According to Christian tradition, Belen star It is the star that guides the Three Wise Men to the birthplace of Jesus Christ. The Gospel of Matthew mentions that the Three Wise Men saw the Star of Bethlehem appear in the West, although it does not say whether it was a planet, a star, or other astronomical phenomenon. According to the writing, the wise man traveled with the star and stopped at the place where Jesus was born. The doctor put him in touch with the Jewish king. If they were Greek or Roman astronomers, they might have connected the star with the North Star, the king planet, and Regulus, the king star. If they are from Babylon, they may associate it with Saturn (Kaiwanu). In any case, it is likely Sirius indicated by the "three kings" in Orion's belt.
In this article we are going to tell you what are the characteristics of the star of Bethlehem and some of its history.
Mystery of the star of Bethlehem
The Star of Bethlehem is one of the greatest mysteries related to the birth of Christ. Is it an invention of Saint Matthew, a supernatural fact or an astronomical vision? To decipher it, you have to know when Jesus was born and who the wise men from the East are.
Regarding the childhood of Jesus, We only learn from the Gospel of Saint Matthew and Saint Luke, and even the two are different. In this sense, Matthew has a broader scope. Indeed, the fact that he somehow doesn't know what the Star of Bethlehem is is obviously related to the date of Christ's birth, but this is a big unresolved question: when was Jesus born? To be correct, he wasn't born 2021 years ago. Our date is incorrect and doesn't match Jesus's birth. Yes, the worst part is that no scholar dares to give a concrete date, and nothing can be done at the moment. You should also learn more about the polar Star to understand the astronomical context of the time.
History of the star of Bethlehem
When Emperor Caesar Augustus ordered the census, the Gospels describe the birth of Jesus, which occurred between 8 and 6 BC. C. «All will be registered in their city of origin. Joseph of the David family left Nazareth, the city of Galilee, and went to Bethlehem, Judea, the city of David, to register with his pregnant wife Mary. It also matches the last years of King Herod, who died in 4 BC. C. The day of the lunar eclipse. Two partial lunar eclipses were recorded on March 13 and September 5
Herod told the doctor, “Go to Bethlehem and examine the child carefully. When you find him, tell me, I too want to go and worship him.” But the wise men did not return, knowing Herod’s intentions, and they returned by another route. “The wise men mocked Herod, and he was very angry. He ordered the people to kill all the boys under two years old in the four kingdoms.”
At that time, Jesus would be 2 years old. Knowing the date of Herod's death and the date he killed the children under the age of two shortly before his death, Jesus' date of birth is 7 or 6 BC In 2008, a team of archaeologists from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem found hundreds of bodies of children from the 0st century AD, aged 2-XNUMX years, during the excavation process, which coincided with Herod's Massacre.
Wise Men
No matter what the star of Bethlehem was, It must have been a glorious event that aroused the interest of the Magi, but it is not the case of other citizens. Saint Matthew was the only one who mentioned the Magi, and he did not give him the title of king, nor his specific name, nor his number. The title of king was granted to them in the third century. In the fourth century, the theologians Origen and Tertullian spoke of the three wise men, and in the eighth century Melchior, Gaspar and Baltasar were named. Magicians are wise men and scientists who know about the sky and possible future celestial events.
They explained the symbol system that represents the approach of a planet to another planet or entering and leaving the constellation of stars. They are also astrologers. The Magi were the representative of the three known continents at that time; Asia, Africa and Europe. They are representatives of the entire known world.
What could the star be?
A planetary conjunction occurred in 7 BC. C., which is not common. The planet Jupiter passed almost directly in front of Saturn three times in a short period of time. This occurred in the constellation of Pisces. The magician explained this event as follows: a great king (Jupiter) of justice (Saturn) was born among the Jews (Pisces). The symbol of the fish is related to the ancient symbol of Christianity, and some scholars point out that it derives from the position of Jupiter and Saturn in the constellation, and is even related to the birth of the fisherman, Jesus.
According to the Prophet, the arrival of the Messiah was expected, and these signs indicate that it is happening, at least for the Magi from the East. Jupiter is the main god and Saturn is his father. What major event may require the birth of the Messiah? And there was not only a conjunction of planets but three times. Kings, gods and fishermen, a symbology consistent with the appearance of a great figure, at least for those who were waiting for the Messiah.
It may be a powerful supernova, a star tens of times bigger than the sun that exploded, but there is no record of it and it has not been left in the sky. Something wonderful happened on March 31 of the year 5 BC. C. A new star lights up the sky. Novae are stars that get very bright, not as bright as supernovae, but they are impressive. The new star shone for 70 days and the wizards followed it east. When they reached Jerusalem and Herod saw them, the star was shining to the south, shortly before dawn, over Bethlehem.