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 The night sky as it appeared looking south
from Jerusalem on Nov. 12, 7 BC,
6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
(larger image) |
 The pre-dawn sky as it appeared looking east
from Babylon on August 24, 2 B.C. Mercury,
Mars and Jupiter form a scepter and Venus marks
the picture in Leo as referring to Jesus. |
Biblical narrative
The Gospel of Matthew states that "wise men" (Koine Greek magoi) arrived at the court of Herod in Jerusalem and told the king of the star: “ In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage. When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. ” The statement that Herod was "frightened" by what the magi said has led some readers to conclude that Herod did not know of the star before the magi arrived. However, a close reading suggests that Herod was frightened by their statement that the "king of the Jews" had been born rather than by the star itself. He understood this phrase to refer to the Messiah, a leader of the Jewish people whose coming was foretold in Old Testament prophecy. So he asked his advisors where the Messiah could be born. They answered Bethlehem, birthplace of King David, and quoted the prophet Micah. The king passed this information along to the magi. “ Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage. When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. ” Matthew's account suggests that the magi knew from the star that the "king of the Jews" had already been born even before they arrived in Jerusalem. According to the Gospel of Luke, Jesus was placed in a manger after his birth, implying that he was born in an animal shelter such as a cave. By the time the magi arrived, Jesus was a child (paidion), not an infant (brephos) and he was living in a house with his mother. The magi presented Jesus with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
In a dream, the magi were warned not to return to Jerusalem, so they "left for their own country by another road". When Herod realized that he had been tricked, he ordered the execution of all male children in Bethlehem age 2 and under, based on the information the magi had given him concerning the time the star first appeared.
A fulfillment of prophecy
Matthew is written in a traditional Jewish style called pesharim, which emphasized the fulfillment of prophecy. The ancients believed that astronomical phenomena were connected to terrestrial events. Miracles were routinely associated with the birth of important people, including the Hebrew patriarchs, as well as Greek and Roman heroes. The Star Prophecy in the Book of Numbers was well-known at the time that Matthew was written. It was cited by Flavius Josephus in reference to Emperor Vespasian. Origen, one of the most influential early Christian theologians, discussed the connection between this prophecy and the Star of Bethlehem: “ If, then, at the commencement of new dynasties, or on the occasion of other important events, there arises a comet so called, or any similar celestial body, why should it be matter of wonder that at the birth of Him who was to introduce a new doctrine to the human race, and to make known His teaching not only to Jews, but also to Greeks, and to many of the barbarous nations besides, a star should have arisen? Now I would say, that with respect to comets there is no prophecy in circulation to the effect that such and such a comet was to arise in connection with a particular kingdom or a particular time; but with respect to the appearance of a star at the birth of Jesus there is a prophecy of Balaam recorded by Moses to this effect: There shall arise a star out of Jacob, and a man shall rise up out of Israel. ” Matthew's use of the word magi connects the visitors to the magi of Babylon who selected Daniel their chief in the Book of Daniel. The word is usually translated as "wise men" and refers to a person with the gift of interpreting dreams and other portents. Daniel was revered by Jews for a prophecy he made concerning the Messiah. If the magi knew of Jewish prophecy, from Daniel or elsewhere, they could have "conjectured that the man whose appearance had been foretold along with that of the star, had actually come into the world", according to Origen.
While Origen argued for a naturalistic explanation, John Chrysostom viewed the star as purely miraculous: "How then, tell me, did the star point out a spot so confined, just the space of a manger and shed, unless it left that height and came down, and stood over the very head of the young child? And at this the evangelist was hinting when he said, Lo, the star went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was."
The magi's choice of gifts and their trip to Jerusalem also fulfill Old Testament prophecy. Isaiah prophesied a visit to "Zion" (Jerusalem) by Gentiles. Gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh are specifically mentioned in the Septuagint (Greek translation).
An astronomical object
Because the magi told Herod that they saw the star "at its rising", the obvious conclusion is that of an astronomical object.
In 1614, German astronomer Johannes Kepler determined that a series of three conjunctions of the planets Jupiter and Saturn occurred in the year 6 BC. Although conjunctions were important in astrology, Kepler was not thinking in astrological terms. He argued that a planetary conjunction could create a nova, which he linked to the Star of Bethlehem. Modern calculations show that there was always a large gap between the two planets, so these conjunctions were not visually impressive. An ancient almanac has been found in Babylon which covers the events of this period, but it makes no specific reference to the conjunctions.
Chinese and Korean stargazers observed an object thought to be a nova or a comet around 5 BC. This object was observed for over seventy days with no movement recorded. Ancient writers described comets as "hanging over" specific cities, just as the Star of Bethlehem was said to have "stood over" the "place" where Jesus was (presumably the town of Bethlehem). This phrase was not used to describe other astronomical objects, so perhaps the tail of a comet was thought to point to a specific terrestrial location.
Another Star of Bethlehem candidate is Uranus, which was visible at various times. However, it probably moved too slowly to be recognized as a planet.
Another recent hypothesis states that the star of Bethlehem was a supernova or hypernova occurring in the nearby Andromeda Galaxy. The author notes that a Type Ia or Ic supernova/hypernova occurring in the Andromeda Galaxy would have been visible directly overhead in the town of Bethlehem at the same time of the birth of Jesus. Although supernovae have been detected in Andromeda, it is extremely difficult to detect a supernova remnant in another galaxy, stand alone obtain an accurate date of when it occurred.
An Astronomical Picture or Sign
A purpose for the sun, moon and stars is to be for signs or pictures. From August 20 to August 24, 2 B.C. three wandering stars (or planets) formed a picture of a ruler’s staff or scepter, in the feet area of the constellation or picture of Leo (the Lion). For a few minutes, on Aug 24 these pictures were marked by a heliacal rising of Venus, the bright morning star. Jesus identified himself as the bright morning star. Venus, the Star of Bethlehem, marked the sign as belonging to Jesus.
This fulfilled the prophecy of Jacob, “Judah is a lion’s cub.… The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs, and the obedience of the nations is his.” When Venus was next due to rise with the sun 1.6 years later, the magi arrived in Jerusalem. The following morning, after they arrived near Bethlehem, Venus arose in the constellation or picture of Aries (ram or lamb). Venus, on the horizon, disappeared (or stopped) in the sunlight a few minutes later, over Jesus’ home, in a city of shepherds on Passover. The star marked the house of a lamb, the Lamb of God was born.
Astrology, considered by many to be forbidden by the Bible, does not play a part in the interpretation of these pictures. The link between the star and the scepter is itself contained in the Star Prophecy: "A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel." This is an example of, Biblical poetry, a common feature of Scripture, where something is said multiple times in different words or synonymously. The star is parallel to the scepter and Jacob is parallel to Israel.
The magi saw the picture in the east, indicating the king of the Jews would be born, the one who would rule all the nations. They came to the king in Jerusalem, the Jewish capital, assuming his son would be that ruler. They were instead directed to Bethlehem. The star did not guide them to Bethlehem; it guided them at dawn, from their camping location west of Bethlehem, to the exact house where Jesus lived.
King Herod reacted to the Star Prophecy because it predicted the coming ruler would crush the heads of … Edom, and Herod was Idumean that is an Edomite. Though he was old he wanted his sons to rule after him.
An astrological event
The use of the phrase "king of the Jews" by the magi has led many writers to link the Star of Bethlehem to astrology. In Hellenistic astrology, Jupiter was the king planet and Regulus was the king star. In ancient Vedic astrology, Jupiter represented the divine lord, or God, while the Sun was an indicator for the mundane ruler. As they traveled from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, the star "went before" the magi and then "stood over" the place where Jesus was. In astrological interpretations, these phrases are said to refer to retrograde motion and to stationing, i.e. Jupiter appeared to reverse course for a time, then stopped, and finally resumed its normal progression (This assumes that the magi had an instrument equivalent to an astrolabe that allowed them to detect to the motion of a planet between one night and the next.)
In 3-2 BC, there was a series of seven conjunctions, including three between Jupiter and Regulus and a strikingly close conjunction between Jupiter and Venus on June 17, 2 BC. "The fusion of two planets would have been a rare and awe-inspiring event", according to an influential paper by Roger Sinnott.
Astronomer Michael Molnar has proposed a link between a double occultation of Jupiter by the moon in 6 BC in Aries and the Star of Bethlehem. This event was quite close to the sun and would have been difficult to observe, even with a small telescope. Occultations of planets by the moon are quite common, but Firmicus Maternus, an astrologer to Roman Emperor Constantine, wrote that an occultation of Jupiter in Aries was a sign of the birth of a divine king. "When the royal star of Zeus, the planet Jupiter, was in the east this was the most powerful time to confer kingships. Furthermore, the Sun was in Aries where it is exalted. And the Moon was in very close conjunction with Jupiter in Aries", Molnar wrote. This set of conditions reoccurs every sixty years.
A modern and exclusively astrological interpretation of Matthew's account of the star, based on the magi's role as astrologers, "decodes" the Star of Bethlehem as a rare celestial configuration that was visible only to the magi. The "star" was revealed in an astrological chart dated March 2, 5 BCE.
Determining the year Jesus was born
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The soldiers and castle in the background may represent the Battle of Castillon (1453).Which event is most plausible as an explanation of the Star of Bethlehem depends on which year is accepted as the year Jesus was born. Both Luke and Matthew wrote that Jesus was born when Herod was king. According to Josephus, Herod died shortly after a lunar eclipse. This is usually identified as the eclipse of March 13, 4 BC. Jesus was born sometime between the first appearance of the Star of Bethlehem and the time the magi arrived in Herod's court. As Herod ordered the execution of boys age 2 and under, the star must have made its first appearance within the previous two years. This line of reasoning yields a date of 6-4 BC for the nativity. |
One problem with the 6-4 BC date is that the Census of Quirinius, a key element in Luke's nativity narrative, did not take place until 6-7 AD, ten years after the death of Herod. There were also two lunar eclipses in 1 BC; however, coins issued by Herod's successors show that they dated their reigns as beginning in 4 BC.
References
- Matthew 2:11
- Matthew 2:1-2
- Matthew 2:11-12
- Mosley, John, "Common Errors in 'Star of Bethlehem' Planetarium Shows", Planetarian, Third Quarter 1981.
- Matthew 2:11. When the magi enter the house, Jesus is a "child" and is with his mother. Thus the forty day confinement period prescribed by Jewish law has already passed.
- Epiphany Sermon, Rev. John Ratti, The Episcopal Church
- for example, Paul L. Maier, "Herod and the Infants of Bethlehem", in Chronos, Kairos, Christos II, Mercer University Press (1998), 171; Geza Vermes, The Nativity: History and Legend, London, Penguin, 2006, p22; E. P. Sanders, The Historical Figure of Jesus, 1993, p.85
- The King James Version (1611) reads "star in the East".
- Matthew 2:1-4 New Revised Standard Version (1989).
- Matthew 2:4.
- Matthew 2:5-6. The Old Testament version of this prophecy can be found at Micah 5:2-4.
- Matthew 2:8.
- Matthew 2:7-10.
- Luke 2:7.
- a b Matthew 2:11
- Matthew 2:11.
- Matthew 2:12.
- Matthew 2:16.
- Vermes, Geza, "The First Christmas", History Today. Dec. 2006, 56 (12), pp. 23-9.
- Numbers 24:17.
- Josephus, Flavius, Jewish War, 6.312-313.
- Numbers 24:17. Origen, Contra Celsum , Chapter LIX.
- Daniel 2:48.
- Daniel was considered "one of the greatest prophets" because "he did not only prophecy future events, like the other prophets but specified the time of their accomplishment". (Josephus, Flavius, Antiquities of the Jews 10.11.7). For Daniel's messianic prophecy, see Daniel 9:24-27.
- Origen, Contra Celsum, Chapter LX.
- St John Chrysostom, Homily VI: Matthew Chapter 2, Verse 1 And Matthew Chapter 2, Verse 2
- Isaiah 60:14.
- Isaiah 60:6.
- Matthew 2:2
- a b Mosley, John, "Common Errors in 'Star of Bethlehem' Planetarium Shows", Planetarian, Third Quarter 1981.
- Kidger, Mark, "Chinese and Babylonian Observations", Mark Kidger's Home Page. For the contrary view, i.e. that the almanac does show the conjunction was considered significant, see Ashgrove, "Triple Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn".
- a b Kidger, Mark, "Chinese and Babylonian Observations", Mark Kidger's Home Page.
- a b c d e Jenkins, R.M., "The Star of Bethlehem and the Comet of AD 66", Journal of the British Astronomy Association, June 2004, 114, pp. 336-43.
- Curiosa, Deneb, "The Star of Bethlehem", 2000. See also Kidger, Mark, "What the Star of Bethlehem Was Not".
- The Star of Bethlehem: a Type Ia/Ic Supernova in the Andromeda Galaxy. F.J. Tipler: Dept. of Mathematics and Dept. of Physics, Tulane University; New Orleans, LA 70118. 20 March 2005.,
- | Genesis 1:14
- | Revelation 22:16
- | Genesis 49:9-10
- a b Killian, Bruce A., “| Venus The Star of Bethlehem,” 2003.
- | Numbers 24:17-18
- Newman, Robert C., "The Star of Bethlehem: A Natural-Supernatural Hybrid?", Interdisciplinary Biblical Research Institute, 2001.
- Molnar, Micheal R., Revealing the Star of Bethlehem.
- Newman, Robert C., "The Star of Bethlehem: A Natural-Supernatural Hybrid?", Interdisciplinary Biblical Research Institute, 2001. A visual presentation is given here.
- Sinnott, Roger, "Thoughts on the Star of Bethlehem", Sky and Telescope, December 1968, pp. 384–386.
- a b c Molnar, Michael R., The Star of Bethlehem: The Legacy of the Magi, Rutgers University Press: 1999. ISBN 0-8135-2701-5.
- Kidger, Mark, "The Star of Bethlehem", Cambridge Conference Correspondence, Dec. 5, 2001.
- Molnar, Michael R., The Star of Bethlehem: The Legacy of the Magi, Rutgers University Press: 1999. ISBN 0-8135-2701-5. Stenger, Richard, "Was Christmas star a double eclipse of Jupiter?", Dec. 27, 2001
- Webb, John Charles, Jr, Astro-Archeological Star of Bethlehem (2006).
- Head, Peter M., Christology and the Synoptic Problem: An Argument for Markan priority, Cambridge, 1997, ISBN 0-521-58488-4. For a case against Markan priority, see Peabody, David B., Lamar Cope, and Allan J. McNicol, One Gospel From Two: Mark's Use of Matthew and Luke, Trinity Press International, 2002, ISBN 1-56338-352-7. The traditional view, presented by Augustine and others, was that Matthew was written first and that Mark was redacted from Matthew.
- The Gospels often described Jesus as "of Nazareth", but never as "of Bethlehem". Several passages suggest that neither Mark nor John were aware of the Bethlehem nativity story or of anything outstanding about the birth of Jesus. See Mark 6:1-4, John 1:46, 7:41-42, and 7:52.
- Raymond E. Brown, 101 Questions and Answers on the Bible, Paulist Press (2003), page 79.
- The god Apollo was said to have conceived with Augustus' mother and there was a "public portent" indicating that a king of Rome would soon be born. (Suetonius, C. Tranquillus, The Lives of the Twelve Caesars, "The Divine Augustus", Chapter 94.)
- Pliny the Elder, Natural History, II vi 28
- Matthew 2:12
- Timothy David Barnes, “The Date of Herod’s Death,” Journal of Theological Studies ns 19 (1968), 204-19; P. M. Bernegger, “Affirmation of Herod’s Death in 4 B.C.,” Journal of Theological Studies ns 34 (1983), 526-31.
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