The speaker for our meeting on the 24^th of  November was Dr Steve Barrett, Senior Research Fellow at Liverpool University.  The title of Steve’s fascinating talk was ‘Star of Bethlehem’. Steve was looking at the principle elements of the account in Matthew’s Gospel  of the ‘Star’, as seen and followed by the Magi, and then looking at possible  astronomical candidates and known events that fitted into the timeline.

Even the word ‘star’ has to be considered because our present day meaning as Steve explained, to the untrained eye a ‘star’ could be a planet, a comet or a meteor. The modern meaning of the word ‘star’ is something seen in the night sky.  

According to the Gospel of St Matthew the Magi saw the ‘Star’ in the East. The next step was to find out what were the astronomical candidates for the ‘Star’, and how well they fitted into the account of the the Star of Bethlehem.

Astronomical dates then had to be considered to see what happened when, and to decide if those events fitted into the timeline.

With the wonder of computer technology Steve then managed to rewind the clock back to the night sky to a few years BC.

The candidates of Steve’s research were a meteor, a comet, a nova, a supernova or a conjunction. Only the conjunction managed to tick all the required boxes on Steve’s table of requirements, which were as  follows. It was a star in the East, it was significant, Herod wasn’t aware of its appearance, the Star reappeared in the sky, and then ‘stopped’ in the sky.

To be fair to Steve, this talk was given in much more detail than I am noting here, as a non expert, but a fascinated member of the audience. From their reading of the stars all the signs were that there was going to be a very important event which result in the birth of a ‘King’. 

The sight and effect of the conjunction of Jupiter and Venus, which was a very rare event, could understandably be taken as a sign of a very important event, more than likely, the birth of a King.  Steve explained in his lecture that every ‘star’, planet, comet, meteor or zodiacal constellation had an astrological significance in those early days.

 In the case of the conjunction under discussion, Venus signifies beauty, fertility and birth. Jupiter signified royalty, the king of planets.

This was a fascinating talk, very well researched, thought provoking and entertaining analysis of the possible candidate for ‘ The Star of Bethlehem’. Many thanks go to Dr Steve Barrett.

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Article provided by Edwina Alcock, with thanks.