Star Of Wonder, Star Of Night

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 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. (Matthew 2:1-2)

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Since it's appearance in the sky over two thousand years ago, the Star of Bethlehem has fascinated man with its mystery. Science has tried to explain it but, so far, can only offer theories. Mystics have introduced their own hypotheses by pointing out that heavenly lights often appear to portend great events. The Star of Bethlehem was no exception because it heralded the birth of the Messiah -- the Son of God.

That the Star announced the birth of Jesus Christ is mentioned only in the Gospel of Matthew. The closest one can come to it anywhere else in the Bible are these words of Baalam in his Fourth Oracle which, Biblical scholars say may be a prophecy of the coming Messiah.
I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth. (Numbers 24:17)

As far as science is concerned, there are three possible explanations for the Star of Bethlehem. The first is that it was actually a comet. Comets are celestial bodies which are observed only in the part of their orbits that are relatively close to the sun and can be quite bright in the sky. A comet has a head consisting of a solid nucleus and displays a curved vapor tail when sufficiently close to the sun. Comets are thought to consist chiefly of ammonia, methane, carbon dioxide, and water.

Comets are naturally occurring phenomena, usually with predictable orbits. But like everything else that appears in the sky, comets also possess a mystic quality. For instance, a comet appeared at the Ides of March in 44 B.C., just after the assassination of Julius Caesar. Another comet was seen in A.D. 66, shortly before the suicide of Roman emperor Nero. Did a comet also predict the birth of the Savior of Man?

Another possible explanation is the Star of Bethlehem was actually a nova, a star that suddenly becomes much brighter and then gradually returns to its original brightness over a period of weeks to years. A nova is also a term used to describe an exploding star.

Novae have been recorded for thousands of years by sharp-eyed observers. One was reported, for instance, in 134 B.C., another in A.D. 173. Ancient astronomers usually kept good records and there are no reports of novae at any time around 7-4 B.C., the brace of years during which Christ was said to have been born.

The third possibility is the conjunction of two or more bright planets. Here, there is more scientific evidence to suggest this might have been the origin of the Star of Bethlehem.

In 1603, German astronomer Johannes Kepler observed a rendezvous of Saturn and Jupiter in the constellation of Pisces. The result appeared as one bright star. Could a similar event, he wondered, have occurred when Christ was born?

Over the years, Kepler's theory was forgotten. Then, in 1925, a German scholar discovered Kepler's calculations among some old records. He checked the figures, made a few calculations of his own, and came up a startling result. There was such a conjunction that occurred not once, but three times in 7 B.C.!

So science seems to have solved the mystery of the Star of Bethlehem... Or have they?

There is, of course, that bothersome fourth explanation that is partly based on logic and partly based on faith. It goes something like this.
Is it not likely, and above all else possible, that an all-powerful God -- One who made the sun stand still and parted the Red Sea, One who created the universe and everything that is in it -- would have created a special star to announce the birth of His Son, then caused it to disappear when it's task was finished? Personally, in spite of the conclusions of learned men to the contrary, I like the fourth explanation best.

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Ed Price spent 35 years in print and broadcast journalism. He is author of 15 books. After becoming an ordained minister he settled with his wife on a farm in the mountains of Southwest Virginia, to study God's word and to write. Ed and Patty are the parents of three girls, have one grandchild, and cater to the every whim of two spoiled cats.
© 2008 Ed Price - All rights reserved. Visit his website, The Loving Heart.

This column is used with permission.