When Jesus appeared to Saul on the road to Damascus, Saul was blinded by the light which the others with him saw as well. If the "star" was the result of a conjunction (and this historical event did really happen), then there are a number of different alignments that could be the culprit. 7Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star appeared; 8and he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him bring me word, that I too may come and worship him." The star reminds us that the gospel isn't just for the religious, for the neat and tidy. And Pisces was associated with the nation of Israel. ", "ROSAT HRI Observations of M31 Supernova Remnants", "The Christmas Star as a Supernova in Aquila". [34][35] Origen, one of the most influential early Christian theologians, connected this prophecy with 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? Furthermore, had the Magi followed one, they probably would have walked in a circle. Such an event would surely have been seen by others at the time, too. Another problem is that comets are cyclical with a predictable periodicity. A comet can even disappear as it moves behind the sun and reappear as it comes out from behind the sun. and not 4 B.C. last updated 23 December 2022 The Star of Bethlehem probably wasn't a star. Also, as I mentioned earlier, the use of astrological meanings is contrary to the worldview of Matthew. They reject the idea that any astrological meaning could have been on Matthew's mind concerning this star. September 11, 3 B.C., is also the beginning of the Jewish New Year. Matthew chapter 2 verse 7. But what was the Star of Bethlehem? For instance, Halley's comet appears every 76 years. There is clearly more than one magi, but only tradition holds that there were three--presumably because of the three gifts. However, Martin has located a total lunar eclipse on January 10, 1 B.C., twelve and a half weeks prior to Passover. 7-4 B.C. For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him. This leads us to one of two possibilities. Heres how it works. Order_of_the_Star_of_Bethlehem_2000_(Palestine)_-_ribbon_bar.png (218 60 pixels, file size: 276 bytes, MIME type: image/png) Concordances on the meaning of the word "netzer" on Bible Hub. 9When they had heard the king they went their way; and lo, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came to rest over the place where the child was. Order of the Star of Bethlehem - stichtingargus.nl Astronomer Sherm Kanagy and theologian Ken Boa advance this thesis in their as yet unpublished manuscript, Star of the Magi. [15] They answer Bethlehem, birthplace of King David, and quote the prophet Micah. Remember how the magi rejoiced to see the star again as they departed Jerusalem for Bethlehem. Jupiter performed a retrograde loop in 2 B.C. "Jupiter was the regal 'star' that conferred kingships a power that was amplified when Jupiter was in close conjunctions with the Moon. And they came into the house and saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell down and worshiped Him; and opening their treasures they presented to Him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh (Matt. While there are many lines of evidence that Martin uses to make his point, a critical issue is a lunar eclipse that occurred just prior to Herod's death. A nova is a white dwarf star that literally explodes. 18 IMDb 6.4 11min 1956. Luke 2:2 in the New International Version NIV) Bible on BibleGateway. 3. It's called a retrograde loop. [132], Members of Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the "star" was a vision or sign created by Satan, rather than a sign from God. Martin points out that the planet Jupiter passes through a series of conjunctions over the course of these two years indicating that Jupiter is the star of Bethlehem. Astrology was a big deal back then. Starting with the biblical data, Colin Nicholl makes twenty-two summary statements about Matthew 2 and the Star of Bethlehem (pp. A Scepter shall rise out of Israel, The original version of this article is found at https://www.probe.org/the-star-of-bethlehem/. The Star of Bethlehem: Moving from Biblical History to the God of the The Shekinah Glory denotes the visible presence of God. Sinai to receive the Law. This admittedly is the weakest part of the interpretation. Visit our corporate site. There are many theories about the identity of the biblical star of Bethlehem that appeared at Christ's birth. [8] Modern calculations show that there was a gap of nearly a degree (approximately twice a diameter of the moon) between the planets, so these conjunctions were not visually impressive. Realizing that planetarium shows view Scripture as something less than historically accurate, it is still necessary to ask if this indeed could have been the Star of Bethlehem. Peabody, (MA: Hendrickson, 1993), several references, chapter 8. Emil Schrer, Gza Verms, and Fergus Millar, orders the execution of all male children in Bethlehem, astronomical phenomena were connected to terrestrial events, "Common Errors in 'Star of Bethlehem' Planetarium Shows". This identifies the date when it was first observed in China. The Star of Bethlehem is a comprehensive investigation of the story found in the Biblical Gospel of Matthew about the star that guided the Magi to the Christ child, combining the words of Roman and Jewish historians, the visions of ancient prophets, and a modern study of celestial objects. If the wise men were to follow the moment of conjunction, it's possible they would have been led in a specific direction. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. [124], Jack Finegan noted some early writers' reckoning of the regnal years of Augustus are the equivalent to 3/2 BC, or 2 BC or later for the birth of Jesus, including Irenaeus (3/2 BC), Clement of Alexandria (3/2 BC), Tertullian (3/2 BC), Julius Africanus (3/2 BC), Hippolytus of Rome (3/2 BC), Hippolytus of Thebes (3/2 BC), Origen (3/2 BC), Eusebius of Caesarea (3/2 BC), Epiphanius of Salamis (3/2 BC), Cassiodorus Senator (3 BC), Paulus Orosius (2 BC), Dionysus Exiguus (1 BC), and Chronographer of the Year 354 (AD 1). A comet has the advantage of a tail that can appear to be pointing in a direction which may have guided the magi. "But when they go through retrograde motion, they turn around and go in the direction that the stars rise and set at night [westward].". To the Magi the Star signified kingship (verse 2). JETS 27/1 (March 1984) 4352. Answer The star of Bethlehem is associated with the birth of Christ and the visit of the magi (wise men) as recorded in Matthew 2:1-12. It is certainly fair to wonder, therefore, what this star was and how the magi interpreted it as a star signifying the birth of the King of the Jews. He makes the case, based on ancient and modern astronomy, that the star of Bethlehem was a great comet whose behavior in the sky would have been interpreted by ancient astrologers as announcing the birth of a Jewish Messiah. [44] In the 20th century, Professor Karlis Kaufmanis, an astronomer, argued that this was an astronomical event where Jupiter and Saturn were in a triple conjunction in the constellation Pisces. Although it's possible to see the galaxy with the unaided eye, it wouldn't have been possible to see a star going supernova and exploding within it even with the help of a telescope. Magi were simply wise men of the east, not necessarily astrologers. Bible Hub with commentaries. [54] He suggests a link between the Star of Bethlehem and a double occultation of Jupiter by the moon on March 20 and April 17 of 6 BC in Aries, particularly the second occultation on April 17. [citation needed]. The star of Bethlehem has been the subject of scholarly discussion ever since the first centuries after Jesus' birth. [49] Another VenusJupiter conjunction occurred earlier in August, 3 BC. Bible Hub with commentaries. [39] In the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament probably used by Matthew, these gifts are given as gold and frankincense,[40] similar to Matthew's "gold, frankincense, and myrrh. At that period it was known as the Knights of the Star of Bethlehem. There is no difference. In this discussion, I will be investigating the more common explanations to see if we can come to some understanding as to just what the magi saw 2,000 years ago. This presentation, has rapidly grown in popularity around the world by thousands who have seen this dramatic revelation as it explores the exciting truth of scripture and reveals the evidence for God's existence . [11] Herod I has all male Hebrew babies in the area up to age two killed in the Massacre of the Innocents. One is the meeting of Jupiter, Venus and the star Regulus in the constellation of Leo on June 17, 2 B.C. [7], The subject is a favorite at planetarium shows during the Christmas season. [79] In Hebrew Jupiter is called Sedeq, meaning "righteousness", a term also used for the Messiah, and suggested that because the planet Venus represents love and fertility, so Chester had suggested astrologers would have viewed the close conjunction of Jupiter and Venus as indicating a coming new king of Israel, and Herod would have taken them seriously. Bible Hub with commentaries. [44] Halley's Comet was visible in 12 BC and another object, possibly a comet or nova, was seen by Chinese and Korean stargazers in about 5 BC. There is no biblical record of anyone else observing the star of Bethlehem. In the fresco by Giotto di Bondone, it is depicted as a comet. What Is the Significance of the Star of Bethlehem? - Christianity Perhaps that is how God intends it to be. [12] The involvement of astrologers in the story of the birth of Jesus was problematic for the early Church, because they condemned astrology as demonic; a widely cited explanation was that of Tertullian, who suggested that astrology was allowed 'only until the time of the Gospel'. O, Star of wonder, star of night Nicholl starts with a detailed reading of Matthew's account of the visit of the Magi. Luke 2:2 in the English Standard Version (ESV) Bible on BibleGateway. Molnar's theory was debated by scientists, theologians, and historians during a colloquium on the Star of Bethlehem at the Netherlands' University of Groningen in October 2014. is the wrong date for Herod's death, then everything must be reevaluated. was seen in the constellation Pisces in the months of May, September, and December. NY 10036. "So it wasn't that there was suddenly a brilliant new star sitting there that anybody could have seen [but] something more subtle. Vaughn, Cliff. For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.[2]. 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He asks his advisors where the Messiah would be born. The star is featured only in Matthew's brief description of the visit by the magi shortly after Jesus' birth. For example, Jupiter's display could have been of great significance here, as astrology associated the planet Jupiter with royalty, so the moon passing it in the constellation of Aries on April 17, 6 B.C. In its basic form, the parl has five points and two "tails" that evoke rays of light pointing the way to the baby Jesus, and candles inside the lanterns have been superseded by electric illumination. In my mind the mystery remains. dawned the light of knowledge upon the earth. Live Science is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher.
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