The Star of Bethlehem (A Documentary/website)

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jmcdzzz said:
OOPS! I read it wrong. I wish this site would allow us to delete our idiotic foibles.
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Don’t spend a lot of time on it, Carol. I agree with you, and feel your pain.

RE: Lunar eclipses…

Where is the problem? A total lunar eclipse occurs when the shadow of the earth completely covers the moon. If that occurs, it means that the earth has to be exactly between the sun and the moon. Which means that observed from the earth, the light from the sun is hitting the moon full face, except for the period where the earth’s shadow moves across the moon. Ergo, the moon has to be in the full phase for a total eclipse to happen.
 
runningdude said:
bethlehemstar.net/dance/dance.htm

I saw the documentary version of this today with a youth group that I started helping at - yowsers! In it, he tracks down the prophecies in Isiah, Micah, etc, and using information from the Gospels, to reverse engineer what he contents to be the exact date of the first Christmas (December 25, 2 BC)**!

He uses modern astronomical software to retrace the stars, and concludes that, on this date, and the month prier, the Maji would have been able to track the motions of Jupiter to determine the time that the Prophets predicted that the our Lord would be among us! Its a powerful and convincing story, and I’m confident enough to say that it is probably true!

**Note, the date the Magi visited at least, not necessarily His birth
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I recommend that you read ‘Handbook of Biblical Chronology’ by Jack Finegan. That book is a survey of the work of many scholars in the field of Biblical chronology. There is much more information on the question of when Jesus was born in that one book than in the website to which you refer. The website vastly oversimplifies the questions, information and analysis pertaining to Jesus’ Birth. Many scholars have considered this problem. They too use astronomical software. They also use much information that the website ignores. And yet there is no agreement on the year or date of the Birth of Christ.

You are convinced by that website because the author oversimplies, ignores any information or scholarly opinion that contradicts his work, and gives an entertaining presentation.
 
Ron_Conte said:
I recommend that you read ‘Handbook of Biblical Chronology’ by Jack Finegan. That book is a survey of the work of many scholars in the field of Biblical chronology. There is much more information on the question of when Jesus was born in that one book than in the website to which you refer. The website vastly oversimplifies the questions, information and analysis pertaining to Jesus’ Birth. Many scholars have considered this problem. They too use astronomical software. They also use much information that the website ignores. And yet there is no agreement on the year or date of the Birth of Christ.

You are convinced by that website because the author oversimplies, ignores any information or scholarly opinion that contradicts his work, and gives an entertaining presentation.
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I’m convinced simply because this has only a nominal impact on my faith. I’d believe in Christ whether or not he is correct in this particular assertion - only on one “man” should someone put his faith ;).

Watching it, of course, flags go off as to whether the software he used is accurate, etc. But it is merely neat!
 
Hello there! I am an amateur astronomer and a Christian. I have have been studying the Star and the various theories for the past 30 years. I have also seen the DVD referenced here, and in fact, am a friend of Rick Larson.

Let me first assure you that the software is dead-on accurate. Kepler’s Laws are the very ones NASA uses to predict the positions of the planets. It’s pure math. It works.

The DVD uses a birth scenario first documented by Ernest Martin (The Star That Astonished the World). What Larson adds is the Crucifixion scenario (including the concept of a “poem”), and–of course–putting it on a DVD in video form instead of a dry book.

Larson and Martin differ on the dates of conception and birth but not on the astronomy. That is fact. If you are interested in the reason for so many differing opinions on the birthdate, Martin’s book will explain it in great detail.👍

Yes, of course, the DVD and website are not comprehensive. The DVD is a simplified version to get the main points out there. Not a full-blown treatment. It is a compilation of scholarly work from many sources. The website adds further detail and background, but not ALL the available info, of course. That is not the purpose of either.
 
Vince1022 said:
There are four Gospels, and only one refers to this star. So, how important is it, really?

Of the 27 books of Scripture in the New Testament, it’s only the Gospel of Matthew that refers to this, right?

So, theologically, what’s the real concern here? Just curious.
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Sounds like you have been reading a lot of “modernist” biblical viewpoints…
 
mskejj said:
Sounds like you have been reading a lot of “modernist” biblical viewpoints…
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I am not sure what modernist biblical viewpoints are, I’m just going by what the Catholic Church teaches.
 
Vince1022 said:
Isn’t what the Church teaches sufficient?
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Yes, for those too lazy, disinterested or illiterate to study on their own, the Church’s teachings are sufficient for salvation…or so they say.

So, why do you read the Scriptures at all? The Church is more than happy to provide it’s take on them.
 
Vince1022 said:
There are four Gospels, and only one refers to this star. So, how important is it, really?
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For one, the existence of external physical evidence that supports the Gospel is a huge affirmation of our faith in their veracity. I challenge you to watch “The Star of Bethlehem” DVD and see for yourself how important the Star becomes.
Vince1022 said:
Isn’t what the Church teaches sufficient?
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Yes, for those too lazy, disinterested or illiterate to study on their own, the Church’s teachings are sufficient for salvation…or so they tell us. But how do we know for sure unless we verify the teachings for ourselves?

If you are willing to accept the Church’s teachings, why do you read the Scriptures at all?
 
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