What does the star of Bethlehem mean and how is it depicted? What is the Star of Bethlehem? When was Christ born

People can relate to celestial phenomena in different ways, but among them there is one that has a special mystical meaning for the population of most countries. It is considered the Star of Bethlehem - not only a gift from the cosmos, but also one of the most important Christian symbols of the existence of God.

What is the Star of Bethlehem?

The symbol of religious worship, according to biblical texts, was noticed by the wise men in the east and prompted them to set out on a journey. The star of Bethlehem is a sign of the birth of Christ, thanks to which everyone learned that the king of the Jews was born. The Magi came to Jerusalem, but did not find the baby there. The signs directed them further - in Bethlehem of Judea, the guiding star stopped over Mary and allowed them to present gifts to Jesus. For this, she ended up in many biographies of saints, fiction, and was embodied in paintings and icons.

Star of Bethlehem in Orthodoxy

The star came to Russian Orthodoxy from Byzantium as a symbol of the Mother of God and her son Christ. This religion recognizes the eight-pointed sign of God, emanating the light of the Star of Bethlehem. It has permeated religion since ancient times in several directions:

1. The star was installed on the domes of the first Orthodox churches.
2. It can be seen on almost any icon of the Mother of God.
3. In Tsarist Russia, the highest state award was the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called in the form of an eight-pointed star.
4. The symbol of Bethlehem decorates church dishes.

Star of Bethlehem - esoterics

This esoteric sign expresses the true person. It is believed that everyone's life is influenced by the mystery of the Star of Bethlehem. The seven generations living before a person have a strong influence on his life. His thoughts for the same reason will affect those who will live after him. The star is the personification of continuity and mutual responsibility of generations. The star of Bethlehem confirmed the peculiarity of Jesus, his difference from ordinary people. 14 generations passed between the birth of the Jewish king David and the son of God.

What does the Star of Bethlehem look like?

Scientists have their own idea of ​​the appearance of the cult symbol. By the lighthouse that showed the Magi the way to the baby Jesus, they mean the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn or Halley's comet. They are not trying to refute what is stated in the Holy Scriptures - they just want to find a reasonable explanation for it. They do not have an answer to the question of why the Star of Bethlehem is eight-pointed, because they believe that from Earth the Magi could see a series of several cosmic bodies observed in 12 BC. for two months.

The theory that the Star of Bethlehem symbolizes a real celestial phenomenon was first proposed by Professor David Hughes from the University of Sheffield in the 1970s. He concluded that:

1. The “Three Kings” who came to congratulate their parents on the appearance of Jesus were astrologers who studied cosmic events.
2. The Bible's indication that the birth was preceded by an event confirms that they noticed an unusual movement of the celestial bodies.
3. The Magi worshiped a “parade of planets” - Jupiter not only connected with Saturn, they lined up with the Earth.

Where is the Star of Bethlehem located?

The world-famous symbol, according to ancient legend, is kept in the Holy Land. The Star of Bethlehem is located in. In the center of the church there is a grotto built around an old well and called the Cave of the Nativity. According to believers, a celestial body fell to its bottom, which can still be seen today if you peer long into the depths of the well hole. The church building was built by monks of the Franciscan mendicant order in 1717. The cave is decorated with a silver star with 14 rays.

Star of Bethlehem - can Orthodox Christians wear it?

During a tourist visit to Jerusalem, you can purchase the Star of Bethlehem on a chain or thread, which is pre-blessed. This accessory is massively brought as a gift to friends and acquaintances, without thinking about whether it is possible to wear the Star of Bethlehem around the neck. The opinions of the clergy are divided: some of them even believe that the star was lit by Satan to lead Herod to Jesus. Most priests express their opinion based on the form of decoration:

1. The 8-pointed star is a symbol of Islam, which shows the owner's attachment to another religion.
2. The 5-pointed pendant represents Satanism, which is recognized as a sinful cult.
3. The 6-pointed “Star of David” can be combined with a cross and even worn over clothing. Considering that it is now considered a sign of Judaism, initially the symbol of the Star of Bethlehem signaled that its owner belonged to Christianity.

According to the Gospel of Matthew, the Star of Bethlehem is a bright celestial body that showed the wise men the way to the house where the baby Jesus was born. A star lit up in the east when Jesus was born and led the wise men to Jerusalem, from where King Herod directed them to Bethlehem of Judea. “After listening to the king, they left. And behold, the star that they saw in the east walked before them, when at last it came and stood over the place where the Child was.”, says the Gospel of Matthew.

If we assume that the events described in the Gospel are true, the question arises of what the Star of Bethlehem represented. Obviously, only a truly unusual and bright celestial body could attract the attention of the Magi, however,

according to theologians, the star may not have been a real celestial object at all.

Thus, the interpreter of Holy Scripture Theophylact of Bulgaria wrote: “When you hear about a star, do not think that it was one of those visible to us: no, it was a divine and angelic power that appeared in the form of a star. Since the Magi were engaged in the science of the stars, the Lord led them with this familiar sign, just as Peter the fisherman, amazed by the multitude of fish, attracted them to Christ. And that the star had angelic power is evident from the fact that it shone brightly during the day, walked when the Magi walked, shone when they did not walk: especially from the fact that it walked from the north, where Persia is, to the south, where Jerusalem is: but the stars never go from north to south".

Conjunction of planets

In 1614, a German astronomer found that in 7 BC. There was a series of three conjunctions between Jupiter and Saturn. The scientist suggested that planets approaching each other could be visible from Earth, and it was this phenomenon that became known as the “Star of Bethlehem.” However, modern calculations show: the distance between the planets was about two diameters of the Moon, which means that Jupiter and Saturn could hardly have made such an impression on the Magi.

In 3-2 BC. There was a series of seven conjunctions of cosmic bodies, including three conjunctions of Jupiter and Regulus (the brightest star in the constellation Leo), as well as an unusually close conjunction of Venus and Jupiter on June 17, 2 BC. and in August 3 BC. However, these events are not very good candidates for the role of the Star of Bethlehem:

The conjunctions of the planets were visible in the west at sunset, which means they could not show the wise men the way to the south and lead them from Jerusalem to Bethlehem.

Comet

Halley's Comet was visible from Earth in 12 BC. for about 60 days and theoretically could have been a good candidate for the role of a star, but at that time astronomers already knew how to distinguish comets from other cosmic bodies and considered them a bad omen.

Nova or supernova

Another object similar to an exploding nova was observed by Korean and Chinese astronomers in 5 BC. This object was visible for 70 days and did not move - just like the Star of Bethlehem, which seemed to “hang” over the house of Mary and her baby.

In 2005 a hypothesis arose that

The Star of Bethlehem was a supernova that exploded near the Andromeda Galaxy, 2.52 million light years away from Earth.

Despite the fact that it is extremely difficult to detect traces of a supernova or determine the exact time of its explosion in another galaxy, scientists were able to find the remains of a supernova in the Andromeda galaxy.

Heliacal sunrise

One theory says that the expression “in the east” used in the Gospel can be interpreted not simply as an indication of the direction of the world, but, although a little-known, but quite specific astronomical term - heliacal sunrise. This expression means the first morning rise of a star or planet after a period of invisibility. Before heliacal rising, the star remains in the daytime sky for some time and is invisible, after which at a certain moment it rises on the eastern side of the sky against the background of the morning dawn.

However, other translators of the ancient text claim that the Gospel does not contain specific astronomical vocabulary and with the expression “in the east” the author only wanted to indicate the direction of the world.

Occultation of Jupiter

Astronomer Michael Molnar asserts, that the star in the East was the events that happened on March 20 and April 17, 6 BC - the occultation of Jupiter by the Moon. An occultation is an astronomical phenomenon in which one celestial object passes in front of another, obscuring part of it.

Scientists believe that

The occultation of Jupiter by the Moon could not be visible from Earth with the naked eye, which means it would hardly be mistaken for a bright star.

On the other hand, when the Magi came to King Herod, who directed them from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, the king was surprised by this visit. This means that he did not see the “guiding star” of the Magi - but they, being educated people and knowledgeable in astronomy, could well have noticed the covering.

Despite a considerable number of theories that could explain the appearance of the Star of Bethlehem in the sky, none of them is generally accepted as correct.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit!

In today's Gospel readings of the Royal Hours and Liturgy, we heard from the mouths of various evangelists the story of the birth of the Messiah.

To confirm that everything that happened two thousand years ago is true, the apostles draw on not only the words of eyewitnesses, but also temporary s e, geographical and even astronomical evidence.

Evangelist Luke writes that immediately before the birth of the Child, Joseph the Betrothed and Mary had to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem because of the population census. The census, which took place by decree of Emperor Augustus, was the first during the reign of Quirinius in Syria (see: Luke 2: 2). The Romans respected the tribal customs of the conquered peoples, and therefore King Herod adapted the census to the traditions accepted in Judea. It is precisely this fact - the need for Joseph to arrive at the house of his forefather David during the census - that the Evangelist Luke points out (see: Luke 2:4).

There is nothing strange in the fact that outside the Gospels we know almost nothing about this first census in Judea. After all, all the manuscripts of antiquity have not reached us. In addition, if you believe Luke as a historian, there was a second census - after the death of Archelaus, the son of Herod. It was then that the rebel Judas the Galilean carried away quite a lot of people with him (see: Acts 5:37). The fact that Quirinius ruled Syria at that time is attested in historical chronicles.

Evangelist Matthew speaks of a certain star that led the Magi from the East. In the liturgical hymns of Christmas Eve, an unknown country in the east is associated with Persia, and the Magi learn the profession of astrologers.

Most likely, it was in Persia, as the successor to the great Babylonian Empire, that the traditions of the Jewish prophet Daniel about the extraordinary King - the Ruler of the world - were preserved. Daniel, the chief of the Babylonian sages, through various images predicted the gradual change of world empires: after the golden age of Babylon, the age of the Medes and the copper period of the reign of the Persians would come, and after that the iron kingdoms of the Greco-Romans with feet of clay.

By the time of the Nativity of Christ, Persian magicians could be convinced that Daniel’s prophecies were coming true. The era of Babylon, the Medes and the Persians had passed, and there was unrest among the Greeks and Romans. And, therefore, the age of the New King was about to come - the Anointed One, Who, according to the promise, was expected in “seventy weeks” after Cyrus’ decree on the restoration of Jerusalem (see: Dan. 9: 24).

It can also be assumed that the words of the seer Balaam: “A star rises from Jacob, and a rod rises from Israel” (Num. 24:17) - laid the foundation for the belief of Jews and Persians that the coming of the Messiah will be indicated by the appearance of an extraordinary star in the sky.

Seeing an unusual star in the sky, Persian astrologers hastened to Jerusalem to bow to the new King from Judea. At the same time, according to Matthew, the Magi observed the “star” twice. The first time they saw her “in the east” (Matthew 2: 1-2) was still in Persia, which can be understood as “at sunrise” or “at the rising of the sun.” And the second time - upon arrival in Bethlehem. The star led them straight to the house and “stopped” over the place where the Child and Mary were (see: Matt. 2: 9-11).

What the nature of the star was is a mystery. Among church researchers of ancient and modern times, there are different opinions about the nature of the heavenly body. Origen, and after him the Monk John of Damascus, admitted that it could be a comet. The image of Halley's Comet, in particular, is captured in Giotto's fresco "The Adoration of the Magi" in the Scrovegni Chapel (Italy). The ecclesiastical writer Tertullian and Emperor Manuel I Comnenos suggested that this was a conjunction of the planets. According to Johannes Kepler, for example, it could have been the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn with Mars in 6 BC. Saint John Chrysostom and Blessed Theophylact of Bulgaria believed that some angelic power appeared in the form of a star.

One way or another, judging by the Gospel, the star led the Magi to Jerusalem, and then disappeared for a while. After the high priests and scribes pointed to Bethlehem as the birthplace of the Leader of Israel and the wise men left King Herod, the star reappeared and accurately pointed the Persian magicians to the house of the Infant God and Mary.

In the debate among materialists about whether there really was first census under Quirinius and what the bright star was, you can lose the essence of the gospel message. For a believer, the main thing is that with the appearance of the Star of Bethlehem, the good news of the birth of the Savior received its real existence.

Referring to the historical facts of their time, the apostles wanted to emphasize that the Nativity of Christ was not fiction, but a fact. The promises of the prophets were fulfilled.

In the land of Judah, in the city of David, the Savior Emmanuel, who is Christ the Lord, was born from a Virgin. But the One who accepted gifts from the Persian magicians, Who was supposed to shepherd Israel, was born not in the royal chambers, but in a simple stable. The Angel of the Lord pointed to this as a special sign: “the joy that will be to all people” will be found by the shepherds in the manger for the cattle (see: Luke 2:12).

Christ humbled Himself by taking on the form of a servant (see Phil. 2:7). According to Saint Theophan, the Lord followed the path of humility and exhaustion. Conscious of Himself equal to God, He, “having stripped myself of the visible glory and majesty inherent in the Divinity and Him, as God, belonging... hid the glory of His Divinity.” “God by nature, having equality with the Father, having hidden his dignity, chose extreme humility” (Blessed Theodoret).

Belittling yourself, humility, cutting off your egoism is the path to heavenly glory that Christ offered us. Not in the imperial chambers, not in the pomp of earthly glory, He offered us great hope. He contrasted the glory and wealth of earthly kings with heavenly glory and treasure in heaven.

“I do not accept glory from men,” the Lord said about Himself. “How can you believe when you receive glory from one another, but do not seek the glory that is from the One God?” - He spoke about us (John 5: 41, 44). The Savior reproached the Pharisees not for observing the external rules of piety, but for the fact that they “loved the glory of men more than the glory of God” (John 12:43). The Pharisees did all their deeds for show; they loved greetings in public assemblies and for people to call them: teacher! teacher! (see: Matthew 23:7). Earthly glory blinded them. But among you, Christ said to his disciples, “let the greater one be your servant: for whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Matthew 23: 11-12). Belittling oneself, exhaustion, humility - this is the path of the reverend fathers who belittled themselves in the image of the Teacher-Christ.

He who creates heaven and earth, establishes the laws of the Universe, upholds everything with the word of His power (see: Heb. 1: 3) placed Himself in a manger for cattle, so that, having become in everything like a man, he could show us the path of Divine humility and save the fallen Adam.

Surprised by this, we follow the Magi to Bethlehem with the star, marvel at the miracle with the shepherds and sing with the angels: “ Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!"(Luke 2:14).

Cm.: Josephus Flavius. Jewish antiquities. 18:1.

Liturgical chants call Balaam “the astrologer”, and the Magi are called “disciples of Balaam”.

Origen: The star of Bethlehem “most likely belongs to that group of stars which appear from time to time and are called tailed stars, or comets... we read about comets that they appeared several times before happy events. If, with the rise of new empires and other important events on Earth, comets or other similar stars appeared, then why be surprised that the appearance of a star accompanied the birth of the Child, Who was to bring about a transformation in the human race?

Blessed Theophylact of Bulgaria: “When you hear about the star, do not think that it was one of those visible to us: no, it was a divine and angelic power that appeared in the form of a star. Since the Magi were engaged in the science of the stars, the Lord led them with this familiar sign, just as Peter the fisherman, amazed by the multitude of fish, attracted them to Christ. And that the star had angelic power is evident from the fact that it shone brightly during the day, walked when the wise men walked, and shone when they did not walk; especially from the fact that it went from the north, where Persia is, to the south, where Jerusalem is: but the stars never go from north to south.”

"I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel"
If you learned one phrase like parrots, then you understand everything...

He tested the woman - what would she answer, ... her faith - that’s all.

Luka - what is your nationality? Greek

About Jews:
“I have cursed them in My wrath, that they should not enter My rest” (Ps 94:11)

They don’t swear in anger - they actually curse!
The text was corrected by the Jews - how is it that the chosen people were cursed.

Jews are a damned people - and at the moment - they have nothing to do with Christianity.

"20. Then He began to rebuke the cities in which His powers were most manifested, because they did not repent:

21. woe to you, Chorazin! woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the powers that were done in you had been done in Tire and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes, Luke 10:13.

22 But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tire and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.

23. And you, Capernaum, who ascended to heaven, will be cast down to hell, for if the powers that were manifested in you had been manifested in Sodom, it would have remained to this day;

24 But I tell you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.
(Gospel of Matthew 11:20-24)"

38. Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said: Teacher! We would like to see a sign from You.

39. But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign; and no sign will be given to him except the sign of the prophet Jonah;

40. For as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.

41. The Ninevites will rise up in judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented from the preaching of Jonah; and behold, there is more Jonah here.

42. The queen of the south will rise up in judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, there is more Solomon here.
(Gospel of Matthew 12:38-42)"

About non-Jews:

"27 And talking with him, he entered the house, and found many gathered together,

28 And he said to them, “You know that it is forbidden for a Jew to associate or become intimate with a foreigner; but God revealed to me that I should not consider a single person bad or unclean;

29. Therefore, when I was called, I came without question; So I ask: for what purpose have you called me?

30. Cornelius said: On the fourth day I fasted until this hour, and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house; and behold, a man stood before me in light clothes

31. And he says: “Cornelius! your prayer is heard, and your alms are remembered before God;

32. So go to Joppa and call Simon, who is called Peter: he is staying in the house of Simon the tanner by the sea; he will come and tell you.”

33. I immediately sent to you, and you did well to come; Now we all stand before God to listen to everything that God has commanded you.

34 Peter opened his mouth and said, “Truly I perceive that God is no respecter of persons,

35. But in every nation, whoever fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him.

36. He sent a word to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ; This is the Lord of all.

37. You know what happened throughout all Judea, starting from Galileo, after the baptism preached by John:

38. How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with Him;

39. And we are witnesses of everything that He did in the land of Judea and in Jerusalem, and that they finally killed Him by hanging Him on a tree.

40. This one God raised up on the third day and caused Him to appear

41. Not to all the people, but to the witnesses chosen by God, us, who ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead;

42. And He commanded us to preach to people and testify that He is the judge appointed by God of the living and the dead.

43. All the prophets testify about Him that whoever believes in Him will receive forgiveness of sins through His name.

44. While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word.

45 And the believers of the circumcision who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out also on the Gentiles;

46. ​​For we heard them speaking in tongues and magnifying God. Then Peter said:

47. Who can forbid those who, like us, have received the Holy Spirit, to be baptized with water?

48. And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay with them for a few days
(Acts 10:13)"

So stop fooling people with a phrase out of context.