The Independent-News, Volume 120, Number 32, Walkerton, St. Joseph County, 22 December 1994 — Page 8

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- THE INDEPENDENT-NEWS - DECEMBER 22, 1994

Fused Planets Could Have Been “Bethlehem Star’’ Early in the evening of June 17, 2 8.C., the two brightest planets in the sky, Jupiter and Venus, merged into a single dazzling "star" near the western horizon, according to calculations of modem astronomers. People watching in countries to the east of the kingdom of Judea could have seen the fused planets as a signal in the direction of Jerusalem. To astrologers, Jupiter was associated with the birth of kings and Venus with fertility. The meeting of Jupiter and Venus took place in the constellation Leo the Lion, which the Old Testament of the Bible specifically associated with the Jewish people. And it hapwwwmw Free Initial Effective Consultation ▼ Pain Relief & Diagnosis Treatment A PLYMOUTH CHIROPRACTIC H £ A L T H CENTER Call Today (219) 936-8060

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pened near the brightest star in Leo. Regulus, most closely identified with kingship. Could this be the event that caused a group of astrologers called the Wise Men to travel to , Jerusalem in search of a new king almost 2,000 years ago? The Star of Bethlehem is mentioned only in a few verses of the New Testament's Book of Matthew (Chapter 2:1-12), but it is one of the most ’ familiar parts of the Christmas story. A number of astronomers and historians have tried to determine what the unusual star was, beginning with a suggestion by the astronomer Johannes Kepler in the i 17th century. Still there is no consensus. Hollis Johnson, professor emeritus of astronomy at Indiana University, has collected a number of journal articles and other materials on the subject. "The question of the star is divided into two parts," Johnson said. "One is astronomical: if a star was reported at the time, what was it? The other is astrological: why did the Wise Men associate the star with the birth of Jesus?” Most perplexing is that only the Wise Men took heed of the star. In Luke's description of an angel announcing the birth of Jesus to shepherds in a field, there is no mention of a star. According to Matthew, when the Wise Men arrived in Jerusalem, they asked King Herod: "Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east and have come to worship him." Herod had no idea what they were talking about and had to summon his advisers.

Apparently the astronomical event that excited the Wise Men was significant only to them. This rules out the possibility of a conspicuous comet, for example, which might otherwise be a good candidate. It implies that the Wise Men were astrologers, for such men would have been able to interpret a celestial event that did not attract more than the casual attention of ordinary people. Providing an astronomical explanation of the Star of Bethlehem requires knowing precisely when the Wise Men made their journey to Judea. That has turned out to be difficult to determine. The most crucial facts are: 1. Herod was king when the Wise Men arrived in Jerusalem; 2. after asking the Wise Men when the star had first appeared, Herod ordered the slaughter of all male children in Bethlehem less than two years of age. This means the Wise Men could have arrived in Jerusalem more than a year after they first saw the star, since Herod concluded from what they said that Jesus could be almost 2 years old. One of the best clues available is a convincing determination by historians in recent years that Herod died in January, 1 B.C. So Jesus could have been born in 3 or 2 8.C., as early as church historians be lieved. The Bible does not mention how many Wise Men there were or where they came from. (The tradition of three Wise Men developed from the Bible’s description of three gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.) It is reasonable to suppose that their journey took several months, however, since they had to cross several hundred miles of desert to reach Jerusalem. If the Wise Men were in Jerusalem before dawn on December 25, 2 8.C., they would in fact have seen Jupiter "stopped" almost directly over Bethlehem, five miles to the south. They could have traveled the short distance to Bethlehem and presented their gifts that day, though by then Jesus would have been a child living with his parents in a house, not a baby in a manger. This would also indicate that Jesus was bom in the summer, which makes a better setting for Luke’s account of the shepherds. In December in Judea it was too cold for sheep to graze in the open fields, and they were kept under shelter during the winter months.

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There is no conflict with the traditional date of Jesus’ birth, because December 25 was an arbitrary choice. Early Christians changed the date numerous times to avoid discovery by the Romans when persecution of Christianity was at its height. Eventually December 25 was established because it was the beginning of the major Roman holiday of Saturnalia, when the days began to get longer again after the winter solstice. Designating Jupiter as the Star of Bethlehem is one of the recent attempts to provide an astronomical basis for the events described in the Bible. It avoids a number of previous problems, but it is probably not the last word on the subject. So little is known historically about the period when Jesus was bom that new information may well provide a more accurate description. THE MAGI Through the centuries, the wise men or Magi became associated with the giving of gifts to children. In some countries today, it is on Three Kings Day — January 6 — when gifts are distributed, rather than at Christmas itself. The story of these colorfully garbed potentates following a star to the birthplace of the Infant Jesus to bestow him with gifts is one which captures the imagination and which has been described in song, paintings and even opera. And, although we know little about the three mysterious travelers. we know that they must have indeed been wise —for wise men seek Him still.

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