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?

STAR OF BETHLEHEM

NATIVITY YEARS

CENSUS

ORDERED

THE STAR

APPEARS

CENSUS

COMPLETE

JESUS

IS BORN?

HEROD DIES

Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus orders census to calculate taxes. Census and tax collection take up to two years to complete

The exact year of Jesus' birth is uncertain, but Gospel of Matthew states the birth occurred in the days of Herod the Great

People return to their place
of birth for census

Joseph and Mary travel to Bethlehem. Magi travel from Babylon to Jerusalem

19th-century scholar 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 the Constellation of Pisces in May, October and December

Cancer

Leo

Triple conjunction: Sun, Earth, Jupiter and Saturn in line three times in 7BC

Virgo

Gemini

Libra

Sun

Earth

Aries

Jupiter represents King of the Gods, Saturn represents justice and Palestine, while Pisces is associated with Judaism

Saturn

Jupiter

Pisces

Scorpio

Capricorn

Aquarius

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

200km

Ugarit

Van

Amida

Haleh

Haran

Babylon: Leading centre in astronomy, astrology and mathematics — well aware of Jewish legend that a star will herald the Messiah

Nineveh

Tadmor

Asshur

Mari

Mediterranean

Sea

Fertile

Crescent

trade route

Damascus

Jerusalem

Dumah

40km

Tiberias

Tyre

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

River

Jordan

Jerusalem

Bethlehem

KINGDOM

OF HEROD

THE GREAT

Masada

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

PISCES

ARIES

Venus

Saturn

Moon

Pleiades

Jupiter

Sun

Mercury

Mars

EAST

Mercury

Mars

Jupiter

Saturn

Venus

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

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)

© GRAPHIC NEWS

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?

STAR OF BETHLEHEM

THE STAR

APPEARS

CENSUS

ORDERED

CENSUS

COMPLETE

JESUS

IS BORN?

HEROD

DIES

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

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 scholar 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 the Constellation of Pisces in May, October and December

Cancer

Leo

Triple conjunction: Sun, Earth, Jupiter and Saturn in line three times in 7BC

Virgo

Gemini

Libra

Sun

Earth

Aries

Saturn

Pisces

Jupiter

Scorpio

Capricorn

Aquarius

Jupiter represents King of the Gods, Saturn represents justice and Palestine, while Pisces is associated with Judaism

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

200km

Tabriz

Van

Ugarit

Amida

Haleh

Haran

Nineveh

Babylon: Leading centre in astronomy, astrology and mathematics

Tadmor

Mari

Mediterranean

Sea

Fertile

Crescent

trade route

Damascus

Jerusalem

40km

Tiberias

Tyre

River

Jordan

Jerusalem

Bethlehem

KINGDOM

OF HEROD

THE GREAT

Masada

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

PISCES

ARIES

Venus

Saturn

Moon

Pleiades

Jupiter

Sun

Mercury

Mars

EAST

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

Mercury

Jupiter

Mars

Saturn

Venus

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

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)

© GRAPHIC NEWS

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?

STAR OF BETHLEHEM

CENSUS

COMPLETE

CENSUS

ORDERED

THE STAR

APPEARS

JESUS

IS BORN?

HEROD

DIES

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

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 scholar 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 the Constellation of Pisces in May, October and December

Triple conjunction: Sun, Earth, Jupiter and Saturn in line three times in 7BC

Cancer

Leo

Virgo

Gemini

Libra

Sun

Earth

Aries

Saturn

Pisces

Jupiter

Scorpio

Capricorn

Aquarius

Jupiter represents King of the Gods, Saturn represents justice and Palestine, while Pisces is associated with Judaism

Star in the East — According to Matthew, the star appeared twice before it “stood over where the young child was”

300km

Amida

Ugarit

Van

Nineveh

Mari

Med.

Sea

Tadmor

Damascus

Babylon

Jerusalem

40km

Tiberias

Tyre

River

Jordan

Jerusalem

Bethlehem

KINGDOM

OF HEROD

THE GREAT

Masada

The first appearance of the star, 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

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

PISCES

ARIES

Venus

Moon

Saturn

Pleiades

Jupiter

Sun

Mercury

Mars

EAST

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

Mercury

Mars

Jupiter

Saturn

Venus

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

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)

© GRAPHIC NEWS