A Christmas Legend at all. It takes place a long while - An astronomical novelty in the night sky led probably a couple of years- after the eastern wise men to believe the rumor about events in the Nativity story.We connect a newborn King of the Jews, and prompted The Star Of it with the Nativity only because it them to head for Israel to honor him. That comes directly after Matthew has could have happened. The question is: Did Bethlehem described the birth of Jesus, not it? because they happened at the same By Bangs Tapscott time. We Three Kings, The First Noel, Much research has gone into the matter, and other carols just have it wrong. without a definite answer. It centers on the question of whether there was an appropri The wise men had noticed the star in ate astronomical event at an appropriate the East, as it was rising, not in the time, to serve as a basis for the story. West toward Israel. They decided, probably by astrological means, that it The story is during the reign of King Herod, was a sign of an important event they who died in 4 BC. The journey of the wise had heard rumored: the birth of a new men was some time before that, putting the king of the Jews. We aren't told that it birth of Jesus around 6 BC. What celestial was especially bright, but there was events are known to have happened around something about it that got their atten that time? tion. They knew the skies, and this star was something out of the ordinary. The Theories have suggested a comet (none diurnal course of of the star from east known around that time) or a super-nova One of the most familiar icons of the to west each night didn't tell them (none recorded anywhere near that time). Nativity story at Christmas is the Star which way to go and they didn't follow The most promising research focuses on a of Bethlehem ... a brilliant star in the it to Jerusalem. They didn't need to. possible confluence of planets around that East that guided three wise men to the That road was well known. They just time, when they appear so close together as place of the newborn Jesus and hov wanted to get to King Herod and ask to look•like a single bright "star". The ered over his birthplace. It appears in directions to the new child king. favorite candidate seems to be a series of songs and carols, and on Christmas events between the middle of 3 BC and the cards everywhere. The odd behavior of the star only middle of 2 BC, when Jupiter had three con occurs in the short trip between junctions with the bright star Regula. These But for most of us, it ends there. Few Jerusalem and Bethlehem, when the would have been noteworthy enough to stop to ask What IS the actual story? same star they had observed before attract the attention of ancient astrologers. And what are the chances that it's true? suddenly appears in their night sky, and But alas! they don't fit the time frame of the These are two separate questions. moves ahead of them until it stops, Bible story. By the time they happened, directly overhead from the house where Herod was long dead, and the journey of the The Story Jesus lived with his parents. It doesn't wise men would have been history. The familiar story has it that a bright act like a star in the distant heavens. It star arose in the East, and guided the acts like an object in the nearby sky, wise men as it moved toward moving through the air. When it gets Bethlehem, eventually stopping direct where it's going, it stops and hovers ly overhead above the newborn Jesus. and lets them know This Is The Place. It comes from passages in the Book of Matthew: That's the story as we get it from Matthew. In paraphrase: After Jesus was born in Bethlehem, wise men from the East Could It Be Factual? came to Jerusalem and asked King That has been a topic of discussion for Herod, "Where is the one born to be centuries. Part of it is almost certainly Kings of the Jews? We saw his star in embellishment, added either by the East and came to honor him. " Matthew or by his sources (he was Herod told them to head for Bethlehem writing 80 or so years after the events Religious apologists continue to make up ad (some 20 miles to the south). They in question, and hadn't personally wit hoc natural theories to make the kernel of headed out, and the star they had ear nessed them.) Specifically, a star or the story true. Others say there is no natural lier seen in the East appeared there other heavenly body doesn't and can't explanation: it was a one-time miracle. Still before them, and moved ahead of them move about as this one is said to have others call it a "pious myth", not factually until it was over the home ofJesus , done on the road from Jerusalem to true, but added to the story to emphasize the where it stopped. Bethlehem. cosmic importance of Jesus' birth.
Notice that this isn't a Christmas story But the kernel of the story is possible: See "Star" Continued on Page 14 6 Intermountain Acoustic Musician