Bright stars flaunt on tops of Christmas trees all over to the world. Almost everyone knows about the star that led the Magi to a manger in the small town of Bethlehem, where Jesus was born. Bethlehem the star is described in the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. Does it Is this star a biblical fiction or did it really exist? Let’s take a look at this from the perspective of astronomers.
A photo from open sources
Astronomical question
To understand the star of Bethlehem, we need to think as we thought three wise men. Guided by this “star in the east,” they first arrived in Jerusalem and informed King Herod about the prophecy: born the new ruler of the Israeli people. We also need to think how King Herod, who asked the three magi when the star appeared, because he himself and his court, apparently, did not see this stars in the sky.
These events give us the first astronomical riddle of the first Christmas: how could the court sages of King Herod not know about the appearance of such a bright star and how she brought the Magi into Jerusalem?
Then, to reach Bethlehem, the magi had to go directly south of Jerusalem; “star in the east” “moved before them, until she stopped over the place where the baby was. “And us the second astronomical mystery of the first Christmas: like a star “in the east” could lead the wise men to the south? North Star led the stray wanderers north so why the star on didn’t bring the magi to the east in the east?
There is a third part of the mystery of the first Christmas: like a star, described by Matthew, moved “in front of them,” and then stopped and hung over the manger in Bethlehem, in which the baby allegedly lay Jesus?
What could be a “star in the east”?
Any astronomer knows that no star is capable of such a thing. Neither the comet, nor Jupiter, nor the supernova, nor the parade of the planets, nor whatever nor was it yet able to behave this way in the night sky. Could to admit that Matthew’s words describe a miracle that lies beyond laws of physics. But Matthew carefully selected the words and wrote twice “star in the east”, suggesting that these words were of particular importance to readers of his gospel.
Can we find another explanation that will match the words of Matthew and which will not require a violation laws of physics? Which will fit into the modern way of astronomy? Oddly enough, the answer is yes.
Astronomer Michael Molnar points out that “in the east” is literal translation of the Greek phrase en te anatole that was technical term used in Greek mathematical astrology 2,000 years ago. He describes, and very specifically, a planet that rises above the eastern horizon shortly before sunrise. A few moments after the appearance planet she disappears in the bright light of the sun in the morning sky. It turns out that no one sees this “star in the east”, if not will look at her at a certain moment.
Now let’s add some astronomy. In the course of human life almost all stars remain in their places. The stars light up and go out every night, but do not move relative to each other. Stars Big Dipper appear from year to year in the same place. But the planets, the sun and the moon are different from the fixed stars; by In fact, the word “planet” comes from the Greek name “wandering” stars”.
Although the planets, the sun and moon move approximately one at a time and the same path against the background of stars, they move at different speeds, therefore sometimes close each other. When the sun closes a planet, we cannot see it, but when the Sun passes the planet, she reappears.
Now again turn to astrology. When the planet appears again in the morning sky shortly before sunrise, for the first time in many months, during which she hid in the radiance of the sun, this The moment is known to astrologers as a heliac sunrise. Heliac sunrise is a special first appearance of the planet, and there is that Greek astrologers called en te anatole. In particular, Heliak sunrise of Jupiter was considered important by Greek astrologers. an event for everyone born on this day.
Thus, the “star in the east” refers to the astronomical an event that was astrologically important in context ancient Greek astrology.
A photo from open sources
And what about the unexpected star parking above the same manger? The biblical analogue of a “star hung” comes from the Greek word epano, which was also important for ancient astrologers. It means a certain moment when the planet stops its movement and begins to move not in the western, but in the eastern direction. This happens when the Earth, which revolves around The sun is faster than Mars, Jupiter or Saturn, catching up with another the planet.
Thus, a rare combination of astrological events (necessary a planet appeared before the sun; The sun was in the right zodiac constellations a number of planetary positions important to astrologers) allowed ancient Greek astrologers suggest that on that very day truly the king of kings was born.
Magi staring at the sky
Molnar believes that those same magi, in fact, were very wise and mathematically savvy astrologers. They also knew about Old Testament prophecy that the new king will be born in the family of David. Most likely, they watched the heavens for many years, waiting for the alignment of objects that will usher in the birth of a new the king. When a powerful set of astrological omens was assembled, the magi decided that it was time to find the baby.
If the wise men Matthew actually took a trip for searching for a newborn king, a bright star could not guide them; she only told them when to go. And they are not could find a baby in a manger. In the end, the child was already 8 months by the time they guessed astrological a message that they believed heralded the birth of the future the king.
The sign appeared on April 17, 6 BC. e. (with heliac the rise of Jupiter that morning, after which the moon covered it in the afternoon Aries constellation) and lasted until December 19, 6 years BC. e. (when Jupiter stopped moving west, froze for a moment and began movement eastward relative to the stars frozen on the background). For the most the short time it took for the magi to reach Bethlehem, baby Jesus has already grown a little.
Astrologers Time Moon Sun Jupiter
