Intellectual Honesty

[MementoMori3283]

Histroically speaking, was the world, Jewish, pagan, or otherwise, awaiting or anticipating the entry of someone into the world based on prophetic timetables or stellar predictions at the time of Jesus’ arrival?

 

[Hesychios]

Histroically speaking, was the world, Jewish, pagan, or otherwise, awaiting or anticipating the entry of someone into the world based on prophetic timetables or stellar predictions at the time of Jesus’ arrival?

No.

There is the story of the Magi, presumed to be priests from Parthia (probably Zoroastrian) who, after reading the signs in the sky set out in anticipation of finding the Messiah, although I have no idea what they themselves expected to come of it. Obviously this knowledge was not highly detailed, we know they had to stop along the way and ask directions.

Presumably they were not looking for this particular sign, but just reading the stars for whatever they could learn, should we call it a News Flash?

 

[MementoMori3283]

No.

…just reading the stars for whatever they could learn, should we call it a News Flash?

ok - I had heard there was something that Josephus had recorded in regards to signs in the heavens and the birth of a deity or emperor…

 

[Trinitarian]

Yes. I think that most of the world was looking for the Messiah. I do not mean that they were specifically looking for Christ to be born but conceptually they were looking toward the incarnation. C.S. Lewis pointed out, the incarnation was the myth that became fact. Many pagans had myths of a rising king or god. The truth of the resurrection was a recognized nearly universal image. The fact that God came down a dwelt among us is, of course, more then anyone could hope for but the image was there in type.