The Christmas Star
At Christmas, we remember the wise men who followed a star to Bethlehem. Christmas cards frequently show a star directly above a thatched stable in Bethlehem—often unrealistically close, creating what would Surely be the presence of a fire hazard.
The Biblical Account
The story of the Wise Men, also called Magi, following the Star of Bethlehem is found only once in the Bible, in Matthew 2:1–12. Magi were wise men, perhaps mathematicians or scientists, linked to royal courts, and a king. The account does not tell us how many Magi there were, what their names were, what the star was, or how bright it was. The star is mentioned twice, and the text implies the first sighting was at the time of Jesus's birth.
The Wise Men arrived in Jerusalem from the east (Matthew 2:1) and asked for the whereabouts of the child, saying, "For we have seen his star in the east, and have come to worship him." (Matthew 2:2). Herod then gathers his own advisors (Matthew 2:4), who quote Micah 5:2 to explain that the child will be born in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:5–6). Herod subsequently calls for the Magi and "inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared" (Matthew 2:7); although the text does not specify whether they gave him an answer. The Magi then travel to Bethlehem (Matthew 2:8), where the star seems to point to the place where the child was (Matthew 2:9–10).
The early church father Irenaeus, saw this event as a fulfillment of the Prophecy of Balaam, found in Numbers 24:17: "There shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel" (KJV).
What does the text mean by a 'star'?
In ancient times, people were familiar with the stars. Their view of the night sky was unobstructed; stars were used for navigation and illumination. People would have known the names of the stars and constellations. What was the star exactly?
The modern word "astronomy" derives from the Greek word for star, astron. Ancient astronomers meticulously tracked the movements of stars. The Babylonians had schools for stargazers, and cuneiform tablets document their observations. Ancient Chinese emperors also maintained stargazing staff, leading some researchers to examine Babylonian and Chinese records for clues about the Star of Bethlehem. For example, Chinese records describe an object with a tail (a comet?) visible for 70 days in the spring of 5 BC. Many believe Jesus was born around 5 BC, making this event a candidate for the star.
Astronomical theories
The early church father Origen suggested the Star of Bethlehem was a comet, a theory that remains popular. Comets are icy bodies that heat up near the sun, producing tails that point in a specific direction. Some speculate that Halley's Comet, visible in 12 BC, may have been the star.
Planets sometimes appear to be close to each other. In 7 BC, there were conjunctions of Jupiter and Saturn, and in 6 BC, there was a triple conjunction involving Jupiter, Saturn and Mars. Some believe these alignments explain the Star of Bethlehem.
We may never know exactly what the Wise Men saw. However, the story aligns with what we know about ancient Magi and their interest in celestial events.
01/05/25