The Star of Bethlehem, or Christmas Star, appears only in the nativity story of the Gospel of Matthew where "wise men from the East" (Magi) are inspired by the star to travel to Jerusalem. There, they meet King Herod of Judea, and ask him: Herod calls his scribes and priests who quote to him that a verse from the Book of Micah interpreted as a prophecy, states that the Jewish Messiah would be born in Bethlehem to the south of Jerusalem. Secretly intending to find and kill the Messiah in order to preserve his own kingship, Herod invites the wise men to return to him on their way home.
Introduction
Star of Bethlehem
Star of Bethlehem | Introduction
According to the Gospel of Matthew, the star was born to lead the Magi to the birth place of Jesus. Sorry. I cannot find the answer based on the context. Sorry. I cannot find the answer based on the context. Sorry. I cannot find the answer based on the context.
who told the magi to follow the star
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Matthew's account suggests that the Magi knew from the star that the "king of the Jews" had been born before they arrived in Jerusalem
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who is this magi?
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The Magi (often translated as "wise men"), but is more accurately astrologers.
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who is this star?
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Other writers highly suggest that the star was a comet. Halley's Comet was visible in 12 BC and another object, possibly a comet or nova, was seen by Chinese and Korean stargazers in about 5 BC
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what is this aforesaid comet?
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Halley's Comet or Comet Halley, officially designated 1P/Halley, is a short-period comet visible from Earth every 75–76 years.
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why did this aforesaid star was born?
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The narrative implies that Jesus was born sometime between the first appearance of the star and the appearance of the Magi at Herod's court. That the king is said to have ordered the execution of boys two years of age and younger implies that the Star of Bethlehem appeared within the preceding two years. Some scholars date the birth of Jesus as 6–4 BC, while others suggest Jesus' birth was in 3/2 BC. The Gospel of Luke says the census from Caesar Augustus took place when Quirinius was governor of Syria. Tipler suggests this took place in AD 6, nine years after the death of Herod, and that the family of Jesus left Bethlehem shortly after the birth.
Star of Bethlehem | Relating the star historically to Jesus' birth
According to Molnar, to knowledgeable astrologers of this time, this highly unusual combination of events would have indicated that a regal personage would be (or had been) born in Judea. Other research points to a 1991 report from the Royal Astronomical Society, which mentions that Chinese astronomers noted a "comet" that lasted 70 days in the Capricorn region of the sky, in March of 5 BC. Authors Dugard and O'Reilly consider this event as the likely Star of Bethlehem. However, there are many possible phenomena and none seems to match the Gospel account exactly.
Chronology of Jesus | Other approaches
Matthew's description of the miracles and portents attending the birth of Jesus can be compared to stories concerning the birth of Augustus (63 BC). Linking a birth to the first appearance of a star was consistent with a popular belief that each person's life was linked to a particular star. Magi and astronomical events were linked in the public mind by the visit to Rome of a delegation of magi at the time of a spectacular appearance of Halley's Comet in AD 66, about the time the Gospel of Matthew was being composed. This delegation was led by King Tiridates of Armenia, who came seeking confirmation of his title from Emperor Nero.
Star of Bethlehem | Pious fiction
According to Brown many at the time would have thought it unthinkable that a messiah would have been born without such stellar portents.
Matthew 2:2 | Star of Bethlehem
They answer Bethlehem, birthplace of King David, and quote the prophet Micah. The king passes this information along to the Magi. Matthew's account suggests that the Magi knew from the star that the "king of the Jews" had been born before they arrived in Jerusalem. They present Jesus with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, and as verse 11 describes: "they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him". In a dream, they are warned not to return to Jerusalem, so they leave for their own country by another route.
Star of Bethlehem | Matthew's narrative
If the story of the Star of Bethlehem described an actual event, it might identify the year Jesus was born. The Gospel of Matthew describes the birth of Jesus as taking place when Herod was king. According to Josephus, Herod died after a lunar eclipse and before a Passover Feast. The eclipse is usually identified as the eclipse of March 13, 4 BC. Other scholars suggested dates in 5 BC, because it allows seven months for the events Josephus documented between the lunar eclipse and the Passover rather than the 29 days allowed by lunar eclipse in 4 BC. Others suggest it was an eclipse in 1 BC.
Star of Bethlehem | Relating the star historically to Jesus' birth
Other writers highly suggest that the star was a comet. Halley's Comet was visible in 12 BC and another object, possibly a comet or nova, was seen by Chinese and Korean stargazers in about 5 BC. This object was observed for over seventy days, possibly with no movement recorded. Ancient writers described comets as "hanging over" specific cities, just as the Star of Bethlehem was said to have "stood over" the "place" where Jesus was (the town of Bethlehem). However, this is generally thought unlikely as in ancient times comets were generally seen as bad omens. The comet explanation has been recently promoted by Colin Nicholl.
Star of Bethlehem | Comet
His theory involves a hypothetical comet which could have appeared in 6 BC.
Star of Bethlehem | Comet
In the Gospel of Matthew account, the Magi (often translated as "wise men", but more accurately astrologers) arrive at the court of Herod in Jerusalem and tell the king of a star which signifies the birth of the King of the Jews: Herod is "troubled", not because of the appearance of the star, but because the Magi have told him that a "king of the Jews" had been born, which he understands to refer to the Messiah, a leader of the Jewish people whose coming was believed to be foretold in scripture. So he asks his advisors where the Messiah would be born.
Star of Bethlehem | Matthew's narrative
The gospels of Luke and Matthew describe Jesus as being born in Bethlehem to the Virgin Mary. In Luke, Joseph and Mary travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem for the census, and Jesus is born there and laid in a manger. Angels proclaimed him a savior for all people, and shepherds came to adore him. Matthew adds that the magi follow a star to Bethlehem to bring gifts to Jesus, born the king of the Jews. King Herod orders the massacre of all the boys less than two years old in Bethlehem, but the family flees to Egypt and later returns to Nazareth.
Christmas | Nativity
Also, he notes that stars in the sky move from east to west, but that the magi would have traveled from north to south to arrive in Palestine from Persia. Instead, Chrysostom suggested that the Star was a more miraculous occurrence, comparable to the pillar of cloud that led the Israelites out of Egypt through the wilderness. At the time the notion of new stars as beacons of major events were common, being reported for such figures as Alexander the Great, Mithridates VI of Pontus, Abraham, and Augustus. Pliny even takes time to rebut a theory that every person has a star that rises when they are born and fades when they die, evidence that this was believed by some.
Matthew 2:2 | Star of Bethlehem
Members of Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the "star" was a vision or sign created by Satan, rather than a sign from God. This is because it led the pagan astrologers first to Jerusalem where King Herod consequently found out about the birth of the "king of the Jews", with the result that he attempted to have Jesus killed.
Star of Bethlehem | Jehovah's Witnesses
Using astronomy software to return to the skies over Judea by using Johannes Kepler's math to calculate positions of celestial objects, Larson thinks he found all nine elements found in the book of "Matthew". He also believes that the Star of Bethlehem, is Jupiter, a wandering star, and it stopped over Bethlehem during its retrograde motion on December 25, 2 BC.> Larson believes King Herod the Great died in 1 BC, although almost all other experts, including astronomer David Hughes and astronomer Michael Molnar, believe Herod died in 4 BC. (In Molnar's book, "The Star of Bethlehem: The Legacy of the Magi", he documents Jesus' birth as Saturday [Sabbath] April 17, 6 BC due to a triple conjunction in Aries.)
The Star of Bethlehem (2007 film) | Background
The Star of Bethlehem, or Christmas Star, appears only in the nativity story of the Gospel of Matthew where "wise men from the East" (Magi) are inspired by the star to travel to Jerusalem. There, they meet King Herod of Judea, and ask him: Herod calls his scribes and priests who quote to him that a verse from the Book of Micah interpreted as a prophecy, states that the Jewish Messiah would be born in Bethlehem to the south of Jerusalem. Secretly intending to find and kill the Messiah in order to preserve his own kingship, Herod invites the wise men to return to him on their way home.
Star of Bethlehem | Introduction
Jack Finegan noted some early writers' reckoning of the regnal years of Augustus are the equivalent to 3/2 BC, or 2 BC or later for the birth of Jesus, including Irenaeus (3/2 BC), Clement of Alexandria (3/2 BC), Tertullian (3/2 BC), Julius Africanus (3/2 BC), Hippolytus of Rome (3/2 BC), Hippolytus of Thebes (3/2 BC), Origen (3/2 BC), Eusebius of Caesarea (3/2 BC), Epiphanius of Salamis (3/2 BC), Cassiodorus Senator (3 BC), Paulus Orosius (2 BC), Dionysus Exiguus (1 BC), and Chronographer of the Year 354 (AD 1). Finegan places the death of Herod in 1 BC, and says if Jesus was born two years or less before Herod the Great died, the birth of Jesus would have been in 3 or 2 BC.
Star of Bethlehem | Relating the star historically to Jesus' birth
Johann Georg Palitzsch (11 June 1723 – 21 February 1788) was a German astronomer who became famous for recovering Comet 1P/Halley (better known as Halley's Comet) on Christmas Day, 1758. The periodic nature of this comet had been deduced by its namesake Edmond Halley in 1705, but Halley had died before seeing if his prediction would come true. Raised to become a successful farmer under a strict stepfather, Palitzsch secretly studied as much astronomy as he could from the books he could afford. He learned contemporary astronomy from the book “Vorhof der Sternwissenschaft” (“The Forecourt of Astronomy”) by Christian Pescheck.
Johann Georg Palitzsch | Introduction
The Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke represent Jesus as having been born in Bethlehem. Modern scholars, however, regard the two accounts as contradictory and the Gospel of Mark, the earliest gospel, mentions nothing about Jesus having been born in Bethlehem, saying only that he came from Nazareth. Nonetheless, the tradition that Jesus was born in Bethlehem was prominent in the early church. In around 155, the apologist Justin Martyr recommended that those who doubted Jesus was really born in Bethlehem could go there and visit the very cave where he was supposed to have been born. The same cave is also referenced by the apocryphal Gospel of James and the fourth-century church historian Eusebius.
Bethlehem | Classical period
The Gospel of Mark and the Gospel of John do not include a nativity narrative, but refer to him only as being from Nazareth. In a 2005 article in "Archaeology" magazine, archaeologist Aviram Oshri points to an absence of evidence for the settlement of Bethlehem near Jerusalem at the time when Jesus was born, and postulates that Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Galilee. In a 2011 article in "Biblical Archaeology Review" magazine, Jerome Murphy-O'Connor argues for the traditional position that Jesus was born in Bethlehem near Jerusalem.
Bethlehem | Birthplace of Jesus
Credits adapted from the liner notes of "A Star Is Born".
Why Did You Do That? | Credits and personnel
The star did not indicate a specific house, but after a careful search, the Magi discovered the child who was about one year old. This conception of the star has been referred to as “a serious study of what could have been a messianic Jewish perspective concerning the heavens two millennia ago.”
Star of Bethlehem | Royal celestial signs centered on the cycle of MUL.BABBAR/Jupiter
The traditional Christmas narrative, the Nativity of Jesus, delineated in the New Testament says that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, in accordance with messianic prophecies. When Joseph and Mary arrived in the city, the inn had no room and so they were offered a stable where the Christ Child was soon born, with angels proclaiming this news to shepherds who then further disseminated the information. Although the month and date of Jesus' birth are unknown, the church in the early fourth century fixed the date as December 25. This corresponds to the date of the winter solstice on the Roman calendar.
Christmas | Introduction
Finegan also notes the Alogi reckoned Christ's birth with the equivalent of 4 BC or AD 9.
Star of Bethlehem | Relating the star historically to Jesus' birth
It has been speculated that this star is part of the second generation, born out of the gas clouds which were imbued with elements such as carbon by the primordial Population III stars.
HE 1327-2326 | Introduction
On July 14 the Christians gained a small advantage, and on the twenty-first and twenty-second the Turks were put to flight. In the same year Halley's comet appeared. In Italy it was first seen in June. Towards the end of the month it was still visible for three hours after sunset, causing great excitement everywhere by its extraordinary splendour. It naturally attracted the attention of astrologers as may appear from the long "judicium astrologicum" by Avogario, of Ferrara, dated June 17, 1467; it was found again by Celoria among the manuscripts of Paolo Toscanelli, who had copied it himself. The comet was seen till July 8.
Bartolomeo Platina | Halley's comet
Christian Gärtner (6 May 1705 – 31 December 1782) was a German telescope maker and astronomer, noted for his observation of the 1758 return of Halley's Comet. Gärtner was born at Tolkewitz near Dresden and even as a child had a passion for the stars. He earned his living as a cloth-bleacher and spent his income on astronomical equipment and books. Later, he learned to grind his own lenses and manufactured and sold telescopes. In December 1758 (simultaneously with Johann Georg Palitzsch) Gärtner observed the return of Halley's Comet, predicted by Edmond Halley in 1705.
Christian Gärtner | Introduction
Jesus being born in Bethlehem is important to both Matthew and Luke, but it links especially closely to the genealogy in Matthew 1. The genealogy focuses on how Jesus was the heir to King David. David was born in Bethlehem and Jesus being born here cemented his role as the Davidic heir. Having him born in Bethlehem was also important as it is believed critics attacked Jesus' origin in the minor and peripheral town of Nazareth.
Matthew 2:1 | Birth of Jesus
The comet may be an echo of the Star of Bethlehem from the biblical nativity story, but could also be a reference to the science of astronomy and the place of humans in the universe.
Pegwell Bay, Kent – a Recollection of October 5th 1858 | Painting
Suslyga's work was used by Kepler to bolster the astronomer's theory that the Star of Bethlehem was perhaps a new star which may have appeared during or following the great conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in 7 BC (later joined by Mars in 6 BC). In AD 1604, Kepler had witnessed the appearance of a nova in the region between the two planets during a similar Jupiter / Saturn great conjunction. He suggested that perhaps a new star, a miraculous "stella nova," had possibly been associated with the conjunctions in 7/6 BC, as had happened in AD 1604. According to the biblical account, the wise men indicated that Christ's birth happened within a year or two of the appearance of the star.
Laurentius Suslyga | Introduction
If Eilmer had seen Halley's Comet 76 years earlier in 989, he could have been born about 984, making him about five or six years old when he first saw the comet, and therefore old enough to remember it. However the periodicity of comets was probably unknown in Eilmer's time, and so his remark "It is long since I saw you" could have referred to a different, later comet. Since it is known that Eilmer was an "old man" in 1066, and that he had made the flight attempt "in his youth", the event is placed some time during the early 11th century, perhaps in its first decade.
Eilmer of Malmesbury | Life
The 1145 apparition was recorded by the monk Eadwine. The 1986 apparition exhibited a fan tail similar to Eadwine's drawing. Some claim that Genghis Khan was inspired to turn his conquests toward Europe by the 1222 apparition. The 1301 apparition may have been seen by the artist Giotto di Bondone, who represented the Star of Bethlehem as a fire-colored comet in the Nativity section of his Arena Chapel cycle, completed in 1305. Its 1378 appearance is recorded in the "Annales Mediolanenses" as well as in East Asian sources.
Halley's Comet | 1145–1378
Hill comments that the undeniably miraculous behaviour of the star in this verse defies all the various attempts to rationalize the star it as a natural nova or conjunction. This might be a reference to the pillar of cloud that guide the Israelites through the wilderness. Fortnas notes that the astronomical theory of the time thought of the stars a points of light moving along a fixed heavenly dome. This made it far easier to imagine a star stopping its motion. It is unclear exactly how long after Jesus' birth the magi arrived. Traditionally they were seen to arrive at most a few days after the birth of Jesus as the Gospel of Luke has Jesus leaving for Jerusalem by the time he was forty days old from whence he went to Nazareth.
Matthew 2:9 | Analysis
In November 1703, Halley was appointed Savilian Professor of Geometry at the University of Oxford, his theological enemies, John Tillotson and Bishop Stillingfleet having died, and received an honorary degree of doctor of laws in 1710. In 1705, applying historical astronomy methods, he published "", which stated his belief that the comet sightings of 1456, 1531, 1607, and 1682 were of the same comet, which he predicted would return in 1758. Halley did not live to witness the comet's return, but when it did, the comet became generally known as Halley's Comet. By 1706 Halley had learned Arabic and completed the translation started by Edward Bernard of Books V-VII of Apollonius's "Conics" from copies found at Leiden and the Bodleian Library at Oxford.
Edmond Halley | Life as an academic
Early Christian traditions describe Jesus as being born in Bethlehem: in one account, a verse in the Book of Micah is interpreted as a prophecy that the Messiah would be born there. The second century Christian apologist Justin Martyr stated in his "Dialogue with Trypho" (written c. 155–161) that the Holy Family had taken refuge in a cave outside of the town and then placed Jesus in a manger. Origen of Alexandria, writing around the year 247, referred to a cave in the town of Bethlehem which local people believed was the birthplace of Jesus. This cave was possibly one which had previously been a site of the cult of Tammuz.
Bethlehem | Birthplace of Jesus
While there, he speculates that Jesus may have been born in a cave rather than an inn, the more traditional image. Joe Zias, an archaeologist from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem confirms this, saying that the Greek word "katalyma" is usually translated into English as "upper room" rather than "inn". "The Real Man" also looks at the story of the Star of Bethlehem, which Bowen states would have been an "astrological" rather than "astronomical" phenomenon. According to astronomer Michael Molner, astrologers from around the time of Herod the Great would have believed that the constellation Aries symbolised his kingdom and the lands that he controlled – during 6 BC, the year that some scholars theorise that Jesus was born, a rare planetary alignment meant that Jupiter, Saturn, the Sun and the Moon would have all appeared in this constellation.
Son of God (TV series) | "The Real Man"
In the days when Herod was king of Judea, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth in Galilee to announce to a virgin named Mary, who was betrothed to a man named Joseph, that a child would be born to her and she was to name him Jesus, for he would be the son of God and rule over Israel forever. When the time of the birth drew near, Caesar Augustus commanded a census of Roman domains, and Joseph took Mary to Bethlehem, the ancient city of David, as he was of the House of David. So it came to pass that Jesus was born in Bethlehem; and since there was nowhere for them to stay in the town, the infant was laid in a manger while angels announced his birth to a group of shepherds who worshipped him as Messiah and Lord.
Nativity of Jesus | Gospel of Luke
In the King James Version this chapter reads: Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
Matthew 2 | Full text
The Magi were not present with the shepherds at the time of Jesus's birth. They arrived in Judea about a year and a half after the first celestial signs. After an initial series of celestial signs involving the star, the wise men journeyed from the East to Judea and Bethlehem in the daytime. However, after their arrival in Bethlehem, the wise men made a new, unexpected association with the star. The star “preceded” the men from the East in a manner similar to how Jesus preceded his disciples to Galilee after his resurrection, not visually, but chronologically (Matthew 26:32, 28:7).
Star of Bethlehem | Royal celestial signs centered on the cycle of MUL.BABBAR/Jupiter
The ancients believed that astronomical phenomena were connected to terrestrial events - As Above, So Below. Miracles were routinely associated with the birth of important people, including the Hebrew patriarchs, as well as Greek and Roman heroes. The Star of Bethlehem is traditionally linked to the Star Prophecy in the Book of Numbers: "I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; A Star shall come out of Jacob; A Scepter shall rise out of Israel, And batter the brow of Moab, And destroy all the sons of tumult." Although possibly intended to refer to a time that was long past, since the kingdom of Moab had long ceased to exist by the time the Gospels were being written, this passage had become widely seen as a reference to the coming of a Messiah.
Star of Bethlehem | Fulfillment of prophecy
Chapter 1 of Matthew's Gospel recounts Jesus's birth and naming and the beginning of chapter 2 states that Jesus was born in Bethlehem during the time of Herod the Great. Magi from the east came to Herod and asked him where they would find the King of the Jews, because they had seen his star. Advised by the chief priests and teachers, Herod sent the Magi to Bethlehem, where they worshiped the child and gave him gifts. When they had departed, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and warned him to take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt, for Herod intended to kill him.
Nativity of Jesus | Gospel of Matthew
The program is likely lost, as most "local" shows of the 1950s are lost.
Stars Are Born | Introduction
The Star of Bethlehem is a Christian tradition regarding the birth of Jesus. Star of Bethlehem may also refer to:
Star of Bethlehem (disambiguation) | Introduction
As their benefactor, Count Zinzendorf, observed the farm animals that shared the space and listened to them sing the hymn, "Not Jerusalem, But Lowly Bethlehem", he proclaimed the name of the settlement to be Bethlehem. The people gathered at the 1937 ceremony heard the same words when the Bach Choir sang the old German hymn, "Jesu, Rufe Mich (Jesus, Call Thou Me)", by Adam Drese. The "Bethlehem Globe-Times" paid for the large wooden star erected on the top of South Mountain, at a cost of $460. The original star was created with four wooden planks, overlapped to create an eight-point star, 60 feet high by 51 feet wide, mounted on two wooden poles, and lit by 150 50-watt light bulbs.
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania | Christmas star
Go to Archive.org to read the book online.
Star Born | External links
Possibly also its radiance passes, but not its body." Again, Samuel says: "But for the warmth of Orion, the earth could not exist, because of the frigidity of Scorpio; furthermore, Orion lies near Taurus, with which the warm season begins. The comet, because of its tail, is called "kokba de-shabbiṭ". (rodstar). Rabbi Joshua ben Hananiah (about 100), declared that a star appears once every seventy years and leads mariners astray, hence they should at such time lay in a larger store of provisions. Rapoport endeavors to prove that the path of Halley's comet had been computed by a wise rabbi.
Hebrew astronomy | Fixed stars and comets
Jessamine Shumate was born to a tradesman and general store owner in Horsepasture, Virginia, Nathan Mortimer White and Ada Bassett White, who was an elementary school truant officer. Her father was quite the country scientist and shade tree inventor, and she said of him in her autobiography, "Another memory is going with my father to the barn each night to feed the animals there. In 1910, when Halley's Comet was seen, we watched for it and he told me all about it as we walked to the barn. He was very interested in scientific happenings and nature, and I was fascinated by the sight! What a thrill to know I had lived long enough to see Halley's Comet again in 1986.
Jessamine Shumate | Life
The star referenced in this verse has come to be known as the Star of Bethlehem. Since at least Kepler there has been much work to try and link it to an astronomical event with the most common cited being a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in 7 BC. Since 1964 the astronomer Konradin Ferrari d'Occhieppo argued in several publications for this very seldom conjunction as having taken place in the year 7 BC. The phrase "seen his star in the east" is much disputed. Many scholars feel it should actually just read "seen his star rising". The Greek word in question is "anatole", but its exact translation is unclear.
Matthew 2:2 | Star of Bethlehem
He call togeda all de leada dem ob de Jew priest dem an de Jew Law teacha dem. E aks um say. "Weh de Messiah gwine be bon at?" Dey tell King Herod say, "E gwine be bon een Betlem town een Judea. Cause de prophet write say [...]" Therefore when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of king Herod, lo! astronomers, came from the east to Jerusalem, and said, Where is he, that is born [the] king of Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and we have come to worship him.
Gullah language | The Bible in Gullah
In 1066, the comet was seen in England and thought to be an omen: later that year Harold II of England died at the Battle of Hastings; it was a bad omen for Harold, but a good omen for the man who defeated him, William the Conqueror. The comet is represented on the Bayeux Tapestry and described in the tituli as a star. Surviving accounts from the period describe it as appearing to be four times the size of Venus and shining with a light equal to a quarter of that of the Moon. Halley came within 0.10 AU of Earth at that time.
Halley's Comet | 1066
This appearance of the comet is also noted in the "Anglo-Saxon Chronicle". Eilmer of Malmesbury may have seen Halley previously in 989, as he wrote of it in 1066: "You've come, have you? ... You've come, you source of tears to many mothers, you evil. I hate you! It is long since I saw you; but as I see you now you are much more terrible, for I see you brandishing the downfall of my country. I hate you!" The Irish "Annals of the Four Masters" recorded the comet as "A star [that] appeared on the seventh of the Calends of May, on Tuesday after Little Easter, than whose light the brilliance or light of The Moon was not greater; and it was visible to all in this manner till the end of four nights afterwards." Chaco Native Americans in New Mexico may have recorded the 1066 apparition in their petroglyphs.
Halley's Comet | 1066
Many scholars who see the gospel nativity stories as later apologetic accounts created to establish the messianic status of Jesus regard the Star of Bethlehem as a pious fiction. Aspects of Matthew's account which have raised questions of the historical event include: Matthew is the only one of the four gospels which mentions either the Star of Bethlehem or the Magi. Scholars suggest that Jesus was born in Nazareth and that the Bethlehem nativity narratives reflect a desire by the Gospel writers to present his birth as the fulfillment of prophecy. The Matthew account conflicts with that given in the Gospel of Luke, in which the family of Jesus already lives in Nazareth, travel to Bethlehem for the census, and return home almost immediately.
Star of Bethlehem | Pious fiction
Attorney Frederick Larson examined the biblical account in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 2 and found the following nine qualities of Bethlehem's Star: It signified birth, it signified kingship, it was related to the Jewish nation, and it rose "in the East"; King Herod had not been aware of it; it appeared at an exact time; it endured over time; and, according to Matthew, it was in front of the Magi when they traveled south from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, and then it stopped over Bethlehem. Using astronomy software, and an article written by astronomer Craig Chester based on the work of Ernest Martin, Larson thinks all nine characteristics of the Star of Bethlehem are found in events that took place in the skies of 3-2 BC.
Star of Bethlehem | Regulus, Jupiter, and Venus
Larson thinks astronomical events in 3-2 BC fit the evidence found in the Bible. He also believes King Herod the Great died in 1 BC, although others, including astronomer David Hughes and astronomer Mike Molnar, believe Herod died in 4 BC. Larson examined the biblical account in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 2 and located nine qualities of Bethlehem's Star: It signified birth, it signified kingship, it was related to the Jewish nation, and it rose "in the East"; furthermore, King Herod had not been aware of it; it appeared at an exact time; it endured over time; and, according to the book of Matthew, it was before the Magi as they traveled south from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, then it stopped over Bethlehem.
Frederick Larson (filmmaker) | The Star of Bethlehem
In the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, a silver star with 14 undulating rays marks the location traditionally claimed to be that of Jesus' birth.
Star of Bethlehem | Depiction in art
While not in agreement, Emil Schürer also acknowledged that such a translation can be justified grammatically. According to Josephus, the tax census conducted by the Roman senator Quirinius particularly irritated the Jews, and was one of the causes of the Zealot movement of armed resistance to Rome. From this perspective, Luke may have been trying to differentiate the census at the time of Jesus’ birth from the tax census mentioned in Acts 5:37 that took place under Quirinius at a later time. One ancient writer identified the census at Jesus’ birth, not with taxes, but with a universal pledge of allegiance to the emperor.
Star of Bethlehem | Relating the star historically to Jesus' birth
A star reveals the birth of Jesus to a number (traditionally three) of "magi", Greek "μάγος", commonly translated as "wise man" but in this context probably meaning "astronomer" or "astrologer", who travel to Jerusalem from an unspecified country "in the east".
Miraculous births | Jesus
The following popular characters were born in Halle:
Halle (Westfalen) | Born in Halle
Until the late 19th century, ruins of a church and a synagogue could be seen there, and archaeological findings "from the early Roman Period" show, it was a prosperous city. So the biblical Bethlehem of Zebulon is "identified" by archaeologists with today's Bethlehem of Galilee. Due to its proximity to Nazareth, some historians believe that it is the Bethlehem where Jesus was born. Aviram Oshri, a senior archaeologist with the Israeli Antiquities Authority, supports this claim, although others at this institution reject it.
Bethlehem of Galilee | History
The verse contains the full coverage given in Matthew to the birth of Jesus. Unlike Luke, Matthew pays very little attention to this event, focusing far more on what occurred before and after. This is the first point in the Gospel that Bethlehem is mentioned. That it is specified as being "in Judea" is ascribed by Albright and Mann to the need to distinguish it from another Bethlehem in Zebulun, likely the modern town of Beit Lahna. Other scholars feel it is also to assert that Jesus was born in the heart of Judaism and also a link to the Old Testament figure Judas or Judah.
Matthew 2:1 | Birth of Jesus
Their civilization was quite advanced, and they find remnants of art and other pieces of their culture. A computer record shows that they had one thousand years of peace before their extinction. Father Matthew determines the star went supernova in the year 3120 B.C. To his dismay, Father Matthew realizes that it would have taken 3,120 years for the light from this explosion to reach Earth in the Eastern Hemisphere, causing the starlight that shone down on Earth the day Jesus was born, "The Star of Bethlehem". Father Matthew's faith is deeply shaken, exclaiming that it is unfair that such a star should have exploded near a world that was harboring life.
The Star (The Twilight Zone) | Plot
Molnar's theory was debated by scientists, theologians, and historians during a colloquium on the Star of Bethlehem at the Netherlands’ University of Groningen in October 2014. Harvard astronomer Owen Gingerich supports Molnar's explanation but noted technical questions. "The gospel story is one in which King Herod was taken by surprise," said Gingerich. "So it wasn’t that there was suddenly a brilliant new star sitting there that anybody could have seen [but] something more subtle." Astronomer David A. Weintraub says, "If Matthew’s wise men actually undertook a journey to search for a newborn king, the bright star didn’t guide them; it only told them when to set out." There is an explanation given that the events were quite close to the sun and would not have been visible to the naked eye.
Star of Bethlehem | Double occultation on Saturday (Sabbath) April 17, 6 BC
LDS members believe that the Star of Bethlehem was an actual astronomical event visible the world over. In the Book of Mormon, which they believe contains writings of ancient prophets, Samuel the Lamanite prophesies that a new star will appear as a sign that Jesus has been born, and Nephi later writes about the fulfillment of this prophecy.
Star of Bethlehem | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Halley recognised the importance of the work and returned to Cambridge to arrange its publication with Newton, who instead went on to expand it into his "Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica" published at Halley's expense in 1687. Halley's first calculations with comets were thereby for the orbit of comet Kirch, based on Flamsteed's observations in 1680-1. Although he was to accurately calculate the orbit of the comet of 1682, he was inaccurate in his calculations of the orbit of comet Kirch. They indicated a periodicity of 575 years, thus appearing in the years 531 and 1106, and presumably heralding the death of Julius Caesar in a like fashion in −44 (45 BCE).
Edmond Halley | Publications and inventions
Larson used the Starry Night astronomy software program after he became interested in the Christmas Star because he needed to produce one for the Magi he made as Christmas decorations for his yard, but did not know what to create. Larson became intrigued with the Star after reading astronomer Craig Chester's article, based in part on the work of Ernest Martin about the Bethlehem Star being a possible actual event. Chester, a co-founder of the Monterey Institute for Research in Astronomy, thought the planetary conjunctions of 2 BC were a more plausible explanation for what the Magi would have seen than events found in earlier dates.
Frederick Larson (filmmaker) | The Star of Bethlehem
Attempts at explaining the differences between the genealogies have varied in nature. Much of modern scholarship interprets them as literary inventions. The Luke and Matthew accounts of the birth of Jesus have a number of points in common; both have Jesus being born in Bethlehem, in Judea, to a virgin mother. In the Luke account Joseph and Mary travel from their home in Nazareth for the census to Bethlehem, where Jesus is born and laid in a manger. Angels proclaim him a savior for all people, and shepherds come to adore him; the family then returns to Nazareth. In Matthew, The Magi follow a star to Bethlehem, where the family are living, to bring gifts to Jesus, born the "King of the Jews".
Life of Jesus in the New Testament | Genealogy and Nativity
Early Christian theologian and Greek philosopher Origen of Alexandria (185–c. 254) wrote around AD 248: In Bethlehem the cave is pointed out where He was born, and the manger in the cave where He was wrapped in swaddling clothes. And the rumor is in those places, and among foreigners of the Faith, that indeed Jesus was born in this cave who is worshiped and reverenced by the Christians.
Church of the Nativity | Holy site before Constantine (ca. 4 BC–AD 326)
In the New Testament, the Gospel of Luke says that Jesus' parents traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem, where Jesus was born. The Gospel of Matthew mentions Bethlehem as the place of birth, and adds that King Herod was told that a 'King of the Jews' had been born in the town, prompting Herod to order the killing of all the boys who were two years old or under in the town and surrounding area. Joseph, warned of Herod's impending action by an angel of the Lord, decided to flee to Egypt with his family and then later settled in Nazareth after Herod's death.
Bethlehem | Birthplace of Jesus
It was named after him upon its predicted return in 1758, which he did not live to see. Beginning in 1698, he made sailing expeditions and made observations on the conditions of terrestrial magnetism. In 1718, he discovered the proper motion of the "fixed" stars.
Edmond Halley | Introduction
Images showed Halley's nucleus to be a dark peanut-shaped body, 15 km long, 7 km to 10 km wide. Only 10% of the surface was active, with at least three outgassing jets seen on the sunlit side. Analysis showed the comet formed 4.5 billion years ago from volatiles (mainly ice) that had condensed onto interstellar dust particles. It had remained practically unaltered since its formation. Measured volume of material ejected by Halley: "Giotto" found Halley's nucleus was dark, which suggested a thick covering of dust.
Giotto (spacecraft) | Scientific results
O what wonderfull news! Is shown to us in Bethlehem! Today has been born, the One without a beginning, As the Prophets foretold! That in Bethlehem Mary, Having completed the trip, In a little space, near that town, She bore the Messiah His Son in God's Own Name, The Father has sent into the world! To be born and to grow, To save us all!
O, ce veste minunată! | Literal English
In 1456, the year of Halley's next apparition, the Ottoman Empire invaded the Kingdom of Hungary, culminating in the Siege of Belgrade in July of that year. In a papal bull, Pope Callixtus III ordered special prayers be said for the city's protection. In 1470, the humanist scholar Bartolomeo Platina wrote in his "Lives of the Popes" that, A hairy and fiery star having then made its appearance for several days, the mathematicians declared that there would follow grievous pestilence, dearth and some great calamity. Calixtus, to avert the wrath of God, ordered supplications that if evils were impending for the human race He would turn all upon the Turks, the enemies of the Christian name.
Halley's Comet | 1456
This verse near the end of Micah's on the Babylonian captivity has been interpreted by Christian apologists, and by Pharisees mentioned in the Gospel of John (), as a prophecy that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. The verse describes the clan of Bethlehem, who was the son of Caleb's second wife, Ephrathah. (1 Chr. 2:18, 2:50-52, 4:4) Bethlehem Ephrathah is the town and clan from which king David was born, and this passage refers to the future birth of a new Davidic heir. Although the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke give different accounts of the birth of Jesus, both place the birth in Bethlehem.
Old Testament messianic prophecies quoted in the New Testament | Micah 5:2 (Micah 5:1 in Hebrew)
The Gospel of mentions in passing an upper limit of 50 for Jesus' age when preaching: "The Jews therefore said unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?" Fifty years is a round number which emphasises the discrepancy to Jesus's claim he had existed before Abraham, that is, for more than a thousand years. Some commentators have attempted to establish the date of birth by identifying the Star of Bethlehem with some known astronomical or astrological phenomenon. For example, astronomer Michael Molnar proposed 17 April 6 BC as the likely date of the Nativity, since that date corresponded to the heliacal rising and lunar occultation of Jupiter, while it was momentarily stationary in the constellation of Aries.
Chronology of Jesus | Other approaches
It was, for example, cited by Josephus, who believed it referred to Emperor Vespasian. Origen, one of the most influential early Christian theologians, connected this prophecy with the Star of Bethlehem: Origen suggested that the Magi may have decided to travel to Jerusalem when they "conjectured that the man whose appearance had been foretold along with that of the star, had actually come into the world".
Star of Bethlehem | Fulfillment of prophecy
Credits adapted from the liner notes of "A Star Is Born".
Always Remember Us This Way | Credits and personnel
Bob Lanigan for the Brooklyn Eagle newspaper said the program was "far from dull" and "had plenty of sparkle and imagination".
Stars Are Born | Reception
Denis Leahy and Rachid Ouyed, Canadian scientists from the University of Calgary, have proposed that SN 2006gy was the birth of a quark star.
SN 2006gy | Characteristics
"Why Was I Born?" is a 1929 song composed by Jerome Kern, with lyrics written by Oscar Hammerstein II. It was written for the show "Sweet Adeline" (1929) and introduced by Helen Morgan. Popular recordings in 1930 were by Helen Morgan and by Libby Holman.
Why Was I Born? | Introduction
Halley points to light created before the birth of the Sun, while William Derham "compares them to openings through which shines another immeasurable region and perhaps the fire of heaven." He also observed that the collections of stars were much more distant than stars observed around them. Johannes Hevelius noted that the bright spots were massive and were flattened by a rotating motion; they are in fact galaxies.
Universal Natural History and Theory of the Heavens | Background
as "magician". The Gospel of Matthew states that magi visited the infant Jesus to do him homage shortly after his birth (). The gospel describes how magi from the east were notified of the birth of a king in Judaea by the appearance of his star. Upon their arrival in Jerusalem, they visited King Herod to determine the location of the king of the Jews's birthplace. Herod, disturbed, told them that he had not heard of the child, but informed them of a prophecy that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. He then asked the magi to inform him when they find the infant so that Herod may also worship him.
Magi | In Christian tradition
Highlights include a triple conjunction of Jupiter, called the king planet, with the fixed star Regulus, called the king star, starting in September 3 BC. Larson believes that may be the time of Jesus' conception. By June of 2 BC, nine months later, the human gestation period, Jupiter had continued moving in its orbit around the sun and appeared in close conjunction with Venus in June of 2 BC. In Hebrew Jupiter is called "Sedeq", meaning "righteousness", a term also used for the Messiah, and suggested that because the planet Venus represents love and fertility, so Chester had suggested astrologers would have viewed the close conjunction of Jupiter and Venus as indicating a coming new king of Israel, and Herod would have taken them seriously.
Star of Bethlehem | Regulus, Jupiter, and Venus
aspects about this equation
Born equation | External links
The 1910 appearance of Halley's Comet inspired the young child's life-long interest in astronomy. When Heinlein graduated from Central High School in Kansas City in 1924, he aspired to a career as an officer in the United States Navy. However, he was initially prevented from attending the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis because his older brother Rex was a student there, and regulations discouraged multiple family-members from attending the Academy simultaneously. He instead matriculated at Kansas City Community College and began vigorously petitioning Missouri Senator James A. Reed for an appointment to the Naval Academy. In part due to the influence of the Pendergast machine, the Naval Academy admitted him in June 1925.
Robert A. Heinlein | Birth, childhood, and early education
According to the Gospel of Luke, Caesar Augustus ordered a census be conducted of the ".. entire Roman World", during (or possibly "before") Quirinius's governorship of Syria, and this is the reason that Joseph and Mary, who lived in Nazareth, were in Bethlehem, King David's place of birth, when Jesus was born. Many English translations suggest that the purpose of the census was for everyone to be registered, but the King James Version and others state that everyone was to be taxed. The Expanded Bible suggests that the register was compiled for taxation. The accuracy of this account of the timing of the birth of Jesus has been disputed by many modern scholars.
Luke 2 | Jesus's birth (2:1–7)
In the Orthodox Church, the Star of Bethlehem is interpreted as a miraculous event of symbolic and pedagogical significance, regardless of whether it coincides with a natural phenomenon; a sign sent by God to lead the Magi to the Christ Child. This is illustrated in the Troparion of the Nativity: Your birth, O Christ our God, dawned the light of knowledge upon the earth. For by Your birth those who adored stars were taught by a star to worship You, the Sun of Justice, and to know You, Orient from on High. O Lord, glory to You. In Orthodox Christian iconography, the Star of Bethlehem is often depicted not as golden, but as a dark aureola, a semicircle at the top of the icon, indicating the Uncreated Light of Divine grace, with a ray pointing to "the place where the young child lay" ().
Star of Bethlehem | Eastern Orthodoxy
In the account of the nativity of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew the Biblical Magi go to see King Herod in Jerusalem and in ask him: "Where is he that is born King of the Jews?" Herod asks the "chief priests and teachers of the law" who tell him in Bethlehem of Judea. The question troubles Herod who considers the title his own, and in he questions the Magi about the exact time of the Star of Bethlehem's appearance. Herod sends the Magi to Bethlehem, telling them to notify him when they find the child. After the Magi find Jesus and present their gifts, having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they returned to their country by a different way.
Jesus, King of the Jews | In the nativity
John takes Esther to his mansion and writes her name on the wall with a can of spray paint. There, they make love, have a bubble bath together, and he listens to her playing his piano. She thinks no one would be able to sing to the tune she has written, but he makes up some lyrics and starts singing.
A Star Is Born (1976 film) | Plot
On June 22, 2010, Warner Home Video released the film on Blu-ray and DVD. The original production negative has been restored and transferred to video at 6K resolution, one of the first films transferred at such a high resolution; however, according to a Warner press release, no new footage has been found. The restoration "has meticulously preserved and restored Ronald Haver's 176-minute version of "A Star Is Born" to its original luster, bringing back the brilliant, saturated colors and crisp picture." Warner Archive Collection reissued the Blu-ray and DVD on May 14, 2019.
A Star Is Born (1954 film) | Home media
Two other references to Bethlehem being in Judea in and show that Matthew felt that showing Jesus was born in Judea was important. In this verse he does not use the same spelling he did previously, thus also linking to the Old Testament figure Judah.
Matthew 2:6 | Analysis
He read the apparition as a cometary portent of doom foreshadowing the imminent fall of Sultan Zayn al-Abidin (AD 1418/1420–1470).
Halley's Comet | 1456
Halley's Comet or Comet Halley, officially designated 1P/Halley, is a short-period comet visible from Earth every 75–76 years. Halley is the only known short-period comet that is regularly visible to the naked eye from Earth, and the only naked-eye comet that can appear twice in a human lifetime. Halley last appeared in the inner parts of the Solar System in 1986 and will next appear in mid-2061. Halley's returns to the inner Solar System have been observed and recorded by astronomers since at least 240 BC. Clear records of the comet's appearances were made by Chinese, Greeks, Babylonian, and medieval European chroniclers, but, at those times, were not recognized as reappearances of the same object.
Halley's Comet | Introduction
A similar age was derived for another ultra-metal-poor star (CS31082-001) from thorium to uranium ratios. These stars were born several hundred million years after the Big Bang.
BD+17°3248 | Introduction
A Child Is Born is a poetic Christmas drama in one act by Stephen Vincent Benet. First presented on radio on December 21, 1942, as part of the anthology program "Cavalcade of America", the production starred the famous husband-and-wife team of Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne. Later, it began to be presented on television, in productions which starred such actors as Gene Lockhart and Fay Bainter. Largely written in rhyming verse, the play relates the story of the birth of Christ through the eyes of an innkeeper and his wife. The drama was presented on television many times during the Golden Age of Television, on such anthologies as "Actors Studio", "Lux Video Theatre", "General Electric Theater", and "Kraft Television Theatre", but has not been seen on American television since 1956.
A Child Is Born (radio play) | Introduction
Some depart from the conventional big-bang/inflation model, such as the steady-state and cyclic models. To date no accurate, greater-age evidence from a cosmic object has been found that calls into question the Planck satellite results. Studies of the star also help astronomers understand the Universe's early history. Very low but non-zero metallicities of stars like HD 140283 indicate the star was born in the second generation of stellar creation; their heavy-element content is believed to have come from zero-metal stars (Population III stars), which have never been observed. Those first stars are thought to have been born a few hundred million years after the Big Bang, and they died in explosions (supernovae) after only a few million years.
HD 140283 | Age and significance
23P/Brorsen–Metcalf is a periodic comet with an orbital period of 70 years. It fits the classical definition of a Halley-type comet with (20 years < period < 200 years). It was first discovered by Theodor Brorsen at the Altona Observatory on July 20, 1847, and again by Kaspar Schweizer (Moscow) on August 11, 1847. It was predicted that it would reappear between 1919 and 1922. On August 21, 1919, the comet was recovered by Joel Hastings Metcalf (Camp Idlewild, Vermont, United States) as 8th magnitude. Additional discoveries were made by Edward Barnard (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, United States) on August 22, Michel Giacobini (Paris, France), Ostrovlev (Theodosia, Crimea) and Selavanov (Saint Petersburg).
23P/Brorsen–Metcalf | Introduction
It is believed to have formed directly from the remnants of the first-generation stars that reached the end of their longevity and exploded as supernovae early in the history of known matter.
HE 1523-0901 | Age
It is the second of four official adaptations of "A Star Is Born", with the first in 1937 starring Janet Gaynor and Fredric March, the third in 1976 starring Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson and the fourth in 2018 starring Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper.
A Star Is Born (1954 film) | Introduction
A nova or comet was recorded in China in 4 BC. " In the reign of Ai-ti, in the third year of the Chien-p'ing period. In the third month, day chi-yu, there was a rising po at Hoku" (Han Shu, The History of the Former Han Dynasty). The date is equivalent to April 24, 4 BC. This identifies the date when it was first observed in China. It was also recorded in Korea. "In the fifty-fourth year of Hyokkose Wang, in the spring, second month, day chi-yu, a po-hsing appeared at Hoku" (Samguk Sagi, The Historical Record of the Three Kingdoms).
Star of Bethlehem | The Sparkling Star in Aquila in 4 BC
Scholars consider the accounts in Luke and Matthew as explaining the birth in Bethlehem in different ways, giving separate genealogies of Jesus and probably not historical. While Géza Vermes and E. P. Sanders dismiss the accounts as pious fiction, Raymond E. Brown sees them as having been constructed from historical traditions which predate the Gospels. According to Brown, there is no uniform agreement among scholars on the historicity of the accounts, e.g., most of those scholars who reject the historicity of the birth at Bethlehem argue for a birth at Nazareth, a few suggest Capernaum, and other have hypothesized locations as far away as Chorazin.
Nativity of Jesus | Critical analysis
Bessel was born in Minden, Westphalia, then capital of the Prussian administrative region Minden-Ravensberg, as second son of a civil servant. He was born into a large family in Germany. At the age of 14 Bessel was apprenticed to the import-export concern Kulenkamp at Bremen. The business's reliance on cargo ships led him to turn his mathematical skills to problems in navigation. This in turn led to an interest in astronomy as a way of determining longitude. Bessel came to the attention of a major figure of German astronomy at the time, Heinrich Wilhelm Olbers, by producing a refinement on the orbital calculations for Halley's Comet in 1804, using old observation data taken from Thomas Harriot and Nathaniel Torporley in 1607.
Friedrich Bessel | Life and family
The Pleiades, also known as "the seven sisters", was a constellation he would tell stories about. Stars with unique names, such as Zubenelgenubi and Zubeneschamali were also used in the shows to help inform the viewers. When astronomical events were in the news, Horkheimer would speak of them, giving viewers much more detailed information. When Comet Hale-Bopp arrived in 1997 and when Halley's comet was visible in 1986, he did shows about them. In 1997, specific shows were made when Mars Pathfinder landed on Mars and when the spacecraft Galileo orbited Jupiter, both of which were major headlines in the news.
Star Gazers | Content