The Star of Bethlehem, referenced in the Gospel of Matthew, was a celestial body that supposedly announced the birth of Jesus Christ, and led magi to his location. While the true birth date and year of Christ is unknown, astrologers have long attempted to utilize the phenomenon of the Star of Bethlehem to find the birth chart of Jesus.
In the Gospel of Matthew, the short section references a star rising, using the Greek word anatol , meaning either (1) rising over the eastern horizon at the point of the Ascendant, or (2) making a heliacal rising when it emerges from under the beams of the Sun. There are numerous theories as to what the Star of Bethlehem was, including (1) a Jupiter-Saturn conjunction; (2) a lineup of planets in Pisces which occurred in 7 BC; (3) a comet; (4) a super nova; (5) a moon-Jupiter occultation occurring in 6 BCE; a (6) heliacal rising of Venus in Leo, taking place in 2 BCE, and others.
Further Listening:
The Astrology Podcast, Episode 58, The Star of Bethlehem, Chris Brennan & Kenneth Miller, December 21, 2015.
Article Information
- Author(s): Claire Rootjes
- Editing or additional contributions: Chris Brennan
- Originally published: December 1, 2020
- Last updated: December 1, 2020
- Cite this article: Claire Rootjes, “Star of Bethlehem,” The Astrology Dictionary, December 1, 2020, http://theastrologydictionary.com/s/star-of-bethlehem/
