STAR IN THE EAST. Matthew (ch. ii. t, seq.) 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 frankincense, and myrrh.
The solid learning and free conjecture of Chris tian divines have combined with the unfriendly daring of infidelity to cast a heap of difficulties on 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 and enemies on the subject. We must content our selves with a brief statement of what appears to us the right view of the case, referring in justification to the authorities whence we have dmwn our materials.
These wise men were Chakkean magi. During many centuries the magi had been given to the study of astronomy, and for some considerable time before the birth of our Lord they had cor rupted and disfigured their scientific knowledge by astrological speculations and dreams. A convic tion had long been spread throughout the East, that about the commencement of our era a great and victorious prince, of the Messiah, was to be born. His birth was in consequence of words of sacred Scripture (Num. xxiv. 17), 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 Judma. Accordingly, at the appointed time, two planets, Jupiter and Saturn, were in conjunction under such circumstances as to appear one resplendent heavenly body, and to marshal the way for the magi from their own homes to Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and the inn.
This view, which owes its origin to the astro nomer Kepler, has been investigated and approved by some of the soundest minds of Germany. Under the influence of a conjunction of Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars, which took place in the year 1604, Kepler was led to think that he had discovered means for determining the true year of our Saviour's birth. He made his calculations, and found that Jupiter and Saturn were in conjunction in the con stellation of the Fishes (a fish is the astrological symbol of Judzea) in the latter half of the year of Rome 747, and were joined by Mars in 74S. Here then he fixed the first figure in the date of our era, and here he found the appearance in the heavens which induced the magi to undertake their journey, and conducted them successfully on their ay. Others have taken up this view, freed it from astrological impurities, and shown its trustworthi ness and applicability in the case under consider ation. It appears that Jupiter and Saturn came together for the first time on May 2oth in the twentieth degree of the constellation of the Fishes. They then stood before sunrise in the eastern part of the heavens, and so were seen by the magi. Jupiter then passed by Saturn towards the north. About the middle of September they were near midnight both in opposition to the sun. Saturn in the thirteenth, Jupiter in the fifteenth degree, being distant from each other about a deoree and a half.
They then drew nearer : on Octo'ber 27th there was a second conjunction in the sixteenth degree, and on November r2th there took place a third conjunction in the fifteenth degree of the same con stellation. In the two last conjunctions the in.
terval between the planets amounted to no more than a degree, so that to the unassisted eye the rays of the one planet were absorbed in those of the other, and the two bodies vvould appear as one. 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 vvould never separate again. Their drst union in the east awoke the attention of the magi, told them the expected time had come, and bade thcm set off without delay towards Judzea (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, pointing 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 conclusion 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 common era.
\Ve have not presented this view from any lean ing in favour of a rationalistic interpretation, believ ing that God could, had he so pleased, have created a heavenly body for the purpose. But it must also be said that the Divine Ruler of the universe is frugal (abut invidia verbo) of his instrumentalities, and might well, in the case before us, make use, for the gracious purposes of his providence, of cos mical arrangements which he had fixed ere the earth and heavens were made. They are, how ever, facts which have been set forth. As facts, they explain a passage on which many doubts and difficulties have lain. The reader will determine whether he finds the explanation satisfactory. Kepler's ideas may be found in the essay De yesu Christi servatoris nostri vero anno natalitio, and more fully in De vero anno quo edema Del filius hitmanam naturam assumpsit, Frankfiirt 1614. His view was taken up, and presented with ap probation to the literary world, by a learned pre late of the Lutheran church, Bishop Minter (Der Stern der lVezIren, Kopenh. 1827). It also gained approval from the celebrated astronomer Schubert of Petersburg (Vermischten Schriften, Stuttgart 1823). The learned and accurate Ideler (Hand buch der Chronologie, Berlin ; see vol. ii. p. 399, seq.) reviewed the entire subject, and signified his agreement. IIase and De Wette, however, have stated objections. A recent writer of considerable merit, Wieseler (Chronolog. Synop. a'er 4 Eva-n gelien, Hamburg 1843), has applied this theory of Kepler's in conjunction with a discovery that he has made from some Chinese astronomical tables, which show that in the year of P.ome 75o a comet appeared in the heavens, and was visible for seventy days. Wieseler's opinion is, that the conjunction of the planets excited and fixed the attention of the magi, but that their guiding-star was the afore said comet.—J. R. B.