RE: The wise men and their star

Peter,

You asked for our thoughts; so, as one who has taught hermeneutics, biblical literature and theology at the college and seminary levels, but is not trained in the "hard sciences," I will offer my impressions:

1. I believe your interpretation represents the consensus of Evangelical Christian scholarship. Generally, in this tradition there would be an attempt to harmonize, if possible, the accounts of Matthew and Luke, which would result in exactly the conclusions you have drawn.

2. You have raised the issue of the dating of the birth of Jesus, and rightly note that one of the popular theories to explain scientifically the appearance of a "star" (the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in 7 BC) would not correlate with the best accepted dating for the birth (4-6 BC). Of course, this assumes the reliability of the historiography of Matthew and Luke, which many would dispute on the basis of the alleged differences between "history" (as moderns understood history) and the genre of "gospel."

3. Assuming that Matthew and Luke's Gospels constitute reliable history and, therefore, that it is possible to seek to harmonize the Christmas stories in Luke (the shepherds in the stable) and Matthew (the magi in the house), then I think the evidence would suggest (as you concluded) that the star was indeed in the realm of the miraculous. Of course, those who philosophically rule out the concept of biblical miracle would likely choose to deny the foregoing assumptions.

David R. Bundrick, M.Div., Th.M., Ph.D
Evangel University
Springfield, Missouri, USA

-----Original Message-----
From: asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu [mailto:asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu] On Behalf Of Peter Ruest
Sent: Wednesday, January 05, 2005 11:37 AM
To: asa@calvin.edu
Subject: The wise men and their star

Hi, everyone!

In German speaking parts of Europe, the 6th of January is called the
"Dreikoenigstag", or "Three-Kings' Day", commemorating the infant Jesus
being visited by the "wise men from the east" (Mt 2). They present us
with an interesting geographical mystery - a what? Please read on.

In all manger scenes, besides Joseph, Mary and Jesus, with some
shepherds and animals, they are presented, as well, bringing their gifts
of "gold and frankincense and myrrh". Tradition has named these "three
kings" Balthasar, Melchior, and Kaspar. Of course, in the biblical text,
neither their names nor even their number are given, nor are they said
to have been kings.

They are called "magoi", or magi. Of course, this has nothing to do with
our concept of magicians. According to F.Rienecker's "Lexikon zur Bibel"
(Brockhaus, Wuppertal, 1991) and "Sprachlicher Schluessel zum
Griechischen Neuen Testament" (Brunnen-Verlag, Basel, 1952), the term
"magoi" designates Persian and Babylonian priests, wise men and
star-observers/astronomers/astrologers who were adept at the
interpretation of stellar observations and dreams.

 We read in Matthew 2 that they came from "the east" (Gk: apo anatolôn,
plural), which would, in this case, probably indicate Babylon). They
came to Jerusalem saying, "Where is he who has been born king of the
Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him."
(or, "in the east" instead of "when it rose": Gk: en anatolê, singular).

 When king Herod heard about the commotion this produced in Jerusalem,
he was - understandably - worried and assembled the chief priests and
scribes to ask them where the prophesized king of the Jews was to be
born. After learning that it was to be in Bethlehem (Mi 5:1,3), he
secretly summoned the wise men to ascertain from them the exact time
when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem to find the
baby and report to him afterwards.

 After having left Herod, the wise men "went on their way. And behold,
the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came
to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they
rejoiced exceedingly with great joy." The exclamation, "behold!" (Gk:
'idou), indicates surprise about seeing the star again. Evidently, they
had lost sight of it while they travelled from Babylon to Jerusalem.
This would not have worried them, as they knew they had to go to the
land of the Jews. So there, they inquired for the specific place, which
they couldn't find without being led by either the star or the knowledge
of the locals.

 The star "went before them until it came to rest over the place where
the child was" (Gk: proêgen autous, èôs elthôn estathê epanô ou ên to
paidion). The star led them on (imperfect), and then suddenly stopped
(aorist) over the place where the child was. This clear sign filled them
with an exceedingly great joy.

 After their visit, they were "warned in a dream not to return to Herod"
and "departed to their own country by another way." And "when they had
departed" (Gk: anachôrêsantôn, aorist participle, gen.abs.), i.e. in the
same night, "behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a
dream", telling him to flee to Egypt, in order to escape from Herod's
murderous intentions. And in the same night, he and Mary with the child
left for Egypt.

 That's what we read in Matthew 2. Now let's look at Luke 2! Joseph and
Mary went up from Nazareth in Galilee (about 100 km north of Jerusalem)
to Bethlehem in Judea (about 8 km south of Jerusalem), their home town,
in order to get registered by the Roman administration.

 As they didn't find any place in the inn, they had to stay outside.
There Mary "gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling
cloths and laid him in a manger." Of course, mangers for feeding animals
are not usually placed inside a house. In Judea of 2000 years ago, it
would have been in the field, possibly under the cover of a primitive
make-shift roof or a rock shelter. It is there that the shepherds found
Jesus with Mary and Joseph.

 When a Jewish baby boy was 8 days old, he had to be circumcised. This
could have been done anywhere and by anyone - no problem. But when he
was 40 days old, the parents had to bring him with an offering to the
temple. So Joseph and Mary "brought him up to Jerusalem to present him
to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, 'Every male who
first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord') and to offer a
sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, 'a pair of
turtledoves, or two young pigeons'."

 In the temple, they met Simeon and Anna, who came to bless them and
proclaim God's design with the child. And when Joseph and Mary "had
performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned
into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth."

 Now, when did they go to Egypt? Right after the visit of the magi. When
did they go to Jerusalem? 40 days after Jesus was born. Were they back
from Egypt already? Hardly! To go to Egypt and back, it would have been
a round-trip of at least 600 km, certainly taking more than 40 days
traveling time.

 In Matthew 2, we read that they waited in Egypt until the angel of the
Lord told them to go back to Israel, Herod being dead. But when Joseph
"heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father
Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he
withdrew to the district of Galilee. And he went and lived in a city
called Nazareth." So they didn't go to Jerusalem at that time.

 What's the solution of the geographical problem? The wise men never
went to Bethlehem, but to Nazareth, some months after Jesus was born!

 Their words when coming to Jerusalem, as well as Herod's inquisitions,
show that the newborn king was at least several months old when they
came - if not more than a year old, as Herod killed all boys "two years
old or under" in Bethlehem. Both Ezra and Nehemia took three months to
travel from Babylon to Jerusalem (around 1200 km).

 In a way quite unexpected by the magi, the star led them north to
Nazareth and stopped abruptly above a house, and "going into the house"
(Gr: eis tên oikian) "they saw the child with Mary". As I said before,
mangers are not in houses.

 When Joseph and Mary brought their ransom offering for Jesus, it was
two birds, rather than a lamb. This indicates that they were very poor.
How could they have made the trip to Egypt? Even if they didn't have to
pay for a ticket, such a trip would probably have cost them more than
they could afford - until the magi brought them gold!

 Would Joseph stay in the open field outside the town of Bethlehem with
Mary and the baby Jesus for 40 days, until they could bring their
offering? Hardly! Would they go back to Nazareth in the meantime? Most
certainly! This is also indicated by their going "up" to Jerusalem to
bring the offering (Gr: anêgagon auton eis 'Ierosoluma).

 The death of Herod in the year 4 BC and a conjunction of Jupiter and
Saturn in 7 BC in the constellation of the fishes (symbolizing the
Jewish people) led to the assumption that the "star of Bethlehem" was
represented by this conjunction, Jesus being born about 7 BC, rather
than in the year 1 (there being no year 0). But of course, a conjunction
of two planets would not disappear and reappear to the wise men, nor
would it "go before them", first towards northwest then south, then
north, nor would it stop over a house, clearly designating the
particular building in the compact town of Nazareth. My interpretation
thus seems to imply a special, miraculous star.

 But what is your take on all that?

 Peter

-- 
Dr. Peter Ruest, CH-3148 Lanzenhaeusern, Switzerland
<pruest@dplanet.ch> - Biochemistry - Creation and evolution
"..the work which God created to evolve it" (Genesis 2:3)