Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1903-09-25
THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM.
Evidence that Counts for Much Toward
Confirming the Biblical Story.

Nearly three hundred years ago the
great astronomer Kepler, deyout af
well as learned man, sought mathe.
matically to demonstrate the truth OF
the story of the Star of Bethlehem.
Applying the laws Of the motion of the
stars he had discovered be calculated
that on the night of December 25 26,
b B. c.. there occurred, visible in Pal
estine. a maximum conjunction of
Jupiter and Saturn.
That is, on that night the two planets,
as seen from that part of the earth,
were directly in line and for a time
would be seen as one star, combining
the brilliancy of both Kepler thought
this conjunction explained the appear
ance of the unusually bright strange
star which amazed the shepherds and
which the Wise Men saw as they came
from the East.
Then scholars working on New Tes-
lament chronology became satisfied
that the dates of Dionysius, then gen.
orally received, were incorrect. They
found evidence that Herod the Great
said in the Gospels to have been living
at the time OF the Nativity, died in
the fifth year before that then accept
ed as the first of the Christian era. In
fact, it is generally admitted now,
though convenience prevents a change, |
that this is not the 1903d year since the
birth of Jesus, but at least the 1907th /
and probably the l909th.
This discovery of the error in the
traditional chronology, though it con-
firmed Kepler's calculations directly,
did not cause his suggestion about the
Star of Bethlehem to be wholly accept
ed. That the conjunction of the two
planets occurred about that time was
admitted, but 1t was not considered
proved that Jesus was born on exactly |,
that night. In fact, the tendency was
to regard the story of the star as
wonder tale, produced by the universal
human habit of associating remarka-
Bile natural events with the births or
deaths of conspicuous personages.
But now Baron F. Won Aefele, in a
pamphlet published at Berlin, points
put that this maximum conjunction of
Jupiter and Saturn is described in a
list of the positions of the planets from
Il B. G. to 10 A. D., lately discovered
In Egypt. Furthermore, the old Egyp-
'ian star gszer gives number of
VI details that correspond closely with
hose set down in the second chapter of
Matthew. Yet again, the Greek word
translated 'stood'' in Matthew's ac-
count, which most commentators have
declared to be poetical expr ession,
urns out to be the technical term used
syrtne Egyptian astronomer to describe
he conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn,
which he records RS occurring at a
ate corresponding to December 26, 8
). G., Of our calendar.
Baron Won Aefele draws from this
onfirmation of Kepler g computations
nd Matthew'S narrative the conclusion
hat the Christmas festival was fixed
n December 25, not because it was +
be time of the Roman Saturnalia or Z
1e festival of some popular pagan god, ?
ut because the early Christians knew b
xactly when the Founder of their faith 4
ppeared as child among men.
The main interest of the matter to .
hristians is that this old Egyptian re .
,rd. taken with Kepler's calculations, q
,nfirms the Gospel narrative. 1t O
lows that the birth of the Founder of IL
leir faith was attended by an exeep ic
onal aspect of the heavens. 1t shows D
nat the writer of Matthews Gospel u
id not fabricate this inc ident OF the -
ativity, though it was one that the
uman mind in all ages has tended to a
'sociate with the births of great lead W
s, as the Buddhist birth stories show. b.
nd by thus confirming the careful D
sracity of the Gospel narrative in that a
articular it strengthens belief ia its ie
rth in all others.-Chicago Inter -
cean.