Investigation into the Star

On the birthday of Jesus was seen in the sky a new star. Science findings confirm what is written in the Bible - says British astronomer prof. Mark Kidger.

There are three basic theories on the subject. According to the first full story of the Star of Bethlehem is a mere legend. The myth, which the Bible is full. St invented it. Matthew and posted in his Gospel, Old Testament prophecy to fill Balaam. According to her coming of the Messiah was to precede the appearance of a new star. According to the second theory, Star of Bethlehem was a miracle, which is located outside the area of scientific knowledge. Finally, according to a third at a time when Jesus Christ came into the world, the sky actually took place some astronomical phenomenon. As a scientist I can only refer to the latter theory.
At a time when the world came to Jesus Christ, contemporary astronomers have observed a phenomenon in the sky. We have Chinese sources - the Chinese very carefully watched the sky - by which time was born a new star. Seen it on the east, roughly between the constellations of Capricorn and an Eagle. Record this phenomenon seems to fit perfectly to what is written on Christmas star in the Bible. So? description of Jesus' birth was in the two Gospels. Luke and Matthew. Mention of a star can be found only in the latter. In the second chapter in verses 1-2: And when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the reign of King Herod, behold, Magi from the East came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star in the East and have come to worship him. " And in verses 7-11: Then Herod called the Magi secretly and ascertained from them the exact time the star appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search diligently for the child, and when you find him, bring me word, that I may go and worship him." They had heard the king, they set out. And the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced. They entered the house and saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. And opening their treasures they offered Him gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh. That's all? Yes, unfortunately that's all. Even so, these records we can draw some conclusions. We know that the wise men who saw the star, came from the east and that it appeared over Bethlehem. But this is not the only source on this phenomenon, which we have. Related records on celebrities can be found in apocryphal texts, for example Protogospel James, who finally - a decision the Council of Nicea in 325 - not found in the Bible. Reference is made ​​to the star, which shone in the east, and its brilliance eclipsed other stars. A similar reference is found in one of the letters of St. Ignatius. What does this mean? fact that while writing the Gospel of Matthew, which took place between 80 and 100, he used probably some documents or communications, which later disappeared. At the same documents could be based creator of a little later apocryphal texts and St. Ignatius. These records agree with the astronomical sources of the era. For example, the aforementioned provisions of the Chinese captured the precise moment when Jesus Christ was born, ie in March-April 5 BC ...

This paradox is due to two errors committed by the monk Dionysius Early, who lived in the sixth century in Rome. It was he who counted, when Christ was born, and developed a calendar, which we use today. To set a date for the birth of Jesus used the reigns of Roman emperors. The problem is that he did not remember that the Emperor Augustus ruled for four years as Octavian. The second mistake lay in the fact that he forgot about the year zero. In this way, after a BC jump straight to the year 1 AD. In total, we have a five-year mistake. Do we have another confirmation of this date as the date of the birth of Christ?
We know that when Christ came into the world, lived the King of Judea Herod the Great. It was he who had ordered the slaughter of innocents to make, in order to get rid of Jesus. Historical sources say, but clearly, that this king died in the year 4 BC, several days after the eclipse of the moon. This phenomenon was visible from Jericho and in the night from 13 to 14 March. So Herod died in March and April of the year 4 before Christ. This is another proof that Dionysius made ​​a mistake and that Jesus had to be born earlier than calculated monk. Year 5 BC is the most likely. You said also that Christ was born in March or April. There is little doubt that we celebrated the date of December 25 is a fake. That Dionysius "designated" birth of Christ on this day to adopt the Christian feast of the Roman god Sol Invictus and Saturnalia preceded it. It was a holiday period during which the Romans decorated houses with green branches, feasted and gave the gifts. So they did exactly the same as we do at Christmas. The Church took over many such centuries-old traditions and rituals in order to more easily obtain the Gentiles, and convince them of the new faith. That is the choice of December 25 was tactical. But how do you know that Jesus was born in the spring? Just look at the Bible. We know that this night near Bethlehem, shepherds tending their flocks in the fields. Meteorological data should be compiled for this part of the Middle East with the knowledge of the cattle. Bethlehem area is surrounded by high, even calculating about 800 m hills. The temperature in December, though obviously not as low as in Poland, there can fall below freezing. Sometimes it rains, even snow. Herds in December, so they are always under the roof. Drives while they are in the early spring and it was the shepherds must guard them day and night, including grasującymi predators before then. Let's see now the people who first saw the star - the Three Kings ... Two words and two errors. Firstly, they were not kings. Secondly, there were probably three of them. How is that? Kings "became the" only in the seventh century, so many centuries after his death. Church of Christ announced the King of Kings. And if so, it seemed logical that he came to pay homage to other monarchs. Similarly, with the names Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar. They appeared only in the eighth century, and X came into general use. All indications are that the men who gave tribute to Jesus in Bethlehem, were in fact Persian astrologers, priests, religious zaratusztrianizmu which called magicians. Religion was very similar to Judaism and its adherents awaited the coming of the Messiah.

This was once a very popular theory seems to be misguided. For many years it has been so since she lived in Babylon, then a large Jewish community derives from the slaves and prisoners of war included the seizure of Jerusalem in the sixth century before Christ. These people had expected the coming of the Messiah. The Babylonians were also excellent observers of the sky. The problem is that in addition to those conditions there is no evidence for this. And what are the evidence that the Persian version?

Magicians and astrologers were also carefully observed the sky in the search for characters.Besides we know that the wise men to pay homage to Jesus in Bethlehem, held a very difficult journey, which lasted several weeks. Meanwhile, a trip from Babylon to Jerusalem was then a fairly quick and easy. What else from northern Persia, almost from the shores of the Caspian Sea, where they lived magicians. They had to overcome a distance of about 1.5 thousand. km through the desert, rivers and mountains. It would have agreed with all the iconography depicting the Magi traveling by camel through the desert. Exactly. Everything fits together like puzzle pieces. The documents of the era, we know that Persian magicians few years later held a similar trip to Rome to pay homage to the emperor Nero. It was then a huge sensation, which the Roman historians have described in detail. Descriptions of their journeys and behavior are very similar to the biblical wise men journey. Further proof: the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem today, you can see a mosaic depicting the wise men composed a tribute to Christ. They are dressed for it in the Persian priestly vestments. That is why the Persians, when in the seventh century, occupied Bethlehem, did not destroy the basilica. Seeing this mosaic, found a temple for his own holy place. There was also a story that the wise men came from Arabia. Its supporters assumed that they went to the site of today's Saudi Arabia. The problem is that if they did, not at all traveled through the desert, but - as it did in those days - by the sea. Ship sailed into the Red Sea coast and the mainland only defeated the last episode to Jerusalem. And how many were there? not known. The assumption that there were three, came from the fact that they gave Jesus three gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh. It was also the symbolism of this number. The Magi were represented by three human race. Melchior - black, Balthazar - yellow, Casper - white. But in the early depictions, there were often two, four or even 12th The Bible knows only that there were more than one. Something here does not agree. Since the magi came from Persia and saw a star in the east, it could not do the same, going to Jerusalem. Indeed it would be back. Please carefully read the relevant passage of the Bible: Magi from the East came to Jerusalem (...) Then Herod called the Magi secretly (...) sent them to Bethlehem (...) They had heard the king, they set out. And the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the child was. This means that they saw the star in front of him not all the way from Persia to Jerusalem, but only at the last, about ten-episode , located between Jerusalem and from the southeast of Bethlehem. I did a computer simulation of the sky, as seen by people located in Jerusalem March 5 BC, and it turned out that leaving the city before dawn, mages would see a rising star in the sky, and "traveling" in front of them. Zatrzymałaby exactly over Bethlehem.


It's just like the extinction of dinosaurs. On Christmas star phenomenon is indeed countless theories. For example, it was a comet. The problem is that the only comet that flew in those days so close to the ground, so that it can be seen, it was Halley's comet. This was, however, in August, and September 12, before the birth of Christ. So, seven years before this, when in fact he came into the world. So if the Star of Bethlehem was actually Halley's comet, magicians - who noticed her and soon hit the road - the journey from Persia to Bethlehem would take just seven years. Not mean that a specially rushed to see the Messiah. So maybe it was a meteorite?


This in turn would require having an extremely fast camels. Is the apparent meteorite by one, up two seconds. It is difficult - even with today's modern means of transportation - to travel in time and distance between Persia Jerozolimą.Rosyjscy his time, researchers have suggested that perhaps the star of Bethlehem was taken of Venus. The planet is indeed what appears from time to time and is very clearly visible in the sky. It will be seen for example at Christmas this year. The problem is that it is a very common phenomenon that everyone who watches the stars, knows very well. If the biblical sages were tricked by Venus, they would not be wise. We know that what they saw must have been truly remarkable. I had to take in the sky long enough that they can get at this time from Persia to Judea. So maybe supernova? supernova - a huge cosmic explosion - actually correspond to our description. It is clear, big and long it can be seen in the sky. It's very spectacular phenomenon. The problem is that, unfortunately, at that time there was no supernova. By examining the radio waves sent by space objects, we were able to identify and locate all the supernovas of the last two thousand years. This phenomenon could be seen from the earth until about 200 years after the birth of Christ, in the 185th Thus the supernova drops. A conjunction of planets? This is another theory, which seems to be untrue. This phenomenon depends on the setting of celestial bodies in one line. Then indeed we see in the sky "new", a very bright object. But it happens quite often. In recent days there has been, for example, the conjunction of Jupiter and the Moon. Like the theory of Venus sages wyruszyliby certainly not in the way in search of the Messiah, were seen as common a phenomenon as a conjunction. There is also a theory that the magi saw the occultation. This phenomenon is in turn a partial zasłonięciu one celestial body by another. Recently calculated that about six years before the birth of Christ took place occultation of Jupiter by the moon. This occurred in the constellation Aries. Renowned researcher Michael Molnar of Rutgards University believes that this was the Star of Bethlehem. It would be very symbolic. The planet dies obscured the moon, after a certain time to be reborn again and shine. What could better symbolize the birth of the Messiah. It sounds so great. But it is enough to determine the then position of celestial bodies, and it turns out that probably ... occultation was not visible from the ground. She was in fact a place at sunset and was overshadowed by his brilliance. What is so's your theory? That was new. So the emergence of a new star in the sky. This happens when the surface of an old star that is not visible from the ground, there is a huge thermonuclear explosion. Then she shines a powerful light. It becomes a million times brighter and you can see it from the ground up for several weeks. That is roughly as much time as needed magi from Persia to get to Bethlehem. As I said at the beginning, in March of 5 BC - and so when Jesus really born - Chinese astrologers saw something new in the sky. New phenomenon, which lasted for two and a half months. From this description it can be concluded that this was just the beginning. It was indeed the end of a series of astronomical phenomena. What? Before the explosion occurred a number of exciting new phenomena in the sky. In the year 7 BC triple conjunction took place on Jupiter and Saturn. These planets have met three times in seven months. A year later, in the constellation of Pisces - often called the constellation of the Jews - came to the approximation of Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. In the same year was mentioned occultation of Jupiter. This arrangement was entirely unprecedented. All of these characters could make mages to the belief that something special is coming and should be getting ready to go. Indeed, in March of year 5 BC broke again. New star was born, which - according to magicians - heralded the birth of the King, to whom they waited. The priests immediately got on the camels and followed to Bethlehem, where they found the baby in the manger. Is the emergence of this new star was indeed associated with the birth of Jesus Christ? Here now my role is over. Everyone must make their own assessment. Yourself to think and answer the same question. What I can say as a scientist, is that such a phenomenon undoubtedly made ​​the place. That what is written in the Bible about the appearance of Star of Bethlehem before the birth of a Jewish child called Jesus of Nazareth, was true. If someone is an atheist, it's even scientific arguments do not convince him. Considers that this was a mere coincidence. A religious person, and finds that there is no case. That the star appeared exactly at the moment, which was to occur, and that heralded the birth of the Lord. Professor Mark Kidger is world-famous British astronomer. Engaged in watching the sky for several years. He has authored hundreds of articles and several books, including "Star of Bethlehem" (1999).