The Star of Bethlehem - Revision history

Scartho77: Just added the year to a heading.

2024-12-16T16:45:39Z

Just added the year to a heading.

Scartho77: Added section mentioning that the wise men might have gone to Nazareth, not Bethlehem.

2024-12-16T16:13:35Z

Added section mentioning that the wise men might have gone to Nazareth, not Bethlehem.

Scartho77: Added another quoted para from the Q Jl R astr Soc, and corrected an article year.

2024-01-12T23:34:12Z

Added another quoted para from the Q Jl R astr Soc, and corrected an article year.

Scartho77: Removed duplicate mention of "1991".

2024-01-08T15:53:40Z

Removed duplicate mention of "1991".

Scartho77: Format change.

2024-01-08T15:52:45Z

Format change.

Scartho77: Format changes.

2024-01-08T15:51:59Z

Format changes.

Scartho77: Mentioned that Sir Colin Humphreys is a Fellow of the Royal Society.

2024-01-08T15:50:22Z

Mentioned that Sir Colin Humphreys is a Fellow of the Royal Society.

Scartho77: 2 small corrections.

2024-01-06T17:12:12Z

2 small corrections.

Scartho77: Added main text, etc.

2024-01-06T17:09:03Z

Added main text, etc.

Scartho77: Starting the page.

2024-01-06T17:07:58Z

Starting the page.

New page

Return to [[Christianity]] -> [[Bible]] -> [[Historical accuracy of the Bible]]
[[Category:New Testament]]

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-===Pastor Bob Forder===
+===Pastor Bob Forder 2021===
 Matthew records that Herod dispatched<ref>[https://crosswire.org/study/passagestudy.jsp?key=Matthew.2.08&mod=KJV#cv Matthew 2:08]</ref> the wise men to Bethlehem and that Herod killed people<ref>[https://crosswire.org/study/passagestudy.jsp?key=Matthew.2.16&mod=KJV#cv Matthew 2:16]</ref> at Bethlehem, but the Bible does not state that the wise men went to Bethlehem.  They might have given their gifts to the Saviour at another town.<ref>[https://dcf.church/sermons/what-the-bible-says-about-christmas-matthew/ Forder, Bob (2021) "What the Bible says about Christmas – Matthew", downloaded 2024-12-14.]</ref>  Perhaps we should call the star The Star of the Lord Jesus Christ instead of The Star of Bethlehem.

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 ===Sir Colin Humphreys 1991===

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 ===Sir Colin Humphreys 1991===
-<!---- The then Head of the Department of Metallurgy and Materials Science at Cambridge---->[https://www.ae-info.org/ae/Member/Humphreys_Colin/CV Professor Sir Colin Humphreys, FRS], is a physicist and materials scientist.  He published an article about the Star of Bethlehem in the Quarterly Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1991<ref>Humphreys CJ (1991) "The Star of Bethlehem - a Comet in 5BC - and the Date of the Birth of Christ", Q Jl R astr Soc, vol 32, pp 389-407. For free download from https://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1991QJRAS..32..389H as at 05 Jan 2024.</ref>.  Professor Humphreys contributed a similar article to Science and Christian Belief<ref>Humphreys C (1995) "The Star of Bethlehem", Science and Christian Belief, vol 5, pp 83-101.  For free download from https://www.asa3.org/ASA/topics/Astronomy-Cosmology/S&CB%2010-93Humphreys.html as at 05 Jan 2024.</ref>.
+<!---- The then Head of the Department of Metallurgy and Materials Science at Cambridge---->
-From the Abstract for the article in the Quarterly Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society....
+Quotations from the article in the Quarterly Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society:-
 <!----
 From the Conclusions to the article in Science and Christian Belief....
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 *It is suggested that a combination of three unusual and significant astronomical events caused the Magi to set off on their journey. First there was a triple conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter in the constellation Pisces in 7 BC. Such an event occurs only every 900 years. The probable astrological significance of this event to the Magi was that a divine king would be born in Israel. Second, in 6 BC there was a massing of the three planets Mars, Saturn and Jupiter in Pisces. Such a massing only occurs every 800 years (and very much more infrequently in Pisces) and it would have confirmed to the Magi that the king to be born in Israel would be a mighty king. Third, a comet appeared in 5 BC in the east in the constellation Capricornus. In the astrology of the times a comet in the east signified a rapidly approaching event. The comet was therefore the third and final sign which caused the Magi to set off on their journey. It is shown that the probable significance of the comet in Capricornus to the Magi was also that a very great king was about to be born.
 ---->
 ===Notes===

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 ===Sir Colin Humphreys 1991===
-<!---- The then Head of the Department of Metallurgy and Materials Science at Cambridge---->[https://www.ae-info.org/ae/Member/Humphreys_Colin/CV Professor Sir Colin Humphreys, FRS], is a physicist and materials scientist.  In 1991 he published an article about the Star of Bethlehem in the Quarterly Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1991<ref>Humphreys CJ (1991) "The Star of Bethlehem - a Comet in 5BC - and the Date of the Birth of Christ", Q Jl R astr Soc, vol 32, pp 389-407. For free download from https://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1991QJRAS..32..389H as at 05 Jan 2024.</ref>.  Professor Humphreys contributed a similar article to Science and Christian Belief<ref>Humphreys C (1995) "The Star of Bethlehem", Science and Christian Belief, vol 5, pp 83-101.  For free download from https://www.asa3.org/ASA/topics/Astronomy-Cosmology/S&CB%2010-93Humphreys.html as at 05 Jan 2024.</ref>.
+<!---- The then Head of the Department of Metallurgy and Materials Science at Cambridge---->[https://www.ae-info.org/ae/Member/Humphreys_Colin/CV Professor Sir Colin Humphreys, FRS], is a physicist and materials scientist.  He published an article about the Star of Bethlehem in the Quarterly Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1991<ref>Humphreys CJ (1991) "The Star of Bethlehem - a Comet in 5BC - and the Date of the Birth of Christ", Q Jl R astr Soc, vol 32, pp 389-407. For free download from https://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1991QJRAS..32..389H as at 05 Jan 2024.</ref>.  Professor Humphreys contributed a similar article to Science and Christian Belief<ref>Humphreys C (1995) "The Star of Bethlehem", Science and Christian Belief, vol 5, pp 83-101.  For free download from https://www.asa3.org/ASA/topics/Astronomy-Cosmology/S&CB%2010-93Humphreys.html as at 05 Jan 2024.</ref>.
 From the Abstract for the article in the Quarterly Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society....

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-====Notes====
+===Notes===
 <references/>
 Return to [[Christianity]] -> [[Bible]] -> [[Historical accuracy of the Bible]] -> [[Historicity of the New Testament (theopedia)]]
 [[Category:New Testament]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:09, 6 January 2024
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		+	topic_name = Star of Bethlehem\|
		+	opinion_pieces = {{short_opinions}}\|
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		+	===[https://www.ae-info.org/ae/Member/Humphreys_Colin/CV Sir Colin Humphreys] 1991===
		+	The then Head of the Department of Metallurgy and Materials Science at Cambridge published an article about the Star of Bethlehem in the Quarterly Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1991<ref>Humphreys CJ (1991) "The Star of Bethlehem - a Comet in 5BC - and the Date of the Birth of Christ", Q Jl R astr Soc, vol 32, pp 389-407. For free download from https://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1991QJRAS..32..389H as at 05 Jan 2024.</ref>. Professor Humphreys contributed a similar article to Science and Christian Belief<ref>Humphreys C (1995) "The Star of Bethlehem", Science and Christian Belief, vol 5, pp 83-101. For free download from https://www.asa3.org/ASA/topics/Astronomy-Cosmology/S&CB%2010-93Humphreys.html as at 05 Jan 2024.</ref>.
		+
		+	From the Abstract for the article in the Quarterly Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society....
		+
		+	*Astronomical and historical evidence suggests that the Star of Bethlehem was a comet which was visible in 5 BC, and described in ancient Chinese records. A comet uniquely fits the description in Matthew of a star which newly appeared, travelled slowly through the sky against the star background and 'stood over' Bethlehem. It is proposed that a remarkable sequence of three astronomical events stimulated the journey of the Magi: the triple conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter in 7 BC; the massing of the three planets Saturn, Jupiter and Mars in 6 BC; and finally the appearance in 5 BC of the 'star of Bethlehem', a comet initially in Capricornus.
		+	<!----
		+	From the Conclusions to the article in Science and Christian Belief....
		+
		+	*There are three main characteristics of the star of Bethlehem recorded in Matthew: it was a star which had newly appeared, it travelled slowly through the sky against the star background, and it stood over Bethlehem. It is suggested in this paper that one, and only one, astronomical object satisfies this description: a comet. It is proposed that the Magi originally saw this comet in the east in the morning sky. They travelled to Jerusalem, journey time of 1-2 months, and in this time the comet had moved to the south in the morning sky, hence it appeared ahead of them as they travelled from Jerusalem to Bethlehem on the last lap of their journey. The comet appeared to stand over Bethlehem with a near vertical tail. It is shown that the description 'stand over' is uniquely applied in ancient literature to refer to a comet.
		+
		+	*From ancient Chinese astronomical records three comets are possible candidates for the star of Bethlehem, those of 12 BC, 5 BC and 4 BC. It is shown from historical and biblical evidence that the comets of 12 BC and of 4 BC were too early and too late, respectively, to be the star of Bethlehem. Hence the comet of 5 BC may uniquely be identified as the star of Bethlehem. The Chinese description of this comet, particularly its appearance in the east and its visibility for over 70 days, is consistent with the description in Matthew.
		+
		+	*It is suggested that a combination of three unusual and significant astronomical events caused the Magi to set off on their journey. First there was a triple conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter in the constellation Pisces in 7 BC. Such an event occurs only every 900 years. The probable astrological significance of this event to the Magi was that a divine king would be born in Israel. Second, in 6 BC there was a massing of the three planets Mars, Saturn and Jupiter in Pisces. Such a massing only occurs every 800 years (and very much more infrequently in Pisces) and it would have confirmed to the Magi that the king to be born in Israel would be a mighty king. Third, a comet appeared in 5 BC in the east in the constellation Capricornus. In the astrology of the times a comet in the east signified a rapidly approaching event. The comet was therefore the third and final sign which caused the Magi to set off on their journey. It is shown that the probable significance of the comet in Capricornus to the Magi was also that a very great king was about to be born.
		+	---->
		+
		+	====Notes====
		+
		+	<references/>
		+
	Return to [[Christianity]] -> [[Bible]] -> [[Historical accuracy of the Bible]]		Return to [[Christianity]] -> [[Bible]] -> [[Historical accuracy of the Bible]]
	[[Category:New Testament]]		[[Category:New Testament]]