One of the classic images of the Christmas holiday is that of three wise men or kings traveling to Bethlehem, over which hangs a brilliant star. The gods could change their plans, but by travelling to Jerusalem and tell about the sign, the magi probably wanted to make sure that the King of Amurru knew that the gods were with him and that he would get support by the Babylonian magi. Movements and alignments of stars and planets served as important prophecies, both good and evil. Bright comets do appear in the sky from time to time, and have been described as "hanging over" particular cities or lands, as the Star of Bethlehem is often represented. Astronomically, during the time of the wise men’s journey, as described by Matthew, Jupiter would have reappeared in the morning, in its heliacal rising. These appear in the sky as "new stars" and are sometimes brighter than even Venus or Jupiter in the night sky.

Today, many scholars believe the wise men were, in fact, very wise in astronomy, mathematics and more. I've read and followed many scholarly endeavors over the years about the subject of the 'Star.' Other astrologers postulated that Jupiter alone, as the planet of kings, could have been the Christmas Star. for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. Wikipedia: Star of Bethlehem; The Star of Bethlehem (David Plant, 1993/ 2004) Bibliography is accurate, and even the Bible indicates a spring birth, then the next question is whether or not this trigger for the wise men was purely an event of astrology, or was it also a unique event of astronomy. This identification does not finally establish that here is the mystery object itself, only that it fits many of the astronomical requirements, and cannot easily be ruled out.

You will note that, for aesthetic reasons, the sky shown is dark, quite the opposite of what people would have visually experienced during the daytime at the time! Single stars like our own which are not too massive go nova, and that's it. Speculation … Therefore, such risings and alignments may not have physically guided the wise men.

In Koch’s thesis he talks about Venus making a helical rise, the term at the time of Jesus’s birth. People in both the pagan and Jewish cultures at that time believed that stars presaged the births of important men such as kings. Imprimis. This age works out to between 10,000 and 25,000 years. Chris Brennan tells us about the 2009 book The Star of Bethlehem written by the Astrodienst astrologer Dieter Koch who says that Jesus was born on September 1st, 2 BCE at about 4:30 AM in Bethlehem, Israel. (2) Why were the three wise men the only ones who picked up on the clues? This could be a heliacal rising, where a constellation or planet appears in the sky just before sunrise. Double-Slit Experiment – The Strange World of Quantum Mechanics, Cassini Spacecraft Starts Diving Through Saturn’s Rings Today, Pluto Size, Composition, Distance from Sun, Planet Mercury Facts: Exploring the Solar System’s Smallest Planet. God, science and logic. Later, around noon, Jupiter would have been occulted by the Moon. January 29th, 2007 8:50 am, Kenneth on December 22nd, 2006 2:11 pm, Cameron Falukner on

I have calculated the age of the gaseous bubble eminating from the bright central star and its mass-exchange binary companion. There have been several attempts to explain this mystery astronomically. The Star of Bethlehem … Speculation continues about what kind of celestial phenomenon Matthew intended. We can now say that the Biblical story could have been based on an actual astronomical event, focused and amplified by astrological symbolism and the passionate religio-political currents inside Roman-occupied Palestine.

All Rights Reserved, This is a BETA experience. Perhaps, it was Jupiter’s temporary stop that caused the object to appear frozen over Bethlehem? Matthew 2:1-12 states that: "And behold, the star they saw in the East rose until it stood above the place in which the child was born." The three wise men, or magi, were highly trained in astrology, and they came from Babylon to the east. It can, for example, historically show only Herschel II objects, of which NGC 1514 is one, among the stars and planets. What is the Hottest Planet in the solar system? Sceptics argue that the entire passage in the gospel of Matthew is mythological in nature. EY & Citi On The Importance Of Resilience And Innovation, Impact 50: Investors Seeking Profit — And Pushing For Change. Furthermore, any unusual cosmic event was revered as an omen during these times. This amazing combination didn't otherwise occur in the springtimes near Jesus' birth. That means the star would have gone nova over two millennia before its light burst reached earthly eyes. But this "cross" could be an anthropocentric illusion. (The ram's horn was the weapon of choice for Joshua, and Jews were known for sacrificing sheep.). We are left with two radically different, and each sufficient, ideas: First, divine design had set off this event ahead of time, and even today reminds us of the cross. This material is copyrighted!.See my copyright notice for fair use practices. The Star of Bethlehem mystery remains unsolved and continues to fascinate astronomers, astrologers, Christians, and sceptics alike.

Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. (5) Is the Biblical story a pure fabrication, or is there some historical fact behind the narrative written decades later?

Astrology of Christmas: The Star of Bethlehem. Known as a heliacal rising, planetary reappearances were powerful symbols for those born on such days. Just imagine the excitement and awe of those three wise men: On the pre-dawn morning before they set off on their journey, first Venus, then Saturn, then Jupiter and the darkened Moon heralded the rising Sun in Aries. The New Testament gives some clues as to likely dates of Jesus' birth, providing starting points for predicting planetary positions, comets, and supernovas around those times. A radical magazine, asking for action, displays a sensational front page. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. As mentioned above, the first reappearance of a planet previously lost to the Sun’s glare is an important astrological event. December 13, 2006 by admin . Instead it focused on astronomical events, such as the last appearance of a particular star before sunrise, or the conjunctions of stars and planets. The apostle Matthew's description of the Star of Bethlehem which guided the Wise Men or Three Kings from the East to the birthplace of Jesus in Bethlehem has continued to inspire the imagination of both Christians and secular astronomers up until the present day. Chinese and Korean astronomers noted the appearance of a nova in 5 BC, which would be around the right time frame, but this nova wasn't noted by astronomers in other regions, so it likely wasn't particularly bright.

by Chinese and Korean astronomers. Peter Barthel and George van Kooten (eds). Here below is a blue-filtered DSS image of NGC 1514, taken by POSS2/UKSTU: This object is remarkable today because when imaged in the blue, or OIII, spectrums it appears to have a dark cross! There is a better, though still not perfect, astrological/astronomical explanation, and here it is: I have astronomically researched what happened in that time, in that region, and have found one excellent candidate for the Star of Bethlehem! Below is a precise illustration, generated by software, of how these celestial objects would have been arranged at this critical time in history, April 17th, 06 "B.C." But if we assume for the moment that Matthew's account is accurate, it raises the question of what exactly the Star of Bethlehem could have been. timing "star's" appearance conforms perfectly with historical time frame established in gospels its presence defies portions our contemporary scientific paradigm. The star of Bethlehem is one of the most recognizable elements of the Christmas story, and yet its true nature and meaning are shrouded in mystery. Finally, when the planet strays far enough from the Sun, it again reappears.

The Star of Bethlehem. Others interpret the star more metaphorically, as the light symbolizing Jesus' impending contribution to the world. https://www.astro.com:8443/wiki/astrowiki-en/index.php?title=Star_of_Bethlehem&oldid=9983. Late in that day both Mercury and Mars, as well as first-magnitude Aldebaran, accompanied the new Star of Bethlehem as it slowly followed the Sun downward and westward toward the land of the Jews. But the writers of Matthew would likely have known the difference between a comet and a star, and specifically noted the event as a star. If the Aries astrological explanation for the birth of Jesus occurring in the spring of 6 B.C. For example, the first appearance of Venus as the morning star. What is significant is not the age of the bubble, but the fact that this is a mass-exchange multiple star system, the type of which is prone to multiple nova events. Furthermore, the monotheistic Jews did not believe in polytheistic pagan astrology. The symbolism would fit because Jupiter stands for a king, whereas Saturn represents Israel. Because Baghdad is at 33 degrees north, and Jerusalem is between 31 and 32 degrees north; and because 1514 set on their horizon that night at WNW; it can be assumed that literally linear astrologers would have come from the south of Babylon near the mouth of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. In The Star of Bethlehem , Michael Pettem combines a modern scientific understanding of stellar phenomena with a fascinating account of ancient astronomy and history to illuminate this key biblical event. This page was last edited on 9 June 2020, at 08:57. The Star of Bethlehem has its roots in the opening verses of the Gospel of Matthew, which states: Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews?

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