Researcher has theory on the 'Star of Bethlehem' -

San Antonio Express-News ^ | December 13, 2003 | Rachel L. Toalson

[AAABEST]

You've piqued my curiosity. Can you ping me after this "presentation" if you find out anything?

[Lucy Lake]

Would you please ping me, also? Thanks.

[Williams]

I think it's old news that there may be remnants of a supernova from that time, or that a comet may have been in the area, etc. Of course, Arthur C. Clarke's short story "The Star" takes a particularly anti-religious slant on the supernova theory.

[gitmo]

There was also a theory about all the planets lining up just right.

[dan1123]

The guy who does this bethlehem star lecture also has a website here: http://www.bethlehemstar.net/

[TLR]

Actually, you do a disservice with speculation about Rick Larson's presentation. It is scholarly and well done. He shows through common star maps how the stars aligned in a unique manner that would have been then and now is easily understood. As impressive he show that a solar eclipse occurred on Passover day at exact the time that the Bible said Christ died. From my perspective his message is an affirmation of faith for Christians and honest seekers... certainly a Merry Christmas message.

[DefCon]

Your source link don't work for me.

[DefCon]

"...Larson has not only figured out what the star is,
he's also shared his findings
with thousands of people around the world ..."
- - -
It's just too bad you chose not to share it with the readers of this thread.

[Kirkwood]

This was known for a long time. Too bad this guy takes credit for other people's research.

[Trajan88]

Gig 'Em Texas aTm Aggies!

Trajan88; TAMU Class of '88; Law Hall (may it R.I.P.) Ramp 9 Mule; f.u.p.!

[TLR]

Try http://www.bethlehemstar.net/ I just checked and it works. Incidentally Rick gives full attribution to others and only claims to be blessed by looking a time period that was historically dismissed due to a calendar shift that was not widely recognized during the last couple of centuries. Hopefully you will check out his site and hear the presentation.

[DefCon]

On that web page, it takes the man taking credit for this theory about eight
nearly incomprehensible web pages to finally get around to saying this:
-
"...A magus watching Jupiter that September saw
two objects moving so close that they appeared
to touch. This close approach of celestial bodies
is sometimes called a 'conjunction.' Our Middle
Eastern viewer saw Jupiter coming into a close
conjunction with the star, Regulus. ..."
-
This is a theory that has been around for way over thirty years,
and that's just the time that I have been aware of it.

This entire thread is non-news - and non-sourced.
I rate it a 2 on a 1 - 10 scale.

[UnklGene]

You have to take Arthur C. Clarke with a grain of salt. To hear him tell it, he suggested a geosyncronous communications satellite in 1945!

[syriacus]

Hillsdale college's Imprimis newsletter carried the pretty exciting, theory by Craig Chester, "The Star of Bethlehem," Imprimis, vol. 22, no. 12 (Hillsdale, Mich.: Hillsdale College, 1993). Also found at http://www.hillsdale.edu/imprimis/1996/Dec96Imprimis.pdf.

"The Star of Bethlehem", by Craig Chester

Preview: For over two thousand years the Star of Bethlehem has been a powerful symbol of the Christian faith. Its unique story, told here by astronomer Craig Chester, was originally presented at Hillsdale College Center for Constructive Alternatives Seminar, "Man and Creation: Perspectives on Science and Religion," in the fall of 1992.

[excerpt]

Conjunctions of planets have long been considered good possibilities. A conjunction is a close apparent approach between two celestial objects. Technically speaking, a conjunction occurs at the moment when both objects have the same celestial longitude; one is due north of the other. The closer the objects, the more visually impressive is the event and the more significant astrologically.

In 3 B.C. and 2 B.C., there was a series of close conjunctions involving Jupiter, the planet that represented kingship, coronations, and the birth of kings. In Hebrew, Jupiter was known as Sedeq or "Righteousness," a term also used for the Messiah.

In September of 3 B.C., Jupiter came into conjunction with Regulus, the star of kingship, the brightest star in the constellation of Leo. Leo was the constellation of kings, and it was associated with the Lion of Judah. The royal planet approached the royal star in the royal constellation representing Israel. Just a month earlier, Jupiter and Venus, the Mother planet, had almost seemed to touch each other in another close conjunction, also in Leo. Then the conjunction between Jupiter and Regulus was repeated, not once but twice, in February and May of 2 B.C. Finally, in June of 2 B.C., Jupiter and Venus, the two brightest objects in the sky save the sun and the moon, experienced an even closer encounter when their disks appeared to touch; to the naked eye they became a single object above the setting sun. This exceptionally rare spectacle could not have been missed by the Magi.

In fact, we have seen here only the highlights of an impressive series of planetary motions and conjunctions fraught with a variety of astrological meanings, involving all the other known planets of the period, Mercury, Mars, and Saturn. The astrological significance of these impressive events must surely have been seen by the Magi as the announcement of the impending birth of a great king of Israel.

[claptrap]

Id like to know how the "magi" knew all this stuff.
Who told them and where did all these intricate star maps get downloaded from so these rich guys could cruise the desert on camels no less looking for something positioned under a star never mind the GPS. Im sorry but I wonder if there isnt some allegorical element here the events described are rather far fetched!

[syriacus]

This is a theory that has been around for way over thirty years, and that's just the time that I have been aware of it.

You are right.

Chapter 1: The Star of Bethlehem in History

It was Roger W. Sinnott, writing in the astronomical journal Sky and Telescope, who was the first to draw attention to this unusual conjunction of Jupiter and Venus. He said it was a brilliant “double star” which finally gave the appearance of merging into a single “star” as the planets drew nearer the western horizon. Sinnott showed that only the sharpest eyes would have been able to split them. The twinkling caused by the unsteady horizon atmosphere would have blended the two planets into one “star” for almost all viewers. “The fusion of two planets would have been a rare and awe-inspiring event.” 1 [1 Sky and Telescope, December, 1968, 384–386. ]

[UnklGene]

Sorry. http://news.mysanantonio.com/story.cfm?xla=saen&xlb=180&xlc=1098289

[DefCon]

Thanks, that works !