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By Peter T. Chattaway
THE BOOK of Matthew tells us that magi, or “wise men,” came to worship Jesus shortly after his birth because they saw “his star” in the east. It also tells us that the star “went ahead” of the magi as they made their way from Jerusalem to Bethlehem.
But what is Matthew referring to when he talks about this “star?”
Many theories have been offered over the years: some say it was an astronomical
event, such as a comet or supernova, while others say it was an angel or some
similar supernatural phenomenon.
In The Star of Bethlehem, a documentary produced by Stephen McEveety (The Passion of the Christ), a lawyer named Rick Larson presents one of the more elaborate but intriguing
theories out there.
For some, his theory may also prove somewhat controversial.
Noting that the Bible itself tells us that the heavens declare the handiwork of
God, and using software that recreates what the skies would have looked like in
different places at different times, Larson essentially argues that Matthew is
referring to a series of planetary movements that would have had special
meaning for ancient astrologers.
Larson’s main theory is built on several smaller, and sometimes highly debatable,
assertions that may give some viewers pause.
For example, he says Herod the Great probably died in 1 BC and not, as most
historians agree, in 4 BC.
He speculates, without any apparent evidence to back him up, that the magi
belonged to a Jewish community established by the prophet Daniel; and he takes
the astronomical references in Acts 2 and Revelation 12 quite literally,
instead of reading them as apocalyptic symbols the way most scholars do.
On a deeper level, the notion that God has planted coded messages in the
movements of the stars and planets may feel a little like the ‘Bible Code’ nonsense that was all the rage a few years ago.
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But one could always argue that there is a significant difference between
nature, which is a single, unified creation of God’s, and the scriptures, which exist in many slightly different forms thanks to
all the scribes who have copied them and made minor changes in spelling and the
like.
At any rate, there is much here to debate and think about, and Larson draws
attention to a number of details in the Bible that may have slipped the
viewer's notice.
For more information, check out the video's website at BethlehemStar.net.
December 2009
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