star star called revealed birth jesus biblical later led according christian tradition star appears story gospel matthew east inspired star travel jerusalem meet king ask king jews born following verse book interpreted prophecy directs south jerusalem star leads jesus home town worship gifts wise men given divine warning return return home different route christians star sign mark birth christ claimed star fulfilled prophecy known attempts link star unusual astronomical events conjunction venus modern scholars consider story describing historical event pious fiction created author gospel matthew subject favorite shows christmas season biblical account describes jesus broader greek word mean infant child specific word infant possibly implying time passed birth visit traditionally celebrated january western christianity matthew narrative gospel matthew account translated wise men accurately arrive court jerusalem tell king star signifies birth king jews jesus born days king wise men east came jerusalem saying born king jews seen star east rising come worship king heard troubled jerusalem gathered chief priests people christ born troubled appearance star told king jews born understands refer leader jewish people coming believed scripture asks advisors born answer birthplace king david quote prophet king passes information secretly called wise men determined time star appeared sent said search carefully young child found bring word come worship heard king departed star seen east went till came stood young child saw star great joy come house saw young child mary mother fell opened treasures presented gifts gold matthew account suggests knew star king jews born arrived jerusalem present jesus gifts gold verse describes find mother child house dream warned return jerusalem leave country route realizes tricked orders execution male children years old younger based age child regard information given concerning time star appeared joseph warned dream takes family egypt safety gospel links escape verse scripture interprets prophecy egypt called son reference departure egypt moses quote suggests matthew saw life jesus story jewish people representing egypt standing dies joseph family return egypt settle said prophecy called reference known word related word means bible commentators think refers shall come forth shoot stock branch roots shall bear fruit explanations pious fiction scholars gospel stories later accounts created establish status jesus regard star pious fiction aspects matthew account raised questions historical event include matthew mentions star mark author gospel mark considered modern text scholars oldest appear aware story character gospel john states jesus described jesus scholars suggest jesus born narratives reflect desire gospel writers present birth prophecy matthew account conflicts given gospel luke family jesus live travel census return home immediately matthew description attending birth jesus compared stories concerning birth linking birth appearance star consistent popular belief person life linked particular star astronomical events linked public mind visit rome delegation time spectacular appearance time gospel matthew composed delegation led armenia came seeking confirmation title emperor ancient historian wrote king return route followed coming line echoed matthew account prophecy believed astronomical phenomena connected terrestrial events routinely associated birth important people including hebrew greek roman heroes star traditionally linked clearly intended refer time long past kingdom long ceased exist time written passage widely seen reference coming example cited believed referred emperor influential early christian connected prophecy star commencement new occasion important events arises called similar body matter wonder birth introduce new doctrine human race known teaching jews greeks nations star arisen respect prophecy circulation effect arise connection particular kingdom particular time respect appearance star birth jesus prophecy recorded moses effect shall arise star jacob man shall rise israel suggested decided travel jerusalem man appearance star actually come world called kings belief fulfill concerning journey jerusalem kings mentions gifts gold greek translation probably matthew gifts given gold similar matthew gold gift mortality according argued explanation viewed star purely tell star point spot confined space shed left height came stood head young child said star went till came stood young child astronomical object greek usually translated wise men context probably means involvement story birth jesus problematic early church condemned demonic widely cited explanation suggested allowed time gospel conjunction german determined series planets saturn occurred year argued incorrectly conjunction create nova linked star modern calculations gap nearly degree approximately twice diameter moon planets visually impressive ancient found covers events period indicate special interest 20th century argued astronomical event saturn triple conjunction archaeologist suggested explanation series seven including close conjunction venus near june fusion planets rare awe inspiring event according venus conjunction occurred earlier august events occurred generally accepted date death conjunction seen west sunset led south jerusalem writers suggest star visible object possibly nova seen chinese korean object observed seventy days movement recorded ancient writers described hanging specific cities star said stood place jesus town generally thought unlikely ancient times generally seen bad explanation recently promoted theory involves hypothetical appeared recent hypothesis star occurring nearby difficult detect remnant galaxy obtain accurate date occurred remnants detected rising told saw star east according translations rising imply routine appearance theory interprets phrase matthew east term concerning rising translation proposed view rejected modern ancient texts insist text use technical terms rising star matthew terms rising double argues star east refers astronomical event significance context ancient greek suggests link star double moon march april particularly second april planets moon common wrote sign birth divine king argues symbol fact affect previous interpretations material theory debated scientists historians star october harvard supports explanation noted technical questions gospel story king taken surprise said wasn suddenly brilliant new star sitting anybody seen subtle says wise men actually undertook journey search newborn king bright star didn guide told set events close sun visible naked eye annual cycle theory connects star series unique generally events involving planet referred planet meaning white star events centered planet annual cycle symbolically associated judaism conception star referred study jewish perspective concerning heavens ago venus attorney examined biblical account chapter found following qualities star birth related jewish nation rose east aware appeared exact time endured time according matthew traveled south jerusalem stopped astronomy software article written based work thinks characteristics found events took place skies highlights include triple conjunction called king planet fixed star called king star starting september believes time jesus conception june months later human conception period continued moving orbit sun appeared close conjunction venus venus june called meaning term suggested planet venus represents love fertility chester suggested viewed close conjunction venus indicating coming new king israel taken seriously independently found june conjunction noted appeared bright beacon light continued stopped apparent motion december town planets stationary point planet moves eastward stars passes opposite point sky sun appears slow come stop backward westward weeks stops resumes eastward course said chester date december appeared stop took place season date later chosen celebrate christmas relating star historically jesus birth story star described actual event identify year jesus born gospel matthew describes birth jesus taking place king according died lunar eclipse eclipse usually identified eclipse march scholars suggested dates allows seven months events documented lunar eclipse days allowed lunar eclipse suggest eclipse narrative implies jesus born appearance star appearance court king said ordered execution boys years age younger implies appeared preceding years scholars date birth jesus suggest jesus birth gospel luke says census took place governor syria suggests took place years death family jesus left shortly birth scholars explain apparent error author gospel luke concluding concerned creating symbolic narrative historical account unaware indifferent chronological difficulty debate bible correct reading luke instead translating registration taking place governor syria versions translate use alternative suggested correct translation agreement acknowledged translation justified according tax census conducted roman senator particularly irritated jews causes movement armed resistance rome perspective luke trying differentiate census time jesus birth tax census mentioned acts took place later time ancient writer identified census jesus birth taxes universal pledge allegiance emperor noted early writers years equivalent later birth jesus including rome senator year places death says jesus born years died birth jesus notes christ birth equivalent religious interpretations interpreted event symbolic significance regardless natural phenomenon sign sent god lead christ child illustrated orthodox christian star depicted golden dark icon indicating light divine grace ray pointing place young child lay matt faint image angel drawn inside believe star actual astronomical event visible world book believe contains writings ancient new star appear sign jesus born later writes prophecy witnesses witnesses star seen product sign god star led jerusalem met king plan kill jesus seventh day desire ages states star distant company shining angels wise men ignorant depiction art paintings pictures include depiction star form depicted subject designed related star held angel colourful star known symbol holiday design light recalling star basic form points tails evoke rays light pointing way stable candles inside superseded electric illumination silver star rays marks location traditionally claimed jesus birth popular culture star episode twilight zone run 1980s based science fiction short story star english writer distant space ship comes calculated occurred approximately distance light years developed civilization priest crisis faith god let civilization die herald birth christ astronaut shows recording civilization populace stating realized peak time way new people left art music legacy future generations christmas star alluded christmas example kings refrain
Star of Bethlehem