New Testament History

The Immaculate Conception

Since 17 weeks and 10 days were half of the time that the pregnancy of Anne lasted,[1] her pregnancy lasted 34 weeks and 20 days (= 258 days). This period of half of her pregnancy seems also to have equalled 4½ months less 3 days.[2] A lunar month lasts 29½ days, such that 4 lunar months last 118 days. 118 days + 14 days (= ½ month) - 3 days = 129 days. Twice 129 days are 258 days, which amount corresponds exactly to the period of 34 weeks + 20 days. Since the Holy Virgin was born 12 days earlier than other children are,[3] an ordinary pregnancy lasts 258 days + 12 days = 270 days = 9 months of 30 days.[4]

Given that the pregnancy of Anne lasted 258 days and that the Holy Virgin was born on factual Julian 5 August 17 BC, the Immaculate Conception took place on factual Julian 20 November 18 BC = theoretical Julian 23 November = Gregorian 21 November = actual 20 November (10 days in November + 31 days in December + 31 days in January + 28 days in February[5] + 31 days in March + 30 days in April + 31 days in May + 30 days in June + 31 days in July + 5 days in August = 258 days). On Monday factual Julian 20 November 18 BC there was an annular solar eclipse at 8:41 UT.[6] This eclipse took place at the Immaculate Conception. Similarly to the miraculous solar eclipse at the time of the death of Christ (Luke 23:44) and the solar eclipses at the time of the death and assumption of the Holy Virgin, there was a solar eclipse at the time of the Immaculate Conception.

Since the liturgical date for the birth of the Holy Virgin had been fixed at 8 September, the liturgical feast for the Immaculate Conception was placed 9 months (i.e. the ordinary period of a pregnancy) before 8 September, on 8 December. There was a penumbral lunar eclipse on theoretical Julian 8 December 18 BC = factual Julian 5 December at 20:48 UT.[7] One may have chosen 8 December as the date for the Immaculate Conception on account of the remembrance of an eclipse occurring at the time of the conception. Yet it was the solar eclipse of factual Julian 20 November 18 BC (rather than the lunar eclipse of factual Julian 5 December) that marked the conception. Tradition apparently ascribed the date of Gregorian 21 November to the entrance of the Holy Virgin in the Temple at the age of three (which took place on factual Julian 4 November and is commemorated on 21 November) instead of to her entrance at the time of the Immaculate Conception (which likewise took place at the Temple).[8]

    According to A.C.E., the Holy Virgin was 14 years old when she left the Temple service (in December 2 BC),[9] a little over 14 years old at the incarnation of Christ (in February 1 BC),[10] and in her 15th year at the birth of Christ (in November 1 BC).[11] These indications all have one or two years too less: the Holy Virgin was 15 years old in December 2 BC and February 1 BC, and she was in her 17th year in November 1 BC. Analogously, the Immaculate Conception (in November 18 BC) did not take place 15 years – as A.C.E. states[12]– but 17 years before the birth of Christ (in November 1 BC). The time setting of the conception was related to a star which had appeared “1,500 years before the birth of Christ,” “500 years before the birth of Christ,” and “fifteen years before.”[13] After that, the star appeared every 5 years.[14] Given the prominence of the number 5, the years between the Immaculate Conception and the birth of Christ were given according to a quinquennial system: the 17 years were given as 15 (= the multiple of 5 closest to 17). Since A.C.E. thought that there are exactly 15 years between the Immaculate Conception and the birth of Christ, she assigned 14 (instead of 16) years to the period between the birth of the Holy Virgin and that of Christ.