We have received the following inquiry:

I would like to know if Mr. Pidgeon could expound on the subject of the actual birth of our savior Yahusha HaMashiach. There are two other persons that discuss this that I trust but they both came up with different dates. One is Rabbi Jonathan Cahn and the other is Rabbi Mark Biltz. Rabbi Cahn stated March 20th B.C. around Nissan one at the beginning of the New Year and Rabbi Mark Biltz stated September around the Feast of Tabernacles. Can you help?

To make this reckoning, we must first determine if there is an historical record concerning the date of his birth.

Mattithyahu chapter 2 gives us this information:

Mattithyahu (Matthew) 2:1-8

Now when YAHUSHA was born in Beyt Lechem of Yahudah in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came Magi from the east to Yerushalayim, 2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Yahudiym? For we have seen his star rising in the east, and are come to worship him. 3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Yerushalayim with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where HAMASHIACH should be born. 5 And they said unto him, In Beyt Lechem of Yahudah: for thus it is written by the prophet, 6 And you Beyt Lechem, in the land of Yahudah, are not the least among the princes of Yahudah: for out of you shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Yisra’el. 7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the Magi, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Beyt Lechem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.

The record here is that Herod the Great held the throne through 4 B.C., and Herod Archeleus took the throne in 4 B.C. following the death of Herod the Great. Consider the rest of the record:

Mattithyahu (Matthew) 2:9-23.

When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw rising in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. 11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Miryam his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And being warned of EL in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of YAHUAH appeared to Yoceph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Mitsrayim, and be there until I bring you word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. 14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Mitsrayim: 15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of YAHUAH by the prophet, saying, Out of Mitsrayim have I called my son.

16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the Magi, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Beyt Lechem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the Magi. 17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Yirmeyahu the prophet, saying, 18 In Ramah was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.

19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of YAHUAH appeared in a dream to Yoceph in Mitsrayim, 20 Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Yisra’el: for they are dead which sought the young child's life. 21 And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Yisra’el. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Yahudah in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of EL in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galiyl: 23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Natsariyth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Natsariy.”

The sequence of events, using the hermeneutics of the Seder Olam Rabah, places these events as close to one another as possible.  One key is, of course, the star of Beyt Lechem.

There are three characteristics of this star which should allow us to distinguish it from all others:

• First, the star had newly appeared (Matt. 2:7).
• Second, the star traveled slowly, as the Magi saw the star in the east (Matt. 2:2) and traveled to Yerushalayim, where the star went ahead of them (Matt. 2:9).  This means the star traveled from the east to the south in a time slow enough for the Magi to make the trip (possibly two months).
• Third, the star stood over Beyt Lechem (Matt. 2:9).

These three descriptions rule out a planetary alignment, a super nova, or even Venus. While it could imply a comet – and some records indicate a comet in 4 B.C., there is little historical corroboration.  With the current events (four comets in the last four months), it is possible that a comet might make an appearance for some period of time outside of the secular record.  Something else may be possible as well, such as a large planet in a rogue orbit.

Now, consider the history concerning the death of Herod the Great.

The generally accepted date for the death of Herod the Great was in 4 B.C.  Josephus in his Antiquities 17:167 records that Herod died between an eclipse of the moon and the following Passover.  Let’s look at the Passover record:

On March 23, 4 B.C., which would have been the 15th day of Aviv, the first day of the feast of unleavened bread, or Matza, there was a total eclipse (a blood moon), whereas the year before there were only partial eclipses.  However, for those of you who follow the feasts, we can also note that there was a total eclipse (a blood moon) on 15 Ethaniym (Tishrei), the first day of the feast of tabernacles, or Cukkot.  So, in order for Herod to die between an eclipse of the moon and the following Passover, and to die in the year 4 B.C., his death necessarily followed the eclipse of Cukkot.

Now, compare with Yesha'yahu (Isaiah) 9:5:

For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire.      

Here we have a description that indicates that garments rolled in blood shall be for burning fuel for the fire.  Which fire?  The fire that disposed of the linen garments of the Levites following the sacrifices of Yom Kippur on the 10th of Tishrei, five days earlier.

And what follows Yesha'yahu 9:5?

Yesha'yahu (Isaiah) 9:6

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty EL, The everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.

This puts our events as follows:

A comet (or rogue planet) appears sometime around the 9th of Av – a famous date in the Hebrew world – and the Magi notice and begin their journey to the west.  They arrive in Yerushalayim somewhere between Yom Teruah (Rosh Ha’Shanah – 1 Tishrei [Ethaniym]) and Yom Kippur (10 Tishrei).  They advance to the Cukka in Beyt Lechem to find the infant, having been born on the day of the blood moon eclipse on 15 Tishrei, 4 B.C. (September 15) sometime thereafter, but before the family proceeds to Yerushalayim.

Bear in mind that John the Baptist (Yahuchanon the Immerser) was born six months before YAHUSHA.  This dating places his birth on the blood moon of Pecach, and the birth of YAHUSHA on the blood moon of Cukkot.  According to Lucas (Luke) 2:21-23:

Lucas (Luke) 2:21-23.

And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called YAHUSHA, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb. 22 And when the days of her purification according to the law of Mosheh were accomplished, they brought him to Yerushalayim, to present him to YAHUAH; 23 (As it is written in the Torah of YAHUAH, Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to YAHUAH;)

Thereafter, Herod commands the death the innocent:

Mattithyahu (Matthew) 2:16

Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Beyt Lechem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men.     

Herod the Great then dies before the end of the Gregorian year (and before Passover) in the 4th year B.C.     

So, we have concluded that the birth date of Mashiach is 15 Tishrei [Ethaniym] on the calendar of YAHUAH, or September (that is, the seventh [sept] month) 15 on Gregory’s calendar, in 4 B.C.  This means that YAHUSHA completes his twentieth year on the 15 Tishrei, 16 A.D., which means his 21st year would begin on 15 Tishrei, 17 A.D.