The Mystery of The Star in the East

I am very curious exactly what that bright “star” the wise men (magi / astrologers) actually saw. The book of Matthew is only Gospel in the Bible this mysterious star was described

For many decades many theories have been forwarded by astronomers to solve the appearance of the Star of Bethlehem over Judea

 Astronomers have even used computers to calculate back the dates of its appearance.

 Most of the theories believed by astronomers are based on apparent planetary alignment of bright planets such as a triple conjunction of Venus, Jupiter and Mars.

In astronomy a conjunction occurs when any two or more astronomical objects such as planets, stars or any heavenly bodies appear to come close together in the sky, as seen from Earth. They are apparently optically-fused together as seen from line-of-sight.

Sometimes bright stars like Rigel in Orion may have conjunctions with bright planets like Venus and Jupiter as part of multiple conjunctions. We shall go into that later.

There were theories that the Star of Bethlehem was actually the conjunction of various planets making them look unusually bright.  They even gave various dates of around the 3 B.C. to 4 B.C. when King Herod and was around when triple conjunctions occurred.

They were able to demonstrate triple or multiple conjunctions by calculating backwards into time when Jesus was born, and even using planetariums projectors to play back the ancient skies of Babylonia when the "Star of Bethlehem" was seen by the magi (wise men / astrologers) described in the Book of Matthew

The story of Jesus' birth in the manger is found only in Luke 1:26–27, while the Star in the East was recorded only in the Gospel of Matthew. Nowhere else except Luke and Mathew recorded the account of nativity 

The date December 25 arbitrarily given for the date of Jesus birth was chosen by the early Christians merely to compete with the Mithra festival on that day to take advantage of the general jubilation at the time of the winter solstice

(Mithraism is the worship of Mithra, the Iranian god of the sun, justice, contract, and war in pre-Zoroastrian Iran. Known as Mithras in the Roman Empire during the 2nd and 3rd centuries this deity was honoured as the patron of loyalty to the emperor).

Both Mathew and Luke place the birth of Jesus during the time of Herod, and that the monarch died in 4 BC.

It would seem Jesus could not have been born later than 4 BC and so could not have been less than two years old at the time of the second and more impressive combination.

Let me quote what was predicted about the birth of Jesus even from the beginning in Genesis.

“Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be”

(Genesis 49: 9-10).

It so happens that one of the constellations of the Zodiac is Leo, the Lion.

It would be easy for the astrologers to suppose that Leo represents Judah and the House of David since David was descended from Judah, and Jesus was associated with both.

Since "a lawgiver from between his (lion) feet, until Shiloh come" in the constellation Leo has a brightest star called Regulus which is the Latin for "little king".  This seems to refer to Jesus as a very bright star

It so happens in 3 BC and in 2 BC there was a double conjunction between two brightest planets - Venus and Jupiter in the constellation Leo with Regulus sandwiched between with a separation of just 3 degrees on either side from Regulus. Furthermore, it was seen in the eastern horizon over Judea

How does that sound? More than impressive I think as a single light seen by the wise men in the East. Could that be the date Jesus was born as already foretold in Genesis 49: 9-10?

But both these two astronomical events took place in summer, far from the winter of 25 December.

However, according to Sinnott, there were no fewer than two hundred when two brightest planets grouped together between 12 BC and AD 7, and during the same period there were twenty occasions when more than two planets came together

If Sinnott was right, I don’t think the wise men would be deceived by such "unusual events" because it would average out with one bright planetary conjunction once a month.

Then again two brightest planets Venus and Jupiter apparently (optically) came close together in the predawn skies over Judea on August 12, 3 BC, and they were separated by only twelve minutes of an arc which is only two-fifth the diameter of the Moon

 King Herod Magnus was born on July 3 BC and died in March or April, 4 BC in Jericho, Judaea. So, the dates seemed very close, the birth of Christ and the reign of King Herod

Hence, we can speculate if that was about the time Jesus was born?

Another even more "bright star" event occurred after sunset on June 17, 2 BC when Venus and Jupiter came even closer together, separated by only three minutes of an arc which is just 10 % of a full Moon. At that angle of separation, it would just be one point of light That was even more impressive to the wise men I suppose?

Seen from Babylonia, both planets would rise from the East with their closest approach around 10 PM Babylonian time as they sank over the western horizon towards the direction of Judea and Bethelhelm. That was even more impressive 

Could that be the Star from the East they followed? My analysis and feeling are probably not, and I shall explain this

In those days, over the plains of Judea, transportation was exceedingly slow by foot, camels or by ass. If the magi had seen the Star in the East and flowed it across the vast desert regions of Judea towards the town of Bethlehem their journey could have taken days, if not weeks or months. The rising and setting of all stars, planets, and even the Sun and Moon is in tandem with the speed of the Earth's rotation by a difference of just 4 minutes earlier each day due to the revolution of the Earth around the Sun.

This means even if the wise men could not catch up with the speed of rotation of Earth and the motions of the heavenly bodies, the stars could rise again the next night in the East and set again in the West about 12 hours later for them to follow each night.

But unfortunately, this wasn't the case.

It clearly states "the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was" (Matthew 2:9).

It looks to me like the star constantly waited for them in front and led them all the way and probably suddenly stopped without setting. It probably disappeared after that after they had arrived in Bethlehem? 

This is extremely unusual since no heavenly body behaves this way. It must be something else hovering in the Babylonian skies for many days or weeks for the wise men to follow.

It is unclear exactly how long after Jesus' birth the magi arrived. Traditionally they were seen to arrive at most a few days after the birth of Jesus as the Gospel of Luke has Jesus leaving for Jerusalem and by that time, he was forty days old from whence he went to Nazareth.

This left a fairly brief window of time for the magi to visit him in Jerusalem, especially considering they needed time to travel from the east via Jerusalem. In this verse Matthew refers to Jesus as a child rather than an infant, perhaps indicating that he was older. Today most scholars feel that Matthew probably meant that Jesus was several months old at the time the magi visited (4)

At least this was their theory which influenced me too for many years.  But not now, this Christmas today (25 December, 2109) I think differently.

I have to disagree with what astronomers have hypothesized for ages.

I now use my own independent analysis by carefully studying the biblical verses below:

"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? for we have seen his star in the east, and come to worship him (Matthew 2:1-2).

“Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and spoke, Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also. When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was (Matthew 2:7-11)

In verse 7 it says, Then Herod had a secret meeting with the wise men and learned from them the exact time they first saw the star.

First of all, those wise men were astrologers who knew the stars and their positions well (the Bible did NOT say “3” wise men. It merely stated “wise me” without the word “three” there). 

They would already know when various stars and planets would appear and how long they would be seen in their respective positions. They were NOT ordinary people. They were magi, and astrologers. The Bible describes them as wise men, people with knowledge and wisdom.

They would already know when various planets would slowly drift into one spot (conjunction) as a “bright star”

 But that night when Jesus was born, they saw something different. They saw some very unusual light in the sky. They were not stupid people. They were Magi, wise men  

So, I asked myself what that star was, and why was it very unusual for it to appear in the sky over Judea?

In verse 7, it says Herod inquired from them what time (”exact time”) they saw the star. Why exact time?

If it was a triple conjunction as modern astronomers believe, they would already be there over many days before they slowly come together

It appears to me the unusual star appeared suddenly and precisely at an exact time which Herod wanted to know.

This kind of phenomenon happening at a precise spot (in the East) and at an exact time is not known in astronomy. Almost all astronomical events are predictable long before they happen.

This gives me the impression it was neither any kind of sudden planetary alignment, nor a comet, nor even a supernova at that time.

There was also no record of any supernova during the time of King Herod. Even if there was, we would be able to see its nebulous remnants even today as in Crab Nebula.   So, it must be something else

Then in Matthew 2:9 it says:

“When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was”.

It is very clear to me the star suddenly appeared again after they saw King Herod.

How can such an occurrence be possible, appearing, disappearing, and appearing again?

Not that I know such events in astronomy.  Neither do I know of any star or planet where it went before men, and suddenly stopped where a child was born?  This is completely absurd to me. Neither stars nor planets, even though planets were once called “wandering stars” go before humans, and allow them to follow them, and then suddenly stop at one specific spot where a child (Jesus) was born.

This is completely bizarre to me. This occurrence can only be possible outside our understanding in astronomy.

It has to be completely something else, a divine occurrence or a miracle. This is the only possibility

Furthermore, if it was a triple conjunction as most astronomers think, how could they remain apparently in one spot like a bright star for so long? Their constant motions around the Sun would have separated them within days

I believe the magi must have followed the “star” for many, many days or weeks on foot or by camel over the plains of Judea towards Bethlehem where Jesus was

Over those long periods of travel by foot or by camels, any double or triple conjunction of bright planets like Venus, Mars and Jupiter would have long separated by the time they arrived in Bethlehem.

Their separation would have confused them as to which “star” to follow then.  But they did not. They kept following only that “star”

Furthermore, no planet as wandering stars would stay in one spot where any child was born. It has to be something else we do not know.

Some non-astronomers say it was a UFO, others claimed it was a space ship that brought Jesus to Earth? 

As far as I am concerned, I do not know what it was except ONE thing which was very clear to me.

“the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was” (Matthew 2:9)

That single verse tells me how patient that star (emblem of God) was.  It was so very, very patient to move very, very slowly to allow those wise men to keep pace with it while they travelled on the ground by foot or by camels

Not just that alone.  It says, it went ahead of them… to lead them slowly and patiently. This is truly the hallmark of God who is forever so patient with us all to give us time to think over His presence by leading us ahead so slowly, gently, brightly and forever so patiently. Yet we don’t even realize His enduring patience with us.

Furthermore, if it was some kind of UFO or space that came from another world to Earth, it could easily cut across dimensions, time and space at the speed of light, and left those wise men travelling over the desert at snail speed. But it didn’t.

It patiently led them probably over days, weeks or months with its bright light hovering in the sky… It went before them very, very slowly till they came to the spot where Jesus was humbly born in a manger.

Isn’t that beautiful?  Doesn’t that speak to us about patience and humility, the seal of an Eternal God?

The mystery of the Star of Bethlehem teaches me a lot. I have learnt tremendously by pondering over the verses and the event that happened over 2,000 years ago

My thinking is so unlike astronomers who merely think it was just a triple conjunction of bright planets which I fiercely object to.

 I have my own training and thoughts in astronomy at which He pre-planned for me.  I did not know this earlier when I constantly prayed to Him for years for wisdom and knowledge to understand His wondrous works of art and engineering. He finally led me to the Promised Land of Learning at Oxford in 2018

It was He who finally and slowly lead me there to study astronomy to glorify Him for the Creation of His Universe, and earlier to Cambridge University to understand Evolution and the Mystery of Life, both which are the marvellous work of an Intelligent Designer 

The Star of Bethlehem is a divine revelation to me. It showed me how God led those magi with wisdom and knowledge to Jesus. I too would like to be like them to be led by Him 

This is truly a beautiful a story of a Star declaring birth of Jesus Christ in all its glory