AN AMERICAN astronomer claims he has found the first mention of the star of
Bethlehem outside the Bible. The reference is in a 4th-century manuscript
written by a Roman astrologer and Christian convert called Firmicus
Maternus.
Michael Molnar, formerly of Rutgers University in New Jersey, is the
originator of the idea that the star of Bethlehem was not a spectacular
astronomical event such as a supernova or a comet but an obscure astrological
one. The event would nevertheless have been of great significance to ancient
Roman astrologers. After studying the symbolism on Roman coins, he concluded
that the 鈥渟tar鈥� was in fact a double eclipse of Jupiter in a rare astrological
conjunction that occurred in Aries on 20 March, 6 BC, and again on 17 April, 6
BC (New 杏吧原创, 23/30 December 1995, p 34).
Molnar believed that Roman astrologers would have interpreted such an event
as signifying the birth of a divine king in Judea. But he lacked proof. Now he
says he has found it, in theMathesis, a book written by Maternus in AD 334.
Maternus described an astrological event involving an eclipse of Jupiter by the
Moon in Aries, and said that it signified the birth of a divine king.
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鈥淢aternus did not mention Jesus鈥檚 name,鈥� says Molnar. 鈥淏ut Roman astrology
was a popular craze at the time and everyone reading the book would have known
the reference was to Jesus and that the astrological event was the star of
叠别迟丑濒别丑别尘.鈥�
So why did Maternus not mention Jesus by name? According to Molnar, early
Christians hated pagan beliefs and did not want to justify the Biblical story
with astrological mumbo-jumbo. The idea that the stars govern our fate flew in
the face of belief in a Christian God as the controlling force in the Universe.
鈥淏eing a pagan who had converted to Christianity during his lifetime, Firmicus
was torn,鈥� says Molnar. 鈥淗ence his use of astrology to support the Christian
story, but in a veiled way.鈥�
According to Molnar, it was essential to early Christians that the true
nature of the star be hidden, otherwise theologians would be mired in debate
about celestial influences that were not part of Christianity. So they buried
the knowledge of the star鈥檚 astrological roots and in time it was forgotten.
鈥淚 take Molnar鈥檚 work quite seriously,鈥� says Owen Gingerich, a historian of
astronomy at Harvard University. 鈥淎nything he comes up with along these lines
has to be considered as being very likely correct.鈥�