Evidence for God from Science

This topic covers the explanation for the Christmas star found in Matthew 2:2–10... There are a number of explanations for it that go back and forth. No one really has THE answer, I believe anyway.. Enjoy.

The night sky as it appeared looking south from Jerusalem on Nov. 12, 7 BC, 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.



I found this topic by JR Church interesting.. This argument looks at an earlier date for Christ's birth, possibly as early as 5 BC.

For several years, I suggested that Jesus was probably born on September 11, 3 B.C., when Jupiter was in conjunction with Regulus between the feet of Leo. My confidence in this claim came from the book, “The Star that Astonished the World,” by Dr. Ernest L. Martin. He espoused the 3 B.C., date, and it seemed feasible to me at the time.

Furthermore, moving forward 33 1/2 years would cause the date of crucifixion to be on April 15, A.D. 32. That also seemed good to me, since a lunar eclipse occurred on the other side of the world, beginning around 9 A.M., Jerusalem time and concluding around noon, just in time for the sun to go out; in which case, the people on the night side of Earth would see a double lunar eclipse.

However, there is a fundamental flaw with that date. According to Starry Night Pro, an astronomy algorithm computer program with a week-by-week calendar, the full moon of Passover would have been observed on Monday evening, April 14, A.D. 32, and the crucifixion would have been on Tuesday. Whoops! I had a problem!

So I went back to the first-century Jewish historian, Flavius Josephus to see if I could determine the date of the nativity. Somehow, I had overlooked a wealth of documentation. To begin with, I wanted to know when Herod the Great died, and just how much “wiggle room” I could have to play with.

First of all, Herod was given Israel’s royal title in Rome in 40 B.C., three years before he established his rule. Herod conquered Jerusalem on Kislev 28 (January 1, 37 B.C.), during the “Sabbatical Year.” Israel observed a Sabbatical Year, beginning on October 8, 38 B.C., and continuing until September 26, 37 B.C. (Antiq. XIV, xvi, 2). This is irrefutable proof that locks in the chronology.

Furthermore, Herod conquered Jerusalem during the “185th Olympiad,” when “Marcus Agrippa and Caninius Gallus were consuls at Rome.” History agrees that these men came into office on January 1, 37 B.C. The 185th Olympiad began in July of 40 B.C., and continued for four years until July of 36 B.C. Josephus said that Herod’s victory over Jerusalem came on the same day on which Pompey had conquered Jerusalem “twenty-seven years” earlier. Pompey conquered Jerusalem on Kislev 28, (December 28, 63 B.C.), thus marking the beginning of Herod’s 34-year reign on January 1, 37 B.C. — in the 27th year (being 26 years) after Pompey conquered Jerusalem.

Furthermore, Josephus said that Herod ended the rule of the Hasmoneans after 126 years. That dates from the year, 163 B.C., when a peace treaty was struck between the Syrians and Judea (also a Sabbatical year), and Maccabeus was appointed to be the governor. Such a multitude of facts are impossible to ignore.

The Lunar Eclipse

According to Josephus, a lunar eclipse occurred during the final months of Herod’s illness. Josephus reported that a group of young adult men were arrested while pulling down the golden eagle from above the door of Herod’s Temple. Their trial took place in Jericho. Herod was there to testify against them, but had to recline on a couch because he was too ill to stand up. His disease was growing increasingly worse. Josephus wrote that the men were condemned to be burned, along with the High Priest, Matthias:

“Herod … burnt … Matthias, who had raised the sedition, with his companions, alive. And that very night there was an eclipse of the moon. But now Herod’s distemper greatly increased upon him after a severe manner, and this by God’s judgment upon him for his sins: for a fire glowed in him slowly, which did not so much appear to the touch outwardly as it augmented his pains inwardly” (Antiquities, XVII, vi, 4&5).

Dr. Martin had suggested the date of a lunar eclipse on January 10, 1 B.C. However, most historians hold to an earlier lunar eclipse that occurred on March 13, 4 B.C. According to Starry Night Pro, the moon began to show the earth’s shadow about 1:30 A.M., and finished around 6:30 A.M., with the darkest coverage being about 3:30 A.M., on the night of March 13, 4 B.C.

Shortly before his death, Herod received a letter from Augustus Caesar about the wickedness of his son, Antipater, and suggesting that he should be either banished or executed. Herod was so despondent, he tried to commit suicide, but was restrained. His wailing caused the soldiers to dispatch a squad to execute Antipater. Five days later, Herod succumbed to his illness. Josephus wrote that he died “… having reigned 34 years; but since he had been declared king by the Romans, thirty-seven” (Antiq., XVII, viii, 1). This fixes Herod’s death in 4 B.C., some months after the lunar eclipse of March 13, 4 B.C.

Josephus also records that Archelaus succeeded Herod as king, but was deposed after 10 years rule (Antiq., XVII, xiii, 2), and his kingdom was annexed to Syria, and placed under the jurisdiction of Cyrenius. This occurred in A.D. 6. Therefore, the date of Herod’s death had to be fixed in 4 B.C.

The Birth of Christ

Herod’s death in 4 B.C., presents a problem for a proposed 4 B.C. birth date. Even if Herod was alive, he would have been too ill to meet with the Magi. While attempting to determine the day of the week on which the crucifixion occurred, I learned that if the crucifixion occurred in A.D. 30, it would have been on Friday. The full moon of Passover was observed on Thursday evening, April 6. If this was the date, and if Jesus was 33 years and six months old when crucified, then He would have been born in 5 B.C., possibly on Rosh Hashanah, Tishri 1 (Oct. 3rd, 5 B.C.). If this is the case, then my elaborate theory about Jesus being born in 3 B.C., just “went down in flames” (so to speak).

The Star

Matthew wrote that Herod“… enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared” (Matt. 2:7). Later, he ordered the deaths of the male children “… from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men” (Matt. 2:16). The Magi unwittingly told Herod about the time the star appeared, leading Herod to think that the Christ child could not be over two years old. This seems to point to the triple conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn that occurred in 7 B.C., in the constellation Pisces.

In a book entitled, The Gospel in the Stars (published in 1882), by Joseph A. Seiss, there is a chapter entitled, The Star of Bethlehem, in which the author suggests that the Magi saw a triple conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in the sign of Pisces. As a matter of fact, the first conjunction between the two planets occurred on May 29, 7 B.C.; the second on September 30, 7 B.C.; and the third on December 5, 7 B.C.

If we hold to a 5 B.C. birth-date, then these conjunctions would have occurred two years before the birth of Christ. The king might have thought that since the conjunctions occurred two years earlier, the young pretender to his throne might be somewhat younger than two years of age. Perhaps this is what prompted Herod to condemn all of Bethlehem’s boys under two years of age.

After its third conjunction on December 5, 7 B.C., Jupiter continued on from Pisces, through Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer and arrived in Leo in 3 B.C., for the first of its triple conjunctions with Regulus (September 11, 3 B.C.; February 13, 2 B.C.; and May 8, 2 B.C.), and its brilliant conjunction with Venus on June 17, 2 B.C.

The Ancient Prophecy

In my new book, Daniel Reveals the Bloodline of the Antichrist, we noted that Jupiter was in Pisces on the first day of Creation, Sunday, September 25, 4004 B.C., and that Saturn entered the first of a triple conjunction with Regulus in Leo on that day. Perhaps these ancient astronomical signs set up the prophecy that Israel’s Messiah would be born when Jupiter and Saturn should have a triple conjunction in Pisces. According to ancient Greek astrology, Jupiter was to become the winner in its conflict with Saturn, and proceed to Leo, where it would replace Saturn as the king of heaven and earth.

Comparing the two occasions, we should note the following: During Creation week, Jupiter was in Pisces while Saturn launched a triple conjunction with Regulus. Some 4,000 years later, in 7 B.C., Both Jupiter and Saturn had a triple conjunction in Pisces, followed 4 years later by Jupiter launching a triple conjunction with Regulus. It sort of brings the story full circle — the story of the conflict between Jupiter and Saturn as told in the idolatrous religions of early civilizations. In Greek mythology, it was called the Battle of the Giants — the Titans versus the Olympians, and was depicted in stone relief around the altar of Zeus (Saturn) at Pergamos. This was the pavilion mentioned in the letter to Pergamos as Satan’s seat (Rev. 2:13). Today, that pavilion is housed in a museum in Berlin, Germany.

In 1882, Rev. Joseph Seiss quoted from a rabbinical commentary written by the esteemed 15th-century rabbi, Abarbanel (1437-1508), who told the story of Egyptian astrologers advising Pharaoh that a conjunction of the two planets foretold the birth of a Jewish leader: “By astronomical calculations we know that such a conjunction of these particular planets in that particular sign [Pisces]… was interpreted by the Egyptian astronomers and wise men as very favorable to the Jews and very unfavorable to the Egyptians. Their sacred scribes, noted for their skill and sagacity in these things, came to the king insisting that it foretokened the birth of a child among the Jews who, if allowed to live, would bring the Egyptian dominion very low, excel in virtue and glory, exalt the children of Israel to power and honor and be remembered throughout all ages” (Seiss, The Gospel in the Stars, p. 162). This prompted Pharaoh to order the deaths of all Jewish male infants. The Egyptian astrologers may have been quoting an ancient astrological prediction that referred to Israel’s future Messiah.

Moreover, many ancient mythologies in Babylon, Egypt, Greece and Rome taught that Saturn was the king of the gods during Earth’s golden age, but was overthrown and succeeded by Jupiter. Could the Magi have known about this ancient teaching and understood what the triple conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn in the constellation Pisces meant? That could have been their motivation for coming to Jerusalem. They wanted to worship the new King of the Jews — the one whom all civilizations anticipated since the days of Adam.

It is likely that all of the astronomical phenomenon were part of the celebration of Jesus’ birth. But the triple conjunctions of Jupiter and Saturn in Pisces in 7 B.C. launched the entire heavenly extravaganza.

Source: //www.prophecyinthenews.com/the-case-for- ... ors-birth/

To be honest with you G, I'm not following his dates. Also, did you notice he said,

In my new book, Daniel Reveals the Bloodline of the Antichrist, we noted that Jupiter was in Pisces on the first day of Creation, Sunday, September 25, 4004 B.C.,

jlay wrote:To be honest with you G, I'm not following his dates. Also, did you notice he said,

In my new book, Daniel Reveals the Bloodline of the Antichrist, we noted that Jupiter was in Pisces on the first day of Creation, Sunday, September 25, 4004 B.C.,

Yes, I would disagree with that. But I'm still convinced that Christ's birth can be traced through conjunctions in the constellations.. But now I'm a bit perplexed by this new finding.

This was my previous view on the Christmas Star.

The Christmas Star

I had to email my friend Bob Wadsworth for some clarification... It appears that JR Church missed the total lunar eclipse in January 10, 1 BC. That would bring Y'shua's birth back to 3 BC.

Bob wrote:This theory is not new. It was introduced by Sir Isaac Newton I believe. I strongly disagree with the dates for the birth of Messiah as well as the correct eclipse. There was a total lunar eclipse on January 9, 1 B.C. seen from Jerusalem and it was a blood red eclipse. This occurred shortly after the visit of the Magi and Joseph and Mary fleeing to Egypt. Y'shua was born in September 3 B.C. and the Magi came 1 year and three months after he was born, in latter December of 2 B.C.. I believe the eclipse occurred on January 9, 1 B.C. or a little over two weeks after Joseph took his family to Egypt. In the meantime, All the children in and around Bethlehem under 2 years old were slaughtered. That was most likely the issue that two of the high priests had with Herod on the night of the Blood Red eclipse, and Herod slaughtered the two high priests as well. This was recorded by Josephus. I cover all of this in the Biblical Astronomy DVD set. The eclipse on March 13 in 4 B.C. was a partial eclipse. At its peak at 3:00 a.m. Jerusalem time, the shadow of the earth only covered about 25% of the moons surface. This was hardly a noticeable eclipse. The eclipse in January 1 B.C. started around 11:00 pm on Jan. 9 and peaked around 1:00 a.m on Jan. 10. and as mentioned was a total eclipse and blood red, and was a much notable eclipse. It is doubtful that many people observed the 25% partial eclipse. Most were probably sleeping at 3 am. The one in 1 BC is well noted, Josephus being one of the sources. I went ahead and made two charts, one for the eclipse of 4 BC and the other for the eclipse of 1 BC. Though the color of the earth's shadow is red in both charts, the actual color for the partial eclipse would have been dark grey. A blood red eclipse occurs only in total eclipses, not partial. Both charts is how the moon appeared from Jerusalem.

The best book out on the subject is The Star of Bethlehem by Dr. Ernest L. Martin. He covers all of the facts and puts much more thought into what actually happened at that time. There is a free online version of his book on the Biblical Astronomy website at //www.biblicalastronomy.com in the upper left corner in the Links section. You will most likely come across other articles or DVDs at this time of the year that have different dates than 7 BC or 3 BC which also cause confusion.

I also covered the events of 7 B.C. in my book. I am not sure if I covered them in the DVD set, but think I did. They were part of the signs concerning Messiah's birth. These occurred about 3 years before he was born, just as similar events took place about 3 years before Moshe was born. There were greater celestial events from 3 BC to 2 BC when Messiah was born.

I you have an astronomy program you can look at the eclipse of 4 BC and compare it to the eclipse of 1 BC and see that the eclipse of 4 BC is much greater and would have been noticeable by most of the population.

Peak of eclipse at 3 am JST on March 13, 4 B.C.


Peak of eclipse at 1 am JST on January 10, 1 BC

You can find more about the celestial events surrounding Christ's birth here. The way I see, the conjunctions of Jupiter (the King Star) and Saturn (Satan's star) in 7 BC were other markers for Christ's birth.. In a way, conflict before the storm.

The Christmas Star

I almost forgot... If you want to find when Christ was born, one possible answer is given in Revelation 12:1-2.

1. great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth.

This is clearly the constellation Virgo during the day in the sun with the moon at her feet. No question about it...

And from this sign we finally get a date for the birth of Christ. With the sun "clothing" the woman (in the middle of Virgo) with the moon under her feet. The only time of the year this happens is between 6:15 pm to 7:45 pm on Sept 11th somewhere in 2 or 3 BC. Jesus was born in the early evening, and Revelation 12 clearly reveals it was a new moon day!

And here is another important fact. This new moon on Sept 11 was Tishri One on the Jewish calendar. And what is the significance of Tishri One? It just so happens to be the Jewish New Year also known as "Rosh ha-Shanah." This was an important holy day in the Jewish Calendar when all Jews were required to be in Jerusalem. How cool is that?

This is exactly how it would have looked using my Starry Night software, Sept 11, 6:00pm 3 BC. With the moon under her feet..

I've been thinking a lot about these Jupiter and Saturn conjunctions in 7 BC in the Sign of Pisces (which is actually the sign for Israel). Two stars fighting each other in the constellation Pisces.. Or Two Kings fighting each other in Israel?

Wait.. That can't be. Because there already was a King in Israel... King Herod!! And there was another King in Israel the same time... The King of the Jews, King Christ!!

Then I remembered something. Herod's palace or his "Herodium" was planted right next to what city? That's right, Bethlehem.. These two kings in Israel lived just miles from each other. One evil, Herod (Saturn) and one good, Christ (Jupiter).

Then King Herod tries to kill King Christ by killing all the babies in Bethlehem. And their proximity seems to be reflected on land the same as it was in the stars. Creepy.. Could it be just a coincidence?? Don't know.

Matthew 2:16 "When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi."



As reflected in the sky..

The next debatable topic would have to be the crown or halo over Virgo's head in Revelation 12:1. According to astronomical terminology of Martin, the 12 stars around the head of Virgo are: (1) Pi, (2) Nu, (3) Beta, (4) Sigma, (5) Chi, (6) Iota - these six stars form the southern hemisphere around the head of Virgo. Then there are (7) Theta, (8) Star 60, (9) Delta, (10) Star 93, (11) Beta, (12) Omicron - these last six form the northern hemisphere around the head of Virgo.

But I don't see that... Using the Starry Night software I came up with (1) Zavijava (2) Upsilon Leonis (3) 87 Leonis (4) Phi Leonis (5) 61 Leonis (6) 58 Leonis (7) 59 Leonis (8) Chi Leonis (9) Iota Leonis (10) Omega Virginis (11) Xi Virginis (12) Nu Virginis. But this is debatable.. Also it's hard to tell what stars would be "visible" by the ancients. I believe some of these stars would be more visible possibly back then without the background distortion of the city lights. Also the life of these stars, it's brightness, two thousand years ago possibly would be different too. Again questionable stuff.. I can't say.

Other explanations I've heard for the 12 stars or "crown" are the other 12 constellations above the head of Virgo starting with the constellation Leo...



Other thoughts is that the 12 stars is actually the constellation Bernice. Again questionable.. Over Virgo's head is the constellation known as "Coma Bernice's hair". This would make more sense because this constellation would be visible in the evening whereas if it were the stars directly above the constellation, it wouldn't be visible since the horizon would be blocking it. Higher and above her legs we will find "Draco the Dragon" poised to devour Virgo's child. Again this is beautifully expressed on Sept 11, 3 BC at 6:00 pm.

Anyways.. I'm bored this Christmas day and sick with the flu. So I'm just talking with myself... Probably going crazy... Sorry folks.

Ok... I might change my mind about the twelve star constellation depicted above Virgo in Revelation 12:1. It is possible that the constellation we are talking about is actually the constellation Corona Borealis. It actually makes more sense because it really is depicted as a literal "crown" amongst the constellations. It's history too... And as we can clearly see using the Starry Night software, it CAN be viewed above the constellation Virgo at Sept 11, 3 BC, although it is not directly above or ON the head of Virgo it clearly is in the vicinity of Virgo and vertically above her head. The NIV does say that the crown is "ON" her head, but the King James version says "UPON" or possibly above not directly on. Anyways a possible marker...

Notice what the lexicon says about the Greek word for Epi or "on" Strongs G1909. It also can be used for the words "over" or "of position". Interesting...

1) upon, on, at, by, before
2) of position, on, at, by, over, against
3) to, over, on, at, across, against

Source: //www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/le ... 1909&t=KJV

Therefore if we read Revelation 12:1 with the word "over" it would say...

"And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and OVER her head (of position) a crown of twelve stars:"

Again if it is 6:00 pm then you wouldn't see any crown "on" her head because the horizon would block it. (see below)

On top of this, the constellation Corona does appear to have the 12 stars... More than the constellation Bernice. Also Corona is literally or directly above (vertically) the head of Virgo whereas Bernice isn't. Wow...

Dam I should have been a detective..

This morning I noticed something else. Look at the position of Virgo on Sept 11, 3 BC at 6:00 PM. She is actually laying down with her legs up as in child birth!!! Next look at the position of the moon below the feet or womb of Virgo. Would a child be born above the woman? Next the Dragon is poised to strike the child as it was to be born. It's head is recoiled before it strikes... I don't think we can get any clearer than this folks. I'm possibly sold on it anyway.

Now let's look at the celestial events in Revelation 12:1-5 decoded..

1 A great sign appeared in heaven (in the literal sky): a woman (Virgo) clothed with the sun (God in the womb) (the literal sun), with the moon under her feet (the literal moon) and a crown of twelve stars on (above) her head (Corona crown). 2 She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth (constellation Virgo laying down in birth position). 3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads (Hydra). 4 Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth (Serpens), so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. 5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter."

This is the response from Reason's To Believe for the Christmas star.. A recurrent nova or a guest star. Again another possibility.

http://www.reasons.org/christmasstar

This is well done IMO.

[quote="RTB""]Originally posted 12/1/2002, Updated 11/22/2010
by Dr. Hugh Ross

For centuries people have wondered what kind of “star” led the magi from the East to Jerusalem in search of Israel’s “Anointed One.” The only known account of the wise men and of the astronomical event that spurred them to action is found in the book of Matthew. This dramatic story has generated numerous articles, books, songs, and films, some of which have gained huge popularity.

Let me begin by saying that all explanations for the Bethlehem star, including my own, must be considered speculative, no matter how much certainty an author may claim. With such limited data to go on, even including insights from other potentially relevant biblical texts and from astronomy software, no conclusive argument can be made. That’s why, as an astronomer and Christian apologist, I refrain from “proving” the reliability of the Bible on the basis of the Christmas star. An abundance of compelling evidence is available. However, I can offer what I hope are some helpful comments.

Does the story of the wise men lend credence to astrology?

In a few English translations or paraphrases of Matthew 2—the Living, the New English, and the Phillips—the Greek word for the magi (plural of magos) is rendered “astrologers.” A quick check of Thayer’s Greek lexicon shows that the word springs from a Babylonian root meaning “oriental scientist, wise man, astrologer, or seer.” That ancient Babylonian word would have been used to describe Daniel, as well as his friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who served as advisors in the royal court of Babylon (Daniel 2:48).

This word had a much broader and higher meaning than the term “astrologer” as used today. It applied to the most highly educated individuals of their time and place. As a student of Hebrew Scripture, highly respected for both his character and his wisdom, Daniel, the Jewish captive, served as Babylon’s intellectual and spiritual leader. To this highly esteemed man God sent word, via the angel Gabriel, of the time when Israel’s longed-for Messiah would come:
Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary (Daniel 9:25-26).

Daniel received and recorded this prophetic revelation while serving as Chief Counsel in the Persian court. We can safely guess that the sages of Persia heard about it. According to Daniel 4:16, 23, 25, and 32, each “seven” in the vision represents seven years. This is the only detail Daniel received, but this one detail provided a critical clue for later generations.

Persia’s king Artaxerxes issued the long-awaited decree (actually two decrees) to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. These have been dated at approximately 444 or 445 BC and 457 BC, though some minor dispute over possible calendar error remains. Nevertheless, this fact that Daniel’s vision provides only a projected date fits the picture we see in Matthew 2. The magi knew the identity of the one they awaited and the time of his coming, but little about the place of his coming, other than it would be in Daniel’s homeland.

The appearance of an extraordinary stellar event to the watchful magi confirmed that the momentous arrival was at hand. Expecting the leaders of Israel to be equally watchful, they went straight to the capital city to learn the Anointed One’s location: “Where is the one who has born king of the Jews?” they asked (Matthew 2:2) The “chief priests and teachers of the law” (Matthew 2:4) informed the magi, based on Micah’s prophecy (Micah 5:2), that “the Christ was to be born in Bethlehem in Judea” (Matthew 2:4–5). Imagine the travelers’ surprise at the locals’ apparent obliviousness to their Messiah’s coming.

Rather than being led by astrology and its spurious forecasting techniques, the magi more likely represent the legacy of Daniel and his three friends—trained in all the “wisdom of the East” and eager to worship the one true God.

What might the Christmas star have been?

The Greek word aster, translated “star” in Matthew 2:2–10, has a more general meaning than the English term. It can refer to any kind of heavenly body—star, planet, asteroid, comet, meteor, or other. Most of the books and DVDs produced by astronomers, theologians, and laypeople claiming to have determined the identity of the Christmas star focus on one or a combination of these objects.* The five most widely known and accepted explanations include:

1. a conjunction of planets (two planets coming close together in the sky)
2. a conjunction of a planet with a bright star
3. an “occultation” in which the Moon passes in front of a planet
4. a comet
5. a supernova

More imaginative suggestions include a flying saucer, an angel, and the Shekinah glory (the light or radiance of God occasionally made visible to humans).

Although we see aster in Revelation 1 as the symbol for a messenger, or angel, nothing in the Matthew 2 passage indicates a symbolic or metaphoric usage. Likewise, though New Testament references to Shekinah can be found (Matthew 17:1–3; Luke 2:9, Revelation 1:12–16), none is associated with the word aster. The “glory of the Lord” mentioned in Luke 2:9 refers to the radiance that surrounded the shepherds outside of Bethlehem, apparently seen by no one other than the shepherds. Thus, it seems reasonable to propose that the aster followed by the magi refers to an astronomical object or phenomenon.

One challenge to the supernova explanation is that such a phenomenon can be so spectacular as to be visible in broad daylight. Nearly all sky watchers everywhere would have seen and recorded it. Observers in China, India, and Egypt kept meticulous records of supernova events, and yet the Christmas star received no mention in their extensive documentation. King Herod and the Jewish religious leaders in Jerusalem seemed oblivious to the star (Matthew 2:1–3). The shepherds outside of Bethlehem “keeping watch over their flocks at night” on the eve of the Messiah’s birth made no note of any astonishingly brilliant star (Luke 2:8–20). Perhaps they would have been less startled and terrified by the angels’ visit (Luke 2:9–10) had a dazzling stellar object presaged that visit.

The explanation offered by lawyer Rick Larson in his DVD presentation encounters a similar challenge. Larson asserts that the star is a conjunction of Jupiter and Venus (the two brightest planets in the sky), a meeting so close that they merged in the sky to appear as a single object. Such an event, while brief, would have been so bright as to be visible in the daytime. Close conjunctions of Jupiter and Venus did occur in 2 BC (a separation of 1 arc minute at its closest moment, or one-thirtieth of the Moon’s diameter in the sky) and also in 3 BC (closest separation = 4 arc minutes, or one-seventh of the Moon’s diameter in the sky). However, such events would have made an indelible impression on the shepherds as well as on King Herod and the Jewish religious leaders. Further, they would have been observed as two objects, rather than one aster, and as two events, rather than as one and the same aster indicated by the text.

Another difficulty for Larson is that the dates for these two conjunctions by most scholars’ calculations come too late. The best historical scholarship places the date of Herod’s death at 4 BC. Further, the two conjunctions occurred only ten months apart. Herod’s command to kill boys “two years old and under in accordance with the time he had learned from the magi” (Matthew 2:16) seems out of alignment with this explanation.

Comets, too, seem unlikely candidates. They are typically so familiar as to warrant no special response from the magi. Further, comets are so well documented throughout history that if one did occur, especially an unusually bright one, at the time of Christ’s coming, it would likely show up in the records of Chinese, Indian, Egyptian, and Greek astronomers.

The lunar occultation explanation meets with the same difficulty. The Moon frequently passes in front of, or occults, a planet. In such an event the planet disappears from view only briefly—ranging from a few seconds up to 55 minutes. Such events seem too common and unspectacular to create a stir among the magi.

Does any other option seem plausible?

From an astronomical perspective, one remaining candidate would be a recurring nova. The nova (plural, novae) is a stellar explosion that produces a sudden increase in brightness followed by a gradual dimming (within a few months or years). This type of event lacks the brightness of a supernova and yet would be clearly noticeable to a careful observer. The brightest novae are about as bright as Polaris, the North Star.

Nova events are sufficiently uncommon to catch the attention of observers as alert and well trained as the magi must have been. However, nearly all novae that occurred during the Roman Empire era were sufficiently unspectacular as to escape the attention of casual observers. Chinese astronomers recorded a nova in the constellation Capricorn in March-April of 5 BC, and Korean astronomers noted something in 4 BC that could have been either a nova or a comet. These two sightings are the only ones on record near the estimated time of Christ’s birth.

Most novae experience a single explosion, but a rare few undergo multiple explosions separated by months or years. This repeat occurrence would seem to fit the Matthew 2 indication that the star appeared, disappeared, and then reappeared. According to Herod’s murderous decree, the time separation between the first and second appearance of the star would have been somewhere between 15 and 30 months. Unlike other suggestions for the identity of the Christmas star, a recurring nova would appear and then reappear in exactly the same location on the celestial sphere.

Let me emphasize again that my suggestion represents nothing more than a possibility. Matthew provides the only record of this star, and his record gives us insufficient data to make a definitive conclusion.

How could a star guide the magi to the right house?

The King James translation of Matthew 2:9–10 says that upon leaving Jerusalem the wise men again saw the star they had seen in the east, and it “went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.” This wording has led many to conclude that the star must have been some kind of light beam, like a celestial spotlight, directing the pathway to the dwelling where Jesus and His parents resided. Or, perhaps the star was moving along the route from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, pointing to the house of Joseph and Mary. No known astronomical phenomenon can function in such ways, and on this basis some interpreters have suggested that the Christmas star was a manifestation of the Shekinah, or the divine radiance.

The New International translation says the star “went ahead of them [the magi] until it stopped over the place where the child was.” This wording suggests that the star may have become clearly visible as the wise men approached Bethlehem and then dimmed when they neared the house where the Joseph, Mary, and Jesus lived. Other interpretations also seem possible.

The word-for-word Greek reads, “Behold the star, which they saw in the east, went before them until coming it stood over where was the child.” The key word in this sentence is the Greek verb histemi, for “stood.” Its range of meaning is too broad to distinguish between illumination of a geographical route and a supernaturally timed brightening and fading. It may be worth noting that the star as first seen by the wise men did not geographically guide them, or they would have gone straight to Bethlehem rather than to Jerusalem.

Possible conclusions?

Only the Bible describes the star and the visit of the magi to the child Jesus, and only one passage in the Bible describes these events. This limitation on data indicates the need for caution in offering explanations and interpretations. A recurring nova provides at least one plausible astronomical option. Eastern scholars familiar with Daniel’s teaching and submitted to Daniel’s God seem to fit the profile of the magi.

What strikes me as the most important point of the story is its illustration of the hope the magi placed in the promised Messiah. When I consider the magnitude of their commitment of time, energy, and treasure to seeking him out in order to bow before him, I pray that my response and yours will match theirs.

*A partial list of videos and books includes The Star of Bethlehem, by Frederick “Rick” Larson; Mystery of the Three Kings by Questar Studio; The Star of Bethlehem, by Mark Kidger; The Star of Bethlehem: The Legacy of the magi, by Michael Molnar; The Star of Bethlehem, by Jeanne Hanson; The Christmas Star, by John Mosley; and The Star of Bethlehem, by Sir Patrick Moore.[/quote]

You would think I'm debating myself here...

Dw Gman you are totally winning

By the way i am following every post you put up on this topic, i just don't know enough to contribute but thanks for interesting info!! Gospel in the sky i'm guessing?