According to new astronomic research, the fabled Christmas star from the Bible is increasingly supported by facts, not fiction.
Astronomer Rick Larson has studied the gospels and scientific models in depth for ten years and has concluded that the star not only appeared, its date of appearance actually coincides with December 25 between the years of 1-3 BC, according to modern calendars.
Matthew 2:1-2:11: After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "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."
When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.
When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born.
"In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written: " 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'"
Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared.
He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him."
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.
When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.
On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.
Larson describes the Three Wise Men or Magi as men of their time who "understood the natural order and are able to explain the natural order to others. And they were, according to Philo, probably what we might call proto-scientists".
Larson goes on to describe what he believes were the precipitating events that led to the appearance of the heavenly Christmas Star.
"This is Jupiter; the smaller object is a star. It has a name; it's called Regulus -- that's the same root word as our word 'regal'." The Babylonians called Regulus Sharru which means king. Jupiter passed Regulus, changed it's mind, stopped and went back for a second close approach. That's two, passed Regulus again. (that's 3)" ... following Jupiter into the sky is Virgo the Virgin, and she's clothed in the sun and she has the moon at her feet"
Larson explains how this took place in the constellation of the Lion, associated in ancient times with Israel and how the Wise Men would have easily translated such events to proclaim that Jesus was to be born in Israel.
But then the magical significance of things takes even greater hold because that new moon marked the onset of Rosh Hashana (the Jewish New Year) and Larson says the astronomic evidence supports this day as the time when the Holy Spirit conceived Jesus.
Larson explains what happened in mid-June of 2 B.C. (using modern calendars), with Regulus in Leo, "Nine months after that first conjunction -- nine months -- the gestation period of a human ... we see Jupiter and Venus come together to form the brightest star anyone had ever seen."
Larson tells CBN, "This is such an unusual conjunction that I can tell none of your viewers have ever seen such a conjunction because none have occurred in the 20th century. They're that rare, extremely rare".
"As they're riding out toward Bethlehem, they look up in the sky and there's Jupiter, the king planet, over the little town of Bethlehem. They ride down and find the baby boy, there are three gifts, they have the first Christmas."
The Date: Dec. 25, 2 BC.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
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Posted at Dec 24, 2007 02:39 PM EST in Current Events. |
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