Christmas Star - What exactly was it?
The Christmas Star is known as the object in the sky that guided the Three Wise Men (also known as the Magi) to the home and stable where Mary and Joseph were, and Jesus was born. The Christmas Star is very fascinating to many people including astronomers, theologians and historians as there are a variety of different explanations for it.
In Matthew’s Gospel, he describes the Three Wise Men as seeing the Christmas Star in the east and being directed by it to the stable. It rose before them and eventually came to rest over the place where Jesus was. However, if you search in the New Testament of the Bible, there is only one place where there is mention of the Christmas Star, and that is in Matthew’s Gospel. There is no indication that anyone else other than the Three Wise Men actually saw it. The shepherds in the fields didn’t see it, King Herod did not see it, Joseph and Mary did not see it, and neither Mark, Luke or John do not have accounts of seeing it.
There have been many who have suggested that the Christmas Star was not real, that it was just a myth. Some believe that it was just a miraculous light in the sky or possibly a supernatural miracle. For most believers, they have come to accept it as faith. They believe it is one of the most power symbols of Christianity.
Astronomers have found that there were two astronomical events that occurred back at the time of Jesus’ birth. There was the trip conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in Pisces in 7 B.C.E. and the near conjunction of Mars, Jupiter and Saturn in Pisces in February 6 B.C.E. In astronomy, a conjunction occurs when two or more objects appear to be right next to each other in the sky. It is believed that the Three Wise Men were actually astrologers who were coming from somewhere east of Jerusalem. They were not aware that there was a prophecy saying that the King of the Jews was about to be born in Bethlehem.
Some also believe that the Christmas Star was actually a comet because it appeared to be moving as the Three Wise Men made their two to four month journey.
The skepticism grows and the top questions remain today as to what the Christmas Star actually was. There are many different accounts and information other than on this page and extensive research as been done regarding the Christmas Star. Until something can be factually proven, I will personally continue to believe that it was the object in the Magi’s site that led them to find baby Jesus.