Could the $50 purchase of an ancient coin by a Rutgers astronomer have unlocked the mystery of the Christmas Star? For years, scientists have looked, with little success, to astronomical records for an explanation of the magical star that guided the Magi to Christ’s manger. Intrigued by the image he found on the latest addition to his coin collection, Michael Molnar thought there might be more to learn by looking, instead, at the teachings of ancient astrologers.
Molnar argues in his book that the Star of Bethlehem was not a star at all, but rather a regal portent centering around the planet Jupiter that was eclipsed by the moon. He bases this theory on the actual beliefs of astrologers, such as the Magi, who lived around the time of Christ. Molnar found some intriguing clues to the mystery while researching the meaning of astrological symbols he found an ancient coin, which bore the image of Aries looking back at a star. He found that Aries was a symbol of Judea at the time, and that ancient astrologers believed that a new king would be born when the moon passed in front of Jupiter. Molnar wondered, could the coin have been issued as a response to the Great Messianic Portent, the Star of Bethlehem?
To match the story of the appearance of the Christmas star, Molnar also knew the event had to happen when Jupiter was “in the east.” Using these criteria and a computer program, he was able to chart an eclipse of Jupiter in Aries on April 17, 6 B.C., a day when Jupiter was precisely “in the east,” which confirmed his theory. Moreover, he found that a Roman astrologer described the conditions of that day as fitting the birth of a “divine and immortal” person.
According to Harvard University Professor Owen Gingerich, “this is the most original and important contribution of the entire 20th century” about the Magi’s star. Using clues from astronomy, astrology, and history, Molnar has created a provocative, fascinating theory on the Christmas Star. He weaves together an intriguing scientific detective story which resolves one of the world’s greatest mysteries: The Star of Bethlehem at the birth of Christ.
First Paperback Edition, Updated with a new preface
Pages:
208
Sales rank:
658,409
Product dimensions:
5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.60(d)
About the Author
MICHAEL R. MOLNAR, an astronomer, is retired from the Physics and Astronomy Department at Rutgers University.
Table of Contents
List of Illustrations ix
List of Tables xi
Preface and Acknowledgments xiii
1 Introduction 1
2 A Mysterious Star 15
3 The Dawning of the First Millennium 32
4 Secrets of Regal Horoscopes 64
5 Astrological Portents for Judea 85
6 Epilogue 124
Appendices 127
A Defining the Position of the Zodiac 127
B Astrological Influences 128
C The System of Mundane Houses and Cardinal Points 132
D Regal Horoscopes 134
Chronology 139
Notes 145
Glossaries 163
Astrological and Astronomical Terms 163
Historical and Numismatic Terms 169
Significant Historical Persons 170
Bibliography 175
Index 181
What People are Saying About This
Bradley E. Schaefer
This book has stunning new insight and approach, which finally gives a confident answer to a question that has fascinated all Christians through the ages. (Bradley E. Schaefer, Yale University)
Owen Gingerich
Molnar's The Star of Bethlehem is a fascinating contribution to the immense literature that attempts to come to terms with the Christmas Star represented in Matthew's Gospel. In my opinion, this book is the most original and important contribution of the entire twentieth century on the thorny question of how events recorded there, should be interpreted. (Owen Gingerich, Harward-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.)
Virginia Trimble
In support of an original interpretation of the Star, Molnar has assembled an impressive range of astrological and numismatic data, much of which will be new even to expert readers. (Virginia Trimble, author of Visit to a Small Universe.)
