Star of Bethlehem, New Twist to an Old Mystery
Dr. Michael Molnar's Coin of Antioch - Magi's Star - Ram of Judea
There have been numerous theories about what the Star of the Magi or the Star of Bethlehem really was and when it occurred. Comets, novas and supernovas have been the popular explanations, but, like misguided arrows, for various reasons, these explanations fall short of the target.
Since the exact birth of Jesus is not known, trying to pinpoint the exact celestial phenomenon that works with his approximate birth date has been difficult, even though there were a number of celestial phenomenon during the time periods spanning 8-1 B.C.
Molnar's Coin of Antioch
A simple coin seems to have unlocked the famous Christmas star's mystery, Molnar's coin: "...a bronze Roman coin, dated around 13 A.D....One side bore the image of Jupiter, the pre-eminent god of the Roman pantheon. The other side...the ram of Aries, looking [over its shoulder] at a star." [1].
Antioch, an ancient Roman city, would have been located within the country of present day Turkey. Evidently, the coin was created to memorialize the conquest of Judea by Rome.
Molnar's research suggests that Aries, at the time the coin was created, was the symbol of Judea instead of Pisces. Researching ancient texts, Molnar discovered that Aries was, indeed, the old world sign of the Jews. Armed with this information, Molnar continued his research to deduce that the Christmas Magi of the east, would have looked to the Aries constellation as they searched their charts.
The Magi
The ancient Magi, probably from Persia, were adept astrologers, astronomers and philosophers. They managed their own astrological charts over the centuries - charts that documented when the planets/celestial bodies rose and the paths they followed. Celestial bodies in the sky and on their charts were the subjects of intense serious study by these wise men. The night sky of bygone years was akin to today's newspapers. Any out of the ordinary occurrences were given critical scrutiny.
Celestial Bodies
There were two eclipses in the year 6 B.C. involving the planet Jupiter and the Moon - April 17 and December 19. Jupiter traveled out of the constellation of Aries, April 17 - it becomes the eastern star, or first star of the morning for the Magi. The Sun and the Moon were also in Aries, both strengthening the intensity of the heavenly phenomenon and the signaling of the birth of a great king, according to the astrological interpretations of the day.
Saturn was also present in Aries. These three powerful (heavily laden with astrological meanings) celestial bodies, were present in the constellation of Aries in the year 6 B.C., according to Molnar's studies.
"Having an eclipse, and having Jupiter rise in the east in the morning, was considered the most powerful time to confer kingships, he [Molnar] explained. Furthermore, with Jupiter, the Sun and Saturn in the Aries constellation, astrologers of the day would have found this particular confluence truly awesome." [2].
According to Molnar's celestial calculations, Jupiter than continued to travel west, stops, then changes course to east, August 23, and resides over Judea on December 19, 6 B.C.
Dr. Molnar has written the book, The Star of Bethlehem: The Legacy of the Magi, printed by Rutgers University Press, explaining his theory.
"...Who has displayed Thy splendor above the heavens!" [3].
Source
[1] Michael Molnar
[2] Jupiter
[3] Psalm 8:1, New American Standard Bible, Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee 37234, no
date of publication, pg. 549.
Aries and Star, Antioch Coin
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Planet Jupiter
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