Why do scholars date Jesus' birth to 4 B.C.?
Scholars date Jesus' birth to 4 B.C. because archaeology established that King Herod's rule, reign, and death required it. Additionally, if Adam was created in 4,004 B.C. instead of 4,000 B.C., the timeline shifts Christ's birth from zero to 4 B.C., placing His crucifixion at 29 B.C. rather than 33 B.C.
Les explains that chronologers once assumed Christ was born at zero and Adam was created in 4,000 B.C. But thanks to archaeology, they later concluded that because of King Herod's rule, reign, and death, Christ had to have been born 4 B.C. according to the Gregorian calendar. If Adam was created 4,004 B.C. instead of 4,000, then Christ was born 4 B.C., which puts His crucifixion at 29 B.C. instead of 33 B.C. Les notes people wonder why he places the crucifixion at 29 B.C. when they thought He was 33; He was 33, but Les follows the newer findings that Christ was born 4 B.C. instead of on zero.