Jesus born years earlier than believed, Pope Benedict XVI claims in new book

JESUS was born several years earlier than believed and the Christian calendar is based on a miscalculation, the Pope has claimed.
 

In his book Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives, the pontiff said the mistake was made by a sixth century monk known as Dionysius Exiguus or Dennis the Small, The Telegraph reports.

"The calculation of the beginning of our calendar – based on the birth of Jesus – was made by Dionysius Exiguus, who made a mistake in his calculations by several years," the Pope writes.

"The actual date of Jesus's birth was several years before."

The Pope also makes other controversial claims including that there were no animals present at the birth of Jesus and rejects the argument that Jesus was born in Nazareth rather than Bethlemhem.