A NASA scientist claims to have discovered what the Star of Bethlehem actually was. In the Bible, the Star is claimed to have shown the three wise men to the baby Jesus in the nativity. It first appeared in the east, going before the three wise men, before stopping over the town of Bethlehem to mark the location of the son of God.
Known as the Star of Bethlehem, it has captured people’s imaginations for thousands of years, but many believed that it was nothing more than a myth. Now a NASA scientist has suggested that the Star of Bethlehem may have actually existed, but not in the way most people think.
In a study published in the Journal of the British Astronomical Association, planetary scientist Mark Matney has identified a comet, first noticed by Chinese astronomers in 5BC, as a potential candidate.
As historians say that Jesus may have been born around 6BC or 5BC, the timings initially match up. Furthermore, Mr Matney’s assessment suggests the comment may have become visible on a June morning in 5BC.
Mr Matney added that, as a result, people moving south towards Bethlehemm would have seen the comet going ahead of them.
In his study Mr Matney concluded: “A comet candidate has been presented that can explain all aspects of Matthew’s pericope. A comet orbit can be constructed that both fits the Chinese observations and passed very close to Earth in early June.
“On one particular June day, this comet could have moved in such a way as to appear to ‘go before’ someone travelling from Jerusalem to Bethlehem and then ‘stop’ nearly overhead for about two hours.
“This unusual comet motion would have occurred during daylight, when ancient people would normally travel…the candidate presented here corresponds to all aspects of both the Chinese observations and the descriptions of the Star in Matthew.”
This isn’t the first time a scientist has brought some science to the life of Jesus. British anthropologist Dr Paul Warner earlier this year claimed to have found Jesus’ body and the Ark of the Covenant under the Great Pyramid of Egypt.
Sharing his findings with the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities, Dr Warner claimed that the antiquities had been hidden inside a double cave deep in the pyramids.
He added that said antiquities could be behind behind a stone block sealing off the southern passageway’s subterranean chamber, but that further investigation was required to confirm his theory.