Re: [guide-user] Star of Bethlehem

Patrick J. Madden Apr 6, 2001

>Haven't you missed out by far the most likely explanation - that the entire
>"three wise men and the star" thing was added a couple of centuries later
to
>"spice up the story" and is purely fictitious? After all, it's only
>mentioned in one of the Gospels - if it really did happen, why don't the
>others mention it?

1) Most scholars date the Gospel of Matthew about A.D. 85, so we are not
talking about "a couple of centuries."
2) The star does more than "spice up the story." It is probably an
allusion to various passages in the Hebrew Scriptures.

I am in agreement with your main point. The story is probably symbolic,
not historical. I am often surprised at how many hardnosed empirical
scientists with little or no concern for ancient literary genres.

Clear skies!
Patrick J. Madden, Ph.D. (in Biblical Studies--astronomy is my hobby)