There are no records that definitively state the origins of the Magi (astrologers) from the East. They may have come from the Nabataean kingdom east of Judea, or further from Mesopotamia or beyond. However, the Bible only confirms that they came from somewhere in the east.
Considering their high status-sufficient to cause a stir when Herod and others heard their words-and that they came from a country sensitive to Judean affairs, though not immediately aware of Judean developments, it seems reasonable to assume they were from the Parthian Empire, as I have set up in the main text.
While it is commonly inferred that there were three of them based on the three gifts, we do not actually know how many there were. I have proceeded with the story assuming there were three.
The true identity of the Star of Bethlehem that these Magi sought is also not known for certain. The Bible may not consider it an important issue, or it may have been a star that people of the time could immediately imagine when they saw the words "his star" or "star of the king." We cannot know which is correct now, but we can make some inferences by examining historical records and reconstructing the constellations of that time.
1. Comet
The first possibility is a comet. There are periodic comets that orbit within the solar system at regular intervals, and non-periodic comets that appear once and are never seen again. Among periodic comets, there are short-period comets that can be seen again in a relatively short time, and long-period comets with periods of over 200 years.
These comets can be verified through historical records. For instance, the well-known Halley's Comet passed near Earth in 12 BCE. However, due to the significant time gap between this event and the birth of Jesus, it is difficult to consider this comet as a candidate for the Star of Bethlehem. Nevertheless, given the existence of numerous other comets, the Star of Bethlehem could have been a comet.
There are many long-period, short-period, and non-periodic comets in the solar system. Some comets like Shoemaker-Levy 9 have collided with planets and disappeared, some collide with the sun and vanish, and not all comets have been recorded, so it is difficult to definitively say whether the Star of Bethlehem was or was not a comet based on current data.
Records in the Chinese Book of Han state that in the 2nd year of Jianping (5 BC), in the 2nd lunar month, a guest star appeared near Capricorn and was visible for over 70 days. A guest star can refer to a comet before it develops a tail, or to a nova or supernova, so we cannot know if this star was a comet or a nova.
2. Nova, Supernova
A nova or supernova is a phenomenon that occurs when a star explodes in space. Novae and supernovae shine brightly for hours to weeks before dimming again. Korean records in the Samguk Sagi mention a star believed to be a nova. In the 54th year of King Hyeokgeose (4 BC), on the 2nd day of the 2nd lunar month, a hairy star appeared near Altair, which is thought to have been a nova or supernova.
However, from ancient times, Altair has been used to refer to both β Capricorni (Dabih) or α Capricorni (Algedi) in Capricorn, as well as α Aquilae (Altair) in Aquila. If this record refers to a star in Capricorn, it could be seen as the same event as the Chinese record, meaning the guest star mentioned above could refer to this nova. Though there is a one-year difference, in ancient records a discrepancy of about a year can be considered within the margin of error.
I have proceeded with the assumption that these two records refer to the same nova that appeared in Capricorn.
3. Planetary Conjunction
Johannes Kepler, an astronomer who lived in the 16th and 17th centuries, discovered that Jupiter and Saturn met three times in the constellation Pisces on May 29, September 29, and December 4 of 7 BC. Later, in February of 6 BC, Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars also met in close proximity in Pisces. In the main text, I have proceeded assuming these planetary conjunctions were the Star of Bethlehem.
There are a few other astronomical phenomena recorded in BC, but I have only explained events before 4 BC here. I will explain why I did this in detail next time.
Also, in this installment, I have proceeded with the story based on astrological thinking. This was done while considering how the Magi from the East might have inferred Christ's birth at that time. While there are different approaches to astrological interpretation than what I have explained, I have described it as the meeting of Jupiter, the star of kings, with Saturn, a star with ominous meanings, to give the meaning of the suffering Christ.
Although I have told the story using astrology, there is no need to attach too deep a meaning to this. Some people might feel uncomfortable with this kind of content development, but even if God used astrology to announce Jesus' birth as in this writing, it can be understood as God showing His will in a way that people of that era could understand. While it was astrology then, God is one who can explain in other ways now, like through science. I hope you do not overlook the fact that God is still alive and working in history today.
