Posted on 12/21/2001 5:11:00 AM PST by blam
Early Christians hid the origins of the Bethlehem star
13:15 21 December 01
Marcus Chown
A US astronomer claims he has found the first mention of the star of Bethlehem outside the Bible. The reference is in a 4th-century manuscript written by a Roman astrologer and Christian convert called Firmicus Maternus.
Photo: Bridgeman Art Library
Michael Molnar, formerly of Rutgers University in New Jersey, is the originator of the idea that the star of Bethlehem was not a spectacular astronomical event such as a supernova or a comet but an obscure astrological one.
The event would nevertheless have been of great significance to ancient Roman astrologers. After studying the symbolism on Roman coins, he concluded that the "star" was in fact a double eclipse of Jupiter in a rare astrological conjunction that occurred in Aries on 20 March, 6 BC, and again on 17 April, 6 BC (New Scientist magazine, 23 December 1995).
Molnar believed that Roman astrologers would have interpreted such an event as signifying the birth of a divine king in Judea. But he lacked proof. Now he says he has found it, in the Mathesis, a book written by Maternus in AD 334. Maternus described an astrological event involving an eclipse of Jupiter by the Moon in Aries, and said that it signified the birth of a divine king.
No names
"Maternus did not mention Jesus's name," says Molnar. "But Roman astrology was a popular craze at the time and everyone reading the book would have known the reference was to Jesus and that the astrological event was the star of Bethlehem."
So why did Maternus not mention Jesus by name? According to Molnar, early Christians hated pagan beliefs and did not want to justify the Biblical story with astrological mumbo-jumbo. The idea that the stars govern our fate flew in the face of belief in a Christian God as the controlling force in the Universe.
"Being a pagan who had converted to Christianity during his lifetime, Firmicus was torn," says Molnar. "Hence his use of astrology to support the Christian story, but in a veiled way."
According to Molnar, it was essential to early Christians that the true nature of the star be hidden, otherwise theologians would be mired in debate about celestial influences that were not part of Christianity. So they buried the knowledge of the star's astrological roots and in time it was forgotten.
"I take Molnar's work quite seriously," says Owen Gingerich, a historian of astronomy at Harvard University. "Anything he comes up with along these lines has to be considered as being very likely correct."
13:15 21 December 01
If you don't understand faith, that's okay. I will pray for you tonight that if you ever face serious problems and need to have faith to get you through and to set you free, you will find it there. That is the miracle of faith.
Finally, I'm glad I don't take any of this too seriously because I have already been called a witch on this thread and conversely, you will probably blast me for being a Christian. Merry Christmas to all and don't forget to buy your Enduring Freedom (baseball) cards for Stocking Stuffers.
If something just comes to me like precognition when someone is going to die, when I don't even want to know this kind of news, I am just living, how do you, another human being, know that I am wrong. You can't know, can you? Isn't that pious of you to believe that I am a fool just like you used to be? I feel sorry for you that you didn't used to like yourself very much. I am so glad that you aren't a fool any more and instead you are a perfect Christian without sin,insulting other Christians. What a pleasant way to bring on the holidays. You go ruin someone else's Christmas. I am going to forget about you. Poof.
One day, hopefully, they will realize that their evangelistic techniques serve only to puff themselves up, and do not lead anyone to a loving relationship with Jesus.
Do not be troubled or bitter by the words, nor the actions of their flesh. You are a sweetheart. Merry Christmas fv!
As far as to whom I am specifially referring, I'll allow the Lord to convict their hearts. Their own words have and will reveal them.
"By their fruit, you shall know them"
baa
My 8-year-old perceives that it was a star of David.
We have seen His Star in the east!
As I sit here this evening and re-read this thread, Job 38ff comes into mind, where God asks Job to answer the questions God has for him. The questions reveal how little Job actually does know and how silly it is to argue what isn't essential, what we never will know while we are in the flesh, doesn't tarnish our faith because we don't know it all, serves to only puff up and divide the Body of Christ, and to alienate those who are stumbling over the flesh issues as their excuse for not coming to know Him.
A literal star? An angel? The flaming glory of the Lord? A comet? Only He and those who rest in Him truely know the answer to the question. We do know that God worked that night to reconcile mankind to Himself and He did this through the workings of His great love for us and His strong hand.
Merry Christmas to you and your family TG!
baa
You are perceptive. :-)
Magen (Strong's 4043) is used in some really interesting contexts. 4 verses found containing 4043 & 3468.
And it's kosher!
I can't explain that one any better than the star! Chalk another one up to the His Spirit? Who knows. He knows.
What led you search this Strong's number (4043)? I found 63 uses of the word "megan" in the OT. To which 4 verses are you referring?
Also, are you using a Bible search program, or are you using a Strongs cross reference book, which lists the usage of various words? Which ones?
"As far as to whom I am specifially referring, I'll allow the Lord to convict their hearts. Their own words have and will reveal them."
You obviously know nothing of me, nor of fv. Your harsh words are very telling about the condidtion of your heart.
"Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before the fall"
Think and pray before you attempt to act as an ambassador for the Lord, lest you bring even more shame upon His Holy name with your pride and your arrogance.
We are to tell the truth, but we are to tell the truth in love. You have forgotten that important second part and rather than teaching, you are beating others. This is a tell-tale sign of a legalist. You wish to impose your standards upon others, simply because they speak in terms that aren't "Christian enough" for your personal tastes.
You may know the Law, but you have forgotten grace...the same grace that saves you.
A true, regenerate child of God, led by the Holy Spirit, would never encourage anyone to "Go to your own destruction...". (1) You don't have that authority John. That was a very sad condemnation by you and if you are truly a child of Christ, you know that you owe floriduhvoter an apology for this remark. If you fail to apologize, then you will have shown that you are not filled with the Holy Spirit, but merely walking and talking in your flesh. Your choice John...and unbelieving eyes are watching your response here. Do the right thing. (Mat. 18:15)
Condemnation is from your flesh. If it was from the Holy Spirit, it would be conviction, not condemnation.
You said; "You are no friend of this man".
If, by that, you mean to say that I am no friend of yours, that is probably correct, for we have never met. If you mean that floriduhvoter is not my friend, you speak of things you don't know.
"This is how the world will know that you are my disciples; by your love for one another"
...pray about it brother and do the right thing.
You just keep on beating people up with the Word to win converts and you will find the fruit of your ministry to be what is readily seen in this thread...bruised fruit. John, you may know lots about the Bible, but you know very little about the heart of the Lord.
This is not to suggest that it's any more impossible than any other story in the Bible, just that it's not coherently told. It's told in a mystical, faith-based way.
An eclipse of Jupiter would make a bright "star-like" planet disppear for a few minutes or hours; it wouldn't lead someone anywhere. This doesn't clear much up, does it?
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