The Star Of Bethlehem Theories

[Traveler]

Any one want to offer theories as to what the Star of Bethlehm was or what was the cause of the star?

The Traveler

[CrimsonKairos]

It's all here. If you have patience, you'll learn alot.

http://www.johnpratt.com/items/docs/herod/herod.html

Also check out other John Pratt articles at the same website, he's got an amazing mind for connecting astronomy and the gospel.

[pushka]

Thanks for the article Crimson...it was very interesting. I might check out some of his other articles later..

[Ray]

Because I know some people don't have the time, or the patience, or the desire to read a lot of words on a page, I'll summarize a shorter answer to the question that was asked, and I'll use the words that were used in that article.

It is hard to know how the magi might have read "signs" in the heavens, but it has been noted that Jupiter/Zeus was the father god and was often associated with the birth of kings, that Venus was the mother, or goddess of fertility, and that Leo, with the bright king-star Regulus, was the "king" constellation associated with Judah and royalty. Thus, this combination seems to be a natural to be interpreted as the coming of the "King of the Jews" (Mat. 2:2).

It has also been noted that when the two planets "fused into one" they would have appeared to be in a "marriage union" with each other. Associating that conjunction with the time of the conception of Christ not only fits his proposed birth in 1 B.C., it also dovetails with two ancient traditions mentioned by the fourth century Christian father Epiphanius. First, he held that the conception of Christ occurred on June 20, which is very close to the June 17 conjunction. Secondly, he also noted a tradition that the pregnancy lasted ten months, which is a perfect fit because the conjunction occurred near the full moon ten lunar months before the following Passover.

If this conjunction occurred near the time of conception,it may have been part of a series of signs that were recorded simply as a star (Mat. 2:9). Note that the magi found Jesus at Bethlehem, which means they probably arrived within 50 days of Jesus' birth because Joseph and Mary would have stayed in Bethlehem that long to present Jesus at the temple after 40 days (Luke 2:22) and to attend Pentecost after 50 days, but then would have returned to Nazareth. Yet Herod slew the infants from two years and under according to the time the star had appeared (Mat. 2:7,16). Why two years, if the star had appeared less than two months before? It seems to imply that the magi mentioned a sign of the conception and Herod was making sure they had not mistaken the birth for conception. The proposal that Christ was born at Passover of 1 B.C. is also compatible with other traditional dates for his birth date, as will now be discussed.

...

The eastern church put the birth of Christ on January 6, which they said was based on a tradition that Christ was born not on the winter solstice, but twelve days afterward.[44] Note that if these "twelve days of Christmas" had been counted from the spring equinox (March 25) instead, the result would have been April 6.

Duchesne proposed a possible origin of the January 6 tradition. He noted that Sozomen (A.D. 440) mentions that one early Christian sect, the Montanists (c. A.D. 170), celebrated Easter on [the Sunday on or after] April 6.[45] If the eastern fathers counted back as they did in Rome from April 6 (instead of March 25), they would have arrived at April 6 for the conception and January 6 for the birth of Christ. Duchesne's argument can now be slightly modified: if they had counted back to the birth instead of the conception, the result would have been April 6, in agreement with the conclusion of this study.

[Guest Monica]

The star was evil and from satan in an attempt to kill CHRIST!

Shocking?

Lets look at scriptures and what the purpose of the star was.

The men from the east were astrologers. The word wise in the greek is MAGOS which means astrologers, seers, interpreters of dreams, augers, soothsayers, sorcerers etc.

Mat 2:1 ¶ 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, 2 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.

Because of the "horoscope reading" given by the psychics of the east, Herod killed the baby boys under 2 years of age.

Mat 2:16 ¶ Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.

God warns us about doing these occultish things.

Deu 18:10 There shall not be found among you [any one] that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, [or] that useth divination, [or] an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, 11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. 12 For all that do these things [are] an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.

King Herod of all people should have known better to listen to astrologers let alone kill his own people's babies.

Deu 17:18 ¶ And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of [that which is] before the priests the Levites: 19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them: 20 That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, [to] the right hand, or [to] the left: to the end that he may prolong [his] days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.

Notice that the shepherds didnt see a star, angels personally came to them to tell them of Christ's birth.

[roman]

Whats up with always thinking that the Bible is in some kinda code---or it doesn't mean what it says. Whats wrong with thinking that the star-----------------was a star? Anyway the essence of that passage of srcipture is not the star anyway

[Tsuzuki]

The star was evil and from satan in an attempt to kill CHRIST!

Shocking?

Lets look at scriptures and what the purpose of the star was.

The men from the east were astrologers. The word wise in the greek is MAGOS which means astrologers, seers, interpreters of dreams, augers, soothsayers, sorcerers etc.

Mat 2:1 ¶ 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, 2 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.

Because of the "horoscope reading" given by the psychics of the east, Herod killed the baby boys under 2 years of age.

Mat 2:16 ¶ Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.

God warns us about doing these occultish things.

Deu 18:10 There shall not be found among you [any one] that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, [or] that useth divination, [or] an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, 11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. 12 For all that do these things [are] an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.

King Herod of all people should have known better to listen to astrologers let alone kill his own people's babies.

Deu 17:18 ¶ And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of [that which is] before the priests the Levites: 19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them: 20 That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, [to] the right hand, or [to] the left: to the end that he may prolong [his] days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.

Notice that the shepherds didnt see a star, angels personally came to them to tell them of Christ's birth.

This makes no sense whatsoever.