The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1943-12-24
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appears from sight. Seldom do they
last more than a few days.
So if a nova Of extraordinary bril-
lance did burst forth a few days or
weeks before the birth of Christ, this
could be the Star toward which the
wise men hurried, so long ago. It
must be remembered, however, that
the nova, if such it was, actually had
burned out long before the first
Christmas eve, because most Of the
stars are so distant that light takes
many years to travel from them to
the earth. Only lately the Nova Her
culis has been seen, but its light has
been travelling through space for
1900 years, at 1856, 900 miles second.
Learned Guesses.
But these conjectures and scien-
tific guesses are simply that
guesses. No one knows just what
the Christmas Star was, or how it
directed the wise men from the east
to the little town of Bethlehem. It
may be that, since there were proph-
ecies to guide the Magi to that viii
lage in Judea, the Star did not ex-
actly point the way, as some fanci-
full legends have put it, but merely
indicated to the wise men the glori-
Gus day was near at hand.
The director of the Adler Plane
tarium in Chicago comments that no
star could "stand still" in the heav-
ems while the three Magi plodded
YEARLY onward. 1t would swing with
the other stars in the daily round,
as the earth turns on its axis. And
again, star could not remain fixed
over the stable on that night Of
nights, casting down a great broad
beam of purest light. That is, no
natural" star could. It would
move onward with the procession Of
the heavens, until it set below the
horizon.
A Miracle.
But the world has believed in that
Star for 10 centuries. Scientists do
not deny that it could have been a
miracle-that "Star of Wonder, Star
of Hope" that shone over the crib
of the Saviour. It is no more diff
ficult to believe that star could
send its beams down on that sacred
spot than that angels sang to the
shepherds, "Glory to God in the
highest" It is one more marvel
among many marvels.
From the Scriptures and from ira
dition it is known that the three wise
men or Magi ("Magi" was the term
for astrologer in the East) saw a
great light in the sky, and took it for
the Star that heralded the birth of
the King Of the Jews, who would
deliver mankind from bondage. The
three learned men, called kings by
tradition, mounted their camels, and
came together, one from Chaldea,
one from Persia, and one from Ara
bia. Their names, according to Bede,
were Kaspar, Melchior, and Bal
thasar.
When they came to the stable in
Bethlehem, they knelt in reverent
wonder, like the simple shepherds
gathered about the Babe, and of
fered their rich gifts of gold, frank
incense and myrrh.'' Today, al
though scientific knowledge has adj
vanced a thousand-fold since the
time Of Christ, the mystery attached
to all that sacred story remains.
The Star of Bethlehem is still a
mystery to science. It will always
remain so, for there is no way to
l A ~
that night, so long ago, and to in
vestigate the phenomena with pre-
else instruments. But millions Of
Christians will continue to believe
that the glorious symbol of hope,
the Star, shone over the little stable
on that first Christmas, while celes-
tial music fioated over the country
side, and all the world was hushed
in wonder.