The San Francisco call., 1903-12-20

non Aappear1ngD, is DelleT renueIeo Uy
the expression ''light-giving," and
means that the light was inherent in
the star itself: in other words, the star
was a sun. The expressions used are
such as could not be applied to tenn
porarily luminous object.
s. 1t was a star that had a relative
position in the sky-it was in the east.
Assuming that the correct rendering Of
anatole is in the east" then 1t has
reference to that particular part Of the
heavens to the east Of the observer.
The observers, therefore, must have
been west of Jerusalem. This Is point
to be borne in mind, as we shall have
TO refer to it. more particularly later
on. The conclusion here arrived at IL
contrary TO the generally received opin-
ion. AS FAR as I am aware II is uni
versally held that the Magi were resi-
dent or located in the east at the time
the star appeared to them. Yet accord
ing to the plain terms Of the statement
they must have been located IN the
west. Anatole means % the rising Of
the heavenly bodies from the horizon:
% the dawn or dayspring; CD the east
or orient. Whichever meaning you
adopt, the beholder must have been
west OF the star. The star must have
pointed to or been at Jerusalem when
first observed by the wise men. There
fore the wise men must have been
west Of Jerusalem.
6. Il was a fixed star-not erratio
in its movements. The term ''star" was
used by the wise men. But they were
skilled astronomers and knew the diff
ference between star, a planet,
comet or a meteor, for all of which
there were distinct names. Hence
planet, comet, meteor are ruled out by
the word aster (star). And hence ws
conclude that the star in the east was
q fixed star.
But assume that 1t was the evange-
list who used the word aster. We still
must conclude that II was a fixed star
In the days Of the apostles the differ
ent kinds Of heavenly bodies had dis
tinctive names. They are to be found
in Josephus. the Jewish historian, and
St Jude distinguishes a planet from
q star Jude 13l-aster planets (wan-
derlng stars)- Had IT been other than
a fixed star the evangelist would have
stated so.
Z. 1t was a star in the sign pisces
OF the zodiac-the sign Of Judea. This
is an important factor Among the
ancients there was a part of the heav-
ems called the zodiac. It was a belt
encircling the heavens on each side Of
the ecliptic, or apparent path Of the
sun among the stars, within which the
larger planets always remain. 1t ex-
tended to eight degrees on either side
OF the ecliptic. 1t was divided into
twelve parts called the Signs Of the
Zodiac. The different countries Of the
earth were divided among the twelve
signs. Judea belonged TO the sign
pisces, the twelfth. The Magi, like all
other astrologers or astronomers, be-
lieved in the division. It may be as
well to answer an objection here. It
is that astrology being a false science,
God could not make use OF It in the
accomplishing of his designs. But this
is TO object to what God actually did
If he used false prophet to disclose
his will surely he would reveal that
Will through a false science. 1t was
not to teach science that God gave his
revelation. He therefore used the
prophet Balaara, in all probability one
OF the old Magi. AS Gerlach we'll says
in his commentary, "As Jesus adapted
himself to fishermen by q miraculous
draught OF fishes; to the sick by curing
of their infrmities. and to all his hear
ers by his parallels relating to the cir
cumstances around them, so did he
draw the astronomists to himself by
condescending to their favo-ite SCI
ence." The star of Bethlehem must
be connected with the sign of pisces.
So far we have traced some OF the
necessary conditions Of the star. Let
US now try and discover the star that
fulhIls these conditions. In doing so
we shall briefly discuss the different
theories put forth and held by differ
ent people, some Of them men OF great
eminence in their own particular
sphere. We shall also show the un-
tenableness of the different hypothe-
ees:
I. The star was not an angel. No
less father Of the church than Theo-
phvlact held this view. He believed