Reaching For The Star Of Bethlehem

As children, many of us were enthralled with the idea of a special star to denote the birth of the baby Jesus. Many well known depictions of the scene show a beautiful classic star positioned over the manger where Joseph and Mary sought refuge from the cool nights and unwanted eyes. The sheep and donkeys were standing a vigil over the scene while the three wise men pointed at the brilliant beacon as if in awe of the event.

But was it a star they were pointing to? Or was it something else which guided the Magi to the birth of the Messiah? This celestial body has been discussed by learned men since the age when it was reported to have appeared, with many guesses as to its real identity.

Was it a comet, a nova or supernova, or simply a conjunction of several planets which gleamed over the most holy of Christian births? Fortunately for us, there are other records, besides those contained in the Holy Bible, which may give us a hint to the real Star of Bethlehem.

“There shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel” -Book of Numbers

Because the exact date Jesus was born is unknown and an arbitrary date was assigned as his birthday, we must use the Bible itself to get a better idea of the objects in the sky during the suspected period. The birth did not happen in December, or at any time in the winter season, for that matter. The shepherds were in the fields by night, according to Matthew’s version of the event.

During Christ’s time, this particular routine would more likely take place during the late spring or summer months of the year. So we have the time frame for the season, so what about the year in question? For this part of the riddle we must look elsewhere than in the Bible scriptures for our answer.

It is generally accepted by many historians and scholars that the reign of King Herod ended in 4 B.C. and not later, as recorded by the Bible. Since Herod is fully involved in the story itself, it seems Jesus could not have been born after Herod’s death. But some believe it may have taken place in 3 or 2 BC. So when was Jesus born then?

Matthew’s account of King Herod ordering the death of all males two years of age or younger, gives us a time line of sorts. The Magi, actually learned astrologers and early astronomers, had apparently first discovered the star two years earlier than when they first informed Herod about the significance of the omen.

And Herod, already worried about being dethroned because of recent political events, assumed they were referring to the Hebrew prophecy and ordered the now infamous killing of all male children of a certain age, according to the Magi time frame.

The earliest coins denoting the successor of King Herod are dated 4 BC (BC being used here as according to the calendar used at the time). It is reckoned Herod died at some point during that year.

After taking everything into consideration, we find the most likely year of the birth of Jesus as being around 6 or 7 BC. But again, some disagree with this date and think it happened later on.

One of the first suggested possibilities was of course, a comet.  What other heavenly body inspires more wonder and awe as it glows in the sky?  And it also may remain visible in the heavens for a long period of time, such as the Star of Bethlehem appears to have done.  The Magi could have easily followed its path in search of the new king. 

It has also been suggested the star might have been a nova, or supernova, a star which has literally burned out its supply of energy and collapses in on itself.  The brief brilliant flash of light may reach many times the former amount emitted by the former star.  This light would have caught the notice of the Magi, astrologers, as well as the forerunners of future astronomers.

The final candidates for the noted star are not stars at all, at least many of them.  We are referring to conjunctions of planets, moons, and stars.   These heavenly bodies appear to merge or come close to each other as they appear from earth.  These alignments could appear quite impressive if the brightest objects in the sky happened to  merge together.  The particular circumstances of the combination of objects and the constellation this conjunction happened to occur in had great significance to the “Wise Men” during Biblical times.

But who were these Magi, these Three Kings of Orient, these Three Wise Men? Who exactly were all these characters in the familiar Christmas celebrations? Well, this answer is simple. They were all the same people.

First off, they weren’t kings at all, and as far as being wise, this could be a matter of differing opinions. But the main claim to fame of those associated with this group would be their interest in the stars and the other heavenly bodies.

Yep, they were astrologers. Perhaps not in a “what’s your sign” type of way but still, it’s a close enough description for now. Unfortunately, astrology played a large part in the making of decisions during the time frame we are discussing.

These astrologers and learned men of natural sciences were consulted as to the best time to make war or for any other important decision to be made which might impact the kingdom or the position of the rulers themselves. Their advice was given much weight by many kings at the time when the nativity was supposed to have taken place

The word Magic comes from the word Magi, the plural of Magus. The origins and ethnicity of this noted group of stargazers has not been satisfactorily determined at this date. Some claim they were the original Zoroastrians while others say not. They date back to the 8th century BC with numerous mentions in the few remaining historical documents and relics of this time period. But what was it that led them to Bethlehem?

There is no doubt a comet seems awesome compared to the other heavenly bodies. It is easy to imagine how superstitious ancients could be convinced they were signs from the gods themselves. But comets were often considered harbingers of bad things to come.

There was a comet or nova recorded in 5 BC by the Chinese and Korean astronomers of the day, but the duration and brightness of the object rules out the possibility of it being the illusive star.  Comets and novae were lesser players in the scheme of things when compared to the regular "players" in the nightly heavenly theatrics.

Halley’s comet did make an appearance in 12 BC and again in AD 66. Although too long after the birth of Christ to be considered as the Star of Bethlehem, Halley’s AD 66 showing nay have had much more to do with the story than might be suspected. More on this later.

So discounting a comet or nova which the early astronomers missed, an unlikely scenario because of the importance placed on the many astrology based beliefs of the time, it must have been a conjunction of the other most watched stars and planets which excited the curiosity of the Magi. The chances of this are very favorable if a few other things are considered.

The planet Jupiter has long been proclaimed the King of planets. It signified royalty to the many astrologers of the day. When it appeared in certain parts of the sky, especially in certain constellations, it was considered being an omen for new kings to arise. Just such an exciting event occurred around 3-2 BC.

A triple conjunction of the King planet Jupiter, and the King star, Regulus, would alert the Magi to a new rulers birth. When Jupiter’s close conjunction with Venus, combined with the placement of the constellations Virgo and Leo in the background, it seemed to fulfill the Hebrew prophecy.

But again, this was later than the birth of Jesus appeared to be. But one may see how a visit to a king by the Magi could be recorded differently many years later. The controversy has yet to be settled and perhaps may never be to everyone’s satisfaction. But still, mystery is magic for some. But one last bit of information about Halley’s 66AD appearance as promised.

The Gospel According to Matthew is considered by most Biblical scholars to be the oldest of the New Testament works. It has the only mention of the Star of Bethlehem as the other Gospels do not address the appearance of the shining beacon.

Coincidentally though, at about the same time the writer of the book attributed to Matthew was penning the account, Halley’s 66AD comet was making its way across the skies.

A group of Magi was visiting Rome at this time, accompanying and advising the King of Armenia. The ruler sought confirmation of his title by the Emperor Nero and ironically, returned home by a different route than he came by. Sounds familiar, huh? The excitement of the people created by the spectacle of both comet and king inspired many writers and historians of the city. Matthew may have also been impressed, and perhaps inspired, by such an event.

Another coincidence for you to consider. In 63 BC the Roman Senate was informed by the Magi of a new ruler as foretold by the stars. Baby boys in the predicted age range were killed, much like those reported by Matthew in his newly released version of the birth of the Messiah. Of course, Matthew's version was over 120 years after the original event, but it did add excitement to the Greek readers newest addition of the very popular Jewish saga!