STAR OF BETHLEHEM Was the Star of Bethlehem a comet, an alignment between the Sun, the Earth, Jupiter and Saturn, a double eclipse of Jupiter by the moon, supernova or combination of all these events? --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8BC CENSUS ANNOUNCED 7BC THE STAR APPEARS 6BC CENSUS COMPLETE 5BC JESUS IS BORN? 4BC HEROD DIES 3BC --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus orders census to calculate taxes. Census and tax collection take up to two years to complete People return to their place of birth for census Joseph and Mary travel to Bethlehem Magi travel from Babylon to Jerusalem (up to 50 days by camel) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The exact year of Jesus’ birth is uncertain, but Gospel of Matthew states the birth occurred in the days of Herod the Great. 19th-century historian Emil Schurer’s history of the Jews in the time of Christ establishes that Herod died in 4BC, placing Christ’s birth between the census announcement and death of Herod --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7BC – Triple conjunction: In 1603 Johannes Kepler observes a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in which planets “line up” due to their orbits around the Sun. He calculates that a similar set of circumstances occurred in 7BC, with a triple conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in Constellation of Pisces in May, October and December Triple conjunction: Sun, Earth, Jupiter and Saturn in line three times in 7BC Jupiter represents King of the Gods, Saturn represents justice and Palestine, while Pisces is associated with Judea Sun Earth Jupiter Saturn Libra Virgo Leo Cancer Gemini Aries PISCES Aquarius Capricorn Scorpio Sagittarius --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Star in the East According to Matthew, the star appeared twice before it “stood over where the young child was.” The first appearance, most likely the triple conjunction in 7BC, is interpreted by the Magi – Babylonian astrologists – to signify that a Messiah-King will be born in the Israelite kingdom of Judea Babylon: Leading centre in astronomy, astrology and mathematics – well aware of Jewish legend that a star will herald the Messiah Mari Fertile Crescent trade route Tadmor Damascus Jerusalem Ugarit Haleh Haran Amida Van Tabriz Asshur Nineveh Dumah Mediterranean Sea 200 km 125 miles Tyre Tiberias River Jordan Masada Jerusalem Bethlehem KINGDOM OF HEROD THE GREAT 40km 25 miles --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6BC – Second appearance Using computer modelling, Rutgers University astronomer Michael Molnar matches Matthew’s story to two lunar occultations (eclipses) of Jupiter in the east in 6BC ARIES PISCES Pleiades Mercury Mars Sun Jupiter Moon Saturn Venus --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The first eclipse of Jupiter in Aries, a constellation also associated with Judea, is on March 20. Second, on April 17, coincides with Jupiter “in the east” and the five visible planets in alignment --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rare event over Jerusalem Mike Dworetsky and Steve Fossey of the University of London Observatory calculate that the chance of double eclipses of Jupiter, one month apart, with Mars in Aries would occur about once every 6,000 years Mercury Mars Jupiter Saturn Venus --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Expectations of a third sign Could the Star have been a bright comet? Possibly, but Magi would view a comet as an omen of evil – floods, famine and death – not the birth of a King --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5BC – The final sign While translating ancient Chinese astronomical records, 18th-century Jesuit scholar Jean-François Foucquet finds reference to a k’o-hsing or “visiting star” in the eastern sky during March-April 5BC. Chinese astronomers use the term k’o-hsing to describe novae or supernovae, including the stellar explosions of 1006AD, 1054 (Crab Nebula, above), 1572 and 1604 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sources: Kepler and the Star of Bethlehem by W. Burke-Gaffney, The Star of Bethlehem: The Legacy of the Magi by Michael R. Molnar, Lunar Occultations of Jupiter and Saturn by M.M. Dworetsky and S.J. Fossey Pictures: Eclipse.net, NASA, ESA, J. Hester (Arizona State University) words 613