What was the star of bethlehem
JOIN US THIS CHRISTMASWhat was the star of bethlehem?
JOIN US THIS CHRISTMASWas the Star of Bethlehem real? What did it mean?
What is the Star of Bethlehem? Christians, historians, and astronomers have been puzzling over this question for thousands of years. Was it a real star? Was it a metaphor in the Nativity story? Knowing about the Star of Bethlehem can help us understand the Christmas story better.
The Star in the Bible
Most of our biblical information about the star comes from chapter 2 of the gospel of Matthew.
As the story goes, “wise men from the east” see the star in the night sky and are inclined to follow it. They connected the appearance of this story with a number of ancient prophecies predicting the birth of the Jewish Messiah (Micah 5) and came to acknowledge the birth of this king.
These magi (or astrologers) travel to Jerusalem where they meet Herod, and ultimately to Bethehem where they find the baby in the manger.
You can read the whole story in Matthew 2:1-11.
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So, what was the star?
If you’re wondering what this star was, you’re not alone. Many have given different explanations for what the star was.
Most Christians believe the star to be some sort of miraculous sign, even if it had a natural source like a comet or planetary conjunction.
There’s a lot of scientific, literary, and historical research that goes into each of the different explanations for the star. If you’d like to learn more, The Star of Bethlehem by Rick Larson can offer more in depth information on each of these theories.
The star was a miracle
Some believe that the star had no natural explanation at all, that it was purely a supernatural sign to guide the Magi and fulfill the prophecies surrounding Christ’s birth.
The star is some kind of astronomical object
Some believe that the star was purely natural. Others believe that the star was both a natural, celestial object and was a distinct sign that clearly fulfilled the prophecies in the Old Testament. There are a number of astronomical explanations for this event.
- A planetary conjunction
Some astronomers (beginning with Johannes Kepler) have suggested various combinations of alignments in particular planets that would create something incredibly bright. There are a few different possibilities in different years, including Venus and Jupiter or a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn that would create an extremely bright light in the right place in the sky. - A heliacal rising
Others believe that the star was a heliacal rising, a routine appearance of a constellation. - Comet or Supernova
Some have suggested that a comet was visible during this time that matches with the descriptions of the Star. Some writers in the ancient world describe seeing objects around 5 BC that “hung over” cities in similar areas to where Jesus was born. Others have suggested a Supernova.
The star is fiction
Some believe the star never existed at all. Those who believe the gospels were made up long after Jesus’ death in order to establish the long-dead Jesus as God believe that there is no historical evidence for the Star of Bethlehem.
- A planetary conjunction
Some astronomers (beginning with Johannes Kepler) have suggested various combinations of alignments in particular planets that would create something incredibly bright. There are a few different possibilities in different years, including Venus and Jupiter or a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn that would create an extremely bright light in the right place in the sky. - A heliacal rising
Others believe that the star was a heliacal rising, a routine appearance of a constellation.
Comet or Supernova
Some have suggested that a comet was visible during this time that matches with the descriptions of the Star. Some writers in the ancient world describe seeing objects around 5 BC that “hung over” cities in similar areas to where Jesus was born. Others have suggested a Supernova.
Why the Star Matters
Christians believe the star is important because it is one of the markers of Jesus’ birth as a fulfillment of hundreds of years of prophecies.
They believe that the Old Testament pointed to the star, the appearance of the Magi, and King Herod’s response, and the fulfillment of those prophecies as an early sign that Jesus came as a Messiah, or Savior, and would ultimately give His life for us.
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