What Was the Christmas Star?
Numerous natural and supernatural explanations for the appearance of the star that guided the wise men to Jesus have been suggested through the years. Below you'll find a summary of several of the more popular theories, plus links to a page where you can read more about each theory.
Whatever the star was, a couple of points are clear: It was bright enough to be seen hundreds of miles from Bethlehem, but only certain people noticed it--those who were looking for light and expecting the birth of the Messiah. Perhaps the question of what the star actually was is not as important as the question the story asks of you and me: Would we have noticed? Are we seeking the Savior earnestly enough? Or do other things shine brighter in our constellation of values and keep us from finding and receiving Him?
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Theory 1: A conjunction of Jupiter and Venus The book Great Events of Bible Times supports the idea that the conjunction of Jupiter and Venus that occurred in 3 BC was the star the wise men followed. Click on the book to the right. NEW 12-23-00 You can read more about this theory and see an animation of the eastern horizon as seen at sunrise from Baghdad on August 12, 3 BC. Follow the animation link after clicking on the book to the right. |
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Theory 2: A conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn or Mars Jupiter and Saturn. This is one of the more common
explanations. Werner Keller included it in his well-known book The Bible
as History. You can read his description of what he believes happened by
clicking on the picture of his book. |
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Theory 3: It was a star explosion, or nova. Chinese astronomy records refer to a "new star" appearing in the east in 5 BC. According to astronomer Nick Strobel, this could have been an event called a nova, when a white-dwarf star suddenly explodes and gives off immense amounts of light. But there are problems with this theory as well. Read his comments by clicking on the picture to the right. |
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Theory 4: It was a band of angels, plus a longer-lasting sign. The star in the east was obviously a supernatural sign--was it something sent specifically by God, or was He working within the natural movement of stars and planets to communicate with the wise men? Some people believe that what the wise men saw was actually the band of angels that came to announce Jesus' birth. Read more about this by clicking on the angels to the right. |
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Theory 5: It was a comet passing across the sky. Those who hold that the sign in the sky may actually have been a comet rely on the same Chinese records as those who believe it was a nova. Read more about this theory by clicking on the picture to the right. |
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