The Christmas Story is a story of hope, redemption and Joy. It is also a story shrouded in mystery. In the Gospel of Matthew we learn of the Magi who visit the Holy Family after following a star to Bethlehem. This is an amazing story of the birth of Jesus, but can any of this story be confirmed by historical records or scientific analysis? Who were the Magi, where did they come from, and why did they make the trip? Was there an actual star or astronomical event which matches the Biblical description of the ‘Christmas Star’? Can any of these events, if confirmed, help us establish when the birth of Jesus actually took place?
"After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, Where is the one who was born King of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” (Matthew 2:1–2)
The Magi had been advising rulers since at least the
sixth century B.C. and some believe they played a major role in selecting many
kings. Since large numbers of Jews had previously been in exile in Babylon, the
Magi would have certainly known a great deal about the Jewish customs and
prophesies, including the prophecy of a star foretelling the birth of a great
king, of the Messiah.
‘"I see him, but not now, I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of all the people of Sheth. Edom will be conquered, but Israel will grow strong. A ruler will come out of Jacob and destroy the survivors of the city.” (Numbers 24:17–19)
If such a unique astronomical event
were to take place, it is understandable that a group of Magi would have been
dispatched to gather more information and to pay their respects, to this new king. They would have had a keen interest in any new king in the
region, but this king was prophesied to be unique, special, and someone of
great importance. With this in mind it is likely the Magi would have sent some
of their best and most capable members. The journey from Baghdad to Bethlehem
would have been a trek of approximately 1,000 miles by the route the group
would have taken. While it is unclear exactly how many Magi made the trip, it
is an almost certainty they did not travel alone. Being wealthy individuals,
the Magi would have certainly had servants and bodyguards to assist and protect
them during the trip. This entourage could have been quite large and would have
traveled an estimated ten to twenty miles per day. This would have resulted in
a trip of just over 60 days, or approximately 2 months.
The ancient Chinese closely watched
the stars, planets and other heavenly bodies. Not only did they have a strong
knowledge of the night skies, they were also meticulous record keepers. In 7
B.C. the Chinese recorded the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn. In 6 B.C. they
also recorded the massing of not only Jupiter and Saturn but also Mars. The
conjunction of these three planets would have been both very rare and very
brilliant. As brilliant as these events would have been, the only known
astrological event which would appear to move across the sky would be a comet,
not a star or a conjunction of planets.
In the year 5 B.C. the Chinese
recorded yet another event, a comet which their records report appeared in the
night sky for 70 days. The comet originally appeared in Capricornus and then
moved to the west. This time line matches the Biblical story exactly. The
census of Caesar Augustus, which is why Joseph and Mary were traveling to
Jerusalem, was held in 5 B.C.
Colin Humphreys with the University
of Cambridge believes the combination of all of these events spurred the Magi
to action. The conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, followed by the triple
alignment of Jupiter, Saturn and Mars would have signaled the Magi something
major could be about to take place. When these events were closely followed by
the appearance of the comet, it was seen as a sign of a great king being born
in the west, in Judea. The Magi responded to these events and went in search of
the new-born king.
The visit of the Magi should not be confused with the visit of the Shepherds. The shepherds visited the Holy Family while they were still in the stable. Matthew tells us the Magi found the baby Jesus in a house. It is reasonable to expect Joseph would have moved Mary, and the new-born baby out of the stable as soon as better accommodations became available. One would expect this to have been within a day or so of Jesus’ birth. Some believe Jesus may have been up to two years old when the Magi visited, but I feel this to be unlikely. Joseph and Mary would have presented Jesus at the temple eight days after His birth to be circumcised. After this there would have been no real reason for the family to remain in Bethlehem. They would have left the majority of their possessions at home and Joseph would have needed to return to work. So it seems probable the Magi visited Jesus within two weeks of His birth.
This brings up the question of why
King Herod later had all the boys two years old and younger living in Bethlehem
put to death. If the infant Jesus was less than ten days old, killing all
infants two years old and younger would have been excessively cruel, even by
Herod’s standards. The Gospel of Matthew gives us a potential answer. King
Herod asked the Magi when they first saw the star which had brought them to
Judea. The comet was visible for just 70 days, but the combined celestial
events were much longer. The comet appeared in 5 B.C, but the conjunction of
planets began in 7 B.C. two years before the Magi arrived at Herod’s palace,
which may have accounted for Herod’s decision to kill all two-year-olds and
younger.
The time line of the census, the
astrological events, and the records of the comet all closely match the account
recorded in the Gospel of Matthew. While there are certainly other possible
explanations for these events, the similarity is hard to ignore and for many
provides convincing evidence the story Matthew told was historical rather than
a fabricated myth.
A few final thoughts before we
depart the subject of the Magi. Their true purpose, the meaning of their gifts
and their number are questioned by many. Some believe the Magi were each from
different countries and represented the entire world as they came to worship
the new-born King. As mentioned, tradition holds there were three Magi. This
could have been based on the fact the Magi brought three gifts, gold,
frankincense and myrrh and it was assumed each Magi gave only one gift. Many
scholars believe the gifts represented the life of Jesus. Gold represented
royalty, frankincense represented deity or the priesthood and myrrh was used to
anoint a person who is going to die. Jesus was to be the King, the High Priest,
and would die as a sacrifice for us all. It is also possible these gifts
financed the Holy Family’s subsequent trip and prolonged stay in Egypt as they
fled King Herod who they feared was still trying to kill the young Jesus.
In some cases these Magi or wise men
are called three kings, as in the well known Christmas song. There is no
evidence these men were actual kings, but as mentioned earlier it is possible
their counsel was instrumental in the selection of kings in their homeland.
These counselors would have been well educated and familiar with many ancient
texts. This would have included copies of the ancient Jewish scriptures,
today’s Old Testament, which could have been left behind during the Babylonian
exile in the preceding centuries. This would help account for their knowledge
of the star and its true meaning. This star, or comet, signaled the coming of
the Messiah. This Christmas star was the first in a series of events which
would eventually change the world, forever.
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