A new theory on the Christmes star.
On careful and unprejudiced reading, the legend of the Star of Bethlehem (Matthew 2) suggests a rather unspectacular heliacal rising of Venus to have been the star. This suggestion is supported by Revelation 22:16, where Jesus is called “the shining morning star”. John’s vision of the apocalyptic woman in Revelation 12 indicates that the rising of the morning star took place during the time of Virgo (the virgin), close to a new moon, and, if possible, on the day of the Jewish New Year.
It is intriguing that around 2 BCE there really was a date that fulfilled all these conditions. The author studies the symbolism of this celestial configuration, and he discovers that it accords with the birth of the Messiah. It is to be debated whether this date for his birth is realistic, or whether early Christian writers chose it because of its symbolism.
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