Everyone is familiar with the biblical legend of how the Magi were led to Jesus' birthplace by following a roaming star that came to rest over Bethlehem. I would like to know if there are any recordings outside of the Bible of this event. Are there any ancient Chinese, Persian, Mayan, etc. sources that speak of such an occurrence? According to tradition, Jesus was born in the period from the year 7 B.C. to 4 B.C. I'm sure that such a wondrous celestial phenomenon as a travelling star would have attracted the awe of astronomers the world over. Such an event would certainly have been recorded. Some people may mention a confluence of two heavenly bodies, but in mind, this is not the kind of phenomenon that is being described in the Bible account. The account describes a mobile star that comes to rest over a given spot. Has anyone ever tried to analyze astronomical records made at that time to verify if there is a recording of the event?
Any Independent Confirmation of Magi's "Travelling Star"?
by Rapunzel 6 Replies latest watchtower bible
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Double Edge
How about this article from 2001:
Was Christmas star a double eclipse of Jupiter?
December 27, 2001 Posted: 4:08 PM EST (2108 GMT)
Wise Men used a celestial sign to search for a divine king in Judea, according to Matthew's Gospel. By Richard Stenger
CNN Sci-Tech(CNN) --A U.S. astronomer said he has uncovered the first reference to the star of Bethlehem outside the Bible, in the 4th-century writings of a Christian convert who wanted to hide the astrological roots of the celestial phenomenon.
For centuries, scientists and scholars have debated about the nature of the Biblical light that led the Magi to the newborn Jesus. Some have suggested a comet or supernova.
But Michael Molnar concluded that the star was actually a double eclipse of Jupiter roughly 2,000 years ago.
The former Rutgers University researcher came up with the idea while studying a symbolic star map on an ancient Roman empire coin from Syria, which depicts Aries the ram and other celestial symbols.
Molnar, deducing that Aries was the sign of the Jews, figured that ancient astrologers would have searched that constellation for a sign of a savior of the kingdom of Judea.
Computer modeling backed up his claim. But Molnar lacked historical proof until now, he said.
The Mathesis, a book written in 334 A.D. by Firmicus Maternus, an astrologer of Constantine the Great, described an astrological event involving an eclipse of Jupiter by the moon in Aries, and said that it signified the birth of a divine king.
"Maternus did not mention Jesus' name," Molnar said. "But Roman astrology was a popular craze at the time and everyone reading the book would have known the reference was to Jesus and that the astrological event was the star of Bethlehem."
He failed to bring up the name because he did not wish to offend the sensibilities of members of his new religion, who thought that the Christian God, not the stars, governed the destiny of humankind.
But old beliefs still held great sway in the Roman Empire.
"Being a pagan who had converted to Christianity in his lifetime, Firmicus was torn. Hence his use of astrology to support the Christian story, but in a veiled way," Molnar said.
The unconventional astronomer has gained the respect of notable Biblical historians.
"I take Molnar's work quite seriously," said Owen Gingerich of Harvard University. "Anything he comes up with along these lines has to be considered as being very likely correct."
Gushed Bradley Schaefer of Yale University, in a review Molnar's book, 'The Star of Bethlehem': "(It) has stunning new insight and approach, which finally gives a confident answer to a question that has fascinated all Christians through the ages."
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Awakened07
Mat 2:2 (NIV) “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”
Mat 2:9 (NIV) "After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was."
-Doesn't seem like an astronomical event at all to me.
Then again, I haven't done the usual routine of reading it in the original language, consulting several scholarly encyclopedias on the matter, applying their way of phrasing things back then, using the rule of thumb of "they didn't write things in a literal sense", bending over backwards, throwing salt over my shoulder and saying 'ooogah boogha!'. So I may be wrong; perhaps it does describe a perfectly normal astronomical event after all, when properly read.
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Leolaia
I think it is important to note that the statement by Firmicus Maternus is not a specific reference to the occultation of 17 April, 6 BC, or even presumes any specific occurance, but which explains -- as you would expect in an astrological treatise -- in general what astrological meaning would be invested in such an event:
"If Jupiter comes into aspect with the waxing Moon, this will create men of almost divine and immortal nature. This happens when the Moon is moving toward Jupiter. It is difficult to observe this. If Jupiter is in the north and the waxing and full Moon comes into aspect moving from the east (with Jupiter in his own house or exaltation or in signs in which he rejoices), the result is unconquerable generals who govern the whole world. This is especially true if the Sun in his exaltation is in trine aspect to Jupiter. For Jupiter rejoices by day when aspected by the Sun or Saturn, especially if he is in a morning rising" (Firmicus Maternus, Mathesis 4.3.9).
So the argument being made is that the event of 17 April, 6 BC would have been interpreted astrologically as indicating the birth of a divine person and/or a general who governs the world. That's certainly possible, although it assumes that Firmicus' astrology is representative of what was used three to four centuries earlier (and used by Magi from a different culture with potentially their own astrological traditions). It also doesn't establish that the occultation of 17 April, 6 BC actually accompanied the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. That must also be assumed. It is also possible that such an occultation occurred, and was interpreted astrologically along the lines of Firmicus, but no one of note was born at that time. What would better link the two is if Matthew contains specific details (such as mentioning the star being occulted by the Moon, or the constellation it appears in, or the date, etc.) that match the proposed event. But at least in my reading, Matthew is quite ambiguous and could be interpreted in different ways, and lacks the detail needed to identify it with an actual astrological event. A lunar occultation is not mentioned in the text and must be presupposed to connect the "star of Bethlehem" with the event of 17 April, 6 BC.
There is also an interesting discussion of the "star of Bethlehem" here, including how the narrative may reflect OT exegesis: http://www.erudit.org/revue/ltp/2003/v59/n1/000790ar.html
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Leolaia
It should be borne in mind that all the original text says is that the star was seen "in its rising" (= "in the east" in some translations, but the rising is likely that of the star itself, not the sun) and that it was seen to stop over where the child was. That's it.
As Justin Martyr observes, there is an OT intertext for Matthew 2:2 in Numbers 24:17, which was already interpreted in Jewish texts (such as the Damascus Document and the Testament of Levi) as having messianic significance. The mention of the star in the Testament of Levi (c. first century BC) already construes the star from Numbers 24:17 as a literal heavenly star rising in the heavens, it refers to the star as "his (= the messiah's) star", and it also gives kingly significance to the star.
Numbers 24:17 MT: "A star treads forth from Jacob (drk kwkb my`qb), and a sceptre arises out of Israel (w-qm shbt m-yshr'l), and he smites the corners of Moab and destroys all the sons of Seth".
Numbers 24:17 LXX: "A star shall rise out of Jacob (anatelei astron ex Iakób), and a person shall rise up out of Israel (anastésetai anthrópos ex Israél), he shall crush the chiefs of Moab, and he shall plunder all Seth's sons"
Damascus Document 7:18-21: "And the star is the Interpreter of the Law (h-kwkb hw' dwrsh h-twrh), who will come to Damascus, as it is written: 'A star moves out of Jacob (drk kwkb my`qb), and a sceptre arises out of Israel (w-qm shbt m-yshr'l).' The sceptre is the prince of the whole congregation and when he rises he will destroy all the sons of Seth".
Testament of Levi 18:2-3: "Then the Lord will raise up a new priest to whom all the words of the Lord will be revealed. He shall effect the judgment of truth over the earth for many days. And his star (astron autou) shall rise in heaven (anatelei en ouranói) like a king (hós basileus), kindling the light of knowledge as day is illuminated by the sun".
Matthew 2:2: "Where is the one born the king (basileus) of the Jews? We saw his star (autou ton astera) in its rising (en té anatolé) and we came to do obeisance to him".
Justin Martyr, Dialogue 106.4-5: "That he should arise like a star (hós astron emellen anatellein) from the seed of Abraham, Moses showed before hand when he thus said, 'A star shall arise from Jacob (anatelei astron ex Iakób), and a leader from Israel (kai hégoumenos ex Israél)', and another Scripture says, 'Behold a man, rising (anatolé) is his name.' Accordingly, when a star rose in heaven (anateilantos en ouranói asteros) at the time of his birth, as is recorded in the memoirs of his apostles, the Magi from Arabia -- recognising the sign by this -- came and worshipped Him".
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Narkissos
And a remarkable echo in Luke (which has no Magi/star story) 1:78f:
"By the tender mercy of our God,
the rising (sun? star?) from on high (anatolè ex hupsous) will break upon us,
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace." -
Leolaia
Oh my goodness, Narkissos, that text is even closer to the same passage in the Testament of Levi:
Testament of Levi 18:2-4: "Then the Lord will raise up a new priest to whom all the words of the Lord will be revealed (apokaluphthésontai). He shall effect the judgment of truth over the earth for many days. And his star shall rise (anatelei astron autou) in heaven (en ouranói) like a king, kindling the light of knowledge (phós gnoseós) as day is illuminated (phótizón) by the sun. And he shall be extolled by the whole inhabited world. This one will shine forth like the sun (analampsei hós hélios) in the earth; he shall take away all darkness (pan skotos) from under heaven (ek tés hup' ouranón), and there shall be peace (eirénén) in all the earth".
Luke 1:76-79: "And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people (dounai tó laó autou) the knowledge of salvation (gnósin sótérias) through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising (anatolé) will come to us from on high (ex hupsous) to shine (epiphanai) on those living in darkness (skotei) and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace (eirénés)."
Very interesting!
