Professor Says History’s Best Known and Most Debated Star Proven

ASSIST News Service ^ | Tuesday, October 16, 2007 | Jeremy Reynalds

[AngieGal]

For centuries, historians, scientists and scholars have debated the existence of the Star of Bethlehem in the Biblical telling of Christ’s birth. Now Texas lawyer and professor Rick Larson says he has proven the existence of this celebrated, yet debated, star.

He sets forth his case in a documentary, “The Star of Bethlehem.”

“Historically, people have taken two positions on the Star,” said Larson in a news release. “Either they believe the Star is true or they think it was made up by the early Church. I took a different approach in my research and treated the Star as a mystery or puzzle, looking at the Bible and comparing the facts of Scripture with facts from science and history.”

Larson’s quest for answers began with this attempt to produce an accurate, visual portrayal of the Star in his yard for Christmas. He attempted to ask questions that many people ask each time the Christmas story is told. What did this Star look like? Where did it come from? How did it lead the wise men directly to “this” Child?

His investigation took him on a journey through historical documents, scientific findings and numerous theories to discover a celestial event pointing to the vastness of God's creativity.

“God began leading me on a journey and unveiling answers to me beyond my own understanding,” Larson said in the news release. “That God would ask someone not trained in astronomy to do this still amazes me.”

Using astronomer Johannes Kepler’s map of the solar system, Josephus’s calendaring system and Imaginova’s Starry Night® software, Larson said he pinpointed the year of the Star’s appearance. While most astronomers researching the Star only look to the sky, Larson said he took his findings a step further by utilizing a critical piece in the puzzle – the Scriptures from the Book of Matthew.

Larson’s in-depth study of Matthew led him to nine distinguishing characteristics of the Star that helped explain its existence. According to the news release, these features of the Star indicated that it signified birth and kingship; had a connection with the Jewish nation; rose in the East and appeared at a precise time that was unknown to Herod. It also endured over time; was ahead of the Magi as they went south from Jerusalem to Bethlehem and stopped directly over the city of Bethlehem.

The Biblical characteristics pointed to the Star being a natural occurrence. Larson’s study of wandering stars, or planets, and slow retrograde motion, created what he called a breaking point in his research. Larson said that in 3 and 2 B.C., Jupiter, known for ages as the “King Planet,” held the nine characteristics of the Star.

Having made this discovery about Jupiter, Larson continued his study of the stars, only to find another significant link to the starry sky and April 3, 33 A.D., the day Larson believes Christ was crucified on the cross.

“After discovering all of this, I looked up at the sky and said, ‘My God, what did you do?,’ Larson said in the news release. “This was poetry of terrible beauty. What the Creator revealed to me was something about His vast plan. He wrote poetry in the sky to record both the coming and passing of Christ.”

Larson has put together these findings on “The Star of Bethlehem” DVD.

For more information, visit www.StarOfBethlehemTheMovie.com.

[SunkenCiv]

The Star of Bethlehem [Bristol Astronomical Society]
Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution | Rod Jenkins
Posted on 12/19/2006 12:31:25 PM EST by Alex Murphy
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1755792/posts

Ready for “Little Christmas”?
Fish Eaters: The Whys and Hows of Traditional Catholicism | Vox
Posted on 12/25/2005 9:25:25 PM EST by Catherine A
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1547002/posts

FOLLOWING THE WISE MEN
NY Post | December 23, 2003 | JOHN J. MILLER
Posted on 12/24/2003 10:16:30 AM EST by presidio9
Edited on 05/26/2004 8:18:01 PM EDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1046052/posts

[Prophet in the wilderness]

" He shows up on all threads like this to prove that there is no God. Without God, he only has these threads to grasp on to."

There is a GOD, only a fool would believe there is no GOD.

PSALM .53 : 1 The FOOL hath said in his heart, there is no GOD.

[madison10]

Why?

[PetroniusMaximus]

“To attempt to relate a spiritual event or phenominon to a material object is foolishness.”

Like the crossing of the Red Sea?

The Bible almost ALWAYS links significant spiritual events with historical/material events.

As Paul said, “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.”

In other words, if the historical event of Christ’s resurrection did not occur, then the Christian faith is worthless.

[fortheDeclaration]

The Star could have been Angel since it appeared to have intelligence.

It led the Wise Men to the young child (already born) and then stopped where the Lord lived. (Mat.2:9)

Either that or God moved a star around Himself.(also possible)

[Bommer]

My theory is that it happen a long long time ago in a galaxy far far away....

[SunkenCiv]

· GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother, and Ernest_at_the_Beach · · join list or digest · view topics · view or post blog · bookmark · post a topic · subscribe ·
	Antiquity Journal  & archive  Archaeologica  Archaeology  Archaeology Channel  BAR  Bronze Age Forum  Discover  Dogpile  Eurekalert  Google  LiveScience  Mirabilis.ca  Nat Geographic  PhysOrg  Science Daily  Science News  Texas AM  Yahoo  Excerpt, or Link only?	Note: this topic is from October 16, 2007. Blast from the Past. Just adding to the catalog, not sending a general distribution. To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.
· History topic · history keyword · archaeology keyword · paleontology keyword · · Science topic · science keyword · Books/Literature topic · pages keyword ·