The star of Bethlehem
By Ruth Schenk | .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?
We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.’ …and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed” (Matt. 2:1, 9).
It was no ordinary star.
The Wise Men packed gifts for a king as they followed it in the night sky. King Herod feared it once scribes and priests told him about the arrival of a new king. It would end his reign.
Some guess that the Bethlehem star was a comet, but ancient records of comet sightings do not match the time of Jesus’ birth. Others have said it was an exploding star or
supernova, but there are no records of that, either.
Many believe the Bethlehem Star was a miracle—God’s special creation to announce the birth of His son.
Legal professor Rick Larson was intrigued by the Bethlehem Star and wanted to know more. He studied it for eight years, approaching that special event in the night sky like a puzzle
with clues from the biblical record. He matched facts from the Bible with a computer program called Starry Night that lets people view the night sky from anywhere on earth at any time
past, present or future. He worked with the biblical timeline and historical records to discover as much as possible about the Bethlehem Star.
Through years of research, Larson came to believe that the Wise Men saw Jupiter, which is called the “King Planet,” move in a shallow circle like a halo to crown Regulas, a star that is
often called the “King Star.”
Then Jupiter continued on its path through the sky until it moved next to Venus in the western sky. To someone watching the night sky at that time, the two planets close to one another
would have created a spectacular star.
After asking Herod about the birth of a king, the Wise Men saw the star stop over the village of Bethlehem. According to Larson, stars do not stop, but planets periodically appear to
reverse course and move backward through other stars. Astronomers call this effect retrograde motion.
Larson believes on that spectacular night, the King Planet “crowned” the King Star while moving in a small orbit that looked like a crown.
It was a spectacular star in a special night sky designed by the Creator of the universe. It was one of many amazing happenings that night.
A king was born in a barn. Angels sang to shepherds on hillsides. Wise Men brought gifts to a newborn baby. A star stood still. Larson believes God is in the details.
“Our solar system is like a clock. It is mathematically correct,” he said. “The star is part of that incredible natural order. From the moment God flung the universe into existence, He knew
He would enter the human race as a man.”
If you would like to know more about the Bethlehem Star, visit www.bethle hemstar.net.