[Daily Scripture] Daily Scripture Email – Devotion – Sunday, 5 January
2014 “On this Epiphany Sunday, I am sending this contribution from our good
friend and fellow Trinity member, Rolf Hummel (Prof Emeritus, UF, Dept.
Materials Science and Engineering). Blessings!”
Christmas was originally celebrated on January 6 before it was
moved to December 25. January 6 became the feast of the three holy kings, that
is, the Magi from which Matthew's tells us in his version of the Christmas story (Matthew
2,1f): "When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Magi from the East came to
Jerusalem and to King Herod and asked: Where is the new–born king of the Jews?
We have seen his star rising in the East and have come to worship him".
Who were these Magi? Magi were members of the Parthian (Babylonian)
cast of priests, that is, the carriers of the covenant with God. They were
among others, mathematicians and astronomers. What the Magi observed was a
conjunction between the planets Jupiter and Saturn in the constellation of the
Pisces. Jupiter was considered to be the star of the kings, Saturn the star of
the Jews, and the constellation of the Pisces points to the Southern Syria, the
Israel of today. These planets came so close together in the year 7 BC that
they were seen as a single star. We can calculate this constellation today and
learn that it happened three times namely from May 29th to June 8th, then again
from September 26 to October 8, and finally from December 5 to December 15. As
we know, the census from which Luke was writing occurred indeed in the year 7
BC. Finally, Matthew wrote that the "star" (Jupiter and Saturn)
"stood still". This "standing still" (over the birthplace
of Jesus) was nothing else but the return of the planets from one direction of
movement into the opposite one, as we know. One can imagine that the Magi saw
the "star of Bethlehem" at its first appearance, began their journey
at the second coincidence and arrived at King Herod's place around the third
coincidence. In short, the story of Matthew 1 coincides with scientific facts.
This should fortify our faith.
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