An Astronomer says the Star of Bethlehem was Jupiter

[Guest guest]

Any thoughts on this from a Jyotish perspective?

 

Das, are there any plans to increase the date range in your program

to cover BCE periods so that we can look at astrological events such

as this, as well as many vedic events?

 

-----------------------------

 

http://www.nationalreview.com/miller/miller122102.asp

 

Twinkle, Twinkle

 

December 21, 2002 5:20 p.m. National Review

 

An Astronomer says the Star of Bethlehem was Jupiter.

 

 

If the Star of Bethlehem were to appear in the sky tonight, you

probably wouldn't even notice it. It wasn't a blazing comet, an

exploding supernova, or any of the other spectacular celestial events

people in search of a natural explanation have proposed. Instead,

says astronomer Michael Molnar, it was the planet Jupiter appearing

in the sign of Aries and rising in the east on the morning of April

17, 6 B.C.

 

If that doesn't sound like a big deal, it's because you're thinking

like someone who lives in the 21st century. Two millennia ago, it

would have sparked the imaginations of expert stargazers — and

signaled the birth of a king.

 

"I never believed I would work on this topic," says Molnar, a former

Rutgers University professor. "I just figured the Star of Bethlehem

was one of those mysteries in the Bible."

 

The detective story behind Molnar's theory starts with a coin he

bought at a New York show in 1990. "My hobby is collecting ancient

Greek and Roman coins that have stars and moons on them," says

Molnar. "For $50, I bought a bronze coin that's about the size of an

American quarter. It has Zeus on one side and Aries the ram with a

star above it on the other."

 

A few months later, Molnar started to examine the coin closely. He

writes for numismatic publications such as The Celator, and began to

research what he considered to be the most interesting feature on his

coin: the star above Aries the ram. Among ancient astrologers, Molnar

learned, Aries the ram was a symbol of Judea. "I realized that Aries

is where ancient astrologers would have been looking for a sign

indicating the birth of a new king," he says. "With the coin, I had

stumbled across this really important clue."

 

Molnar described a few initial ideas about the Star of Bethlehem in

an article for Sky and Telescope magazine. He thought his involvement

would end there. Then the dean of historical astronomy called

him. "I'd read articles and books by Owen Gingerich of Harvard

University, but we'd never spoken," says Molnar. "His call came

completely out of the blue, and he said he thought I was really onto

something. This encouraged me to do more research."

 

He worked on the question for five years, studying Greek versions of

the Bible and the writings of Roman astronomers. "Today we know

Jupiter is a planet, but to the ancient astronomers it was an

important star, and it was linked to the birth of kings," says

Molnar. The position of other planets, plus the sun and the moon,

also carried special meanings. Today, astronomers and astrologers are

very different sorts of people. Twenty centuries ago, however, there

wasn't a distinction.

 

Working on a computer, Molnar learned that the morning of April 17, 6

B.C. contained all the elements he was looking for: Jupiter rose in

the east, in the sign of Aries the ram. Joining it in Aries were the

sun, the moon, and Saturn — events that would have added to the

moment's extraordinary significance for the ancients.

 

"The basic elements of this event occur once every 60 years — in

other words, once a lifetime," says Molnar.

 

But there's more: Mars and Mercury weren't in Aries, and they also

weren't in positions that would have wrecked the divine

interpretation. Mars is notorious for upending astrological events by

showing up in the wrong part of the sky when everything else is in

seeming alignment.

 

"If you think like an ancient astronomer would have thought, this

event would have been extraordinarily exciting," says Molnar.

 

The account describing the Star of Bethlehem is contained wholly

within the Gospel of Matthew — the other gospels don't mention it at

all — lending credence to the idea that the star didn't light up the

night sky like a 4th of July fireworks display. A close reading of

the Bible suggests that nobody saw the star but the wise men, which

may be a way of saying that only the wise men had the astrological

knowledge necessary for interpreting the events of April 17 the way

they did.

 

Many Biblical scholars believe the birth of Jesus probably occurred

between 8 B.C. and 4 B.C. The event Molnar describes took place in 6

B.C. — "right smack dab in the middle," he says.

 

Molnar describes his ideas in detail in his 1999 book, The Star of

Bethlehem: The Legacy of the Magi. It was written mainly for

scholars, but intelligent and interested lay readers won't have

trouble following his arguments. It may be impossible to know whether

Molnar has provided a correct interpretation, but it is possible to

believe he has offered a very good one. (He also has a worthwhile

website, which includes additional information, pictures of coins,

etc.)

 

Bradley E. Schaefer of the University of Texas calls Molnar's

book, "the first revolution in star of Bethlehem research since the

days of Kepler." Adds Gingerich of Harvard: "The Star of Bethlehem is

a fascinating contribution to the immense literature that attempts to

come to terms with the Christmas Star represented in Matthew's

Gospel. In my opinion, this book is the most original and important

contribution of the entire twentieth century on the thorny question

of how events recorded there should be interpreted."

 

I asked Molnar whether he is a man of faith himself. "I don't discuss

my faith," he says. "I stay religiously neutral. I like to say that

I'm faithful to the historical record; there's definitely a

historical basis for that passage in the Bible. I get letters from

all sorts of people telling me that my book has reinforced their

faith, and this has been an unexpected and pleasing result."

 

Molnar would like to put out a popular version of his book. "I'm

thinking of a coffee-table book with lots of pictures," he

says. "Something less technical." He'd also like to update his

technical account, because more information has come to his attention

since it was published three years ago, particularly about the magi

and who they might have been.

 

But for now, we have a wonderful book written by a scientist that

emboldens people of faith — who in the past have felt threatened by

astronomers telling them the earth isn't the center of the universe,

the sun is a fairly minor body on the outskirts of an ordinary

galaxy, and that the moment of creation occurred 15 billion years ago

in a big bang.

 

Yes, Virginia, there really was a Star of Bethlehem.

[Guest guest]

Dear rh_clarke

the appearance of some unusual bright,auspicious star at the birth of Christ

is quite likely , at the time of the appearance of Sri Krishna expert

astronomers noticed the appearance of a whole constellation .In such a way

the appearance of great personalities is heralded in the stars .

Best Wishes

Nicholas

 

-

<rh_clarke

<gjlist>

Friday, December 27, 2002 4:29 AM

[GJ] An Astronomer says the Star of Bethlehem was Jupiter

 

 

Any thoughts on this from a Jyotish perspective?

 

Das, are there any plans to increase the date range in your program

to cover BCE periods so that we can look at astrological events such

as this, as well as many vedic events?

 

-----------------------------

 

http://www.nationalreview.com/miller/miller122102.asp

 

Twinkle, Twinkle

 

December 21, 2002 5:20 p.m. National Review

 

An Astronomer says the Star of Bethlehem was Jupiter.

 

 

If the Star of Bethlehem were to appear in the sky tonight, you

probably wouldn't even notice it. It wasn't a blazing comet, an

exploding supernova, or any of the other spectacular celestial events

people in search of a natural explanation have proposed. Instead,

says astronomer Michael Molnar, it was the planet Jupiter appearing

in the sign of Aries and rising in the east on the morning of April

17, 6 B.C.

 

If that doesn't sound like a big deal, it's because you're thinking

like someone who lives in the 21st century. Two millennia ago, it

would have sparked the imaginations of expert stargazers - and

signaled the birth of a king.

 

"I never believed I would work on this topic," says Molnar, a former

Rutgers University professor. "I just figured the Star of Bethlehem

was one of those mysteries in the Bible."

 

The detective story behind Molnar's theory starts with a coin he

bought at a New York show in 1990. "My hobby is collecting ancient

Greek and Roman coins that have stars and moons on them," says

Molnar. "For $50, I bought a bronze coin that's about the size of an

American quarter. It has Zeus on one side and Aries the ram with a

star above it on the other."

 

A few months later, Molnar started to examine the coin closely. He

writes for numismatic publications such as The Celator, and began to

research what he considered to be the most interesting feature on his

coin: the star above Aries the ram. Among ancient astrologers, Molnar

learned, Aries the ram was a symbol of Judea. "I realized that Aries

is where ancient astrologers would have been looking for a sign

indicating the birth of a new king," he says. "With the coin, I had

stumbled across this really important clue."

 

Molnar described a few initial ideas about the Star of Bethlehem in

an article for Sky and Telescope magazine. He thought his involvement

would end there. Then the dean of historical astronomy called

him. "I'd read articles and books by Owen Gingerich of Harvard

University, but we'd never spoken," says Molnar. "His call came

completely out of the blue, and he said he thought I was really onto

something. This encouraged me to do more research."

 

He worked on the question for five years, studying Greek versions of

the Bible and the writings of Roman astronomers. "Today we know

Jupiter is a planet, but to the ancient astronomers it was an

important star, and it was linked to the birth of kings," says

Molnar. The position of other planets, plus the sun and the moon,

also carried special meanings. Today, astronomers and astrologers are

very different sorts of people. Twenty centuries ago, however, there

wasn't a distinction.

 

Working on a computer, Molnar learned that the morning of April 17, 6

B.C. contained all the elements he was looking for: Jupiter rose in

the east, in the sign of Aries the ram. Joining it in Aries were the

sun, the moon, and Saturn - events that would have added to the

moment's extraordinary significance for the ancients.

 

"The basic elements of this event occur once every 60 years - in

other words, once a lifetime," says Molnar.

 

But there's more: Mars and Mercury weren't in Aries, and they also

weren't in positions that would have wrecked the divine

interpretation. Mars is notorious for upending astrological events by

showing up in the wrong part of the sky when everything else is in

seeming alignment.

 

"If you think like an ancient astronomer would have thought, this

event would have been extraordinarily exciting," says Molnar.

 

The account describing the Star of Bethlehem is contained wholly

within the Gospel of Matthew - the other gospels don't mention it at

all - lending credence to the idea that the star didn't light up the

night sky like a 4th of July fireworks display. A close reading of

the Bible suggests that nobody saw the star but the wise men, which

may be a way of saying that only the wise men had the astrological

knowledge necessary for interpreting the events of April 17 the way

they did.

 

Many Biblical scholars believe the birth of Jesus probably occurred

between 8 B.C. and 4 B.C. The event Molnar describes took place in 6

B.C. - "right smack dab in the middle," he says.

 

Molnar describes his ideas in detail in his 1999 book, The Star of

Bethlehem: The Legacy of the Magi. It was written mainly for

scholars, but intelligent and interested lay readers won't have

trouble following his arguments. It may be impossible to know whether

Molnar has provided a correct interpretation, but it is possible to

believe he has offered a very good one. (He also has a worthwhile

website, which includes additional information, pictures of coins,

etc.)

 

Bradley E. Schaefer of the University of Texas calls Molnar's

book, "the first revolution in star of Bethlehem research since the

days of Kepler." Adds Gingerich of Harvard: "The Star of Bethlehem is

a fascinating contribution to the immense literature that attempts to

come to terms with the Christmas Star represented in Matthew's

Gospel. In my opinion, this book is the most original and important

contribution of the entire twentieth century on the thorny question

of how events recorded there should be interpreted."

 

I asked Molnar whether he is a man of faith himself. "I don't discuss

my faith," he says. "I stay religiously neutral. I like to say that

I'm faithful to the historical record; there's definitely a

historical basis for that passage in the Bible. I get letters from

all sorts of people telling me that my book has reinforced their

faith, and this has been an unexpected and pleasing result."

 

Molnar would like to put out a popular version of his book. "I'm

thinking of a coffee-table book with lots of pictures," he

says. "Something less technical." He'd also like to update his

technical account, because more information has come to his attention

since it was published three years ago, particularly about the magi

and who they might have been.

 

But for now, we have a wonderful book written by a scientist that

emboldens people of faith - who in the past have felt threatened by

astronomers telling them the earth isn't the center of the universe,

the sun is a fairly minor body on the outskirts of an ordinary

galaxy, and that the moment of creation occurred 15 billion years ago

in a big bang.

 

Yes, Virginia, there really was a Star of Bethlehem.

 

 

 

 

 

Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya; Hare Krishna; Om Tat Sat

: gjlist-

 

 

 

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