In Christian tradition, the Star of Bethlehem, also called
the Christmas Star, revealed the birth of
Jesus to the Biblical Magi, and later led them to
Bethlehem. The star appears only in the nativity story of the Gospel of
Matthew, where magi "from the east" are inspired by the star to
travel to Jerusalem.
There they meet
King Herod of Judea, and ask where the king of the Jews had been born. Herod,
following a verse from the Book of Micah interpreted as a prophecy, directs
them to Bethlehem, to the South of Jerusalem.
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| Christians see the Star as a miraculous sign to mark the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ |
The star leads them to Jesus' home in the town, where
they worship him and give him gifts. The wise men are then given a divine
warning not to return to Herod so they return home by a different route.
Many Christians see the star as a miraculous sign to mark
the birth of the Christ (or messiah). Some theologians claimed that the star
fulfilled a prophecy, known as the Star Prophecy. Astronomers have made several
attempts to link the star to unusual astronomical events, such as a conjunction
of Jupiter and Saturn, a comet or a supernova.
The subject is a favourite at planetarium shows during
the Christmas season, although the Biblical account describes Jesus with a
broader Greek word, which can mean either "infant" or
"child" (paidon), rather than the more specific word for infant
(brephos), possibly implying that some time has passed since the birth. The
visit is traditionally celebrated on Epiphany (January 6) in Western Christianity.
In the Gospel of Matthew account, the Magi (usually
translated as "wise men" but in this context meaning
"astrologer" ) arrive at the court of Herod in Jerusalem and tell the
king of a star which signifies the birth of the King of the Jews:
"Now after 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 [or at its rising] and have come to worship Him. When Herod
the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he
had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he
inquired of them where the Christ was to be born."
Herod is "troubled", not because of the
appearance of the star, but because the magi have told him that a "king of
the Jews" had been born, which he understands to refer to the Messiah, a
leader of the Jewish people whose coming was believed to be foretold in
scripture. So he asks his advisors where the Messiah would be born. They answer
Bethlehem, birthplace of King David, and quote the prophet Micah.[nb 1] The king
passes this information along to the magi.
Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men,
determined from them what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem
and said, Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found
Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also. When they
heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the
East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was.
When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy."
Matthew's account suggests that the magi knew from the
star that the "king of the Jews" had been born even before they
arrived in Jerusalem. They present Jesus with gifts of gold, frankincense, and
myrrh. In a dream, they are warned not to return to Jerusalem, so they leave
for their own country by another route.[ When Herod realizes he has been
tricked, he orders the execution of all male children in Bethlehem two years
old and younger, based on the information the magi had given him concerning the
time the star first appeared.[nb 2] Joseph, warned in a dream, takes his family
to Egypt for their safety.
The Gospel links
the escape to a verse from scripture, which it interprets as a prophecy: "Out
of Egypt I called my son." This was a reference to the departure of the
Hebrews from Egypt under Moses, so the quote suggests that Matthew saw the life
of Jesus as recapitulating the story of the Jewish people, with Judea
representing Egypt and Herod standing in for pharaoh. After Herod dies, Joseph
and his family return from Egypt, and settle in Nazareth in Galilee. This is
also said to be a fulfillment of a prophecy ("He will be called a
Nazorean," (NRSV)) for which no scriptural reference is known.[nb 3]
The Star of Bethlehem is traditionally linked to the Star
Prophecy in the Book of Numbers:
I see him, but not now;
I behold him, but not near;
A Star shall come out of Jacob;
A Scepter shall rise out of Israel,
And batter the brow of Moab,
And destroy all the sons of tumult.
In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Star of Bethlehem is
not interpreted as an astronomical event, but rather as a supernatural occurrence,
whereby an angel was sent by God to lead the Magi to the Christ Child. This is
illustrated in the Troparion of the Nativity:
Your birth, O Christ our God,
dawned the light of knowledge upon the earth.
For by Your birth those who adored stars
were taught by a star
to worship You, the Sun of Justice,
and to know You, Orient from on High.
O Lord, glory to You.
Determining the year Jesus was born.
If the story of the star was describing an actual event,
it might identify the year Jesus was born. The Gospel of Matthew describes the
birth of Jesus as taking place when Herod was king.[ According to Josephus,
Herod died after a lunar eclipse. This
is usually identified as the eclipse of March 13, 4 BC.
The narrative implies that Jesus was born sometime
between the first appearance of the star and the appearance of the Magi at
Herod's court. That the king is said to have ordered the execution of boys two
years of age and younger, implies that the star made its appearance within the
preceding two years. Modern scholars date the birth of Jesus as 6–4 BC.
The Gospel of Luke on the other hand, while it implies
that the birth took place when Herod was alive, also says that Jesus was born
during the census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria, which took place
in AD 6, nine years after Herod died. The Luke account also says that the
family of Jesus left Bethlehem shortly after the birth.
Christmas carols
The star is often alluded to in Christmas carols about
the Magi. For example, We Three Kings has the refrain:
O star of wonder, star of night,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect light.
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