The Star in the East.

Manawatu Herald, 19 April 1894, Page 3

The Star in the East.

About 1895 years ago certain wise - men if the east sought out Herod in Jerusalem to know "where is he 'that is born King of the Jews ?" for, they stated "we have seen his star " in the east and have come to worship *„ -titan." That strange sight seen by i; these men is now to be witnessed by those who choose to rise up in the

night and watch the eastern sky. Tlwre may be seen a bright particular star* appearing about the size of , three .stars thrown into one, but as it will be noticed further on in this explanation, it is not one star but three stars. It so happens that, although the exact year in which Christ was born is not aseertainable with any certainty from Scripture, yet, within a few years of what must, on any calculation, have been the period of His birth, there undoubt--1 edly did appear a phenomenon tn the heavens that could not possibly have escaped the observation of an astrological people. The Chinese, in their astronomical tables have a record that a new star did appear in the heavens at this period. In December 1604, the great astronomer Kepler saw a strange sight which occurs only once (or rather, is repeated two or three times at one period) in 800 years. It was the conjuotion of the bright pjanets Jupiter and Saturn, close together at one point of the heavens. Five months later, in the following May, the wonder was repeated in a more wonderful way : Mars joined with Jupiter and Saturn, a fiery trigon in the constellation Pisces. These unusual occurrences led ProfeisorpKe#ler ; to think that they raightr|iel& tj^^plaijt^he- strange star wßick tt^sviße mensa/w in the east. j Thetcfoiij unction could occur "*but once in ißo<y3ars (though if the star now viß^ble4s.as|ep'reßented the period wouW^ppeaWfei be inaccurate) take twice 800 year?, and it brings uk£q> within one or two years of the date of Christ's birth, the exact date of which is unknown . Several great astronomers, since Kepler's day, havo^ma,de the same calculations, particularly Professor Pritchard. and Ehclce; and 'it rests on assured grounds that, about the time of Christ's birth, in the month of May, occurred this conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, rising about three hours before sunrise, and therefore seen in threast.^ ■ • ' Suppose these wise men of Persia, jihe far East, seeing this wonderful jkigtit in their clear skies, had started on their journey about the end of May, it would require at least seven months. The planets were observed to separate slowly till the end of July r y*b«n they slowly drew . together again, and were in eonjunc- . tion in September, when the wise jntn would have reached the nearer East, on the border of the desert. At that time there can be no doubt that Jupiter would present to astronomtrs a very brilliant spectacle. It was th«n at its most brilliant apparition, for it was at its nearest ipproaoh both to the sun and the •arth. The glorious spectacle continued almost unaltered for several days, when the planets separated, C^me to » halt, and then Jupiter again approached to a conjunction for. the third time with Saturu, just at the time the wise men may be supposed to have entered Bethlehem in" December. And to complete the fasoination of the tale, if they performed the journey from Jerusalem to Bethlehem in the evenings, as is implied, then, about half an hour after sunset, the two planets might OAfieen from Jerusalem, hanging as it were, in the Meridian, and suspended over Bethlehem in the distance.