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Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary

STAR IN THE EAST*

Star that guided the magi to the infant Jesus (Mt 2:2, 7-10). The magi were residents of some Eastern land (possibly Parthia, Babylon, or Arabia) who came to Herod. They explained that they had seen the star of the King of the Jews in their homeland. Herod and the Jewish scribes directed the men to Bethlehem, but the star guided them to the place of Jesus’ birth.

Numerous theories have been advanced to explain this phenomenon. In the 17th century Johannes Kepler suggested that the explosion of a distant star (supernova) would emit extraordinary light. While many such explosions are recorded each year (few visible to the naked eye), none are known from the time of Christ. The ancients were fascinated with comets. Halley’s comet was first sighted and recorded in 240 BC and, if calculated at 77-year intervals, would have appeared in Judea in 12–11 BC. This, however, significantly antedates Jesus’ birth; moreover, comets were usually associated with catastrophes in the ancient world. That the ancients practiced astrology, plotting the constellations and the course of the planets, is well known. Rare planetary conjunctions were studied and interpreted. For instance, in 7 BC Jupiter and Saturn came together in the zodiac constellation of Pisces (this occurs every 257 years). According to this view, Jupiter was associated with the world ruler, Saturn with the region of Syria-Palestine, and Pisces with the last days.

First-century readers—Jewish or Greek—would not have been surprised to read about a new star presaging the birth of Jesus. In Matthew 2:2 “in the east” might mean “at its rising.” In other words, the wise men had witnessed a new star and interpreted it as hallmarking some new event. In Greco-Roman society, the heavens often foretold or explained historical events (e.g., the founding of Rome, the birth of Augustus, etc.). Judaism likewise emphasized stars: Josephus recorded astral phenomena during the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70. Moreover, rabbis were enthralled with the imagery of the Balaam story in Numbers 24:17 (see esp. Nm 24:17, LXX) and symbolized their messianic expectations in a star. This was also common at Qumran (CD 7:19 f.; 1QM 11:6; cf. T. Levi 18:3; Rv 22:16). Similarly, coins struck after the onset of the revolt of Simon Bar-Kochba (“son of a star”) bore a star.