The Immaculate Virgin Conception of the Virgin Mary 

    According to Josephus, the festival at the completion of the rebuilding of the Sanctuary of the Temple 

coincided with the anniversary of Herod's inauguration as king. As shown in chapter 12, Herod captured 

Jerusalem on the Fast Day (Yom Kippur; Tishri 10) in 43 

B.C.

 In that year, the Passover began relatively early, 

on March 24 (Nisan 14), resulting in a relatively early date for the Fast Day, Sept. 13.

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 The Feast of 

Tabernacles (Tishri 15 22) began only 5 days after the day that Herod captured Jerusalem (Tishri 10). This was 

too soon after the capture of Jerusalem for Herod to organize an acceptable inauguration ceremony. Also, 

there were probably some number of additional days needed, after the city was captured, to secure the city 

militarily. On the other hand, the Feast of the Dedication of the Temple on Kislev 25 fell on November 26 that 

year. That date is more than two months after the capture of Jerusalem and is too late a date for Herod's 

inauguration. 

    The most probable time frame for the inauguration ceremony is the month of Heshvan. This time frame is 

long enough after the capture of Jerusalem for Herod to have secured his capture of the city, and have taken 

the time needed to prepare a ceremony fit for a king. It is also not too long after the capture of the city. Herod 

would not have tolerated too much delay before the ceremony which declared his kingship. 

    For the above reasons, the feast which Blessed Anne Catherine described was neither the Feast of 

Tabernacles, nor the dedication feast on Kislev 25 (Hanukkah), but rather some other feast associated with the 

Temple and occurring between those two dates. That very time frame coincides with the time of the 

completion of the rebuilding of the Second Temple of Jerusalem, a time when the Temple was rededicated to 

God. It is fitting that the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary should occur at the time of that singular 

Feast for the dedication of the Temple Sanctuary, because both were singular, joyful, and holy events. And the 

Temple itself is a symbol and foreshadowing of the Messiah, Who came into the world through the Virgin 

Mary. 

     But the temple itself was built by the priests in a year and six months, upon which all the people were full 

of joy . They feasted and celebrated this rebuilding of the temple: and for the king, he sacrificed three 

hundred oxen to God; as did the rest, everyone according to his ability: the number of which sacrifices it is not 

possible to set down . 

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    Josephus here describes the feast at the completion of the rebuilding of the Temple Sanctuary, (he calls the 

Sanctuary portion of the Temple,  the temple itself ). This feast may have been mistaken by Blessed Anne 

Catherine for the Feast of Tabernacles, since both were a celebration at the Temple of Jerusalem, with many 

sacrifices offered to God. They both also occurred about the same time of year; the Feast of Tabernacles occurs 

in early fall, from Tishri 15 to 22. And this feast at the completion of the Temple rebuilding coincided with the 

anniversary of the king's inauguration, which also occurred in the fall. (For further details on the chronology 

of the Temple of Jerusalem, see chapter 12.) 

The Age of the Virgin Mary 

    Another way to determine the year of the Immaculate Conception is to first determine the age of the Virgin 

Mary at Christ's Incarnation or at His Birth. Blessed Anne Catherine said that  the Blessed Virgin had reached 

the age of fourteen,  when she was dismissed from her years of service as one of the temple virgins at 

Jerusalem. Blessed Anne Catherine counts the ages of Jesus and Mary from birth, so Mary had passed her 

14th birthday at the time she was dismissed from the temple. Soon after leaving the temple, in late January, 

Mary was betrothed to Joseph.

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 And about a month later, the Incarnation of Jesus Christ occurred, on 

February 25. 

    After describing the Incarnation, Blessed Anne Catherine tells us the Virgin Mary's age.  Mary was at this 

time a little over fourteen years old. 

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 Mary must have been born in 30 

B.C.

, for then she would complete her 

first year from birth in 29 

B.C.

 and her 14th year from birth in 16 

B.C.

 She would then still be 14 years old early 

in 15 

B.C.

, when the Incarnation occurred (Feb. 25). Therefore, the Virgin Mary was born in 30 

B.C.

, and was 

conceived about nine months earlier in 31 

B.C.

    At the Holy Birth of Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary was just over 15 years old, counting her age from birth. 

The Virgin Mary's age ought to be counted from her Immaculate Conception, though, for this was the 

beginning of her life. So, at the Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary had completed just over 16 years 

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