The Mystery of The Star of Bethlehem
The story of nativity, the birth Jesus birth in the manger
is found only in Luke (Luke 1:26–27), while the Star in the East was recorded is
only recorded in the Gospel of Mathew. 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 Mithraist fiesta
on that day to take advantage of the general joyousness at the time of the
winter solstice.
Both Mathew and Luke place the birth of Jesus during the
time of Herod, and that the monarch died in 4 BC.
The story of nativity related in the Gospel according to
Mathew caused me to be very curious exactly what was that bright “star” the
wise men (magi / astrologers) actually saw. The book of Matthew is only place
this mysterious star was described.
Theories of Astronomers:
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 powerful 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.
This has been 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 was around when triple conjunctions occurred.
Astronomers 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 described in the Gospel
of Mathew.
Both Mathew and Luke place the birth of Jesus during the
time of Herod, and history recorded the monarch died in 4 BC.
So It would seem then Jesus could not have been born later
than 4 BC and so could not have been less than two years old.
The Star of Jesus:
Did the Star of Jesus depicted by the Star of Bethlehem already been foretold even in the beginning in
Genesis?
Let's have a look at this verse.
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 scepter 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).
In astrology the wise men probably knew well about the constellations of the Zodiac, one
of which lies a Lion (Leo).
It would be easy for the astrologers to believe that Leo
represents Judah and the House of David since David were descended from Judah,
and Jesus was associated with both. My point in argument is, was the bright
star Regulus or Rigel already signify the coming of Jesus who is going to
symbolize the king (Regulus) even in the beginning (Genesis).
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. Not just that alone.
He was sandwiched by two brightest planets which to my thinking represents His
Father and the Holy Spirit (Trinity).
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 astronomical events 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 "usual events" because this would average out with one bright planetary
conjunction once a month according to Sinnott, and quoted by Isaac Assimov in
his article "The Star in the East"
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.
Planetary Conjunctions in The Reign of King Herod:
King Herod Magnus was
born in July 3 BC, and died March or April, 4 BC in Jericho, Judaea. So the
dates seemed very close to the birth of Christ during the reign of his reign.
Hence many astronomers would hypothesize 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 they would just appear as one
very bright point of light. That was even more impressive to the magi I
suppose? Maybe not as they were wise men as the Bible describes them.
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 Bethlehem. Could that be the
Star the wise men saw in the east?
Could that be the Star from the East they followed? My
analysis and feeling is 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 followed 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 are not going follow, let alone wait for any person.
Velocity of Earth's Rotation:
The Earth's speed of rotation is once every 23 hours, 56
minutes and 4.09053 seconds, called the sidereal period, over a circumference
of 40,075 kilometers which is a speed of 460 meters per second over the equator.
This would be far too fast for the wise men to catch up on
foot or on camels.
Of course the motions of the heavenly bodies, planets, Sun,
Moon and the stars could rise again the next night in the East and sets again
in the West about 12 hours later for them to follow every night.
But unfortunately this wasn't the case. My point of argument
is quite different from other astronomers believe if only they read the verse
below carefully once again.
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 like this particular star was quite different from
all other stars, planets and other heavenly bodies that rise and set each day
like tides that waits for no one.
But this strange star clearly waited for them in front and
leading them all the way and suddenly stopped where Jesus was and then
disappeared without setting after they have arrived in Bethlehem?
Of course if we walk or even speed in a jet
plane towards a star in front, it will it will apparently be always ahead of
us. But over a just a few hours it will sink towards the west, or it came from
the east, it will soon be ahead of us, and overtake us and sets in the west.
But this star did not behave that way.
Heavenly Bodies Waits for None:
In fact it is extremely unusual since no heavenly body
behave this way. It must be something else hovering just ahead in the Babylonian
skies for many days or weeks. It did not rise or set so that the wise men can continue to follow. It was
finitely NOT any ordinary star or some bright planets in triple or multiple
conjunctions.
It is also unclear exactly how long it took for the magi
arrived after Jesus was born. Traditionally they were seen to arrive at most a
few days after the birth of Jesus as the Gospel of Luke spoke about Jesus
leaving for Jerusalem by the 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.
How Old was Jesus then?
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).
The timing of the arrival of the wise men was very crucial
in determining the exact time of birth of Jesus. Even Herod inquired the exact
time the wise men saw the star.
In short, all the theories put forwards by well-meaning and
learned astronomers linking conjunctions of bright planets around the 3 BC and,
4 BC when King Herod was reigning do not support my own current revised thinking.
At least this was their theories which influenced me too for
many years. But not now, this Christmas
today (25 December, 2109) when I think
differently.
My Disagreement:
I have to disagree with what astronomers have hypothesized for
ages.
Let me once again emphasize the verse using 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 are 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 said.
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.
Studying carefully those verses, 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, meaning people with knowledge and wisdom.
They would already know when various planets would slowly
drift into one spot (conjunction) as a “bright star”
Since Sinnott himself
wrote in Sky and Telescope there were many, many bright planetary conjunctions
at that time, do we think these wise men are fools to be deceived? Definitely
not in my thinking.
But that night when
Jesus was born, they saw something different. They saw some very unusual light
in the sky. They were not idiots to see something different.
So what was that, and why was it very unusual in the sky
over Judea?
In verse 7, it says Herod inquired from them what was 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.
Unusual Astronomical Event:
This kind of phenomenon happening at a precise spot (in the
East) and at an exact time is not what we know 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, neither 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 Mathew 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 at least to me the star suddenly
appeared again after King Herod consulted the wise men.
How can such an astronomical event be possible - a star
appearing, disappeared, and appearing again?
Not that I know in my training in astronomy. which I have just passed before this Christmas.
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.
An Unknown Object:
It has 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 were 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 arrive in Bethlehem.
Their separation would have been 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.
UFO?
Some non-astronomers claimed it was a UFO, others claimed it
was a space ship that brought Jesus to Earth?
This is non-science that we know.
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).
The Endurance of The Star:
That single verse tells me how patient that star was if as
it was a signal or a message from God about the arrival of His only begotten
Son on Planet Earth.
What strikes me most about this star was, it so very, very patient as to move very, very slowly to allow those wise
men to keep pace with it while they traveled
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 very slowly, very gently, so brightly and forever
so patiently with our slow thinking and belief.
Yet we don’t even realize His enduring patience with us.
Furthermore, if it was some kind of UFO or space (claimed by
non - scientists) that came from another world to Earth, then such a space ship
could easily cut across dimensions, time and space at the speed of light.
In such a horrendous speed,
it would have left those wise men travelling over the desert at snail
speed. It would not have that patience to be with them at camel 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,then
it disappeared. Amazing! It is simply too amazing even to the most brilliant
astronomical minds to understand.
That is how I feel, probably written with God-guildance which is quite the opposite of what other astronomers and scientists have
hypothesized so far.
Isn’t that patience shown by that strange star was true,
isn’t that message so beautiful? Doesn’t
that speak to us about patience and humility shown by God? Isn’t that the hallmark seal of an Eternal God?
The mystery of the Star of Bethlehem teaches me a lot. I
have learnt tremendously by pondering over those verses and the event that
happened over 2,000 years ago.
My thinking now is so unlike astronomers who insisted it was
just a triple conjunction of bright planets which I fiercely object.
I have my own training and thoughts in astronomy which He
has pre-planned this for me which I have not known.
I did not know this earlier when I
constantly prayed to Him for years for wisdom and knowledge to understand on His wondrous works of art and engineering
in the design of heavens and the beginning of the spark of life here on Earth.
My constant prayers over the years of nearly 40 to be given
that knowledge of His Intelligent Design, then
finally led me to His Promised Land of Learning at Cambridge early this year where learn the
Origin and Evolution of Life, and later this year till near Christmas at Oxford
that taught me about the creation of the Universe.
His Promised Land:
It was at both places to the Promised Land He led me wandering
for so long in childhood ignorance to understand His marvelous Intelligent Design and His message to
all mankind.
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 want
to be like them to be led by Him.
The account of nativity associated with a guiding star light
above over the plains of Judea is truly so beautiful a story and an
enlightenment for me - a Christmas gift for me when I penned this on Christmas
Day even though Jesus came to this Earth sometime in July over 2,000 years ago.
May all my gentle readers be blessed!
References
1. Isaac Asimov. Star in the East. 1976. The Planet That Wasn't. All Sphere Book.
2. No record of any supernova - Arthur C. Clark. The Star. November 1955. Infinity Science Fiction.
3. Roger W. Sinnott Sky and Telescope. Secember 1968.
4. Brown, Raymond E. The Birth of the Messiah: A Commentary on the Infancy Narratives in Matthew and Luke. London: G. Chapman, 1977.
