From: ncorp@slavecamp.nwo (ncorp) Newsgroups: alt.conspiracy,alt.politics.correct,alt.teens,sci.astro,sci.physics,sci.space.policy,soc.culture.african.american,alt.religion.christian Subject: **ARE YOU READY FOR AUGUST 12, 1998?** Date: Sun, 21 Sep 1997 08:02:01 GMT Message-ID: <3424d17d.59024925@news.dvnexus.net> On Sat, 20 Sep 1997 12:08:11 -0400, Fred Smith wrote: >Christopher Heffernan wrote: > >> p.s- history, jesus christ was believed to be born around 4bc, take 4 years >> away from the beginning of centuaries, that means the millenium would have >> occured last year in 1996- that made jesus christ 2000 years old last year > > >I may be wrong here but this is the way I see it: > >if Christ was Born in 4 B.C.E. then it would make it 2000 years ago this >year. > >1997 C.E. - 1997 = 1 B.C.E. > >1 B.C.E. - 4 B.C.E. = 3 years > >3 years + 1997 years = 2000 years. > >Where is my mistake? (I am very good at mistakes) > >So, at Christmas this years we will be celebrating the 2000th >anniversary of Jesus Christ. ******************************** ncorp sez... "An error doesn't become a mistake until you refuse to correct it." ——Orlando A. Battista So, let's correct *it* together, shall we? First introduced by Julius Caesar, the Julian calendar was invented by the Greek scholar Sosigenes in 44 B.C., which, aside from some minor revisions, is very much similar to its modern-day corollary, the Gregorian calendar. Originally, Sosigenes had estimated the length of the solar year to be 365 days and 6 hours, a very good estimation, and, as every fourth year went by, those extra six hours per year, which had been ignored in the previous three, were collectively added as one extra day of the year, hence the "leap" year making 366 days even. The reason this Julian calendar was revised over the centuries, was because it was eventually discovered that the true solar year is about 11 minutes and 14 seconds shorter than Sosigenes had first calculated. Compounded, these little discrepancies added up to days over time, and had to be occasionally corrected, and the vernal (spring) equinox was commonly used for recalibrating the Julian calendar, to assure its continued accuracy over time. The Gregorian calendar is rooted in the Julian calendar; here's how it got its name.... The meticulous work of the 6th century Anglo-Saxon monk, Bede, was eventually presented to Pope Gregory XIII one thousand years later! During the late 16th century, the Pope approved Bede's work, and issued the presumably more accurate Gregorian calendar still in use today. But the Brits didn't adopt this Gregorian version until March 25, 1752, and some notable adjustments occurred amidst the British transition from Julian to Gregorian: First, the Brits normally celebrated the new year on March 25th, not January 1st. Thus, the day after March 24, 1751 would have normally became March 25, 1752 by the Julian calendar, but it was decided that 1752 should now end December 31st, instead of being carried over to the next March 25th as had been previously the case. Adding to the confusion (literally as well as figuratively), September 2, 1752 was bumped up twelve days to September 14, 1752. Subsequently, 1752 ended up seventy-two days shy of the normal calendar year, and the spring equinox was once again back to normal. Hence, converting 1/1/2001 from Gregorian back to Julian, subtract thirteen days from the new date (December has 31 days, not 30 as does September), and subtract an extra year as well, since the Gregorian date being considered falls between January 1 and March 24. By this, I reckon the second millennium is the Julian calendar date of December 19, 1998. But we're not finished yet, there's *more* to consider... A very close conjunction (under 0° 1.5' 00") between Venus and Jupiter occurred Aug. 8-12, 2 B.C. (Gregorian calendar, precession epoch set to date), in the constellation of Leo. This "star" was seen by everyone from Jerusalem to Babylon (no doubt around the inhabited world), with maximum brightness theoretically achieved at 2:26 PM Aug. 12, 2 B.C., Jerusalem time. This near-perfect conjunction rose in the east about 3:20 AM, an hour an forty minutes in *front* of the Sun, the "star" setting just after five in the hot Jerusalem afternoon. So, taking the Gregorian conjunction date of August 12, 2 B.C., and applying our conversion back to the Julian calendar, subtract thirteen days, but do *not* subtract the extra year as in the previous example, since the Gregorian date being considered here does *not* fall between January 1 and March 24. This comes out to be July 31, 2 B.C. Because of its brightness, this truly "bright and morning star" [Rev 22:16] could probably be seen *leading* the Sun even throughout the *day* at its peak. Next, consider what the Bible tells us of Jesus' generation, or birth: • "Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him." ——Mat 2:1-3 KJB All Jerusalem with him? Obviously not just the magi could see this mysterious "star," and likewise, Herod was not the only one who was agitated by its appearance, and its *portent*! The magi had already seen this star in Babylon, almost six hundred miles to the east, yet the star also appeared as the magi arrived in Jerusalem! How can this possibly be, when six hundred miles journey in those days would have taken weeks, not days? Because there were *two* conjunctions, not just one, hence Jesus was *already* born before the magi ever left Babylon, and all Jerusalem was *already* keenly aware of the star's ominous significance. • "And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, 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." ——Mat 2:4-8 KJB We see the first conjunction is determined as the time of Jesus' birth, this same "star" which had *already* been seen by all Jerusalem well *before* the magi's arrival. Now, consider the above verse 2:7 transliterated here from the original 1st century koi•ne´ Greek: • "Then Herod secretly having called the magi carefully ascertained beside them the time of the appearing star," —— Mat 2:7 ITGS "Carefully ascertained" obviously refers to an astrological chart which the magi carefully reviewed with Herod to demonstrate how they'd properly calculated how the "star," and its present reappearance, surely portended Jesus' birth, and exactly when it first appeared. Note also, that in those days, there was no distinction whatsoever between astronomy and astrology, and the Jews, who'd been held captive in Babylon for centuries before, were themselves very familiar with Babylonian astrology, just as the Babylonian magi were no less well-versed in Hebrew Law and the Prophets. • "When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy." ——Mat 2:9-10 KJB This "star" was the *second* conjunction between Venus and Jupiter, this time rising about an hour and forty minutes *behind* the Sun, and now in the constellation of Virgo, with peak brightness August 21, 1 A.D., at 2:12 PM Jerusalem time. Thus, as the magi watched the setting sun, the "star" which they'd seen two years previous grew steadily brighter, finally hovering just above the horizon as they'd found the place where Jesus was, where the dazzling "star" shimmered brilliantly! Hence is why they "rejoiced with exceeding great joy!" Also, the apparent enigma of how the magi "followed" the star is solved when you consider how "far" the magi had traveled from Jerusalem to Bethlehem: due south only about six miles! A distance easily traversed on foot or by camel in less than two to three hours, tops! Thus, with the "star" clearly visible by day at this second conjunction's peak brightness during the afternoon of August 8, 1 A.D. (Julian), then it also makes perfect sense that the magi had visited with Herod throughout the morning, then set out to find Jesus later that afternoon. • "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 Bethlehem, 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." ——Mat 2:16 KJB Naturally, this clear choice of ages to kill the toddler Jesus is explained by the first conjunction, which, as the magi had just recently explained to him, was barely two years ago. No doubt, Herod just wanted to be "sure" Jesus didn't have any kid brothers crawling around, yes? In conclusion, Jesus Christ was almost certainly born July 31, 2 B.C. according to Julian calendar of Sosigenes, or August 12, 2 B.C., according to the Gregorian calendar of today, so... —— MARK YOUR CALENDARS EVERYONE —— The second millennium will commence August 12, 1998 Smoke 'em while you still got 'em, :) DJM —— noncorporate consultants ncorp@slavecamp.nwo ********************************