"Matthew explicitly
connects the birth of Jesus with the government of King Herod, and the
reference to this ruler's successor Archelaus proves that he meant Herod the
Great. The years during which Herod was King of the Jews are known from [the
first century AD Jewish historian] Josephus [and confirmed by others].
According to his colorful reports, Herod was elected the king of the Jews by
the Roman senate in 40 BCE, and he died at springtime thirty-six years later,
which gives us the year 4 BCE. Matthew thus reports that Jesus was born some
time before the year 4 BCE." [from "Chronology" in The Oxford Companion to
the Bible, p. 119] ("BCE" - "Before the Common Era" is often used among
scholars as the calendar equivalent of "BC.") Thus, in terms of our current
calendar, Jesus was born sometime between 4 and 7
B.C.