Page
THE CHINA, MAIL, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1955,.,~:
WHAT WAS THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM?
W
HAT did the Magi, the wise men of the East, really soo? In St Mat- thew's Gospel their reported roferences to the star are vague. What
more, there is no hint given by St Matthew that the star was seen by anyone other than the Magi.
Fred Hoyle. one of the world's foremost astronomers, reports that there is no record of the star in any of the Roman records of the tune. And Blr Harold Spencer Jones, Britain's Astronomer Royal, says
there
is no reference to it in the con- temporary Chinese astronomical records.
Yet there seems never to have Leen any serious suggestion that the Magl's story was recorded wrongly or. Indeed, that it was their imagination.
There is no disputing that the wie en di come to Jeru- salem.
Some extraordinary
forso compelled them to leave To an observer on earth the their distant homes and make two planeta would have appear- what even today, is a dimoult od close together and bath journey.
would have boen relatively No evidence exists that they near the earth, They would were either Just merchants
then have drifted apart and come together again in the fol- wandering scholars,
They had without doubt como
Jowing September, pccording in search of a King.
to his calculations.
TE question of
or
the
star,
though, has intrigued men
The spectacle would have been
awe-inspiring. And It would have been particularly Impressive to observers in Palestine.
From these findings Kepler bolleved he could settle scholar for centuries, Some Ingenious ly disputes which had been theories have bten advanced. waging for centuries
over the The great astronomer Johann exact dotę of Christ's birth. Re
first (1571-1030), who
It was left to another Ger- Kepler
that substantiated the thoory
Christian man astronomer, the earth revolves around the Ludwig Ideler (1788-1846), to sun, spent much time trying to elaborate on Kepler's thoory. find a solution. In the process He chocked the earlier calcula- tions and reported that under he probably came closest to a satisfactory physical explana certain conditions of visibility tion—If, indeed, there is one. the two plancts might well He calculated that there must have appeared as one breath-
been a "conjunction" of takingly brilliant star. have the pluneta Jupiter and Saturn thu the month of May, in In year 7 B.C.
Make Sure Of A Happy Christmas
WVERY year,
ww
look
E forward to Christmas,
11 J
Says SYLVIA WARD
over- not me.
Of course, a kul
new
necessary to make a plan of campaign. After all, we dont go for a summer holiday sibility falls on Father, without making some plans. is absolutely essential that the Why expect a happy Christmas day should stert fair for him. Just to happen? Here's how If Dad's like a bear with a sore the plan works in my house head most mornings, he's got to
forget that sore head on Christ.. mus morning and welcome the youngsters with open
موما ما
6
is sacred to the grown-ups. The kids are usually worn-out and feeling ready for bed by seven o'clock on Christmas Day, any
way.
Supporting this theory about the possibility of poor visibility was the Biblical report that the Mag for a while lost sight of the star and saw it again only after they had seen Herod, left Jerusalem, and were on their way to Bethlehem.
THE Magi's report that they
had lost sight of the star could also be partly explained by the fact that the two planets
Now comes the other half of had come together, separated the arrangement - the post-and then reunited. seven-o'clock period, which is the adults' and theirs alone. It has still been a wearying day, of course.
The Kepler-Ideler theory re- mained virtually until a
untouched Cambridge do, who was also secretary of the Royal Astronomical Society, the Re- verend Charles Pritchard decided to inves- (1808-1893), |figate it further.
co-joined planets apparently hovering over Bolhlchern.
But, ho admitted, although this would have appeared 0 from Jerusalem, on arrival in Bethlehem the "star" would have appeared to be on the distant horizon.
It was this that apparently mado Pritchard dissatisfied with the theory, for dissatisfied he certainly was
tha
He conceded, however, that co-joined planets might well have been the phenomenoa reported by St Matthew, since he doubtices had the story at second hand.
Yet the combined work of Pritchard,
Kopter and tomonstrated
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaca in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are worship him - Matthew ii, 1 & 2
come to
is
itz
"One knows," ho sald, "that' exceptional brilliance, why idelet there is a tendency to write there no suggestion that ono significant things up after they occurred. body except the Magi Bow any- point: al
although по spectacular It is conceivable that in putting it looks more as the Magi phenomenon
was recorded by together the story of Christ it following out the Implications contemporary astronomerS,
was felt that such an event of Numbers xxiv, 17, had been did not necessarily mean that should have been accompanied on the look-out for a star which there was none, For the indis- pulext linking of the two planets by some sort of colestial de would herald the birth of a king
monstration and that someone in Judaca; and as it д was not recorded by them.
"remembered' just phenomenon."
JAME
AMES Hope Moulton, the
such វា
•ntially in that
Is it possible that years after the event someone remembered
they
star bud (miraculously or pro- particular of the heavens whore were looking for it, at
the phenomeno rocorded by precisely the right moment. Kepler, but forgot exactly when it happened?
historian who contributed the section on the Magi to the The Astronomer Royal, Sir Encyclopaedia of Religion and Harold
Spencer Jones, con 66ERSE of Matthew is Ethica, pointed out that this Armed the apparent lack of any
rather puzzling; how had oversight was probably due to supernovac or "new" stars” the fact that at the time Pales around the time of the Birth they lost sight of the star during
their journey? tine was in a fairly turbulent of Christ.
Perhaps only because of cloudy weather. Dià state.
He said: "There is certainly the star, in fact, travel in front
are
rare.
the old
If that was so, is it not pos- no much record in siblo that the phenomenon Chinese annals of the might have been even moro Supernovae spectacular and still passed un- occur about once in 300 recorded? Could it have been There haU not been one completely new star?
"That"
1004."
It
physically possible.
says Mr Fred Hoyle,
la possible for a
super-
nova, a 'now star to explode in the sky and burn for about
wia
time.
years.
sinco
of them, or does the Evangelist
They simply report the thing in their
own words?
"It is not easy to ree how, in a short distance like that from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, the
movement of
question:
infinitesimal
heavenly body could be obser- vable to
men who weren't using telescopes, It seems more prob- ablo that the ster, when it appeared, appeared in a new quarter of the heavens, and was now
Dow
Le pricated (according to
of
convinced that we are Rll,
work to see that the
wholeheartedly children
If the young- Individually. going to love joy themselves as they have est kiddy wanis Johnny's a wonderful time. But NO never done before, and incident. engine, It is Dud or Fred who smoothing often it happens that when ally, have a good time yourself, copes and does the Christmas has
come and
of respon- gone, we sit back and say,
And it "Thank Heaven, That's over." What with Grandma
week or a fortnight. But there PUT there still remains up is no record of anything like answered the sulking in the corner, Dad
this by the Romans of the What inspired the Magi to make with # KOPO head. Mum
I'm
but lamp physically,
period, and they were fairly their journey to Bethichem in feeling like a dishcloth, and
mentally I'm a different woman.
thorough astronomers. Such a search of a King? each other's the kids
The roaring bedian of games;
He checked back through the phenomenon
reported at
the astrology) 03 Suppose, however, that
directly as beingporary for calculations and squabble which were,
ΟΣ both astro-
about
Laver. 350 years
answer is not to be found in above Bethlehem; ie.. the star throuls without pause, the First of all, the chlidren are
once, no concern of mine; the nomers.
bright star had astronomy, but rather in astro sense that it had been travel
"was Icading them on th .and he
"If a very found B
the Duy long-anticipated festival has told that Christma
on back-mistake. conls that were put
appeared in the sides about the logy. been something of an anti- Boxing Day are theirs until
wards, the teeth that went un- When this was rectified the
time in question it would al
suggestion was put to ling, apparently, along their seven o'clock in the evening. Throughout the rest of the brushed
revised calculations showed that most certainly have climax.
been
one of the world's best known own roule, and had come to u There will be no "lush!
day, Dad's help is needed pretty
noticed. Ave the second meeting of the two put my feet up for
Without things like theological scholars, Monsignor stand (rather than come to a If your Christmas is never Daddy's sleeping off his dinner constantly by Mun, so she must minutes. I change. 1 hear the planets would have taken place street lighting to distract him, Ronald Knox who, in 1932, ro stand) over. Bethlehem like that, you need remd no or "Not just now, darling.
his wholehearted co- last glass of water going up-not in September, but in De-
tho man in the street then translated the New Testament Could something like this be further. Mine used always to Daddy's buny", All the male galn
stairs. is 8 o'clock. No flopping cember. His calculations were
knew the night sides much from the vulgate Latin.
the true answer to the question? be, so I set out to discover why. members of the household wili operation. Don't forget to put a bottle of moral courage Bome-
in a chair in exhaustet aban- double-checked and confirmed better than the man in the
He made this comment; "It Could the theories of astro- First I asked myself.
the where Whose put themselves entirely at
handy, from which
heaven, by
street
,and the disposal of the children through- Father can help himself at in-
saying, Thank
then Astronomer
Royal
today
yet is a mistake to go to astronomy nomery on the subject be Christmas
it?"-and la
chil that's over" for me. Tho
To this Pritchard added the there is no record of such a for our guido;
we ought to nothing more than ingenuity? obvious reply, was "Everybody's out the day.
tervals.
dren have had a happy day claim that any observer in phenomenon."
think in terms of astrology The question still stands. of course."
Now it's qur
"If the star, whether a na What' turn to have a Jerusalem that December--and Could Mr. Hoyle venture a
Was this Star the_Magd were there speaking opinion about the origins of the tural or supernatural pheno- falemi happy evening.
to Herod would have seen the story of the Star of Bethlehem? menon, was a heavenly body of (COPYRIGHT)
and
a.m.
arms at Once settled with the new train-set, he'll usually play quite happily.
If Johnny wants someone Lo As the children have been told Having recognised these cons play with, he will get someone, the day is theirs, so that will ficting facts, one can
to who will play set
willingly and have been told that the. Vening
don
the
This
(COPYRIGHT)
His
Happy Christmas
is just a part of
the Mackintosh
service
ey will never let you down at
MACKINTOSH'S
Page 5Page 6