Astrology of Christmas: The Star of Bethlehem
December 13, 2006 by admin
Around Christmas, there is often some discussion about the nature of the Star of Bethlehem, which led the Three Magi to the infant Jesus. Most writers come to the conclusion that the “Star” must have really been a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn (thanks, Kepler!), which occurred in the assumed year of Jesus’s birth. I believe that this is an incorrect conclusion, for a couple of reasons.
One, there are many documents extant today showing that the people of 2000 years ago knew their planets, and that they knew them better by sight than many people today. I find it difficult to believe that the ancients could not distinguish the conjunction of two familiar planets (Jupiter and Saturn) from a single star. We tend to look at the old stargazers as though they had trouble keeping the very basics straight, but let us not forget that these people could calculate a horoscope from scratch blindfolded (figuratively speaking) and were extremely familiar with the heavens through routine observation.
Two, just by sheer logic, it is easy to see that a unique event such as the birth of Christ could not have been shown by a recurring event, such as the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn. If an event is highly unique, the same should apply to the astronomical configuration mirroring it. We do not get a new Christ every 20 years when Jupiter and Saturn conjoin, or when Jupiter passes through Aries, or conjoins Regulus every 12 years, or whatever.
Part of the problem in determining the nature of the Star of Bethlehem is that we are not sure of the year in which Jesus was born. Presumably, it would have been no later than 4 B.C., when King Herod died, but even so, Jewish records of observed astronomical events around that time are kind of fuzzy. My best guess is that the astronomical event (to the extent it was astronomical, and not a religious vision visible only to a few) would have been unique, like a comet that made a special appearance. Chinese astronomers are supposed to have seen a comet hovering in the heavens for weeks on end in 5 B.C., which would support this theory.
There are a great number of theories about the nature of the Star of Bethlehem, some more plausible than others. The ones put forth by astronomers tend to be most convincing to me (except when they start theorizing about astrology). I would love to hear your own thoughts on this.
—And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years. (Genesis 1:14)
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