The Holy Light

Was there really a bright star nearly 20 centuries ago that guided the wise men from their lands in the east to the manger in Bethlehem? There are those who dismiss the star as nothing more than a metaphor; many ancient civilizations believed that new stars heralded the birth of almost any king or conqueror. Stars, after all, are said to have greeted the births of Mithridates and Alexander. But others take the Christmas star more literally, and not without reason. Astronomical records show that there were several significant celestial events around the time of Jesus' birth.

Astronomers and scientists generally agree that the bright light in the sky that led the wise men to Jesus' birthplace was probably not a supernova, or exploding star. Such stellar catastrophes are far too spectacular to escape general notice, and with the exception of Matthew, none of the Apostles or King Herod mentions such a brilliant star near the time that Jesus was born. Nor does a comet seem likely to have been the Christmas star. True. Halley's comet, which was first seen in 240 B.C., reappeared in 12 B.C. But that was several years before the earliest date on which Jesus could have been born. In any case, neither Halley's nor any lesser comets that appeared in succeeding years would have been regarded as the bearers of tidings of great joy; to the sky watchers of that troubled time, comets were generally omens of evil.

But there is one kind of celestial display that could account for Matthew's reference to the star of Bethlehem. Studies of early calendars and historical records of the events immediately preceding and following the nativity suggest to many scholars that Jesus was probably born some time during the fall of the year 7 B.C. That year the heavens offered a display that few who studied the stars would have failed to notice--three times in 7 B.C. there was a conjunction of the same two planets.

Conjunctions, or what seem to be close approaches of planets in the sky, are common occurrences; they take place at periodic intervals as the planets orbit the sun at differing angular velocities. In May of 7 B.C., Jupiter, which astrologers of the period considered both a royal star and a lucky one, first moved close in the sky to Saturn, which was believed to influence the destiny of the Jews. Even more significant, this conjunction occurred in the constellation Pisces, where celestial events traditionally foretold incidents of great importance to Israel. In September of that year, Jupiter again closed in on Saturn.

Some astronomers and biblical scholars speculate that the first conjunction may have been the signal that started the Magi on their long trek to Israel; the second, the beacon that guided them on their journey. Their reasoning seems to accommodate the timetable of the Christmas story, for in December the two planets came together for a third time, as if on cue, to show the final way to Bethlehem.

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