The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1884-12-24
THE STAR OF BE1,HLEHEH

writer's on the subject among the Ger
mans were Mdnter, Ideler, and Weis-
eler with Herzog's Real-Eneyclop@dia
In England and America, writer's on
the subject have generally given up
the astronomical argument for the APP
pearance of such star, since the pub
LEGATION of Smiths Dictionary of the
Bible, where that argument is repudi-
ated by DIR. Pritchard
The discussion, however, is re opened
in Edersheims "Life and Times OF
Jesus the Messiah" He cites from the
Talmud and other Jewish literature OF
that period to show that the Jews had
tradition that Star in the East
would precede the appearance of the
Messiah. We have not space to 90
into these citations here, but, at this
Christmas season, the following ex-
tract from Edersheim's work will prove
interesting:
Did such Star, then really appear
in the East seven years before the Chris
tian era p? Astronomically speaking, and
without any reference to controversy,
there can be no doubt that the most re-
markable conjunction of planets-that of
Jupiter and Saturn in the constellation
Pisces, which occurs only once in 800
years-did take place no less than three
times in the year TAT a. u c., or two
years before the birth of Christ (in May,
October, and Deoember). This conjunc-
ton is admitted by all astronomers. 1t
was not only extraordinary, but present
ed the most brilliant spectacle in the
night-sky, such as could not but attract
the attention of all who watched the
sidereal heavens, but especially of those
who busted themselves with astrology.
In the year following, that is, in 748 A.
U. c., another planet, Mars, joined this
con- Injunction. The merit of first discover
ing these facts-of which it is unneces-
sary here to present the literary history
belongs to the great Kepler, who, accord
ingly, placed the Nativity of Christ in the
year 748 A. U. C. This date, however, is
not only well nigh impossible; but it has
also been shown that such conjunction
would, for various reasons, not answer
the requirements of the Evangelical mar
rative, so far as the guidance to Bethle
hem is concerned. But it does fully &C.
count for the attention of the Magi being
aroused, and-even if they had not pos
sessed knowledge of the Jewish expec-
fancy above described-for their making
inquiry of all around, and certainly,
among others, of the Jews. Here we
leave the domain of the certain, and en-
ter upon that of the probable. Kepler,
who was led to the discovery by observ-
ing similar conjunction in 1904, also
noticed, that when the three planets came
into conjunction, new, extraordinarily
brilliant, and peculiarly coloured evane-
scent star was visible between Jupiter
and Saturn, and he suggested that a
similar star had appeared under the same
circumstances in the conjunction preced-
ing the Nativity. OF this, of course,
there is not, and cannot be, absolute GER
tAinty. But, if so, this would be the
star of the Magi, in its rising There
Is yet another remarkable statement
which, however, must also be assigned
only to the domain of the probable. In
the astronomical tables of the Chi nese-
to whose general trustworthiness so high
an authority as Humboldt bears testi.
mony-the appearance of an evanescent
star was noted. Pingr6 and others have
designated it as comet, and calculated
its first appearance in February $50 A U.
@, which is just the time when the Magi
would, in all probability, leave Jerusalem
for Bethlehem, since this must have pre-
coded the death OF Herod, which took
place in March $50. Moreover, it has
been astronomically ascertained, that such
a sidereal apparition would be visible to
those who left Jerusalem, and that it
would point-almost seem to 90 before
in the direction Of, and stand over, Beth
lehem Such, impartially stated, are the
facts Of tne case-and here the subject
must, in the present state Of our informe
| ton, be left"
JOHN WYcLT, the Morning Star OF