(a) For tlie Birth of Jesus, we know that it occurred in the reign of the emperor Augustus (Lk 2^"^), and not long before the death of Herod the Great (Mt 2^-'^% Herod died probably not later than B.C. 4, as is made out from statements of Josephus (see Dates), and thus it appears tliat by an early error (of Dionysius Exiguus, an abbot of the 6th cent.) the generally accepted era of Christ's birth has been irrevocably fixed a few years later than the actual time. The probable date of the Nativity is somewhere between B.C. 6 and 4.
(b) For the Baptism, we know that it took place at some time within the 'fifteenth year of Tiberius Csesar' (Lk 3'- 2), for this was the time tliat John began to baptize, and Jesus was among those who received tlie rite at his hands (Mt 3'*, Mk P, Lk 321) ; but none of the accounts gives any definite note as to the exact point during the ministry of John when the baptism occurred. St. Luke states (3^3) that 'Jesus when he began (presumably His ministry or teaching) was about thirty years old.' But neither His exact age nor the exact point of His ' beginning ' is indicated. The pi'obability is that He was either just thirty, or from one to three years past that — hardly under thirty. So that here we have no certain number of years to add to the already uncertain year of the Lord's birth. If Ave take B.C. 4 as the Birth date and add thirty years, it brings us to A.D. 26 as the pro- bable year of the baptism; but if St. Luke's 'about thirty' be extended two years, it Avould be 28. Now, as to the 'fifteenth year of Tiberius,' that was probably the year 28, but may have been 26. Augustus died in A.D. 14 (Aug. 19), and, if the beginning of the reign of his successor Tiberius be reckoned from that date, the 'fifteenth year' would begin in Aug. 28, and the baptism of Jesus would be at some time in the twelve months following. But it is possible that St. Luke dates the beginning of Tiberius' reign from the time he was associated in the government with Augustus, i.e. in A.D. 12; and so the ' fifteenth year ' could begin in Aug. 26.
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On this, however, it is proper to remark that tlie more common mode of reckoning would be from the actual sole reign, and not from the previous association of an emperor in the govern- ment.
((■) For the Crucifixion, we know that it occurred during the governorship of Pontius Pilate in Judtea (all the Evangelists), and this administration covered about ten years, from a.d. 26 to 36. Other data (see Date.s) help to hx upon near tlie central part of this period as the time of the (_"rucihxion, between 28 and 31, more likely 29 or 30.
(3) These uncertainties have given rise among scholars to a number of different theories of the duration of our Lord's ministry. It will be suffi- cient to mention three, among which choice, accord- ing to what seems to be the greatest probabilitj', should be made.
(a) The short period theory. This assigns but a little over a year to the ministry. According to it, the Baptism probably occurred earlj- in the year 29, that is, during the fifteenth year of Tiberius, reckoning that to have begun in Aug. 28, and the Baptism to have taken place early in the year following. The first Passover (Jn 2'*) came soon after, and the last Passover just a year later. Between these two Passovers lay the whole ministry, hence this theory is called the hipasrhal view. To obtain this result, the feast of Jn 5^ is held not to be a Passover ; the text of Jn 6"* is regarded as incorrect (on slight documentary evi- dence), and read as omitting • of the passover,' and so leaving this also an unnamed feast. After dis- posing of these two feasts, the order of feasts men- tioneil in John is fixed as follows : Passover (2'^), A.D. 29; Pentecost (5^), nameless or omitted (6^), Tabernacles (7-), Dedication (10--), and Passover (Ip5), spring of A.D. 30. "Witli this scheme de- rived from the Fourth Gospel, the data furnished by the SjTioptics is made to harmonize bj- sliglit- ing the indications of a time of nearlv ripe grain (:Mt V2\ :Mk 2-^, Lk 6i), which it is hard to locate if there were only two Passovers in the whole series of events. But this theory is defended (see von Soden in Enfyc. Bibl.) on the following grounds: (i. ) That the correct interpretation of the 'fifteenth year' of Tiberiiis is from the date of his sole reign, and therefore is A.D. 28-29. (ii.) The events of the Gospel narrative are too meagre to have extended over more than a j'ear. (iii. ) This view was held by many of the Fathers as early as the 2nd century. The only one of these grounds that has any real force is the first, and as to that it may be rejilied that we are not compelled to put the Crucifixion in 30, and thereby limit the time to one year. The second ground is entirely subjective — to many other scholars it seems far too short a time for all the events (witli their implications of others and of intervals) to have taken place. As to the third ground, it may be said tliat tlie Fathers were not unanimous, and thej- had only the same data for forming opinions that modern and more accurate chronologers have. Besides its inadequacy to account for all the facts, this theoiy deals in an arbitrary way with the text of Jn 6^ and with the indication furnished by the incident of the grain fields (Mt 121 etc.).