Christianity grapples with the rise of an AI Jesus

Earlier in December, podcaster Joe Rogan suggested that Jesus Christ might return in the form of an artificial intelligence. While this moment garnered attention online and in the press, it's actually just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the effect that AI is having on religious belief in highly online corners of American society.
In the viral Rogan clip, the host says "Jesus was born out of a virgin mother. What's more virgin than a computer? If Jesus does return, you don't think he could return as artificial intelligence? AI could absolutely return as Jesus."
The response to the clip online was largely mockery or criticism of Rogan for his cozy relationship with tech oligarchs, like billionaires Elon Musk and Peter Thiel. But the notion of an AI Jesus is not as fringe as it might seem.
Related
Holy ghostwriter: The rise of AI sermons and the fight for the faithful's trust
Robert Geraci, a professor of religious studies at Knox College who has authored multiple books on technology and religion, told Salon in an interview that religious beliefs that incorporate AI are becoming increasingly mainstream
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The Nativity of Jesus Christ: Evidence for a Birth in Late 5 BC, Potentially September

 

The precise date of Jesus Christ's birth remains one of the most debated topics in historical Jesus studies. While the Gospels provide theological narratives rather than chronological precision, a synthesis of biblical, historical, astronomical, and cultural evidence supports a birth in late 5 BC, during the final months of Herod the Great's reign. This article argues for this timeframe, acknowledging the challenges posed by Luke's reference to the census under Quirinius, and proposes September as a plausible month based on priestly chronologies and symbolic alignments.The Anchor: Herod the Great's Death in Early 4 BCThe strongest historical constraint comes from Matthew 2, which places Jesus' birth "in the days of Herod the king" (Matt. 2:1), with the Magi visiting when Jesus was a young child and Herod ordering the massacre of boys under two (Matt. 2:16). Flavius Josephus, the primary source for Herodian history, records Herod's death shortly after a lunar eclipse and before Passover (Antiquities 17.6–9). Astronomical data identifies the partial eclipse of March 13, 4 BC, as the best fit—visible in Judea and allowing ~29 days for subsequent events before Passover on April 11.

Birth in September 5 BC: Herod's death ~6–7 months later (March/April 4 BC) allows for the nativity events. The "two years or under" massacre order could reflect Herod's caution (overestimating the child's age based on the Magi's star sighting) or inclusive ancient age reckoning.

Extended Range for Events: If the birth is pushed to late 6 BC (e.g., September), it provides ~2 years until Herod's death, better aligning with the massacre's age range and a delayed Magi arrival (their journey from the East could take months).

Herod's regnal years (37 from Roman appointment in 40 BC, 34 from Jerusalem's conquest in 37 BC) align with inclusive ancient reckoning to early 4 BC. Successors' coinage and reigns (e.g., Archelaus deposed AD 6 after ~10 years; Philip's coins) corroborate this. While a minority view favors 1 BC (citing alternative eclipses and manuscript variants), the consensus among historians—Emil Schürer onward, reinforced by numismatics and Josephus's core narrative—upholds 4 BC. Reconciling Luke's Census ReferenceLuke 2:1–2 ties the nativity to a census "while Quirinius was governing Syria." Quirinius's documented governorship and census occurred in AD 6–7, post-Herod, creating an apparent discrepancy. However, apologetic scholarship offers viable resolutions compatible with a 5/4 BC birth:

• Luke refers to an earlier registration (c. 8–6 BC) under Augustus's empire-wide enrollments, distinguished as the "first" from Quirinius's later one (Acts 5:37).
• Grammatical renderings: prōtē as "before" ("this enrollment was before Quirinius governed Syria") or adverbial ("prior to Quirinius's governorship").
• Quirinius held prior administrative/military roles in Syria-Cilicia (c. 8–4 BC), overseeing regional assessments while formal governors (Saturninus, Varus) held title.

These align Luke's theological intent—Bethlehem fulfillment (Micah 5:2)—with Herod's era, without necessitating historical error.Priestly Courses and a September BirthLuke 1 provides the most detailed chronology: Zechariah, of Abijah's division (8th of 24; 1 Chron. 24), receives Gabriel's annunciation during temple service. Elizabeth conceives post-service; Mary, six months later (Luke 1:36). John's birth follows ~9 months after Zechariah's return; Jesus' ~6 months thereafter.
Reconstructions of priestly rotations (serving twice yearly plus festivals) place Abijah's duty variably, but many align Zechariah's service with midsummer (June/July). Adding gestation yields a September/October birth for Jesus—autumn, during milder weather suitable for shepherds (Luke 2:8) and harvest-season travel/census.
This fits the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot, mid-September to early October), symbolically resonant: John 1:14 ("the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us"). Harvest joy themes (Isa. 9) and God's dwelling evoke Incarnation typology. While exact course dates are reconstructed (post-exilic system), the timeline plausibly supports late 5 BC September.Astronomical ConsiderationsNo astronomical event definitively marks the nativity, but phenomena in 5–3 BC intrigued ancient observers. Jupiter-Regulus conjunctions (3–2 BC) in Leo symbolized kingship; a Venus-Jupiter alignment (June 17, 2 BC) appeared as a brilliant "star." These postdate a strict 4 BC Herod death but could signal the Magi's later arrival (Jesus as toddler).
Earlier events (e.g., Jupiter-Saturn triple conjunction 7 BC) align better with 6–5 BC conceptions. For a 4 BC birth, subtler signs (eclipses, heliacal risings) suffice; the "star" may be narrative theology, not literal astronomy.

A major recent development (2025): NASA planetary scientist Mark Matney published research identifying a bright "broom star" (comet) from Chinese records in spring 5 BC. One orbital path reconstruction shows it appearing to move southward ahead of travelers from Jerusalem to Bethlehem and pause overhead due to temporary geosynchronous-like motion. This is hailed as the first candidate fully matching Matthew's description of apparent motion.

Cultural and Theological ContextA September birth avoids winter impracticalities (cold nights, travel). It aligns with Jewish festal calendar, emphasizing Jesus as fulfillment. Early Church shifted celebration to December 25 for symbolic (solstice light) and missional reasons, not historical claim.

The Christian Church began adopting December 25 as the date for celebrating Jesus' birth in the early to mid-4th century AD, with the first official recorded observance in Rome occurring in 336 AD during the reign of Emperor Constantine, as documented in the Chronograph of 354 (a Roman calendar compiled around that time, whose relevant section likely dates to 336). This choice stemmed primarily from an ancient Christian "calculation hypothesis": early theologians like Hippolytus of Rome (c. 202–235 AD) and others believed Jesus was conceived on March 25 (linked to the date of his crucifixion and symbolic ties to the creation of the world or the spring equinox), leading to a birth nine months later on December 25. While the date coincided with Roman winter festivals like Saturnalia and the later Sol Invictus (established in 274 AD), modern scholarship emphasizes that the Christian tradition predates or developed independently of direct pagan borrowing, with the formal Roman adoption helping to establish it amid a Christianizing empire; by the late 4th century, it had spread widely in the West

ConclusionIntegrating Herod's 4 BC death (consensus evidence), Luke's priestly timeline (September viability), census resolutions, and astronomical possibilities yields a coherent case for Jesus' birth in late 5 BC, possibly September. This honors biblical narratives' theological depth while respecting historical constraints. 
The exact day eludes us—appropriately, as Christian focus rests on the Incarnation's reality, not calendrical precision: "The Word became flesh" (John 1 :14)
Bibliography

Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 17.6.4 (trans. William Whiston).

Emil Schürer, A History of the Jewish People in the Time of Jesus Christ, Div. I, Vol. 1 (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2009 reprint), 464–467.

P.V.R. Narasimha Rao, Jagannatha Hora astronomical software (version 8.0; vedicastrologer.org/jh), for verification of lunar eclipse visibility on March 13, 4 BC.

Harold W. Hoehner, Chronological Aspects of the Life of Christ (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1977), 11–34