STAR IN THE EAST (star In the est),(Gr. cierripa dv rijaparoXi"), Matthew (ch. ii:2, sq.) relates that at the time of the birth of our Lord there came wise men (magi) from the East to Jerusalem, to inquire after the newly-born King of the Jews, in order that they might offer him presents and worship him. A star, which they had seen in the East, guided them to the house where the infant Messiah was. Having come into his presence, they presented unto him gifts—gold, and frankin cense and myrrh.
The solid learning and free conjecture of Chris tian divines have combined with the unfriendly daring of infidelity to render imperceptible and obscure the particulars involved in this passage of Holy Writ. Our space will not allow us to review and examine what has been written by friends .ind enemies (last of all, by Strauss, Leben les% i, 249, 4th edit.) on the subject. We must content ourselves with a brief statement of the theory of the distinguished astronomer Kepler, which appears to us the right view of the case: "These wise men were Chaldean magi. A con viction had long been spread throughout the East, that about the commencement of our era a great and victorious prince, or the Messiah, was to be born. His birth was, in consequence of words of sacred Scripture (Num. xxiv:t7), connected with the appearance of a star. Calculations seem to have led the astrological astronomers of Meso potamia to fix the time for the advent of this King in the latter days of Herod, and the place in the land of Judaea. Accordingly, at the appointed time, two planets, Jupiter and Saturn, were in conjunction under such circumstances as to ap pear one resplendent heavenly body, and to mar shal the way for the magi from their own homes to Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and the inn."
Kepler made his calculations, and found that Jupiter and Saturn were in conjunction in the constellation of the Fishes (a fish is the astro logical symbol of Judaea) in the latter half of the year of Rome 747, and were joined by Mars in 748. The two planets went past each other three times, came very near together, and showed them selves all night long for months in conjunction with each other, as if they would never separate again. Their first union in the East awoke the attention of the magi, told them the expected time had come, and bade them set off without de lay towards Judaea (the fish land). When they reached Jerusalem the two planets were once more blended together. Then, in the evening, they stood in the southern part of the sky, point ing with their united rays to Bethlehem, where prophecy declared the Messiah was to be born. The magi followed the finger of heavenly light, and were brought to the child Jesus. The con clusion, in regard to the time of the advent, is, that our Lord was born in the latter part of the year of Rome 747, or six years before the com mon era. The literature connected with the sub ject is abundant, but appears to the writer to have lost much of its interest since Kepler's views have found acceptance. Those, however, who wish to ascertain what works have been written on the subject are referred to Walch, Bibliotheca Theo!. ii. 422, sq.; Thiess, Krit. Comment, ii. 350, sq.; Trench, Star of the I-Vise Men. L. R. B.