Washington sentinel., 1900-01-13
The Real Star or Bethlehem.
LispiaeokPs Magazine,

A~IlDIICCkt , AAeE e~AtSB
It was a cloister fancy Of the
Dark Ages that "the Star Of Beth
lehem" vas some especially cre-
ated star like body, probably
within our atmosphere, designed
wholly for the leading Of the Wise
Men. The law oil parsimony re-
iects such expIication, and science,
with silent scorn, turns its back
upon the bauble star, for in the
glorious depths OF heaven are
matchless oTbs which, swinging on
their way into mortal ken for a
while, meet all the demands oi
poet and OF prophet for the "Star
OF the King" History affords US
data for determining this wondrous
star. When the Magi arrived in
TeruSalem Herod was within a few
weeks OF his death. The massacre
Of the babes Of Bethlehem was one
OF the last of his tragic deeds,
Herod died in the year OF Rome
$50. When "Herod inquired dill
gently what time the star ap
peared" the reply was evidently
such that he thought it safe TO
exterminate all sons ot Bethlehem
from two years old and under, "
showing that "the star" had been
known to the Wise Men for at
least two wears before their arrival
in jerusalem, and whet er its aP-
pearing had marked the concep.
ton or the birth of "the King"
Herod could not decide. Re
Gently discovered tablets at Zidon
give the date OF two enrolments for
taxing, made under Cyrenius,
Governor OF Syria. The first Of
these, during which Christ was
born, was made FIVE years before
the date A. D.
We have thus to look Tor some
remarkable stellar appearance be-
tween six and seven years prior to
the usually given but universally
admitted erroneous date OF A. D,
as we record it, when came our
Lord to earth. KepleT, prince Of
astronomers, and in his peculiar
genius last Of the Magiaus, led the
way in pointing out the astronomic
facts Of the wears preceding the
birth Of the Messiah. In the year
Of Rome TAT the Magian astrono-
mers, tossed with the unrest OF
their day. seeking, as Daniel had
long before, "by book" and shar-
ing the expectations which per-
vaded the world at that time, as
notably appears in the fourth
eclogue OF Virgil, were scanning
the sky for wonders, when "a sign
appeared in the heavens"-JupI-
ter, most brilliant OF the hosts OF
night, entered into conjunction
with Saturn. Slowl" the glorious
king OF the midnight skies ad.
vanced to pay his greeting to his
paler because more distant elder
brother. Gradually the royal pair
approached until their longitude
conceded, and between them lay
an apparent space Of two diameters
OF the moon as she seems to US,
This kingly meeting was IN the
house oil Pisces. There were many
Jews OF the Diaspora in Persia to
tell of the DeliveTer promised in
their Davidian line. With renewed
eagerness the Magians watched as
the great planets swept apart. II
was in the beauty OF the May time
that the blazing brothers drew
asunder. In July, as won by some
potent spell, they Ietrograded. By
the end OF September Jupiter
reached the climax of his splendor,
being nearest the earth and nearest
the sun Of all his positions, aud in
hery magniicence stood close by
Saturn. Slowly the two parted,
as enforced to go, but seeming
still unTeady." Once more the
sky born brothers sought each
others face when winter lay upon
the world; and thus the year OF the
city 747, year OF astronomic mar
Vels, closed.
The watching Magians could
not doubt that some great event
was predicted, some king was fore
shown in JewerY. Perhaps they
discussed journey TO the Holy
Land; but the way was long and
hard, so they tarried on their tow
ers until a new spring came to
earth and a new wonder appeared
in heaven. Once more these
5leepless watchers oil the night saw
the mystic sign, Jupiter and Saturn
q gain neared each other, while,
most strange and far, a third
planet joined the two and crowned
the night with a circle of auspIci-
GUS fre-MaTs stood with his elder
brothers IN conjunction: Saturn,
J jupiter, Mars, the celestial mes
sage was complete. One, sage,
king. conqueror, was indicated in
Iudea. Summoned as by Divine
voice by this recurrent wonder, the
Magians set forth for Palestine
From the Persian heights the Jour
neY, taken evidently by way OF
Chaldea. and then westward to the
Mediterranean coast, must have
occupied fully seven months. Up
% this point we have heavenly
wonders but not a new star.
When in 1908 and 1904 a similar
conjunction of Jun ter, Saturn, and
Mars occurred. Offering the most
brilliant OF all the spectacles Of the
night sky, Kepler observed beside
he three planets a new star, large,
extraordinarily brillian with a
! zzlIng, ,changefully colored light.
Not meteor, not an appearance
within our atmosphere, but Tar off |
IN the siCeTeal heavens a glorious