The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-30
TIE STAR or BETHLEHEM.
Evidence That Counts for Much Tow ard
Confirming the Biblical story.


Nearly three hundred years ago the great
astronomer Kepler. a devout as well az n
learned man, sought mathematically to dem
onstrate the truth Of the story Of the Star of
Bethlehem. Applying the laws of the motion
OF the stars he had discovered. he cal cuMted
that on the night Of Dec. 25-28 8B. C.. there
occurred. visible In Palestine. maximum
conjunction Of Jupiter and Saturn.
That is, on that night the two planets.
rs seen from that part of the EARTH were
directly in line and for time would be seen
as one star. combining the brilancy Of both.
Kepler thought this conjunction explained the
appearance of the unusually bright strange
star which amazed the shepherds and which
the Wise Men saw as they came from the
Fast
Then scholars working on New Testam ent
chronology became satisfied that the dates
Of Dionysius, then generally received. We're
incorrect; They found evidence that Herod
living ut the time OF the Nativity died in the
nth year before that then accepted AS the
first of the Chr stian era, In fact it Is gem
prevents change, that this is not the 1904
year since the birth Of Jesus. but at least the
lao7th. and probably the l009th.
This discovery OF the error in the tradi
tional chronology. though it confirmed Keep
ler's calculations indirectly. did not cause his
suggestion about the Star OF Bethlehem TO be
two planets occurred about that time was
admitted. but it was not considered proved
that Jesus was born on exactly that night
In fact. the tendency was to regard the story
oil the star as wonder tale. produced by
the universal human habit of assocating re-
lIarkable, natural events with the births or
deaths of conspicuous personages.
But nov Baron +. Won Aefele. in n pamphlet
mum conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn il
described in list OF the positions Of the
planets from II B. c. 10 10 A. D.. lately dis.
covered in Egypt. Furthermore, the. old
tails that correspond closely with those set
down in the second chapter of Matthew.
Yet again. the Greek word translated stood
in Matthew's account. which most com
mentators have declared to be "A poetical
expression, turns out TO be the technical
term used by the Egyptian astronomer to
describe the conjunction of Jupiter and
Saturn. which he records AZ occurring at "A
date corresponding TO Dec. 20, b. c.. Of our
calendar.
Baron Won Arfele draws from this con-
trmation Of kepler's computations and
Matthews narrative the conclusion that the
Christmas festival was fixed on Dec - not
MALTA or the festival OF some popular pagan
god. but because the early Christians knew
exactly when the Founder OF their faith
appeared as child among men.
is that this old Egyptian record, taken with
kepler's calculations. confirms the Gospel
narrative. IL shows that the birth OF the
Founder OF their fifth was attended by an en-
ceptional aspect of the heavens. II shows
that the writer of Matthews Gospel did not
fabricate this incident of the Nativity. though
it as one that the human mind in oil ages
has tended to associate with the births of
great leaders. as the Buddhist birth stories
show. And by thus confirming the careful
vera city Of the Gospel narrative in thIt
particular it strengthens belief in its truth
in all others