Jesus’ welcoming committee included Eastern scholars who learned about His birth through their study of astrology. I can’t help thinking that the arrival of these people at Bethlehem is a link between a very early form of science (albeit mixed in with their own form of religion) and Christian faith. What better way to discover God than to explore the world and follow the evidence wherever it leads? But what exactly was the star of Bethlehem? Scientists have investigated this question over the centuries, coming up with a variety of answers.
First, there is the idea of a supernova: the massively bright explosion caused by a dying star. On rare occasions a supernova can be seen from Earth with the naked eye, remaining visible for several months. We now know that Herod the Great died around 4BC, so the actual date of Jesus’ birth must be a little earlier. The supernovae that might match this timing were one in the Andromeda galaxy between March 8BC and September 7BC, and another in the constellation of Capricorn in the Spring of 5BC.
Next, comes a planetary conjunction. The alignment most commonly associated with the star of Bethlehem was between Jupiter and Saturn in the constellation of Pisces in 7BC, but not everyone is sure whether this would be extraordinary enough to be the ‘star’ mentioned in the Bible.
Finally, the bright astronomical object that drew the Magi could have been a comet. This idea came from Sir Colin Humphreys, Professor of Materials Science at Cambridge University, and Oxford astronomer WG Waddington, who found that a comet was recorded by Chinese astronomers between March and May, 5BC. Humphreys then speculated that the ‘no room at the inn’ scenario came about because Jesus was born during Passover, and the Magi visited Jesus in May or June.
People interpret the biblical account of Jesus’ birth in all sorts of ways, but there’s very little argument from serious historians that Jesus of Nazareth actually existed. Whatever the true explanation for the ‘star of Bethlehem’ may be, there’s plenty of evidence that an astronomical event could have happened at the time of His birth.
I think it makes perfect sense that if God was going to enter His own creation and take on the form of one of His own creatures, it should be marked by a very significant physical event!
Dr Ruth M Bancewicz, Church Engagement Director at The Faraday Institute for Science and Religion in Cambridge
Feature Image: The Star of Bethlehem, Edward Burne-Jones (1890) Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons