Many have wondered over the centuries, what was the Star of Bethlehem? Was it really a star? Fresh knowledge of the old astrological notions and contemporary computer-based planetary tables may yet spilled new light on this age-old query. But before going back in time to explore the viable answers, one needs to visualize the many problems underlying the questions.
Matthew is the only of the four gospels which names either the Star of Bethlehem or the magi. The Gospel of Mark, viewed by progressive text scholars to be the most historic of the Gospels, does not include a nativity narrative or any clue that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. The author of the Gospel of John also looks to be unaware of the Bethlehem nativity narratives. The Gospels often reported Jesus as “of Nazareth,” but never as “of Bethlehem”. Many scholars have reasoned that Jesus was in all probability born in Nazareth and that the nativity narratives are acted upon by the desire of the Gospel writers to present his birth as a fulfillment a prophecy in the Book of Micah concerning a Bethlehem birth.
Matthew’s description of the miracles and portents taking care the birth of Jesus can be equated to stories relating the birth of Augustus, the first Roman emperor. Joining a birth to the first appearance of a star was coherent with the representative belief each person’s life was linked to a particular star. Magi and astronomical events were conterminous in the communal mind by the visit to Rome of a delegation of magi at the time of a amazing appearance of Halley’s Comet in AD 66.
There are legion other components that bestow to the puzzle, including the uncertainty in the effective date of Christ’s birth and the terminology used to describe celestial events during the Stars appearance some 20 centuries ago. For example, any celestial object bright enough to attract attention was ready to be called a “star.” Meteors, for instance, were thought to be “shooting” or “falling ” stars; comets were “hairy” stars; novae were “new” stars and planets were called “wandering” stars.
