Important Dates in the Lives of Jesus and Mary 

moved forward no more than 4 additional days, to July 7. This consideration gives us a slightly larger probable 

time frame for John's birth of June 6 to July 7, inclusive. 

    This time frame for the birth of John can be narrowed down by examining the circumstances surrounding 

his birth. The Incarnation of Jesus Christ occurred on Feb. 25 and near the beginning of Elizabeth's sixth 

month. The Virgin Mary waited until after the Passover to visit Elizabeth, so that her visit began on April 20. 

Since Elizabeth was in her sixth month by Feb. 25, she would be in her 8th month by April 25, about the time 

of the beginning of the Virgin Mary's visit. Yet Sacred Scripture tells us that Mary stayed with Elizabeth for 

about three months. And Blessed Anne Catherine adds that Mary left after the birth of John, but before his 

circumcision on the eighth day. If the Virgin Mary had stayed with Elizabeth for more than three months, she 

would have stayed from April 20 to sometime after July 17 (three lunar months). But this date is too many 

days past the time frame for John's birth to fall between John's birth and his circumcision (on the 8th day). So 

the exact length of Mary's stay with Elizabeth must have been somewhat less than three full months. But if the 

Virgin Mary had left after a period of time closer to two months than to three, then Sacred Scripture would not 

have said  about three months.  

    Following this line of reasoning, July 2 is the mid point between 2 and 3 months from the beginning of 

Mary's visit with Elizabeth. (April 20 to July 2 is 74 days, inclusive; 2.5 lunar months is just under 74 days.)

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So Mary's visit must have lasted until sometime after July 2, so that the length of time for her visit would be 

closer to 3 months than to 2 months.  

    Now, Mary departed after the birth, but before the circumcision, of John, so John was born no sooner than 

June 27, which is 7 days before the earliest possible date for Mary's departure (July 3). This earliest date for 

John's birth is arrived at by taking the earliest date for Mary's departure which could still be called  about 

three months  by Sacred Scripture, July 3, and subtracting the longest possible time between the birth of John 

and the departure of Mary. Mary departed before the circumcision, which was held on the eighth day from 

birth, inclusive; so that Mary could have left as late as the seventh day from John's birth. That seventh day 

could have occurred no earlier than July 3, and so John the Baptist could have been born no earlier than 

June 27. 

    The above argument gives us a narrower time frame for the birth of John the Baptist: June 27 to July 7, 

inclusive a time frame of only eleven days. The birth of John could not have occurred earlier, because the 

Virgin Mary's visit with Elizabeth lasted closer to three months than to two months. The birth of John could 

have occurred later than July 7, but only if he was born more than 40 weeks after conception, that is, more 

than 2 weeks after Elizabeth's due date. Such a late date for the birth of any child is very unlikely. Therefore, 

the date of John's birth very likely occurred within the above time frame, sometime from Wednesday, June 27 

to Saturday, July 7, inclusive, in 15 

B.C.

 In the Jewish calendar, in 15 

B.C.

, June 27 coincided with Tammuz 2, 

and July 7 coincided with Tammuz 12.

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 The summer solstice that year occurred early in the day on June 

25.

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