There are two lines of evidence to support the view that Jesus was born just before Passover in the month of April:
“There was no room at the inn.”
Jerusalem and Bethlehem nearby would have been very busy between the 13th and 27th April 5 BC as all adult Jewish males were required to celebrate Passover at the Temple.
Jewish families went to Jerusalem before the festival to prepare for it. Thus, the guest room of Joseph’s family house in Bethlehem may have been full due to it being the festival of Passover, coinciding with a census.
If everywhere was crowded due to Passover, this would be the reason that there was nowhere to stay, except in a stable.
Shepherds on the Hills
The shepherds mentioned in Luke chapter 2 are watching their flocks at night when angels appear to them on the hills to say that a Saviour has been born and as a sign they will find him lying in a manger.
At this time, sheep were only pastured out on the hills all night between March and November in Judea. Between December and February it was too cold for them outside at night so they were kept inside in barns after dark.
The shepherds mentioned in the narrative of the birth of Christ show that he was not born in December, but could have been born in April. The shepherds descended to Bethlehem from the hills above the town, with sheep and lambs and found the baby hidden in the feeding receptacle beneath the hay. It was probably the sheep that found him when they went to feed on the hay.
We already know that Jesus was not born on the 25th December. December was chosen for the celebration of the birth of Christ because it was put in the place of the pagan celebration of the winter solstice in Europe. The solstice was mistakenly thought to occur on the 25th December rather than the 21st December.
Merry and True 