The Washington herald., 1911-01-01
DEEP MYSTERY
OF LOST STAR
OF BETHLEHEM

No data exists a. to the actual ap-
pearance Of the star Of Bethlehem which
chronicled the coming of the Messiah
and from which also dates the beginning
Of our present measure Of time All ef-
forts to associate or identify 1t with any
known body in the heavens at that pc
riod have failed The planets Jupiter and
Saturn are known to have been in view
IN the evening sky at that time. but
they were not new stars" They were
we'll known heavenly bodies. Jupiter
being worshiped by many in these
Eastern countries, SO It is not possible
that it could have been either one Of
them.
Some effort has been made to associate
or identify II with Halley's comet, but
this has been effectually disposed Of by
the remarkable tables of the previous ap-
pearances Of that comet prepared by
Messrs. Crowell and Crommeletn, Of the
Royal Observatory, England. in which
they show that its nearest appearance
to the dawning Of the Christian era was
twelve years prior to that date.
Astronomy at this period was in an
advanced state. There was a wide and
general knowledge Of the stars among
the Egyptians, the Chaldeans. and the
Greeks. They lived out Of doors or on
house tops and studied the heavens.
Probably they knew more Of the appear
ance and phenomena Of the heavens
than we do.
Knew Earth Was Spherical
Hfpparcus. the father Of astronomy. es-
tablished the fact of the procession Of
A. hat fo hot tho mn
crosses the equator about one minute
farther westward each year, a hundred
and fifty years before Christ was born.
and it is consequently believed that he
knew the earth was spherical in form.
He catalogued 1.0O0 stars, and invented
an instrument for calculating latitude
and longitude.
For centuries the Chaldeans had fore
cast eclipses Of the moon upon a prin-
ciple which is the basis Of the method
used by astronomers to-day.
Astrology was an accepted science, and
played an important part in every walk
in life. Kings and queens, as well as
the humblest herdsman, consulted the
astrologer to learn IL the stars were ia
vorably or unfavorably situated for their
various undertakings. He was the ar
bitter as to the declaration Of war be-
tween nations, as well as the everyday
affairs of men and maidens.
The influence Of the stars for veal or
woe was universally acknowledged. What
then was more natural than that the
Ruler Of the Universe should have turned
to the azure pages Of this open book as
a msslium through which to proclaim that
the I3ur was at hand for the coming OF
"the aew born King of the Jews?"
~There Shall Come . STAR"
Fifteen hundred years before Balaam
had prophesied that there shall come q
star out Of Jacob and a scepter shall rise
out of Israel"
When this new and strange light-a
star. a comet, . pillar Of ,fire-we know
not which. appeared to the wise men. It
brought revelation Of Balaam.s proph-
ecy. It beckoned them on and they at
once prepared to follow. to pay homage
to the divinely ordained King. As they
journeyed 1t preceded them until they
reached Jerusalem. when Il disappeared
for time. to reappear when they re.
sumed their journey, to pause At last over
the lowiy cot Of Jesus. Who was destined
10 have the greatest influence over man
kind OF any Individual the world has ever
known
The phenomenon Of star appearing IN
the heavens for brief period and then
has occurred IN several wel1
instances In comparatively
recent years. The most remarkable In
stance was in 1s7z. whom Tycho Brahe.
The famous Danish astrouomer. saw .
stAr blaxe forth. IN oneshalf hour. and II
became 10 brilliant that Il could Be seen
b. midday.
In tsB there was one Of the second mag
nltuds, and n lsee ope or the alxth magnt-
sude wa9 eeen. ard Z .do9eu - mere have
,een discovered within ~ peef eew yea<1
- oknnEvueog9. & - 4: 4 $ -