# Why did Jesus appear on the scene when he did? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 6, 2009, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jesus-appear-on-the-scene-when-he-did/516512 "2009-11-06T01:54:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jesus-appear-on-the-scene-when-he-did/516512/1 "2009-11-06T01:54:43Z")
Is this explained anywhere, because I certainly don’t remember seeing it mentioned in the bible? ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jesus-appear-on-the-scene-when-he-did/516512/2 "2009-11-06T02:14:00Z")
Do you mean from a religious perspective or historical one? Jesus was not by any means unique there were lots of people going around the same time Jesus was preaching similar things. It’s just that his version took off. If you mean a religious perspective the Gospels lay out how Jesus was the fulfillment of the messiah to come. Others came along but they either weren’t the true fulfillment or else their teachings and followers didn’t get any “press,” so to speak and their movements died out ---
**Author:** ![sco3tt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@sco3tt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sco3tt)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jesus-appear-on-the-scene-when-he-did/516512/3 "2009-11-06T02:15:12Z")
I think it was because he saw the calendar count down from 1 B.C. to 0 and realized he didn’t have a choice. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jesus-appear-on-the-scene-when-he-did/516512/4 "2009-11-06T02:26:29Z")
Obviously, there’s no one single answer to this. However, there is a prophecy in Genesis that says the Messiah will come before “the scepter departs from Judah” which is generally understood to mean “before Israel is conquered and loses self-rule”. After Herod, Israel/Palestine was ruled by the Romans and this transition happened during the time Jesus was alive so that Pontius Pilate was there to crucify him. (For reference, see [here](http://biblebrowser.com/genesis/49-10.htm).) In addition, the Jewish temple was destroyed around 66 AD by the Romans. If you believe Christ was the fulfillment of the temple law, then it makes sense that the temple would not be destroyed until shortly after he makes it obsolete. For those who don’t look for a prophetic or religious reason, the rise of Rome can still be blamed. Rome made transportation, trade and communication easier and safer, and gave special protection to its citizens. Paul was Jewish and a Roman citizen; he was uniquely able to spread the Gospel at that point in history. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jesus-appear-on-the-scene-when-he-did/516512/5 "2009-11-06T02:54:24Z")
Karma. ---
**Author:** ![Blut\_Aus\_Nord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Blut\_Aus\_Nord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blut_Aus_Nord)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jesus-appear-on-the-scene-when-he-did/516512/6 "2009-11-06T03:06:54Z")
> [@sco3tt](#): > > I think it was because he saw the calendar count down from 1 B.C. to 0 and realized he didn’t have a choice. This is obviously false. There’s no 0 year, bub. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jesus-appear-on-the-scene-when-he-did/516512/7 "2009-11-06T03:08:02Z")
I don’t think there is a standard theological reason for this, so let’s move it from GQ to GD. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jesus-appear-on-the-scene-when-he-did/516512/8 "2009-11-06T03:10:31Z")
If he’d come today he’d have reached a whole nation. Israel in 4 BC had no mass communication. ---
**Author:** ![BigBertha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@BigBertha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigBertha)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jesus-appear-on-the-scene-when-he-did/516512/9 "2009-11-06T03:11:37Z")
Well, He kindof did after all. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jesus-appear-on-the-scene-when-he-did/516512/10 "2009-11-06T03:17:01Z")
> [@BigBertha](#): > > Well, He kindof did after all. 🙂 Don’t you get me wrong, now ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jesus-appear-on-the-scene-when-he-did/516512/11 "2009-11-06T03:19:44Z")
There was about a 75-year time span when a unified state covering the majority of the civilized world ruled over a Holy Land in which the Jewish Temple still stood, when the Jews remained a people predominantly living in one area and with their commitment to YHWH in place, and capable of being spread to all peoples (i.e., all peoples within the _oikoumene_) by that unified state enabling ease of commerce and travel. It was during this period that Jesus was born and grew up, performed his ministry and Atonement, and word of what he had taught and done was spread throughout the Empire. Although it may be _post hoc_, the timing on this seems too neat to be coincidental. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jesus-appear-on-the-scene-when-he-did/516512/12 "2009-11-06T04:01:18Z")
\*\*Why did Jesus appear on the scene when he did? \*\* That is just the way the Director envisioned the play. John, The Baptist, was wrapping up his scene and cued Jesus. Jesus walked on stage, hit his mark, said his lines, and exited. There is probably more to it than that. Various interpretations have been written about the issue. More than a few books. You could look it up. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jesus-appear-on-the-scene-when-he-did/516512/13 "2009-11-06T05:24:18Z")
Jesus was most likely a metaphor for various astrological phenomena. There are 12 astroogical ages running 26,000 years and the birth of Jesus is a metaphor for the transition from the age of Aries which ran from 2150BC-1AD into the age of Pisces, which runs from 1AD-2150AD, which is why the story of Jesus arose around this time period. He was born on December 25th because December 25th is the day when in the northern hemisphere the days start getting longer and the sun starts to ascend. The position of the sun on the horizon constantly gets lower after its peak on the summer solstice (June 21st) until the winter solstice is December 21st, and for 3 days (22-24) the sun does not move up or down, it has reached its bottom. On December 25th the length of daylight becomes longer and the sun begins its ascent into the horizon (eventually peaking on June 21st, to begin the descent again from June21-December21) again which is where there story that the sun ‘dies’ for 3 days and is then reborn and arises up to heaven. [http://www.religioustolerance.org/xmas\_menu.htm](http://www.religioustolerance.org/xmas_menu.htm) > **[Astrological age](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astrological_age#The_Age_of_Aries_.28The_Arian_Age.29)** > > An astrological age is a time period in astrological theory which astrologers say, parallels major changes in the development of Earth's inhabitants, particularly relating to culture, society, and politics. There are twelve astrological ages corresponding to the twelve zodiacal signs in western astrology. Advocates believe that when one cycle of the twelve astrological ages, called a Great Year, is completed, another cycle of twelve ages begins. The length of one cycle of twelve ages is 25,772 The ages of Aries ended roughly 100BC-1AD (there is controversy over the exact date) after running 2000+ years, which is why Jesus entered the picture in that period. I have no idea if a guy named Jesus actually existed. If he did then IMO he was just one of the dozens of guys running around claiming to talk for God back then. But even if he did exist his story has basically become a metaphor for astrology, and its unlikely the Jesus we know (assuming he ever existed) was born on the day or year we assume he was born on, since these are astrological metaphors. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jesus-appear-on-the-scene-when-he-did/516512/14 "2009-11-06T05:33:04Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > I have no idea if a guy named Jesus actually existed. This again? The overwhelming majority of historians – theist or atheist, Christian or non-Christian – agree that [Jesus existed.](http://www.bede.org.uk/jesusmyth.htm) There is a tiny handful of writers who claim otherwise, but by and large, they have no credentials as historians. The most prominent of these writers, G.A. Wells, is a professor of German, not history – and even he has [abandoned the notion that Jesus did not exist](http://www.tektonics.org/uz/wellsga01.html). ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jesus-appear-on-the-scene-when-he-did/516512/15 "2009-11-06T05:49:23Z")
> [@JThunder](#): > > This again? > > The overwhelming majority of historians – theist or atheist, Christian or non-Christian – agree that [Jesus existed.](http://www.bede.org.uk/jesusmyth.htm) There is a tiny handful of writers who claim otherwise, but by and large, they have no credentials as historians. The most prominent of these writers, G.A. Wells, is a professor of German, not history – and even he has [abandoned the notion that Jesus did not exist](http://www.tektonics.org/uz/wellsga01.html). There are a couple of mythicists with relevant credentials. [Robert price](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_M._Price), for instance (Doctorates in theology and New Testament, Professor of theology, former Baptist minister), and [Richard Carrier](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Carrier) (PhD in Ancient History), but you’re right that Jesus Mythicism is still very much on the ouside looking in at the moment and is all but universally rejected by most of academia. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jesus-appear-on-the-scene-when-he-did/516512/16 "2009-11-06T05:50:38Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > There was about a 75-year time span when a unified state covering the majority of the civilized world ruled over a Holy Land in which the Jewish Temple still stood, when the Jews remained a people predominantly living in one area and with their commitment to YHWH in place, and capable of being spread to all peoples (i.e., all peoples within the _oikoumene_) by that unified state enabling ease of commerce and travel. It was during this period that Jesus was born and grew up, performed his ministry and Atonement, and word of what he had taught and done was spread throughout the Empire. Although it may be _post hoc_, the timing on this seems too neat to be coincidental. That’s like saying that McDonald’s became the largest chain restaurant in the world because the stars aligned for it. Saint Paul took a great story about the little guy getting martyred, a promise of eternal paradise, a fear of eternal damnation, and some good ol’ fashioned hard salesmanship and turned it into a massive enterprise. It’s like the Beatles. They didn’t do anything new so much as they went out and found all the best parts of what everyone was doing at the time, made it mass market, and kicked everyone else’s butt. Practically speaking, what difference is there between David Koresh and Joseph Smith, Jr. besides that one was a better salesman? If you want to account popularity and longevity with divinity, you have to explain why there’s nearly as many Islamic people in the world as Christian. You have to explain why Jesus was more plausibly the bearer of divine knowledge than any other person at the time preaching the same message. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jesus-appear-on-the-scene-when-he-did/516512/17 "2009-11-06T06:13:49Z")
I always wondered this issue myself. In Christian belief, God is omniscient - so he must have known at the time of Adam and Eve’s fall from grace that he was going to eventually come down to Earth in the person of Jesus to redeem mankind. So why delay? He could have appeared the next day and let Adam crucify him. ---
**Author:** ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jesus-appear-on-the-scene-when-he-did/516512/18 "2009-11-06T06:16:30Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > If he’d come today he’d have reached a whole nation. Israel in 4 BC had no mass communication. Goodness, am I the only other one who remembers this lyric? Showing our age here methinks. Anyway, one would assume he appeared at this time because his parents had sex nine months earlier. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jesus-appear-on-the-scene-when-he-did/516512/19 "2009-11-06T06:50:41Z")
Because comedy is all about timing. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jesus-appear-on-the-scene-when-he-did/516512/20 "2009-11-06T07:01:10Z")
> [@Francis\_Vaughan](#): > > Goodness, am I the only other one who remembers this lyric? Showing our age here methinks. See here- [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=11746596&postcount=10](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=11746596&postcount=10) All I wanna know… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jesus-appear-on-the-scene-when-he-did/516512.md?page=2)