M
Mintaka
Guest
Actually, Greek and Roman constellations and star names probably derived, in large part, from Chaldean astronomy/astrology. Certainly all the zodiac signs, all the planet name associations, and all the names of days of the week derived from the Chaldean system. The Greeks and Romans localized the names, but didn’t change the symbolism much.
The game of trying to figure out which conjunction or nova or comet was the Star of Bethlehem – that’s a very old one that goes back to the Fathers. Nothing wrong with playing it.There’s even been recent speculation that it was the Magi’s naked-eye discovery of Uranus. (Though the lack of brightness would seem to make that a very unlikely choice of ‘star’.)
But I should point out that stars and angels were closely associated in the Bible, and that the Star may have been an angel who appeared to the Magi in that form, and guided them in that way.
The game of trying to figure out which conjunction or nova or comet was the Star of Bethlehem – that’s a very old one that goes back to the Fathers. Nothing wrong with playing it.There’s even been recent speculation that it was the Magi’s naked-eye discovery of Uranus. (Though the lack of brightness would seem to make that a very unlikely choice of ‘star’.)
But I should point out that stars and angels were closely associated in the Bible, and that the Star may have been an angel who appeared to the Magi in that form, and guided them in that way.