What Day of the Week Was Christ Born On?

Question

Gramps,

I am wondering if you know of anywhere that states what day of the week Christ was born? I thought I had heard a quote that He was born on a Sunday, resurrected on a Sunday and that He would come again on a Sunday. But I can’t seem to find it.

Jeff

Answer

Dear Jeff,

I don’t personally recall such a quote and have not been able to find one.  There’s another that I’ve heard: that these events happened and will happen on April 6^th.  Either way, the short answer is, we simply don’t know enough to say with certainty the date or day of week of the Savior’s birth, and as scripture tells us, the day of the Second Coming will not be revealed to mankind before it happens.

I think most people don’t realize just how hard it is to try to figure out dates from the distant past.  It is so difficult that even scholars cannot agree.  If you wish to study some scholarship surrounding these dates, there’s a good 2-part article from the Ensign magazine in 1985 with many references and details: “The Restoration of Priesthood Keys on Easter 1836, Part 1: Dating the First Easter” and “The Restoration of Priesthood Keys on Easter 1836, Part 2: Symbolism of Passover and of Elijah’s Return“.  Also, more recently, there was a news article regarding speculation that Christ’s birth may actually have been close to our modern Christmas.  Among the reasons for scholarly uncertainty are lack of documentation, and the shifting of calendars over the centuries – just search for information about the history of calendars and you’ll find enough to leave you cursing the Roman emperors, and entirely uncertain as to whether today really is today!

To read the entire article: Ask Gramps