The Star of Bethlehem – What Was It?

People have different ideas about Jesus. Some think He never existed at all. Some acknowledge He existed, but believe He was just an ordinary man. Some, like me, know He’s divine, and He still walks among us.

What most agree with, is that the letters and scrolls which eventually became the New Testament were written a few decades after the crucifixion. As stories are retold, and retold again, details tend to change, although the core of a story remains the same. We can’t know how accurate the story of the Wise Men remained before it was first written down, but for the purposes of this post, I will be working on the assumption that it happened as recorded in the gospel of Matthew. I will also be working on the assumption that the planetary alignment occurred around the time of Jesus’ birth, although there is no way of knowing for sure.

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men* from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him.” (Matthew 2:1-2) [*”wise men” aka “magi” is more accurately translated as “astrologers”]

Astrologers From the East

In New Testament days, travelers and immigrants from Asia Minor and the Mesopotamian region were said to be “from the east”, and often called Asians. Today’s inhabitants include Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Türkiye (Turkey), and Syria. When New Testament writers used the term “Asia”, they were usually referring to Türkiye.

One of the civilizations previously occupying that area was Babylon. Their scientists had been advanced mathematicians and astronomers. Their meticulous celestial observations and mathematical calculations had resulted in accurate calendars and planetary tracking. They developed geometric methods comparable to calculus for predicting planetary alignments and eclipses.

By the time the Roman Empire came into power, the Babylonian civilization had crumbled away, but their legacy lived on in their successors who now populated that region. “Wise men” coming from the East would have been renowned for their astronomical skills. (In those days, astronomy and astrology were together one field of science).

Possible Evidence for the Star

Cuneiform writing was invented by the Sumerians, and subsequently adopted by other civilizations. Up to 2 million cuneiform tablets have been excavated so far, dating from 3200 BC until the 1st century AD. With so many of them residing in museums, and a limited number of researchers available to translate them, only about 5-10% of them have been translated to date.

A set of four tablets excavated in the 1880s has stirred some interest in recent decades. These four tablets tell of a rare conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in Pisces. Although conjunctions of Jupiter and Saturn happens about every twenty years, the occurrence happens in Pisces only once every 854 years. Pisces had special significance amongst ancient cultures. Some attributes included creation, and the opposition of birth and death.

Modern scientists and astronomers using sophisticated computer programs have confirmed a triple conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in Pisces, beginning in the year 7 BC. Three conjunctions were apparent due to retrograde motion and the orbit of the Earth around the Sun. The three dates in which the conjunctions were observable were around May 29th, September 30th, and December 5th. The rest of the time, the two planets gave the appearance of pulling apart and coming together again.

According to Ezra 7:9, it had taken Ezra and his entourage four months to travel from Babylon to Jerusalem. Since overland transportation had changed little between Ezra’s time and the birth of Jesus, we can assume it may have taken a similar length of time for the Magi to travel from somewhere around the region where Babylon had once stood to Bethlehem. The Magi would not have begun their travels immediately upon seeing the first conjunction. Such a long, arduous journey would have required weeks of preparation.

When they had heard the king they went their way; and lo, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came to rest over the place where the child was. (Matthew 2:9)

Assuming the Magi would have arrived at the house in Bethlehem around the first week of December, and taking into account their detour through Jerusalem, perhaps they began their trip in July.

We can’t know how long Joseph and Mary had lived in the house before the Magi arrived. But since Herod had ordered the killing of boys two years and under, we can assume Jesus was probably as young as a few weeks, and as old as two years. This would put Jesus’ birthdate between 9 BC, if He was already two years old, and 7 BC if He was no more than a few months old.

Can this date be narrowed down? We can extrapolate from the text of the passage that Jesus was born during the first conjunction (late May), and the magi arrived in Bethlehem during the third conjunction (early December). It can then be assumed that the little family fled to Egypt in December, 7 BC, when the baby was a little more than 6 months old.

They did not return to Judea until after Herod died in March or April of 4 BC. Communications were slow in those days, so they probably didn’t get the news until the summer. If they then returned in the summer or fall of 4 BC, Jesus would have been a few months past 3 years of age.

It’s All Speculation

I said I was working “under the assumption of”, but it’s still just one hypothesis of many. Various scholars have come up with some good arguments to support different birth dates of Jesus. We’ll never know for sure, but it’s fun to sift through the clues and see where they lead us.

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it is written by the prophet:
 
‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who will govern my people Israel.’”
 
Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star appeared; and he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” When they had heard the king they went their way; and lo, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy; and going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.