Star of Bethlehem

====Double occultation on Saturday (Sabbath) April 17, 6 BC ====
Astronomer Michael R. Molnar argues that the "star in the east"  refers to an astronomical event with astrological significance in the context of [[ancient Greek astrology]].<ref name=Weintraub>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2014/12/26/amazingly-astronomy-can-explain-the-biblical-star-of-bethlehem/ Weintraub, David A., "Amazingly, astronomy can explain the biblical Star of Bethlehem", ''Washington Post'', December 26, 2014]</ref> He suggests a link between the Star of Bethlehem and a double occultation of Jupiter by the Moon on March 20 and April 17 of 6 BC in [[Aries (constellation)|Aries]], particularly the second occultation on April 17.<ref name="Molnar">{{citation |last=Molnar |first=Michael R. |url=http://www.eclipse.net/~molnar/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19991012062556/http://eclipse.net/%7Emolnar/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=1999-10-12 |title=The Star of Bethlehem: The Legacy of the Magi |publisher=Rutgers University Press |date=1999 |isbn=0-8135-2701-5 |access-date=2009-07-04 |pages=86, 89, 106–07 }}.</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Eiland |first=Murray |date=2019 |others=Interview with Michael R. Molnar |title=The Star of Bethlehem, Jupiter, and imperial astrology |url=https://www.academia.edu/80960677 |journal=Antiqvvs |issue=Christmas Supplement |pages=3–6}}</ref><ref>For a similar interpretation, see Minnesota Astronomy Review Volume 18 – Fall 2003/2004 {{cite web|url=http://www.astro.umn.edu/news/vol18.pdf |title= The Star of Bethlehem by Karlis Kaufmanis|date= 30 October 2023}}</ref> [[Occultation]]s of planets by the Moon are quite common, but [[Firmicus Maternus]], an astrologer to Roman Emperor [[Constantine the Great|Constantine]], wrote that an occultation of Jupiter in Aries was a sign of the birth of a divine king.<ref name="Molnar"/><ref name="Stenger">{{cite web |last=Stenger |first=Richard |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2001/TECH/space/12/27/star.coverup/index.html |title=Was Christmas star a double eclipse of Jupiter? |date=December 27, 2001 |access-date=2009-07-04 |work=CNN}}</ref> He argues that Aries rather than Pisces was the zodiac symbol for Judea, a fact that would affect previous interpretations of astrological material. Molnar's theory was debated by scientists, theologians, and historians during a colloquium on the Star of Bethlehem at the Netherlands' [[University of Groningen]] in October 2014. Harvard astronomer [[Owen Gingerich]] supports Molnar's explanation but noted technical questions.<ref name=Govier>[http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2014/december/o-subtle-star-of-bethlehem.html Govier, Gordon. "O Subtle Star of Bethlehem", ''Christianity Today'', Vol. 58, No. 10, p. 19, December 22, 2014]</ref> "The gospel story is one in which King Herod was taken by surprise," said Gingerich. "So it wasn't that there was suddenly a brilliant new star sitting there that anybody could have seen [but] something more subtle."<ref name=Govier/> Astronomer David A. Weintraub says, "If Matthew's wise men actually undertook a journey to search for a newborn king, the bright star didn't guide them; it only told them when to set out."<ref name=Weintraub/>

There is an explanation given that the events were quite close to the Sun and would not have been visible to the naked eye.<ref name="Kidger3">{{citation |last=Kidger |first=Mark |url=http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc120501.html |title=The Star of Bethlehem |work=Cambridge Conference Correspondence |date=December 5, 2001 |access-date=2007-07-04 |archive-date=2016-04-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160403212241/http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc120501.html |url-status=dead }}.</ref>