be the year of the birth of Jesus Christ; This year is accepted by Christians as the beginning of a new calendar. Later research proved, however, that Dionysius was mistaken. According to the testimony of the Jewish historian Josephus, a contemporary of the destruction of Jerusalem, Herod the Great, during whose reign Jesus Christ was born, was appointed to the kingdom by decree of the Roman Senate in 714 from the founding of Rome and died 37 years later, 8 days before Easter, shortly after a lunar eclipse (“Jewish Antiquities.” Book 17), but since the 37th year of Herod’s reign corresponded to the year 750, according to astronomical calculation moon eclipse took place on the night of March 13-14, 750, and the Passover that year fell on April 12.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matt. 28.16 ). With these words, Jesus Christ gave the command to the disciples among the eleven Apostles (Matt. 28.16). To fulfill this command, you need to know what and how to do.

There is no disagreement among Christians regarding teaching, but the same cannot be said about baptism; there is a lot of disagreement on this issue among Christians. What to baptize with? If in water, what kind? IN natural body of water or artificial? Is it necessary to immerse your head in water or is it enough to just sprinkle it with water? How many times do you need to immerse in water - three times: in the name of the Father, in the name of the Son and in the name of the Holy Spirit, or is one immersion enough? At what age should you baptize, infants or only adults?

December 25 and January 7 western and eastern christian world celebrated Christmas, a holiday established to commemorate the birth of Jesus the Messiah (Greek: Christ) in Bethlehem. The first information about this celebration dates back only to the 4th century. The question of the real date of birth of Jesus Christ is controversial and ambiguously resolved among church authors. Historically, the choice of December 25 is associated with the Feast of the Sun falling on this day, which was filled with new content with the adoption of Christianity in Rome. (English Sunday, German Sonntag).

According to one of the modern hypotheses, the choice of the date of Christmas occurred due to the simultaneous celebration by early Christians of the Incarnation (the conception of Christ) and Easter; Accordingly, as a result of adding 9 months to this date (March 25), Christmas fell on the winter solstice. However, in Israel, at this time, in December it is the rainy season and the shepherds simply could not sleep in the fields with their flocks.

A Pentecostal Protestant friend of mine married a Protestant from his church a year ago. And his parents are Orthodox; at first there was a scandal about his visiting a Pentecostal church, but then everything calmed down. Now they have a new scandal: a friend had a daughter, his parents demand that she be baptized as a baby in the Orthodox Church, and he and his wife, in Protestant style, want their daughter to be baptized in water at a mature age (about 16-19 years old). And really at what age? need to be baptized???
Dear Christians, please help me figure this out. Which is correct???

Congregational Protestants, which include Baptists, Pentecostals, Adventists, Mennonites, Quakers and some other denominations, do have some special understanding of baptism.

Epiphany - Christian holiday, celebrated in honor of the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River by John the Baptist on January 6 (19). During baptism, according to the Gospels, the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus in the form of a dove. At the same time, a Voice from Heaven declared: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Holiday event

According to the Gospel story, Jesus Christ (at the age of 30 - Luke 3:23) came to John the Baptist, who was near the Jordan River in Bethabara (John 1:28), with the goal of being baptized. (The exact location of Bethavara, possibly Beit Awara, is not determined; since the 16th century it has been considered the site where the monastery of St. John is now located, a kilometer from modern Beit Awara, about 10 km east of Jericho).

John, who preached a lot about the imminent coming of the Messiah, saw Jesus and was surprised and said: “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”

Before Jesus ascended into heaven, He entrusted His disciples with a great task:

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19, 20).

These words of Jesus to His disciples fully reveal the meaning and meaning of biblical baptism. Christ commanded us to keep all His commandments and be baptized “in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

1. Why was Jesus baptized?

Jesus not only called the nations to baptism, but also accepted it Himself, setting a good example.

“Then Jesus comes from Galilee to the Jordan to John to be baptized by him. John restrained Him and said: I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me? But Jesus answered and said to him, Leave it now; for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness. Then John admits Him.

Let's dwell on one more fact. If Jesus Christ historical Personality, then when was He born, when was He baptized and when was He crucified?

“Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod...” (Matthew 2:1).

“In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was in charge of Judea, Herod was tetrarch in Galilee, Philip his brother was tetrarch in Ituraea and the Trichonite region, and Lysanias was tetrarch in Abilene. During the time of the high priests Annas and Caiaphas, the voice of God came to John, the son of Zechariah, in the wilderness, and he passed throughout the entire surrounding country of Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins... When all the people were baptized, and Jesus, having been baptized, prayed, the heavens were opened and the Spirit The Holy One descended on Him... Jesus, beginning His ministry, was about thirty years old...” (Luke 3:1-3,21-23).

“And when they came to a place called Skull, they crucified Him there... That day was Friday, and Saturday was coming” (Luke 23:33,54).

Opponents of the truth say: “The Gospels testify that Jesus was born during the reign of Herod the Great, but history knows that Herod the Great died in 4 BC, which means the date of Jesus’ birth is also invalid. Is it so? - Let's consider it.

1 . “If we take into account the narrative from Matthew 2.1, then we will have to attribute the beginning of the new era (and therefore the birth of Jesus - D.Yu.) to 5 or 6 years ago, since Herod the Great died in 4 BC. BC: this is the only exact date."

2 . "Indeed Christian church The year of Christ's birth is considered to be 754 after the founding of Rome (1st year AD), and history considers 750 after the founding of Rome to be the year of Herod's death. Thus, non-believers say: the evangelists contradict historical data. However, 754 from the founding of Rome was considered the year of Christ’s birth by the monk Dionysius, nicknamed the Small, who lived in the 6th century. This year was accepted by Christians as the beginning of a new calendar. But then the mistake was noticed. (However, they did not undertake to correct it.) Here is what the Orthodox magazine “Readings in the Society of Lovers of Spiritual Enlightenment” writes in 1874: “It would be ridiculous, of course, to pretend to change this Era, even if it was started incorrectly, but accepted by all Christian peoples and hallowed by centuries..."

Herod actually died in 750 from the founding of Rome, therefore, if Christ, according to the Evangelist Matthew, was born before the death of Herod, then it was before 750.

I. Kryvelev in the same article writes further: “... in the tables of Biblical chronology, now published by church writers of various Christian denominations, the birth of Jesus Christ invariably refers... not to the first year from R. Chr., but to the 4th year BC. eh."

3 . “The Evangelist Luke says that the baptism of Jesus was in the 15th year of the reign of Caesar Tiberius and that at this time Jesus was 30 or so years old. It is known from history that Tiberius was accepted by Caesar Augustus as co-ruler in January 765 (in the 12th year AD), two years before the death of Augustus (in the 14th AD). Let's add 15 years to this year, we will have the year 779, the month of January (27 AD according to the History of World States, 78-79). At this time Christ was 30 or so years old. If we subtract 30 from 779, we will have the year 748, the year of Christ’s birth, if He was 30 years old, and if it was only the thirtieth year, then the year of Christ’s birth will be 749 (5 BC). But in both cases this was before the death of Herod, who died in 750 (4 BC), as the evangelist says.

4 . “All the evangelists say that Christ was crucified in Friday, the day of the Jewish Passover... It was 783 from the founding of Rome (30 AD) that was the year when the Jewish Passover fell on Friday, April 7th. Consequently, Christ was crucified on April 7, 783 from the founding of Rome (30 AD). If He is 34 years old, then, therefore, He was born in 748, if 33 years old, then in 749 from the founding of Rome, but in both cases, apparently, He was born before the death of Herod, which is what the evangelist says.” .

5 . Taking into account the information from the historical document “The Sentence of Pontius Pilate” passed on Jesus, discovered in the chapel of Nazareth, we find that Jesus was executed in the “17th year of the reign of Caesar Tiberius.” Knowing that Tiberius began to rule independently from the age of 14, we find that the execution of Jesus falls on the year 30 AD. e., which has already been confirmed above and by other information.

6 . And finally, Daniel’s prophecy dots all the i’s. Dan. 9:25-26: “Therefore, know and understand: from the time the commandment goes out to restore Jerusalem until Christ the Ruler there are seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; and the people will return and the streets and walls will be built, but in difficult times. And at the end of sixty-two weeks Christ will be put to death, and will not be; and the city and the sanctuary will be destroyed by the people of the leader who comes, and its end will be like a flood, and until the end of the war there will be devastation.”

7+62=69 weeks or 483 years - this is the period of time “before Christ the Lord.” Starting from 457 BC. e., in which Artaxerxes, king of Persia, issued a decree on the restoration of Jerusalem, we come to the year 27 AD. e., in which Jesus was baptized in the waters of the Jordan, being about 30 years old, as mentioned above, we come to the already established dates of baptism, and therefore the birth of Jesus - 5 BC. e. Verse 27: “...and at half the week the sacrifice and offerings will cease...” After 3.5 years of His ministry, Christ was crucified - this put an end to the sacrifices and offerings (Matt. 27:50-51) and this happened in 30 AD. e.

To summarize, we can conclude that scriptures and the prophecy of Daniel not only correctly depicted the historical Christ, but also gave an accurate chronology and revealed an error in the chronology, which must be moved to 5-4 BC. e., which will be the year of Jesus' birth.

In conclusion, I would like to point out two more monuments, which, despite the will of Christ’s opponents, have clearly testified to Christ for thousands of years: this is our new one, associated with historical fact birth of Jesus Christ, although inaccurate era chronology; and secondly, this is the day in the Russian calendar Sunday. From year to year, this day reminds us that Christ was not only born and lived on earth, but died and rose again. And this suggests that His tomb is empty, Christ is alive and “can always save those who come to Him.”

Thus, New Testament, like the Old (Old) Testament; The Gospel, like the whole Bible, is a book that contains truth and speaks about historical events and specific historical figures. History and archaeological discoveries have confirmed the truth of the New Testament gospel and the existence central Personality- Jesus Christ.

However, it should be recalled that recognizing Christ as a historical figure does not yet give us the right to eternal life. The historical Christ does not save. Only the living Christ, accepted as a personal Savior, Christ the High Priest, interceding in heaven before the Father, only Christ, abiding in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, leads us to the cross on Calvary and helps us bow at the foot of the cross in readiness to bear the punishment for our sins and to hate them. . And only the Crucified Christ becomes the Savior of the world and there, on Calvary, changes places with us: he takes upon himself our sins and in return offers us forgiveness and His righteousness, so that we can live a new life, “having crucified our old man with passions and lusts.” Only Christ, Risen and Ascended into heaven to His Father, can always hear and see us calling to Him. Only the Living Christ can “save those who come to Him.”

Dear reader!

If until now unbelief and doubt prevented you from accepting Christ as a personal Savior, if you were faced with a dilemma as to whether Christ was a myth, then now you have received evidence that Christ is a historical Person. He was born, lived and worked on earth as the Messiah. He was crucified, died and rose again. He is interceding for sinners in heaven today. And this is not a legend, not a myth! This is reality!

If you believe this, then accept Him as your personal Savior, who offers you life and renewal. For “if we accept the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater... God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son” (1 John 5:9.11).

Come to Him, He is waiting for your decision and is ready to accept you to give you eternal life!

and other persons and events in the New Testament are also questioned.

Let us first dwell on the events about which they say that history supposedly knows nothing about them.