There is no possible way the star of Bethlehem could have been a real astronomical object, based on the movements described in the story. Stars rise in the east, cross the sky, set in the west, then they disappear and rise again the next day in the east. there is no way it could lead the magi directly to the home where Jesus lived.
There are two possible explanations:
(1) It was actually a candle, being carried by an angel whose job was to lead the magi.
(2) It was a literary invention created by the author of Matthew.
It was literary invention to the highest degree. It is based on a much more primitive cosmological model, wherein stars are all contained within a crystal domed, flat Earth (where sheol resides below and heaven above, hence the consistent references to “hell” being below us and heaven above).
We see this type of literary imagery appear in Revelation, where the stars fall out of the sky (this same idea is also present in the Gospel of Matthew). Other rather interesting ideas surrounding them are the literary takes in books like Job, which anthropomorphizes, talking about how the morning stars all sang together with the shouting sons of God, in joy. Judges talks about how the stars fought Sisera.
Stars are used frequently as a sign of divine presence and as a divine literary device throughout the Bible. This is the same here.
Agnoman said
What about the conjunction of Jupiter and Venus.
Matthew 2:7 makes me doubt that. “Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from the me exact time the star had appeared.” Based on that timing (see Matthew 2:16) Herod calls for all children 2 years and younger to be killed.
The star is also reported as moving and standing over the house where the child was. (Matthew 2:9)
A conjunction of Jupiter and Venus would not:
1. last 2 years
2. travel and stop over the place where the child was. (Matthew 2:10)
If any of you folks are interested there is going to be a conjunction of Venus and Jupiter in the dawn of January 22, 2019. It will be visible on the east coast of the USA in the southeast sky about three hours before sunrise. It should be a beautiful sight if the weather cooperates where you are. You won’t have any trouble identifying it. Venus will be magnitude -4.3 and Jupiter will be mag -1.9. If you’re not familiar with the way astronomers gauge relative brightness let me just say that it will bright as hell!
And to be completely pedantic about it astronomers don’t use the word conjunction to describe this kind of thing anymore. The scientific term is appulse. A factoid with which to impress any of your friends you can persuade to get up that early in the morning and go outside in the cold with you. (But it will be worth it! Supercool, nature’s free light show. And you can test the hypothesis about the Star of Bethlehem.)
BDEhrman
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