Star of Bethlehem (2024)

FAQs

What is the star of Bethlehem in the Bible? ›

The story of the Star of Bethlehem appears only in the Book of Matthew. The gospel tells us that a bright star appeared in the eastern sky when Jesus was born, famously seen by a group of wise men. These biblical "Magi," sometimes called kings, now adorn nativity scenes around the world.

"Jupiter was the regal 'star' that conferred kingships – a power that was amplified when Jupiter was in close conjunctions with the Moon. The second occultation on April 17 coincided precisely when Jupiter was 'in the east', a condition mentioned twice in the biblical account about the Star of Bethlehem."

A: No. Not everything this December is about Star Wars. However, astronomers have investigated the star of Bethlehem as the birth of a star — a nova — that shines very bright and then fades over a few months. Same problem as a comet — not that rare.

When Is the Next Christmas Star? Unfortunately, if you missed the Christmas Star in 2020, the next Great Conjunction this close won't happen until March 15, 2080.

Star of Bethlehem, celestial phenomenon mentioned in the Gospel According to Matthew as leading “wise men from the East” to the birthplace of Jesus Christ.

Star of Bethlehem is a plant. The bulb of the plant contains chemicals that have been used as a medicine. Despite serious safety concerns, people take star of Bethlehem for congestive heart failure (CHF).

A brighter 'Christmas Star' is coming

A conjunction between Mars and Saturn on April 5, 2022.

The Star of Bethlehem, a five-pointed star, is unique in that it is only referenced in the Gospel of Matthew's nativity story. The star signifies the birth of Christ (or Messiah).

The date of birth of Jesus is not stated in the gospels or in any historical sources but most biblical scholars assume a year of birth between 6 and 4 BC.

The star failed to catch the attention of the general public. After the star appeared to the Magi to lead them to Bethlehem, it disappeared and reappeared.

Where was Jesus actually born? ›

Birthplace of Jesus: Church of the Nativity and the Pilgrimage Route, Bethlehem. The inscribed property is situated 10 km south of Jerusalem on the site identified by Christian tradition as the birthplace of Jesus since the 2nd century.

Although the cosmic “Christmas Star” or “Star of Bethlehem” was visible for people to see for the first time in 800 years last year in 2020, we will not be able to see it this year. The spectacularly rare shining 'star' -- really a conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter -- will not appear again until March 15, 2080.

(KUTV) — For the first time in 800 years, the "Christmas Star" or "Star of Bethlehem" will be visible in the night sky. During the upcoming winter solstice on Dec. 21, Jupiter and Saturn will align to create the bright star of wonder, Forbes reported.

So the Star of Bethlehem wasn't the North Star, which is a bright star that's commonly seen during the Christmas season. The North Star, called Polaris, shines over the North Pole and isn't related to the star that shone over Bethlehem on the first Christmas.

The last time that such an event occurred was on March 4, 1226, and the next one will take place in 2080.

If you feel numb, unreachable, or stuck in a loop of feeling, Star of Bethlehem might be one of your most important allies. This essence is a powerful first aid in moments of panic, anxiety, and loss.

Taken literally, however, the account of the star in the book of St. Matthew actually calls for two “stars.” One to start the Wise Men on their long journey, the other appearing when they arrived in Bethlehem.

How often does the Star of Bethlehem appear? Roughly every 800 years. According to several astronomers, this type of planetary alignment will not be seen again until the year 2080 and then again in 2400.

Initially, they estimated this would take place between 2018 and 2020, but have since placed the date at 2022. In addition, they predict that the burst of light it will cause will be bright enough to be seen from Earth.

They, having heard the king, went their way; and behold, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, until it came and stood over where the young child was.

What is the Christmas Star actually called? ›

The Star of Bethlehem, also called the Christmas Star, is a star in the Bible and Christian tradition that let the Magi know that Jesus was born, and later helped them go to Bethlehem. According to the Gospel of Matthew, the star made the magi travel to Jerusalem.

Leviticus 23:40 says:

Some believe this verse means the tree is a celebratory symbol based on the worship of God.

Most religious scholars and historians agree with Pope Francis that the historical Jesus principally spoke a Galilean dialect of Aramaic. Through trade, invasions and conquest, the Aramaic language had spread far afield by the 7th century B.C., and would become the lingua franca in much of the Middle East.

The Roman Christian historian Sextus Julius Africanus dated Jesus' conception to March 25 (the same date upon which he held that the world was created), which, after nine months in his mother's womb, would result in a December 25 birth.

According to legend, Jesus Christ was born on the night between 24 and 25 December in the year 0. Christians all over the world therefore traditionally celebrate the birth of the Messiah and Son of God on this date as Christmas.

The faithful sing about the "Star of Wonder" that guided the wise men to a manger in the little town of Bethlehem, where Jesus was born. They're commemorating the Star of Bethlehem described by the Evangelist Matthew in the New Testament.

Of course, Jesus was a Jew. He was born of a Jewish mother, in Galilee, a Jewish part of the world. All of his friends, associates, colleagues, disciples, all of them were Jews. He regularly worshipped in Jewish communal worship, what we call synagogues.

Bethlehem (/ˈbɛθlɪhɛm/; Arabic: بيت لحم Bayt Laḥm; Hebrew: בֵּית לֶחֶם Bet Leḥem) is a city in the central West Bank, Palestine, about 10 km (6.2 miles) south of Jerusalem. Its population is approximately 25,000, and it is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the State of Palestine.

According to the Gospels, Mary, a virgin betrothed to Joseph, conceived Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit – and therefore Christians consider Jesus the Son of God. However, most Christians understand Joseph to be a true father in every way except biological, since Joseph was the legal father who raised Jesus.

Possible explanations for the Star of Bethlehem

An unforgettable view of Halley's Comet in 1301 inspired Giotto di Bondone to paint one of the most famous depictions of the Star of Bethlehem, as a blazing comet hanging over the stable. But 12BC was too early for Halley's Comet to have been the Star.

Is the star of Bethlehem rare? ›

Jupiter, Saturn align perfectly to create rare star on winter solstice. With this year's winter solstice comes more than just confirmation of our already-cold weather and ever-fleeting daylight: The rare “Christmas Star” will be visible for the first time in 800 years.

Because God did not create the stars to give us insights into the future, but to witness His power and glory. "The heavens declare the glory of God" (Psalm 19:1).

Sirius is a hot young blue star located a short 8.6 light years from us. The light that you see from this blazing star left around mid-2013 and just got here now. Sirius is a mast amazing star, one which shines like a celestial beacon and reminds us of another example of the magic of the Star of Bethlehem.

As the well-known story in the Gospel of Matthew goes, the Star of Bethlehem guided three Magi, or wise men, to Jerusalem some 2,000 years ago.

Explanation 5: the Christmas star was a conjunction of Jupiter, Regulus and Venus. One other possibility includes a set of conjunctions of the planets Jupiter and Venus, and the bright star Regulus. In this case, the mythologies associated with the objects become important.

The faithful sing about the “Star of Wonder” that guided the wise men to a manger in the little town of Bethlehem, where Jesus was born. They're commemorating the Star of Bethlehem described by the Evangelist Matthew in the New Testament.

There were two astronomical events involving conjunctions of planets around the time of Jesus' birth---the triple conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in Pisces in 7 B.C.E. and the near-conjunction of Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn in Pisces in February 6 B.C.E.

The common Christian traditional dating of the birthdate of Jesus was 25 December, a date first asserted officially by Pope Julius I in 350 AD, although this claim is dubious or otherwise unfounded.

The star failed to catch the attention of the general public. After the star appeared to the Magi to lead them to Bethlehem, it disappeared and reappeared.

Although the cosmic “Christmas Star” or “Star of Bethlehem” was visible for people to see for the first time in 800 years last year in 2020, we will not be able to see it this year. The spectacularly rare shining 'star' -- really a conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter -- will not appear again until March 15, 2080.