When exactly was Jesus Christ born? When was Jesus Christ born

At all times, people have been worried about the question of when Jesus was born. More than a millennium has passed since then, and scientists, theologians, historians, even art historians and writers are still arguing about the date and place of birth of Jesus Christ.

Year of birth of Jesus

Let's start with the fact that Jesus is a completely real person; in our time, there is no debate on this topic. And if he lived, then there is a day, month and year when Jesus Christ was born. The Bible says that on the birthday of his dream, a bright star was burning in the sky. Scientists have proven that such a star could be a comet, which was visible from Earth in Judea (Israel) at that time. This fact is undeniable. But with the date when the comet flew over the Earth, many scientists again have disagreements. If we collect many of the opinions expressed, we will determine the time period during which Jesus was born. This is from 12 BC to 4 AD. This is the time of King Herod's reign, when he waged his war on infants. This fact is also historically proven. Of course, 16 years is a long period of time, but due to the passage of time and because of the enormous contrast of documentary evidence in the form of the Gospel, even such a spread can be considered a complete hit on target. These dates allow us to definitively answer the question in what year Jesus was born.

Date of birth of Jesus

Now we can focus on the birth date of Jesus. We celebrate Christmas in December-January due to the difference in the calendar. Catholic Christmas is celebrated on December 26, and Orthodox Christmas on January 7. What do scientists say about these dates? Even in Orthodox religious sources you can read that the birth of Christ took place in the spring, on March 25-27. This is evidenced by descriptions of this event in all sources. But on December 26 at that time the pagan Day of the Sun was celebrated. And in order to wean the population from the “bad” holiday, the ancient churchmen legalized Christmas on this very day. This is the opinion of the modern Orthodox Church!

Modern astrologers are also involved in calculating the date of birth of Jesus Christ. German Lomov wrote an entire work, “And It’s All About Him,” dedicated specifically to the date of Christ’s birth. He brought together the research of many astrologers who lived in different cities, countries and centuries. Researchers human destinies They built the horoscope of Christ based on the stars and calculated it the exact date birth (in their opinion) - December 24.

Birthplace of Jesus

There is no such confusion with the place where Jesus was born, there is only one version. His father Joseph and his mother Mary lived until the conception of the Messiah in Nazareth. But before the birth, an angel informed Joseph that the child was to be born in Bethlehem. Therefore, Thiphlehem is the city in which Jesus was born. The family went there right before the baby was born. As soon as Jesus was born and the wise men brought the good news, and the shepherds saw the star, everyone visited the barn where Mary and the baby rested and brought them their gifts. After this, due to persecution by Herod, the family fled to Egypt. They did not live there long, Herod died soon. Jesus' parents brought him back to his homeland, Nazareth, while still an infant.

The birth of Jesus Christ changed human history. The modern civilizational paradigm became possible thanks to this event. The achievements of modern humanity: scientific, cultural, economic - have deep Christian roots. It was Christmas that became Starting point formation of a new way of life for people.

Unfortunately, detailed information not so much. The Holy Gospel gives its listeners the main message - the Lord has appeared, the Redeemer of the world has been born. Everything else is of secondary importance.

Evangelists practically do not focus on these facts. However, the inquisitive human mind tries to study grains of knowledge in order to expand the scope of its knowledge.

For 2,000 years, scientists have been studying the texts of the New Testament, Apocrypha, Tradition, carrying out scrupulous work and trying to clarify and increase their existing knowledge.

Biography and Nativity of Jesus Christ in the New Testament

Today we will answer the main questions that interested people often ask.

When was Jesus Christ born?

According to the Holy Fathers of the Church, the appearance of the Lord into the world came at the most opportune time for the existence of society. Greek wisdom, adopted by the Roman Empire, no longer satisfied the needs of the people.

Jesus Christ was born at a time of general disappointment among people about the meaning of life. A striking example This is due to the emergence of various mystical sects and trends in philosophy (skepticism).

Where was Jesus Christ born?

Jesus Christ was born among the people who had been chosen by God many years ago for this great event. The territorially chosen people lived in the territory of modern Israel and Palestine.

After the death of King Solomon in 930 BC, the united kingdom of Israel split into Israel and Judah. It was on the territory of the latter that the Savior was born.

In what year was Jesus Christ born?

The New Testament does not contain the exact date of birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. Evangelist Luke in the second chapter writes that the Savior was born during the reign of the Roman emperor Augustus. Historical science dates His reign to 27–14 BC. However, Emperor Augustus is mentioned only by the Evangelist Luke.

Matthew links the birth of the Lord to the period of the reign of one of the Herod dynasty. Most scholars agree that the evangelist is talking about Herod the Great. It is reliably known that he died in 4 BC, after him his son ascended the throne. These events are also reflected in Scripture.

In the 8th century, Deacon Dionysius the Small made astronomical calculations that confirmed the possibility of a miracle and a guiding star, and came to the conclusion that the Nativity occurred between 5 BC and 20 AD.

On this moment most scholars agree that this event occurred in 4-6 AD. At one of the conferences at the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, Professor V.V. Bolotov proved that modern science unable to specify the date of the Lord’s birth.

In what city was Jesus Christ born?

The Holy Scriptures clearly indicate the place of birth of the Savior. The city of Bethlehem is ten kilometers from Jerusalem and is geographically located on the West Bank of the Jordan River.

According to Old Testament prophecies, the Savior of the human race was to be born here. According to the gospel story, the wise men also came here and brought various gifts to the King of kings.

The Most Holy Theotokos - Mother of the Born Child

The Books of the New Testament describe rather sparingly the biographical data concerning the Ever-Virgin Mary. It is known that the mother of Jesus Christ came from a royal tribe and was a descendant of King David.

She was born into a family that long time had no children. At the age of three she was sent to the temple.

Sacred Tradition gives a little more information. After meeting with the high priest on the steps of the temple, the Virgin Mary was led into the Holy of Holies - the altar. She was very beautiful and from infancy she saw the Angels who served Her.

Righteous Joseph - father of Jesus Christ

Scripture tells Christians that the parents of Jesus Christ were Mary and Elder Joseph. The issue of paternity is quite complex for human understanding. Christians insist that the conception took place mysteriously and supernaturally.

Therefore, one cannot talk about the biological father of Jesus Christ in the literal sense. He is the hypostasis of the Holy Trinity and therefore He is the true God.

At the same time, Scripture says that the Holy Spirit entered the Virgin Mary and she became pregnant. The Holy Spirit is also a hypostasis of the Trinity and therefore it turns out that the Lord entered the womb of the Virgin with one nature, but different hypostases.

How old was Joseph the Betrothed when Baby Jesus Christ was born?

The question of how old Joseph was when Jesus was born is quite open. In Protestantism, there is an opinion that Mary’s betrothed was quite young.

More conservative Christian denominations claim that Joseph was many years old. In addition, Holy Tradition and the teachings of the Fathers confirm Joseph’s advanced age.

When is the birthday of Jesus Christ?

The New Testament does not indicate the exact birthday of Jesus Christ. There is a Church tradition according to which this happened in the month of Tubi, which is analogous to the month of January.

It was not until the fourth century that the practice of celebrating Christmas on December 25th was introduced. Gregorian calendar and January 7 - Julian.

What is the name of God the Father of Jesus Christ?

IN holy scripture meet different names God the Father of Jesus Christ. Adanoi is translated as my God, Hosts is the Lord of Hosts, El-Shaddai is the Lord Almighty, El-Olam is the Eternal Lord, Jehovah is the Jehovah, El-Gibor is the Mighty Lord. There are other names of God found in the text.

However, this is not a reflection of His essence, but only indications of the manifestations of God in the world.

How to find the birthplace of Jesus on a map?

The Gospel narrative pinpoints the birthplace of Jesus. When His parents came for the census, there was no room in the hotel. They had to seek refuge outside the city.

Many commentators point out that, despite Joseph’s working profession, the family’s income was quite meager, so renting a separate home was not possible. The family had to spend the night in a cave where the shepherds hid their cattle for the night.

In what country was Jesus Christ born?

Jesus Christ was born in the country of Galilee, which was part of the Israeli province and was under the authority of local kings subject to the authority of Rome. At the moment this is northern Palestine.

How many years ago was Jesus Christ born?

Jesus Christ was born approximately 2015 - 2020 years ago. Unfortunately, it is impossible to establish a more precise date.

How to briefly tell children the story of the Nativity of Christ?

A short history of the Nativity of Christ for children tells about next events. Saint Joseph became the betrothed of the Virgin Mary. Having gone to the census, they could not find a place to stay for the night in the town of Bethlehem. They had to spend the night in a cave.

The Savior of the world was born there. After His birth, three wise men came to the Holy Family and brought gifts to the King of Kings.

Conclusion

Evangelists describe the events of the Nativity of the Lord in short, pithy phrases. Of course, I would like to have more information about this great miracle.

However, it is not so important to find out in what specific year this great miracle occurred. The most important thing is that the Lord came into the world to save humanity.

How much time has passed since the birth of Christ? A strange question, most will think. What is the year now? So many years have passed. As soon as he was born, they began to count the years again. Oh, if only it were that simple. When he was born (and even convinced atheists do not deny the very fact of the existence of Jesus), no one considered it necessary to record the date, they did not put it in books, and all-knowing databases had not yet been invented.

Catholics, for example, believe that this happened on December 25th. Then this date is celebrated. And the Orthodox celebrate January 7, according to the old style. IN Western countries It is customary to stage stage performances at Christmas with the participation of the Virgin Mary, the newborn Jesus and the wise men who brought him gifts. In Russia it is customary to hold ceremonial services.

According to the Bible, Jesus was born in a stable. According to the texts of the Gospel of Luke, Mary, being pregnant, came to the city of Bethlehem. “And she gave birth to her firstborn Son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” The place of birth is thus established at least to the accuracy of the city.

But the date of Christmas (in the sense of birth) of Christ has not been precisely established. The Bible does not indicate the date, but only gives some hints. The search for the exact date and year began already in the first centuries of our era (however, by that time many years had passed, there were no living eyewitnesses left, and the culture of keeping records had not yet taken root). Ancient scientists received very different results- from 8 BC e., until 6 AD (in terms of our chronology). In the end, everyone was satisfied with the date - 1 AD. It was recorded by one of the papal archivists, Dionysius the Small, in 525.

Where did the day come from - December 25th? The apologist for this date was St. John Chrysostom. His arguments were as follows: John the Baptist was conceived on September 23, and in the sixth month after that the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary took place - about the immaculate conception. Which, in turn, happened on March 25th. And nine months later, on December 25, Jesus Christ was born.

This version, however, is contradicted by the argument that only in 354 does the first mention of the celebration of the Nativity of Christ appear on December 25 - the day of the winter solstice, solstice. And the hypothesis arises that the holiday of December 25 was introduced by the church in order to replace the pagan celebrations of the birth of the invincible Sun god, which occurred at the same time.

However, even with the year, not everything is completely clear!

From sacred texts It is known: “In those days, an order came from Caesar Augustus to take a census of the entire earth. This census was the first in the reign of Quirinius in Syria (Luke). Actually, for the sake of registration, Mary went to Bethlehem, where she gave birth. Matthew confirms that " ...Jesus was born in Bethlehem." And he adds: "... in the days of King Herod..." The trouble is that the available sources are not enough to determine who ruled and when, since in those days the chronology system was adopted according to the reigning king: the year is such- then the reign of Herod. And that’s all. It’s not always possible to say exactly who is behind whom, not to mention the exact dates.

According to all available documents, there is a range from 12 BC to 4 AD. Astronomers can come to the rescue, since the Magi said that they “saw His star in the east...”. “And behold, a star... walked before them, when at last it came and stood over the place where the Child was” (Matthew). This is the famous guiding star", she is also Bethlehem, her symbol still decorates Christmas trees every year.

Let's assume that the Magi observed some real astronomical event. It is believed that Halley's Comet is best suited for the role of a “guiding star”. By the way, it was in the form of a comet that the Italian artist Giotto depicted the “Star of Bethlehem” in 1301 in his painting dedicated to the birth of the baby Jesus. Experts have also found more reliable sources - for example, observations of the ancient Chinese astronomer Ma Tuan Ling. From them it followed: Halley's comet first appeared on August 26, 12 BC. It turns out that Christmas needs to be moved back. Halley's Comet was visible in the morning in the constellation Gemini. And she moved towards the border of the constellations Leo and Virgo. On the 13th day, the comet could be observed in the evenings. Then she went around Milky Way and went south. Ultimately, it was visible for 63 days. But not until December.

The Magi were supposedly heading to the kingdom of Judah from the neighboring kingdom of Nabatea. And they moved all the time to the west. The “star”, also known as a comet, seemed to be walking in front of them - from north to south. It is not clear, however, how the illusion arose that she had stopped. But this happened in Bethlehem of Galilee. There the Magi found, perhaps, the only family in which there was a newborn. It turned out to be Jesus. Modern calculations show that the comet entered the constellation Leo in early September and headed towards the star Regulus - the “little king”. It was then, according to scientists, that the Magi noticed her in the pre-dawn hours on the eastern side of the sky. And since the Constellation Leo was associated with the names of Judah and his “tribe,” the appearance of a new star here, and even next to Regulus, could be regarded as a sign of the birth of a new “king of the Jews.”

However, on September 7, the comet left the constellation Leo. Therefore, experts conclude, Jesus must have been born somewhere between the first days of September and the 7th. But 12 years earlier than is currently believed.

However, the guiding star may not have been a comet.

At the end of 2010, British astronomer Mark Thompson once again doubted the cometary version. And therefore in the date of birth of Jesus. And the scientist’s main argument is that the inhabitants of Judea did not notice anything special in the sky. The comet would certainly have attracted their attention. For the same reason, a supernova explosion, which is also sometimes assigned the role of a “guiding star,” is rejected.

This means that something less significant happened in heaven, but was noticeable to the wise men. Thomson believes that the matter is the superposition of the brightest planet Jupiter on the star Regulus (this is the brightest star in the constellation Leo). The desired “guiding star” was formed in Ruzeltat. However, this phenomenon does not give an exact date. Computer modelling shows that approximately 2 thousand years ago Regulus and Jupiter conjuncted three times: September 14 in 3 BC, February 17 in 2 BC and May 8 in 2 AD.

Australian astronomer Dave Reneke believes that Jesus was born on June 17, 2 BC. And he assigns the role of the Star of Bethlehem to the merger of Jupiter and Venus in the sky. Similar conclusions were reached at Indiana University under the leadership of astronomy professor Hollis Johnson. Then, instead of 2011, it was already 2013.

Even church hierarchs sometimes create confusion in the minds of their flock. Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams recently distinguished himself during an appearance on BBC television. Then he called the events associated with the birth of the baby Jesus just a legend. “There is virtually no evidence for the existence of the Magi,” the Archbishop said. The only mention of wise men from the East is in the Gospel of Matthew, and it is quite vague.

Thus, according to Thompson, instead of 2011, either 2014 or 2013 came, according to Williams, 2013. In any case, we have already missed the end of the world predicted by the Mayan calendar.

He was born in Bethlehem, on Saturday 21 September 5 BC. new era”, but the most amazing thing is that the “official” dates (December 25 and January 7) are also correct! How can it be? It turns out it can!

HISTORY OF THE QUESTION ABOUT THE DATE OF A.D.

Neither the texts of the New Testament, nor the apocrypha, nor oral tradition have conveyed to us the actual date and year of the birth of Jesus Christ. Why? The fact is that according to deep tradition, probably since the time of Moses, the Jews did not celebrate birthdays. Of course, everyone knew their age, but they didn’t celebrate birthdays, and even if they wanted to, they couldn’t do it because of what had also long been accepted solar-lunar calendar with a floating beginning of the year, sometimes determined not even by the spring new moon, but by the day “when the barley starts to spike.” Celebrating a birthday was a sign of “paganism” for Orthodox Jews and could only be practiced among apostates from the faith of their fathers, in circles close and friendly to Rome.

This was the case during the time of the tetrarch Herod the Great, who ruled Judea for thirty-four years until his death in the spring of 4 BC. e., and during whose reign the baby Jesus was born in Bethlehem. If a Jew of those times had wanted to say something about the date of his birth, he could have said something like the following: born on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, in the 33rd year of the reign of Herod, or rather (since the Jews did not like Herod), it would be said - in the 15th year of the Renewal of the Temple. The Gospel of John testifies that the year of the consecration of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem rebuilt by Herod (20 BC) was the most important reference point for the Jews in those days.

About how the “official” date of the Nativity of Christ arose - the night from December 24 to 25 of the 1st year BC. e. (in Orthodoxy since 1918 - January 7, 1st year AD) - you can read about this on Wikipedia. We will now move on to clarifying the year of Jesus’ birth.

WHAT YEAR WAS JESUS ​​CHRIST BORN?

The upper limit is determined by the time of death of Herod the Great, and he died in early spring 4 BC e., shortly after lunar eclipse March 13 of that year (750th from the founding of Rome). Almost all modern researchers are practically unanimous on this issue. The lower limit of the possible year of A.D. is also quite confidently determined from a joint consideration of the canonical Gospels. In the Gospel of Luke, it is said about the beginning of Christ’s ministry that it was “in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was in charge of Judea...” (Luke 3:1). It is known that Tiberius Claudius Nero Caesar - that is his full name, - was born in 712 from the founding of Rome (42 BC), was declared co-ruler of Emperor Augustus in 765 (12 AD), and became sole ruler in 767 (14 AD). e.). In the first case, the beginning of Jesus' ministry occurs in 27 AD, in the second - in 29 AD.

Further in the Gospel of Luke it is said that “Jesus, beginning His ministry, was about thirty years old.” (Luke 3:23). Probably the Evangelist Luke considered the year 765 to be the beginning of the reign of Tiberius, since otherwise it turns out that Christ was born after the death of Herod the Great, and this already contradicts the Gospel of Matthew, the entire second chapter of which is devoted to the story of the events of the Nativity associated with Herod the Great. In addition, from the Gospel of John it follows that the first appearance of Jesus with the apostles in Jerusalem was shortly before the Passover of the Jews in 27 AD. Indeed, we read the Gospel of John about the first disputes with the Jews in the temple: “Jesus answered and said to them: Destroy this temple, and I will raise it up in three days. The Jews said to Him, “This temple took forty-six years to build, and You in three.” will you erect it in a day?” (John 2:19,20) The temple was mainly rebuilt by Herod the Great and dedicated by the high priests in 20 BC, and then constantly added to and improved - therefore, 46 years of its construction is 27. AD As we see, the testimonies of the evangelists agree if we consider the beginning of the reign of Tiberius in 12 AD and the beginning of the ministry of Jesus in 27 AD.

We are now almost ready to set a lower limit for the possible year of birth of Jesus Christ, accepting Luke's words "he was about thirty years old." Obviously, more than thirty, since otherwise we again go beyond the upper limit, beyond 4 BC. e. If in 27 AD. When the Savior turned 31 years old, the year of His birth was 5 BC. e., if 32 years old, then we get 6 BC. e., if He turned 33 years old in the year 27, then the year of the Nativity of Christ turns out to be 7th BC. e. Most researchers believe that this is the lower limit of the possible year of birth of Jesus Christ. Let us add that if the error of four years discovered in the calculations of Dionysius the Less is the only one, then the fifth year BC is obtained as the most probable.

Sometimes, however, one hears, with reference to the same Gospel of John, that in Last year The Savior's earthly service was about fifty years. They refer to the following words from this Gospel, relating to the time of the Savior’s last, third visit to Jerusalem: “Abraham your father rejoiced to see My day: and he saw it, and rejoiced. To this the Jews said to Him: You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham? (John 8−57). To correctly understand these lines, we must remember the above episode from the second chapter of the same Gospel, when, during their first visit to Jerusalem (in 27), the Jews say that the temple is forty-six years old. The episode from chapter eight also relates to the age of the temple, not Jesus. The matter again takes place, as follows from the Gospel, in the temple, on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles - now, if we follow the chronology of the Gospel, in 29, and the Jews again correlate the behavior and words of Jesus, this time about Abraham, with the age of the temple. That is, they again point out to the Nazarene that He is younger than the temple, younger than many of their opponents, and at the same time dares to teach them. This “temple line” in the Gospel of John allows, as we see, to restore the chronology evangelical events through the age of the temple, that’s all. However, this is not all. We will also try to understand later what “His day” Jesus Christ spoke about on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles in the year 29 - but more on that later. In the meantime, let's try to clarify the year of the Nativity of Christ.

STAR OF BETHLEHEM.

Another indication of the time of the Nativity of Christ is the story of Star of Bethlehem in the Gospel of Matthew. Hundreds of studies have been devoted to this story, so we present it here:

« When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem and said, “Where is he who has been born King of the Jews?” For we saw His star in the east and came to worship Him. Hearing this, King Herod became alarmed, and all Jerusalem with him. And having gathered all the high priests and scribes of the people, he asked them: where should Christ be born? They said to him: in Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written through the prophet... Then Herod, secretly calling the wise men, found out from them the time of the appearance of the star. And, sending them to Bethlehem, he said: go, carefully investigate about the Child, and when you find, notify me, so that I too can go to worship Him. After listening to the king, they left. And behold, the star that they saw in the east walked before them, when at last it came and stood over the place where the Child was. Having seen the star, they rejoiced with very great joy, and entering the house, they saw the Child with Mary, His Mother, and falling down they worshiped Him, and opening their treasures, they brought Him gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh."(Matthew 2:1−11).

From the very first centuries of Christianity, the church fathers were engaged in interpreting the nature of this star. Origen (in the third century) and John of Damascus (c. 700) suggested that it was a “tailed star”, that is, a comet, and this hypothesis is again supported from time to time in one form or another, even in our time - in connection with the appearance of comet Hale-Bopp in the spring of 1997. As for this particular comet, the Star of Bethlehem could not possibly be it, if only because the last time it passed near the Earth about four thousand years ago - as modern astronomical calculations show - but next time it will actually be visible in the sky After about 2000 years, its orbit is greatly changed each time by Jupiter's gravity. In addition, and this is the main thing, it is difficult to imagine that such a feature of the Star of Bethlehem was not noted by the chroniclers of those times and by the Evangelist Matthew himself. All chroniclers always especially noted the phenomena of comets, calling them “tailed stars” or “spear-like” - one way or another, always noting this feature of comets. It is enough to read, for example, “The Tale of Bygone Years” (St. Petersburg, 1996) with comments by Academician D. S. Likhachev to be convinced of this. There is no reason to believe that the Evangelist Matthew was worse than other chroniclers, less attentive, less knowledgeable in such simple things. But what kind of star was this?

In October 1604, Johannes Kepler, observing the triple conjunction of Jupiter, Saturn and Mars near the Novaya Star that flared up at the same time and in the same area of ​​the sky, came to the idea that something similar could be in the heavens at the time of the Nativity of Christ. This assumption was also supported by the fact that from ancient times Jupiter was called the “star of kings”, and Saturn was considered the “star of the Jews” - a planet associated with Judaism, therefore the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn could be interpreted by astrologers as a sign of the future birth of the King of the Jews - especially since, according to Eastern legends, such a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn preceded the birth of Moses, who from ancient times was revered not only by the Jews, but also by many peoples as the greatest prophet.

Conjunctions of Jupiter and Saturn occur once every twenty years or so, and indeed in 7 BC. e. Jupiter and Saturn conjoined three times in the sign of Pisces, and since it was the image of the fish (and the Greek spelling of this word) that was secret symbol early Christians, Johannes Kepler's assumption was supported by many researchers. However, modern accurate calculations show that in 7 BC. e. Jupiter and Saturn approached each other no closer than the diameter of the Moon, so their conjunction could not stand out in the heavens with its brightness, although, of course, the magi-astrologers could perceive this as a harbinger of the future birth of the King of the Jews. Well, did a Nova or Supernova flash in the skies in those years?

Astronomers know that bright new stars, which flare up in the sky once or twice every hundred years, after several days or months of their shine, either completely disappear, leaving only a nebula that gradually increases in size (such as the Crab Nebula, which remains in the place of the star that once flared up), or after losing their extraordinary brightness, they become small stars of low magnitude. The former are called Supernovae, the latter - Novae. From the Gospel of Luke it can be assumed that the magicians saw the New Star in the east.

Even before I. Kepler, another great astronomer, mathematician and inventor, the Italian Hieronymus Cardan, put forward just such an assumption. And indeed, in the end, closer to our century, in the Chinese and then Korean ancient chronicles, astronomical records dating back to 5 BC according to modern accounts were found. e., and testifying to the outbreak of the Nova, that it shone brightly in the spring of that year for seventy days before sunrise in the east, low above the horizon. Some researchers referred to these chronicles at the beginning of our century, but only in 1977 did English astronomers D. Clarke, J. Parkinson and F. Stephenson undertake a serious study of them. They had to face considerable difficulties, because it was necessary to establish and bring into conformity with the European system of dividing the sky into constellations, to identify the ancient classification of celestial objects to distinguish novae outbursts from the observation of comets, and to convert eastern calendar dates to the modern scale.

All this was done by English astronomers. Until 1977, they analyzed these Chinese and Korean astronomical chronicles for the period from 10 BC. e. to 13 AD and identified the Star of Bethlehem with the outbreak of a bright Nova observed for 70 days in the spring of 5 BC. e., and they managed to quite accurately establish its celestial coordinates. In terms of 1950, this would be the 3rd degree zodiac sign Aquarius, and in 5 BC. e. this Bethlehem star was located approximately at the 7th degree of the zodiac sign Capricorn. Astronomical calculations confirmed that in the spring of that year its bright radiance could be observed in Persia (from where the magicians came) and in general from Syria to China and Korea in the east, low above the horizon, before sunrise - all exactly according to the Gospel of Matthew. However, during the arrival of the magicians in Jerusalem, no one saw the star, only the magicians remembered it, which means that this was after seventy days of its radiance on spring nights, in the summer or autumn of 5 BC...

Until now, we have told what is well known to researchers of early Christianity, and the general public is more or less familiar with the above, except, perhaps, the study of English astronomers (a report about it was published in the journal Nature, 1978, number 12). These same English astronomers calculated that Jupiter and Saturn were approaching each other in 7 BC. e. no closer than several diameters of the Moon visible from the earth (about a degree of arc), so that their conjunction could not stand out in the sky.

Now I will present my version of how the Star of Bethlehem led the magicians from Jerusalem to Bethlehem: “And behold, the star that they saw in the east went before them, and finally came and stood over the place where the Child was...” There are known attempts supporters of the identification of the Star of Bethlehem with the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn explain this strange phrase by saying that Jupiter passed the stationary point during the triple conjunction, and the Magi interpreted this as arriving at the place - that one should not go further. However, even ignoring the year of the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn (7 BC), this explanation does not stand up to criticism, since for an observer from the earth, Jupiter stands in the skies for several days, at least during the day its movement in the heavens is This point of standing is absolutely indistinguishable to the naked eye with a powerful telescope, and the distance from Jerusalem to Bethlehem is about 6/7 km, a two-hour walk.

Bethlehem (translated from Hebrew as “House of Bread”) is located exactly south of Jerusalem, two hours’ walk from it ancient center. So, simple astronomical calculations show that the same star of Bethlehem, which was located throughout 5 BC. e. in the 6th degree of Capricorn, could have been visible in Jerusalem in the south just after sunset in the autumn of that year, in late September or October. It rose after sunset, rose low above the horizon exactly south of Jerusalem, and set below the horizon about three hours later. In November, this star was already rising above the horizon late at night and not to the south of Jerusalem, but in December it rose above the horizon only during the day, so that it could not be visible at all in the skies of Jerusalem and Bethlehem in December 5 BC. e. and in the following months.

This means that if the Magi came to Jerusalem at the end of September or the beginning of October, then in the evening, after sunset, they could see in the sky exactly in the south the same star that they had been tracking for many months (albeit now dim). This means that, seeing a star in the south in front of them, the Magi could go south from Jerusalem, behind it, and it “led” them to Bethlehem, and went beyond the horizon (“stopped”) when they were in Bethlehem and, perhaps, went beyond the horizon is exactly above the house (place) where Mary and the Child, the Holy Family, were that evening in September or October...

So, the Star of Bethlehem, the New Star, flared up and shone at night in the east for seventy days in the spring of 5 BC. e. For more than a year after the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in the sign of Pisces, magicians in Persia, who perceived this conjunction as a sign of the future birth of the King of the Jews, predicted in their holy book Avesta of the Savior, were waiting for a new sign from the sky, and waited for it in the spring. The journey from Persia to Jerusalem took five/six months, and they arrived in the kingdom of Herod the Great in the fall of 5 BC. e., most likely at the end of September or October.

In Jerusalem, no one knew about the born “King of the Jews” or about the New Star that shone in the east in the spring. Alarmed by the rumors, Herod invites the magicians to his place. They tell him about the conjunction of the “star of the kings” of Jupiter and the “star of the Jews” Saturn, which happened two years ago, and perhaps also about a new sign, about the New Star that shone in the spring. The magicians go to Bethlehem and do not return to Herod; they go home by revelation from above in a different way. After some time, Herod orders to kill “all the infants in Bethlehem and in all its borders, from two years old and under, according to the time that he found out from the wise men” (Matthew 2:16). Why “from two years and below”? “Now it’s clear,” the magicians told him about the sign that happened two years ago! Evangelist Matthew is accurate - and there is no symbolism in the story about the Star of Bethlehem! All the Evangelists described real events and they were accurate... Only our ignorance or our unbelief sometimes prevents us from understanding the full power and truth of the Gospels.

To be continued.