Creation Vacation North Shore North Shore: Lake Superior is centered over the Midcontinent Rift System; this is often said to be where the fountains of the deep erupted at the beginning of the Flood of Noah’s day. The Midcontinent Rift system forms an arch from Detroit to Lake Superior to Kansas, covering about 1,300 miles. As the continents were splitting apart, the plates moved away from each other. Lava flooded out onto the land. The lava flows piled up. With the emptying of the magma beneath the crust and the piling up of lava, the crust sagged forming the Lake Superior Basin. Eventually the flood basalts along the rift were up to 200 miles wide with surveys having mapped the volcanic rock up to 16 miles thick! These lava flows can be seen along the North Shore of Lake Superior. (Did the onset of Noah’s Flood, with the fountains of the deep bursting forth, happen in the Lake Superior basin? Note: In John Reed’s monograph The North American Midcontinent Rift System on page 104 it states, “Because the MRS lava was extruded onto basement rock, and because the MRS does not cross cut thick sedimentary strata...the MRS is best seen as an event marking the initiation of the Genesis Flood.” ) The fountains of the deep did not continue to erupt because, the Midcontinent Rift failed as plate tectonics shifted. The Midcontinent Rift was not a complete rifting event, it failed. The “fountains of the deep” then started to erupt in the mid oceanic rifts which we observe today in the rifts that run like a baseball seam around the world. As the lava cooled along the Midcontinent Rift system, the steam escaped from the rock. Holes in the rock were formed by steam bubbles that did not escape; it’s like removing the cap from a bottle of soda and the fizz rises to the top. Lava cooled quickly and the gas bubbles in the lava did not escape quickly enough. We call them “fossilized gas bubbles”. Later hot mineral rich waters peculated through these empty holes depositing minerals in layers thus creating agates like the famous Lake Superior agate. (Other mineral deposits included - copper, nickel, and smaller amounts of gold, silver, platinum, and titanium. The color variations in agates are a result of mineral impurities in the water. Iron causes much of the red and orange color that we see in the Lake Superior Agate. As the Gooseberry Falls State Park pamphlet states, “The lava flows are the ‘birthplaces’ of Lake Superior agates”. After Noah’s Flood came the Ice Age with significant snowfalls staying all year long and eventually turning into ice. One of the ice sheets, the Superior Lobe gouged the Lake Superior basin deeply. As the broken rock pushed along under the Superior Lobe, the hardened lava tops were crushed and smashed releasing the harder Lake Superior agates and dispersing them even down to Iowa. Diagrams from Rock Picker’s Guide to Lake Superior’s North Shore by Mark Sparky Stensaas (great secular book). Noah’s Flood caused the one and only Ice Age. Have you considered ……………………..what causes an ice age. An ice age is when the winter’s snows do not melt each year but are continually added to. It takes very special conditions to make an ice age. So, what are the conditions needed for an ice age to develop? Lots of warm oceans and cooler continents . What event in history would have lots and lots of warm water and continents that were cooler? The Flood of Noah’s time. During the Flood, the fountains of the deep burst opened which brought great quantities of hot water to the oceans. Add to that, volcanoes erupting, of which, 90% of the eruption’s content is water. Again, a significant volume of very hot water was being added to the oceans. These volcanoes also spewed great quantities of volcanic dust into the air. These dust particles would reflect the sunlight back into space making the continents cooler. These warmer oceans would cause lots of evaporation and winds would carry the moisture onto the cold continents. The cold continents would cause the moist air to condense and fall as snow. Snow on the ground would not melt during the summer. Each year the snow would build up. Just after the Flood, ice sheets would have formed quickly around the world in the higher latitudes such as Greenland and North America. The Twin Cities probably had a thousand feet of ice, with summer temperatures averaging 30 degrees Fahrenheit . One inch of ice corresponds to an average of 10 inches of powder snow. Minneapolis would need 4,000 inches of powder snow each year. As the earth settled down and the volcanoes stopped erupting, the volcanic dust would have dissipated out of the air. Eventually the sun would shine on those ice sheets and the snow would melt. Creation scientists have calculated that the one and only Ice Age lasted for 700 years, 500 years to build up and 200 years to melt down. What causes an ice age? Very special conditions. An ice age needs lots and lots of warm water and cooler continents . What event in history would have these two ingredients? The Flood of Noah’s time. Frozen in Time: The Woolly Mammoth, the Ice Age and the Bible , Michael Oard, 2004. As you travel along the North Shore you make want to pick up and keep rocks and agates. A great little book to let you know which beaches you can pick and save rocks at is the Rock Picker’s Guide to Lake Superior’s North Shore by Mark Sparky Stensaas. i.e Stoney point between Duluth and Two Harbors, Burlington Bay in Two Harbors, Flood Bay between milepost 27 and 28, Gooseberry Falls State Park, Split Rock River milepost 43 and 44 (I like), Beaver River-⅓ - mile past milepost 51, Tettegouche State Park milepost 58 and 59, Good Harbor Bay milepost 104 and 105 (I like), Paradise Beach milepost 123 (I like). Remember at State parks you cannot keep the rocks. Leave them for others to enjoy. Traveling the North Shore begins with Jay Cooke State Park. If you only have a weekend, check out this website: North Shore Waterfall Tour – Weekend Itinerary http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/itineraries/north_shore_waterfall_itinerary.html If you have more than a weekend check out the rest of the state parks along the North Shore. Be sure to click on the snapshot tour so you will see what the waterfalls look like at each park. http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/map.html Also if you need to have a map and summary of the park click on map under each state park i.e. go to http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/gooseberry_falls/index.html now click on map. Jay Cooke State Park: View tilted beds of slate near the swinging bridge. Slate is a metamorphic rock; formed in a process from mud to shale to slate. These rocks were compressed and hardened by heat and pressure. Tilting is visible throughout the park. Also look for rain prints, mud cracks, and ripple marks within the rocks. The St. Louis River cuts through tilted beds. During the Flood of Noah’s time sedimentary layers were laid down horizontally, like a stack of pancakes. At the end of the Flood at Jay Cooke State Park, these beds became tilted. Duluth: Drive along the old beach terrace of Glacial Lake Duluth (the name of the lake before being called Lake Superior), the Skyline Parkway some 600 feet above present day Lake Superior. During the one and only Ice Age, just immediately after the Flood, Lake Superior was much higher. The ice lobe blocked the melt water from leaving to the north therefore the lake rose. In fact, as you drive along the Skyline Parkway you are really driving on the old beach terrace of Glacial Lake Duluth (this is the name geologists give for Lake Superior during the Ice Age). Stop at Enger Tower and climb up and visualize the depth and vastness of Glacial Lake Duluth. The North Shore has nine state parks. At the start of the Flood of Noah’s day the “fountains of the deep” opened. Also, lava flowed from the Midcontinent rift onto the land. Lava flow after lava flow poured forth. This hardened. Hardened lava is very resistant to erosion so along the North Shore this type of rock produced wonderfully beautiful waterfalls cascading down to Lake Superior. - Along Hwy 61 before Gooseberry Falls are tunnels cut through massive ridges of volcanic rocks. Two Harbors- Agate City 721 7th Ave. Great store to see Lake Superior agates! Gooseberry Falls State Park: 1. Have a picnic on a lava flow? Why go to Hawaii. 2. The three falls (Upper, Middle and Lower) are created by columnar jointing. Columnar jointing is caused by lava cooling quickly from the outside thus resulting in shrinkage cracks of hexagonal shapes, shrinkage cracks range from 3 to 12 sided. As you walk over the bedrock river bed or shore ledges by the picnic area look for the pentagonal or hexagonal (pattern 5 or 6 sided) of the columnar jointing. Especially check out the Middle Falls as seen from the Falls View Trail. Columnar jointing creates the three waterfalls. Iona’s Beach scientific and natural area: 3 miles north of Gooseberry Falls State Park Split Rock Lighthouse: is built atop cliffs of basalt lava flows from the Midcontinent Rift. A wayside rest near milepost 45 is a good spot to get a good view of the lighthouse. Tettegouche State Park: Off Highway 61 look for Palisades Head signage. Take this steep road to the parking area on top of Palisades Head. The view is fantastic! To the northeast is Shovel Point sticking out into the lake. Both Palisades Head (~300 feet above Lake Superior) and Shovel Point are made of the same lava flow. The lava cooled quickly from outside in and formed the columnar jointing. The sheer cliffs are a result of the columns breaking off. Entrance to Tettegouche State park and rest area between milepost 58 and 59. Walk out to Shovel Point and see Palisade Head. Also this park has beautiful waterfalls (one of the falls is the highest in the state of MN) see http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/itineraries/north_shore_waterfall_itinerary.html Sugarloaf Cove State Scientific and Natural Area near Schroeder between mileposts 73 and 74: beautifully preserved examples of lava flows, columnar joint, ropy tops, pipe amygdule (fossilized gas bubbles filled with minerals). 1. A one-mile hike that takes you to a tombolo, once an island now connected to the mainland. As you walk the beach, notice how wave action sorted the sizes of the rocks-sand, gravel, cobbles. 2. On the south side of Sugarloaf point are several lava flows. You can recognize the top of the lava flows by the filled in holes of minerals or agates. When the Midcontinent Rift began, lava flowed out, gases in the lava moved upward toward the surface, leaving holes that “fossilized”. Then another flow occurred and gases flowed to the top of the flow and “fossilized”. Then heated mineral rich waters percolated through the hardened lavas depositing the minerals and agates in the holes. At Sugarloaf point you can see the tops of the lava flows by the presents of light colored minerals called zeolites. Temperance River State Park and wayside rest area: Well preserved ropey or pahoehoe lava can be seen just below the foot bridge downstream from Highway 61, overlooking the big pool. Ropey lava is fast flowing lava that forms in a rope shape. Hawaiians call this pahoehoe lava. As you hike along Cauldron Trial look for flow contacts and columnar joints. Notice the potholes or cauldrons which are well displayed in this gorge. Cauldrons are formed when cobbles and boulders get caught in an eddy and are swirled around and around in rushing waters and eat into the bedrock, forming pothole or cauldrons. Note: as you hike you may see what looks like white bird poop on the ground, in reality they are white minerals that filled the “fossilized” gas bubbles. Cascade River State Park: A series of 5 small waterfalls cutting through lava flows. Stunning scenery. South of Grand Marais near milepost 104 just after Thompsonite Beach is a historical marker. Pull over and look to the non-lakeside. There are two distinct rock layers visible here, sedimentary layers with lava on top. Below the sedimentary layers are also lava flows. The sedimentary layers are sandwiched between lava flows. How would sedimentary layers get between the lava flows? Even at the beginning of the flood, rocks were ground up and deposited in sedimentary layers. Then lava from the Midcontinent Rift covered these sedimentary layers. This all happened during Noah’s Flood, it did not take millions of years as the sign states. The sandstone and siltstone beneath the top layer of lava is 130 feet thick. Drive down to Cut Face Creek rest area. South of Grand Marais at Cut Face Creek rest area: See Fossilized ripple rock. Park in parking lot at Cut Face Creek rest area on the Lake Superior side and cross over Highway 61 and follow Cut Face Creek. Follow this almost dry creek bed. Along the way notice the sedimentary layers of sandstone showing fossilized ripples. For beach ripples to fossilize it would require fast quick coverage and the Flood of Noah’s day would have provided that. If as evolutionists believe these layers were laid down over a long-time period would the ripple mark still exist? Also, at this beach is a great place to search for thomsonite, a banded green, pink and white zeolite mineral. Gas bubbles in the lava were trapped as the lava cooled. Then hot waters circulated through the rock and the minerals precipitated out. In this area the mineral is called thomsonite. Paradise beach milepost 123: great beach for picking rocks. Nanaboujou restaurant: 14 miles northeast of Grand Marais on Hwy 61 Nanaboujou Lodge and Restaurant: Inside is breathtaking with vivid colors to delight the eye and the largest field stone fireplace in MN. The meals are delicious and reasonable. Public welcomed. Judge C. Magney State Park: 14 miles from Grand Marais across from Nanaboujou. Lava poured forth from the Midcontinent rift. As these flows accumulated, the land along the rift zone sank to form a great basin, into which huge volumes of sediments were deposited. After the Flood the one and only Ice age, which lasted 700 years, gouged out the Lake Superior basin. The Mystery of Devil’s Kettle in the park! This popular hike leads upstream along the Brule River to Devil’s Kettle. Here the river splits around a bedrock knob of volcanic rock. The eastern half of the river cascades over a waterfall into a deep canyon with walls some 50 feet high. The western half of the river plunges into a great pothole or kettle. The water simply disappears. Hovland: Runningen Fur store, inexpensive pelts, gloves, and other interesting artifacts. 3197 E. Hwy 61. Grand Portage National Monument: 35 miles eastward from Grand Marais. This monument commemorates eighteenth century fur trade history. Because of the Pigeon River and its waterfalls, a nine-mile portage connected Lake Superior to the upper part of Pigeon River and the inland system of lakes. By the time the European fur traders reached this area the trail was already a well-worn highway to the interior. Grand Portage State Park: 36 miles eastward from Grand Marais. This is the Canadian border. This is Minnesota’s highest waterfall at 120 feet. (In other books I found that Tettegouche State Park had the highest fall in the state of MN at 60 feet. Why didn’t the books acknowledge this falls at 120 ft. as the highest in MN? Because technically, it is not in MN, but on the Grand Portage Indian Reservation. In 1989, a joint effort of the DNR and Grand Portage Band of Ojibwe made a deal to lease the land, making this park the only park not owned by the State of MN.) The falls is gorgeous and has three viewing decks on this ½ mile hike. The park is also a highway rest area with a travel information center. The falls is not eroding rapidly because of the dike of igneous rock. The surrounding rock is sedimentary rock. When viewing the high falls on the Pigeon River note that the far side is Canada. The Pigeon River forms the boundary between USA and Canada. It is called Pigeon River because as recently as 1879, huge flocks of passenger pigeons raised their young here, ate blueberries and then flew south for the winter. The passenger pigeon is now extinct, the last one died in 1914 in the Cincinnati Zoo. The population went from 3-5 billion in the 1850’s to a few thousand in the 1890’s and then zero! The passenger pigeon was probably the most abundant bird in North America. This extinction reminds me of the dinosaurs….. Dinosaurs were created on Day 6 of creation week along with man. Did man and dinosaurs live together? Yes. Then Noah took 2 of each kind on board the Ark. Probably 50 kinds of dinosaurs went on board, the others were killed in the Flood. The dinosaurs got off the Ark and multiplied. In the past we did not call them dinosaurs. That is a new word invented in 1841. Prior they were often called dragons. Do we have lots of dragon legends from around the world? Yes. So, what happened to the dinosaurs? Let’s look at two modern examples, the demise of the Asian elephant and the tiger. Today, across Asia, wild elephants are killing hundreds of people every year. Here are some accounts: in Thailand an elephant stomped three rubber plantation workers to death; in Nepal, 11 people in the past two week were killed by elephants while gathering firewood; in Vietnam a herd of elephants killed at least 10 people. In response, villagers are fighting back and killing the elephants. Remember, elephants are herbivores not carnivores like tigers. In 1819 Singapore was a swampland teeming with tigers. By 1840, tigers were killing 200-300 people a year. As the city grew, 600-800 people a year were killed; a certain area was even called “Tiger Resort”. Desperate, authorities offered bounties and by 1930 the last wild tiger was shot in Singapore. The parallel between the extinction of dinosaurs and the localized “extinction” of elephants and tigers today are many. What happened to the dinosaurs? They became extinct. As the human population grew, these dangerous dinosaurs had to be eradicated. “Enraged elephants, terrifying tigers, and dangerous dinosaurs” , David Catchpoole, Creation 37 (1) 2015 p.34-37. Iron Range Ely, MN: pillow lava . From Hwy. 1 on the East side of Ely turn north on 13th Avenue East, then left on Camp Street, then turn right on 12th Avenue E., and then turn right on Main Street. There it is a small knob of pillow lava, eight feet high and 15 feet wide. Pillow lavas form when lava is cooled underwater . This particular pillow lava has been metamorphosed - changing into what we call greenstone. As lava poured forth underwater the outer lava cooled first forming pillow shapes, then later this pillow lava experienced heat and pressure to change into greenstone. This area was underwater during Noah’s Flood then it was covered by more sediments and the pillows became metamorphic. Soundan Underground Mine State Park: fantastic tour! There are two types of iron ore here in MN 1. Soudan mine has non-magnetic ore. It is found deep below ground. Its formation differs from the rest of the Iron Range. They discovered this type of ore by looking to the tops of the hills and then “kicking off the sod” to find the rich ore underneath. Remember this ore is not magnetic. This iron ore was coveted because it was not only high in iron but high in oxygen therefore easier to smelt. That is until the blast furnace was developed, forcefully blowing hot air into the lower parts of the smelting furnace. This was MN’s first iron mine operating from 1884 to 1962. It became the deepest mine at 2,341 feet deep and more than 50 miles of tunneling and shafts. This iron formation would have been precipitated out of hot fluids. Noah’s Flood with its “fountains of the great deep” would have erupted hot fluids containing many minerals. These would have precipitated out as the waters cooled. It is thought that the original rock consisted of layers of iron, jasper and chert. This BFI (Banded Iron Formation) had hot waters flowing through removing some minerals and concentrating the iron into a high grade such as here, 69% of the ore is iron. (The open pit mines today produce taconite. Taconite ore contains 20-30% magnetic iron so it is crushed or ground and strong magnets then concentrate the iron. The open pit mines of iron in the Virginia and Hibbing area have magnetic irons. This type of iron was just dug out of the ground, like with a snow shovel, very different from the Soudan mine which had to be blasted out.) 2. Highly folded outcrop in the park , ask for directions. Worth it! Here is one of the most photographed outcrops in Minnesota. You will see a highly folded iron formation. An area with layers of white chert, red jasper and metallic iron oxide (hematite) was folded without breaking. This means these horizontal layers were still pliable or plastic - the rock had not hardened yet when it was folded. These layers were laid down in the Flood of Noah’s time. Then with the movement of plate tectonics it folded these layers while still soft. During the Genesis Flood there would have been rapid movements of the plates on the Earth’s crust. No sooner would the floodwaters have laid down great quantities of water sorted materials, sand, and mud then moving plates would have crumpled the sediment while still soft and pliable resulting in folded rocks. The Genesis flood would have been a powerfully destructive event leaving this type of evidence around the world. The scratches (striations) are from the glaciers during the world’s one and only Ice Age. This Ice Age was a follow-up caused by the heated waters of the Flood of Noah’s time. Classic outcrop of graded greywacke beds and slate : Well worth the stop! Northwest of Peyla, MN, near the Y-store find the junction of 169 and MN 1 at milepost 258 (on MN 1), turn north on County Road 77 (Angus road) and drive ½ mile to the Pike River Bridge. Note the small waterfalls on the west side of the road as you cross the bridge. Immediately after crossing the bridge, turn left into a pull-off. This outcrop is layers of light grey greywacke (originally clay-rich sandstone) and black slate beds (originally mud). During the Flood the beds were deposited in horizontal layers but now are vertical because of tilting. Get down on your hands and knees and look closely as the grey greywacke, each bed is graded; that is the base has coarse-grained sand while the top is finer-grained. Each bed was deposited by swift moving currents dropping the heavier load first. There are 228 greywacke beds of which 146 are graded. Microscopic study of the greywacke shows these grains came from a volcano. (Ojakangas, 104-105) Have you considered …..that sedimentary rocks cover three-quarters of the earth’s surface. Sedimentary rocks are from bits of rock and minerals that settle out in water. These bits of rocks were eroded, transported and deposited. What event would have lots and lots of rocks being ground up, moved, deposited and then water laden with minerals percolated on down, causing the sediments to solidify? The Flood of Noah’s day! Sedimentary rocks form just the same way concrete hardens. A concrete company breaks down big rocks and then adds cement and water. As it dries, concrete is formed. The Flood of Noah’s day would have been one big cement mixer with the pulverizing of rocks, minerals, and water resulting in the continents being ¾ covered with sedimentary rocks. Why are there Iron Mines in Minnesota? Iron is one of the most abundant minerals on earth. Wherever iron is concentrated we put our mines. During the Flood of Noah’s time, hot thermal waters from the fountains of the deep had iron rich particles which precipitated out in a cool ocean. Banded Iron Formations (BIFs) Two views of BIF’s 1. “Michael Oard suggests that the banded iron formations, allegedly evidence of the early earth atmosphere, are actually the result of the initial stages of the Flood. He speculates that BIFs could have formed quickly from the hot water and magma flows that resulted as the fountains of the great deep broke open. Rapid currents then spread out from the eruptions, forming the BIFs. (M. Oard, “Could BIFs be caused by the fountains of the great deep?” TJ 11 :3, 1997, pp. 261–262) https://answersingenesis.org/kids/science/world-without-oxygen/ 2. BIFs may also be pre-Flood hydrothermal deposits. “Some geologists note that the oxygen in the iron oxides of BFIs is about 20 times that of the current atmosphere. Since the BFIs were deposited in water, the implication is that the atmosphere contained plenty of oxygen. This suggests that the atmosphere has always been oxygenated, and possibly at a higher level than today. No wonder uniformitarian geologist consider the origin of BFIs an enigma.” http://creation.com/did-early-earth-atmosphere-contain-oxygen We need to remember our Bible now, during the first week God created everything and that included creatures and man that needed oxygen. So, was oxygen available right away? YES! It did not take millions of years for oxygen to come about through stromatolites (blue green algae). Minnesota Museum of Mining, Chisholm Petrified candlesticks in the museum display case. http://www.mnmuseumofmining.org/ Have you considered …..that it does not take a long time for things to petrify? In a museum in Northern Minnesota visitors are surprised to see a sign next to some candlesticks, “petrified candlesticks”. The candlesticks are as hard as rock. How could wax candles become petrified in such a short time? Up until WW2, the mines were dug underground, when that type of iron played out, they became open pit mines. As the miners were digging these open pits, they would come across drifts and shafts which contained past mining items. Candlesticks were one such item. The candlesticks were used by the miners for light. Weekly rations of 5-6 candlesticks were given to each miner. He would attach one to his helmet and stash the others. Many of the underground mines were wet and had to be pumped. Miners often had to wear rain gear with boots, for the mine floors could be knee deep in water. After WW2 the underground mines were closed; pumps were turned off and many of the mines became flooded with water. As the open pit mines started to come into vogue, miners would come across these old drifts and shafts which held mining items; such are the now petrified candlesticks. Many petrified candlesticks were found. How did the candlesticks become petrified? Mineralized waters saturated the soft wax candles turning them into rocks. Does it take millions of years to petrify as commonly believed? No just the right conditions. Have you considered ……………that it does not take a long time for things to petrify. Near York, England is the Dripping Well of Yorkshire. A place that turns soft cuddly teddy bears into stone. Since the 1600’s, this has been a tourist attraction where people have hung clothes, hats, shoes, and teddy bears under a waterfall and they have turned to stone. The waterfall’s water originates underground and has high mineral content. As the water splashes onto the hanging objects, the mineral calcite (calcium carbonate) is deposited along with small amounts of other minerals. Over the months, these deposits build up and coat the object with a crust of rock. Petrifaction time depends on the size and porosity of the object. Small teddy bears take three to five months. While, larger teddy bears take six to twelve months. This is not the only place in the world where petrification has been observed. Australia has its own petrified water wheel that has become totally encased in stone in only decades, while New Zealand has a petrified bowler hat on display. It does not take millions of years for petrification, it just takes the right conditions. What is the difference between a fossil and petrification? Fossils are remains of once living things; they can be rock hard or not. The soft tissue found in dinosaur bones is called a fossil, if it were rock hard it would be a petrified bone. Petrification, as in petrified wood, happens when minerals replace the object leaving it rock hard. Fossils are just old remains which can be either petrified (rock hard) or not. Again, it doesn’t take millions of years for rocks to form only the right conditions. When water is driven out and minerals such as quartz or calcite are present, the sediment can be turned rapidly into rock. Many examples of rocks forming rapidly have been reported. 1. A hat turned into rock. A soft felt miner’s hat found in a Tasmanian mine had turned to stone. For 50 years mineral rich waters covered the felt hat turning it to stone. 2. Sacks of flour from the Blue Spring Mill in Eureka Spring Gardens in Arkansas, USA have turned into a rock. Since the 1840’s spring water was used to drive a large mill and grind wheat and corn. These bags of flour were probably made in the mill and left when it stopped operating in 1903. When bags became saturated by spring water, the minerals in the water precipitated into the waterlogged flour sacks turning them into solid rock. Petrified bag of flour: http://creation.com/petrified-flour Creation Magazine , “The Amazing Stone Bears of Yorkshire”, Monty White, June-August 2002, pp. 48-49. Creation Magazine , “The Earth: How Old Does it Look?”, Carl Wieland, December 2000, pp. 8-13. Hibbing: Hull Rust Mine View https://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=2833 1. One of the largest open pit iron mine in the world and still working! The irons of the Virginia and Hibbing area are magnetic irons. This type of iron was just dug out of the ground, like with a snow shovel. These are very different from the Soudan mine which had to be blasted out. 2. Hill of Three waters. Can be seen from the mine view. “Near the north edge of the pit near the processing plant is a knob that is a triple divide watershed point. Rain water falling at this spot flows in three directions, east to Lake Superior, south to the Gulf of Mexico, north to Hudson Bay. Detail surveying methods located the point in the 1930’s. The hill was a sacred meeting spot for Native Americans, who hundreds of year ago named it the hill of three waters. How did they know this?” ( Roadside Geology of MN by Ojakanagas, p. 102.) How did they know this? This question shows evolutionary thinking, that the people in the past were not intelligent and each generation is more intelligent than the past. Really? They knew that this was a three way divide and named it. We just caught up with them in the 1930’s Hill Annex Mine State Park, Calumet. 880 Gary St, Calumet, MN Permanently closed. At this mine you can go fossil hunting in the mine dumps. You can find and keep fossils of snails, clams, shark teeth, … http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/hill_annex/fossil_tour.html These fossilize animals were alive at the time of Noah’s Flood. What does it take to make a fossil? Have you considered ……….how a fossil is made. A fossil is a rock. It takes very special conditions to make a rock or fossil. Think about this, what happens to a dead animal? Scavengers eat it; bugs and bacteria cause it to rot and decay, eventually leaving no remains behind. It takes very special conditions in order to make a fossil – preserved remains of what was once living. Here is the general fossil recipe: Fast coverage by sediment. So, scavengers and bacteria don’t eat it. Deep coverage by sediment so no oxygen is present to start decay. Lots and lots of water so the minerals can seep into the bone and turn it into stone – but not all fossils have turned to stone. What event in history had fast, deep coverage with lots of water? The Flood of Noah’s time. Every time a fossil is dug up, it is a reminder of the Genesis Flood. Fossils remind us of God’s judgment and God’s mercy. God’s judgment in that He destroyed the entire world with a worldwide flood because it was so wicked. God’s mercy in that He saved Noah and his family on the Ark. Gilbert Junior High School: on the north end of Wisconsin Avenue behind the school’s ball field. Pillow lava scraped by glaciers. As lava flowed out onto the sea floor, during the Genesis Flood, the lava was cooled quickly and formed pillows. After the Flood, the Ice Age with its glaciers scoured this outcrop leaving behind grooves or striations; the result of abrasion by the sediment load carried within the glacial ice mass. Scenic State Park: (Near Bigfork, MN) Has an esker called Chase Point Esker that is between two lakes. This winding ridge of stratified sand and gravel is 60 to 70 feet high amidst a Norway pine forest. This high sinuous ridge was created by stream channels under the glacier which left the sand and gravel in tunnels of glacial ice. As the ice melted, these mounds were left as ridges. Within this park are other glacial features; kames and ice-block lakes. Many time eskers are easily mined for their sand and gravel. There is a cute t-shirt that says, “Save the eskers”. West Central Minnesota Has many glacial features from the Ice Age. Have you considered ……………………..what causes an ice age. An ice age is when the winter’s snows do not melt each year but are continually added to. It takes very special conditions to make an ice age. So, what are the conditions needed for an ice age to develop? Lots of warm oceans and cooler continents . What event in history would have lots and lots of warm water and continents that were cooler? The Flood of Noah’s time. During the Flood, the fountains of the deep burst opened which brought great quantities of hot water to the oceans. Add to that, volcanoes erupting, of which, 90% of the eruption’s content is water. Very hot waters were being added to the oceans. These volcanoes also spewed great quantities of volcanic dust into the air. These particles would reflect the sunlight back into space making the continental air and land cooler. These warmer oceans would cause lots of evaporation and winds would carry the moisture onto the cold continents. The cold continents would cause the moist air to condense and fall as snow. Snow on the ground would not melt during the summer. Each year the snow would build up. Just after the Flood, ice sheets would have formed quickly around the world in the higher latitudes such as Greenland and North America. The Twin Cities were probably covered with a thousand feet of ice and summer temperatures of 30 degrees . One inch of ice corresponds to an average of 10 inches of powder snow. Minneapolis would need 4,000 inches of powder snow each year. As the earth settled down and the volcanoes stopped erupting, the volcanic dust would have dissipated out of the air, eventually the sun would shine on those ice sheets and the snow would melt. Creation scientists have calculated the one and only Ice Age to last for 700 years, 500 years to build up and 200 years to melt down. What causes an ice age? Very special conditions. An ice age needs lots and lots of warm water and cooler continents . What event in history would have these two ingredients? The Flood of Noah’s time. Frozen in Time: The Woolly Mammoth, the Ice Age and the Bible , Michael Oard, 2004. Ripley Esker: a glacial esker is like a long snake made up of stratified sand and gravel from the glacier. Eskers are made by a river flowing beneath the melting glacier and depositing the sedimentary load of sand and gravel. Between Fort Ripley and Camp Ripley, drive east on County road 48 for 0.7 mile, then north on County Road 282 for about 1 mile. You have arrived at a geological marker at the Ripley Esker Scientific and Natural Area. This esker is about 7 miles long. Many eskers have been mined away for their sand and gravel. There is a cute t-shirt saying,” Save the esker”. Wadena Drumlins: The Wadena drumlin field has about 1,200 drumlins. This “roller coaster” road cuts across the drumlins which are elongate hills composed of glacial drift Take a 25-mile loop trip to experience the roller coaster ride, ending up back on US 10. At Staples turn onto MN 210 going south, MN 210 passes over the roller coaster ride of many drumlins between Staple and Hewitt. At Hewitt, take US 71 north to Wadena and join up with US 10 again. Ride the “roller coaster”. Drumlins are elongated teardrop shaped hills. They are usually found in groups known as a drumlin field or swarm, this field has 1,200 drumlins! Their orientation indicates the direction of glacial moment. Drumlins are found world-wide. Inspiration Peak State Wayside Rest : is a glacial kame. Climb the kame, a conical hill formed by sediment-laden glacial melt flowing downward at a specific spot within a melting glacier. The winding path takes you to the top; 400 feet above the prairie. Also look at the array of large granite and gneiss boulders along the edge of the parking lot, all glacial erratics from northern Minnesota and Ontario. Alexandria, Runestone Museum: Were the Vikings here before Columbus during the Middle Ages? According to the Kensington Runestone they were here in 1362. (It is greywacke stone and was found about 17 miles SW of Alexandria, MN.) The Runestone originally was declared a hoax but now research shows the stone to be genuine. https://www.runestonemuseum.org/ Viking Altar Stone: near Sauk Centre, the area recently came into private ownership and will be renamed “The Sauk Lake Altar Rock. Eventually this 27’ x 17’ rock will be opened to the public. St. Cloud area: Grasshopper Chapel , 22912 Chapel Hill Rd, Cold Spring, MN 56320 This chapel was built to remember how God heard the prayers of the people of Minnesota. This was their memorial, built of stones, so no one would forget His intervention in saving them from the grasshopper plague. Grasshoppers had invaded Minnesota. It wasn’t anything new. But the year was 1873 and MN prairies were covered with wheat fields, at that time only a small area was plagued by grasshoppers. But the new ones hatched and spread east and north. And so, it went, year after year, until 1876 that was when Henry H. Sibley came out of retirement to head a committee to aid impoverished plagued farmers. Other groups worked on ways to stop the grasshoppers. Fields were burned, trenches dug and filled with oil. Contraptions were dragged over fields to crush or trap the grasshoppers. Farmers plowed in the fall to destroy the eggs. Bounties of a dollar a bushel for grasshoppers and fifty cents a quart for their eggs were offered. Yet the grasshoppers kept increasing in numbers. By the spring of 1877 farmers were desperate. Some claimed the grasshopper plague was Minnesota’s punishment for their treatment of the Dakota Indians. Most agreed only supernatural help could save the crops. Governor John Pillsbury designated April 26 as a state-wide day of fasting and prayer for deliverance from the grasshoppers. Some claimed the storm with freezing sleet that swept the state the following day was the answer. Still a good share of the insects managed to survive. But in July when they developed wings, they rose up and disappeared into the west. The grasshoppers left MN without destroying crops or laying their eggs! The crops of 1877 were large beyond the farmer’s dreams. The people built a chapel to remember how God heard their prayers. (They wanted future generations to know that God hears the prayers of His people. “ If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray , and seek my face , and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” ~ 2 Chronicles 7:14). from the Story of MN by Jerry Fearing published by the MN Historical Society 1979. You can still visit the Grasshopper Chapel today. Twin Cities Area Stillwater: St. Croix Boom Site and wayside rest : crossbedding and worm burrows. North of Stillwater, MN. 1.4 miles north of the intersection of Hwy 95 and Hwy 96. Interstate Park, Taylor’s Falls : At least 10 different lava flows are exposed in the park. St. Anthony Falls formation : When Glacial River Warren (today we call it the Minnesota River) was draining Glacial Lake Agassiz, these high-volume floodwaters were eroding a deep trench across the state of Minnesota in the location of present day Minnesota River. At that time the Mississippi River was a small tributary of Glacial River Warren. As Glacial River Warren deeply cut the area near Fort Snelling, the Mississippi river was left hanging, creating a waterfall. The waterfall eventually eroded upstream 8 miles making a deep gorge on the Mississippi River and St. Anthony falls. (The I-35 bridge collapsed over this gorge. This is the only gorge on the Mississippi River.) Today St. Anthony falls has been stabilized by concrete. Lake Agassiz was the largest freshwater lake in the world: 700 miles long, 200 miles wide and 400 feet deep. When Lake Agassiz breached a moraine the waters left the lake and roared across Minnesota. Imagine a river 5 miles wide and 300 feet deep (Glacial River Warren) roaring through the present day Minnesota River Valley. Later the Minnesota River meandered through the valley. Lilydale Regional Park, St. Paul , across the river from the Science Museum of MN Fossils from the bottom of the sea: sea lilies, trilobites, cephalopods, brachiopods, … Closed to the public. Parts may open in 2019. These were creatures caught in Noah’s Flood and became fossilized. Have you considered ……….how a fossil is made. A fossil is a rock. It takes very special conditions to make a rock or fossil. Think about this, what happens to a dead animal? Scavengers eat it; bugs and bacteria cause it to rot and decay, eventually leaving no remains behind. It takes very special conditions in order to make a fossil. Here is the general fossil recipe: Fast coverage by sediment. So, scavengers and bacteria don’t eat it. Deep coverage by sediment so no oxygen is present to start decay. Lots and lots of water so the minerals can seep into the bone and turn it into stone. What event in history had fast, deep coverage with lots of water? The Flood of Noah’s time. Every time a fossil is dug up, it is a reminder of the Genesis Flood. Fossils remind us of God’s judgment and God’s mercy. God’s judgment in that He destroyed the entire world with a worldwide flood because it was so wicked. God’s mercy in that He saved Noah and his family on the Ark. Science Museum of MN (120 W Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN) has a skeleton of a giant beaver from the Ice Age. Southeast, MN Karst or limestone region-a lakes free area. During the Flood of Noah’s day, limestone was precipitated out and laid down in layers. Evolutionists will tell you that a great inland sea deposited these limestone beds and the marine fossils. Yes, there was a great inland sea, it covered the entire world and the bible calls it Noah’s Flood. This area of MN is called karst (limestone). We asked the forest ranger why there were no mosquitoes at Forestville campground. His reply, “It’s the geology. Limestone is like a sponge and any rain we receive soaks in. The streams are tree shaded and cold, which again is not a good breeding ground for mosquitoes. Trout fishing is great. Forestville and White Water State Park campgrounds are a well kept secret, we have no mosquitoes!” In southeastern MN are two cave systems open to the pubic: Mystery Cave and Niagara Cave. After the Flood came the one and only Ice Age, 500 years to build up and 200 years to melt down. Southeastern Minnesota is called the driftless area. It did not see any drift from the glaciers. This driftless area was not glaciated. So, what we have here is an area untouched by glacial scouring This driftless area gives testimony to the biblical view of one Ice Age. If there had been 4 ice ages (some glaciologists say up to 30 in this region) would not this area have experienced glaciation? Here we find a Driftless Area that has not been impacted by a single ice age! The driftless area gives testimony to a single ice age following the Flood. Evolutionists believe there were four Ice Ages near the driftless area. What is the probability that this area was missed four times by glaciation? This driftless area gives testimony to ONE ice age not 4 or 5 or 30! Pix from http://all-geo.org/highlyallochthonous/2010/11/the-driftless-area-fewer-glaciers-but-more-topography-than-the-rest-of-minnesota/ Biblical view of caves: Have you considered the origin of caves? Most caves are limestone caves. They are usually found in nearly pure limestone layers hundreds of feet thick. There are two stages of cave formation: 1. the cave cavity formation, 2. the decorating of the caves (stalactites, stalagmites…). The Flood of Noah’s day would have laid down these nearly pure layers of limestone. At the end of the Flood, “the mountains rose, the valleys sank (tectonic activities)” ~Psalm 104:8. These tectonic activities would have caused many cracks in the limestone which would have allowed waters to drain through them. These were no ordinary waters but waters rich in acid, acids from volcanic activity, decaying dead animals and vegetation from the Flood, which would have quickly eaten away limestone forming the cave tunnels. Now stage two: decorating the caves. These decorations were formed by waters loaded with limestone. Just after the Flood, the ground would have been much wetter, due to the Flood waters and the post-Flood Ice Age. Limestone rich waters dripped from the cave ceilings and evaporated, leaving behind a variety of cave decorations. Since that time, the water supplies have decreased, and the growth of cave decorations has slowed. When we put on our Biblical glasses, we can see where caves formation and decoration fit in. Limestone cave formations began with the Flood of Noah’s day some 4,300 years ago. Oard, Michael J., Tara Wolfe & Chris Turbuck. Exploring Geology with Mr. Hibb . Creation Book Publishers: Powder Springs, Georgia. p.61-63. 1. Mystery Cave Forestville State Park : Several tours. The scenic tour is one hour. The park is located just south of Wykoff, Minn. Mystery cave has fossil and cave decorations such as stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone, soda straws .… Notice the layers laid down, the bedding planes. Be sure to ask the tour guide before caving, “will we see any fossils and can you point them out?” Ask to see the fossil squid like creature called a cephalopod. The tours are not scripted therefore ask to see the fossils! Disappearing river near mystery cave : Ask the folks at Mystery Cave for its location. The Root River sink is about ½ mile downstream from the Mystery Cave Visitor Center. The South Branch of the Root River passes over a fractured area, its river bed leaks significant amounts of water into Mystery Cave. During low flow, so much water can be lost from the river that the stream literally disappears into its bed leaving a dry valley. Stand on the bridge and look on one side then cross over and look on the other. If you do not see the river the river is now flowing below the surface. The river bed on the surface is dry. The location of this sink is at the corner of Mystery Cave Road and Old Cave Road. Stand on the Old Cave Road bridge (43°37'24.5"N 92°18'29.6"W) look on one side of the bridge then to the other side of the bridge; see if the river has disappeared. The river does not surface until five river miles downstream. 2.Niagara Cave : about 30 minutes from Mystery Cave. Niagara cave, a commercial cave, has a stream with a ~ 60 ft. waterfall, 1 hour tour. Fantastic cave tour! Has some 500 steps. 29842 County 30, From Harmony, Minn., head 2.5 miles south on Minnesota Hwy 139, then 2.5 miles west on County Road 30.. See severally pitted walls- these are from fossil worm burrows (this formation is 40 -50 feet thick), see fossil worm-like creatures, and other marine fossils . All deposited during Noah’s Flood. You will be in an Amish neighborhood. Enjoy some of their products. 3.Fountain, MN “Sinkhole Capital of the US”. FREE. More than 10,000 sinkholes in Fillmore county. Walk out on a DNR path to see a sinkhole up close. Then as you drive through Fillmore county if you see any trees in a crop field know that they are probably growing in a sinkhole. Notice that you do not see the tree trunks easily but the tops of the trees. To get to the DNR sinkhole observation deck along the Root River Trail take Hwy. 52 to Fountain then turn onto County Road 8 drive about one mile passed the city’s softball field to the Root River Trail system’s parking lot. Park. Walk on the pavement trail for about ½ mile. Here you will find the DNR sinkhole and observation deck, it is just a hole in the ground with trees growing everywhere. Nothing spectacular. 4. Perrot State Park, Wisconsin . (Out of state day fee is $11 as of 2017 ) Located on the western side of Wisconsin along the Mississippi River. This area is known as the Driftless Area. During the Ice Age this area was not covered by glaciers so it is a good place to view the Flood deposits. Hike the Brady’s Bluff Trail . The bluff is composed of sandstones capped with erosion resistant dolomites (a type of limestone with magnesium in it). Across the USA Flood sediment was laid down. At the top of the Brady’s Bluff you get a sense of how much sediment was laid down during the Flood. As Flood water retreated off the land, at the end of the year long Flood, erosion would have taken place. Look to see Trempealeau Mountain, a lone island visible from the bluff standing some 400 feet above the river. When the Flood waters flowed off the land it first came in sheets, then channelized. Trempealeau or “mountain with feet in river” is an example of what is called in geology an inselberg. One of the great mysteries in geology is inselbergs, like Ayers Rock in central Australia. The German word inselberg means a hill or island jutting up from a placid sea or “island mountain”. From a distance that is exactly how an inselberg looks, like an island jutting from a flat sea. They are found on all continents; some famous inselbergs are Sugarloaf jutting 1,300 feet tall out of the Rio de Janeiro harbor in Brazil or Stone Mountain in Georgia, USA jutting 785 feet above the land. Inselbergs are said to be millions of years old, but if that were true they should have eroded down to nothing; yet they are still steep-sided. From a biblical perspective the retreating waters of the Flood of Noah’s day would explain inselbergs. The retreating Flood waters would have scoured the land planning them off flat, and then the waters would have become channelized cutting away the land leaving isolated remnants with steep sides, tall inselbergs. The Genesis Flood explains these “mysterious” landforms which are found worldwide. The Genesis Flood was global just as the Bible records. “The waters prevailed fifteen cubits upward, and the mountains were covered.” ~ Genesis 7:20 Flood By Design , Michael Oard, Master Books, 2008, p.72-75. After hiking Brady’s Bluff trail stop at the state park’s overlook. B. From the top of Brady’s Bluff notice the topography of the Driftless Area. Evolutionary geologists believe there have been multiple ice ages in our two states (MN. and Wis.) with some sources stating that there have been as many as 30 ice ages. Yet here we find a Driftless Area that has not been impacted by a single ice age! The Driftless Area gives testimony to a single ice age following the Flood. ( Wisconsin’s Flood Geology by Stacy Lung. (2016). p.33-36. 5. Buena Vista Park, Alma, Wisconsin FREE: Drive County Road E from Main Street in Alma up the bluff to Buena Vista Park and walk to the overlook. County Road E starts at Wisconsin Highway 35 (the Great River Road) in Alma. Located 500 feet above Alma, it’s a small park with a big view of the Mississippi River for several miles to the north and south. Notice the large Mississippi River Valley some six miles across. The Mississippi river runs down a small channel in the valley. According to Better Homes & Gardens magazine, “Buena Vista Park is one of the river valley’s finest natural balconies.” The Mississippi river is considered an underfit river for it does not fit the valley from side to side. When standing at Buena Vista Park, image the glacial flood waters roaring through this area carving out this vast river valley. Later the small Mississippi river followed. - Also notice the pavers you are walking on, many have fossilized worm burrows . How is a fossilized worm borrow made? Have you considered ……….how a fossil is made. A fossil is a rock. It takes very special conditions to make a rock or fossil. Think about this, what happens to a dead animal? Scavengers eat it; bugs and bacteria cause it to rot and decay, eventually leaving no remains behind. It takes very special conditions in order to make a fossil. Here is the general fossil recipe: Fast coverage by sediment. So, scavengers and bacteria don’t eat it. Deep coverage by sediment so no oxygen is present to start decay. Lots and lots of water so the minerals can seep into the bone and turn it into stone. What event in history had fast, deep coverage with lots of water? The Flood of Noah’s time. Every time a fossil is dug up, it is a reminder of the Genesis Flood. Fossils remind us of God’s judgment and God’s mercy. God’s judgment in that He destroyed the entire world with a worldwide flood because it was so wicked. God’s mercy in that He saved Noah and his family on the Ark We do not see worm burrows being fossilized today. 6.National Eagle Center at Wabasha . 50 Pembroke Ave, Wabasha, MN. 15,000 square foot interpretive center. In the winter both Golden and bald eagles can be seen in the area. Admission fees. www.nationaleaglecenter.org 7.Winona : Gavin’s Heights: drive to a free overlook of the Mississippi River Valley. Look for the scenic view turnoff sign along US 61 near the turnoff to Winona State University. This view is some 500 feet above the river and this island city. Winona is built on dropped sediment that was transported by Glacial River Warren. The Mississippi river is considered an underfit river for it does not fit the valley from side to side. When standing at Gavin Heights image the glacial flood waters roaring through this area carving out this vast river valley. Later the small Mississippi river followed. - Winona: Sugarloaf : As you drive through Winona look for the prominent, 85 foot high rock knob named Sugarloaf. It is located on the SW side of Hwy 14 and near the County road 43 (W Valley Road) intersection. This was leftover by an old quarrying operation, it is a remnant of dolomite. Southwestern Minnesota The Minnesota River Valley was created when Lake Agassiz, the largest lake in the world (700 miles wide, 200 miles long 400 feet deep) breached a moraine sending the waters roaring across Minnesota. Imagine a river 5 miles wide and 300 feet deep (Glacial River Warren) roaring through the present day Minnesota River Valley. Later the Minnesota River meandered through the valley. Glacial River Warren- 5 miles wide, 300 feet deep Minnesota River meanders through the carved-out valley. Minneopa Falls State Park : 7 miles west of Mankato off State Hwy 68. 54497 Gadwall Rd, Mankato. Minneopa in the Dakota language means, “water falling twice”. And indeed, there are two falls, the upper dropping 10 feet and the lower dropping 40 feet. Minnemishinona Falls : located about 5 miles west of North Mankato on the Judson Bottom Road… From Minneopa State Park go back out on Highway 169. Drive north into Mankato and take a right onto Lookout Drive. At the next stop light turn left onto Judson Bottom Road or County Highway 71 for almost 2.5 miles the waterfall will be on the left. Look for signs. It will be several hundred feet before you reach a GPS address of 40910 Judson Bottom Rd. The falls plunges about 40 feet over a sandstone ledge. During periods of high water, the falls roars but during low flow periods, the falls has barely a trickle of water. Rapidan Dam Falls Park : the small white-painted store by a dam site (Dam Store of Rapidan, 54116 Glory Ln, Mankato, MN) is a “throwback” of Americana with small booths, a counter, chairs and tablecloths. They make the best pie. Try the sour-cream raisin. From Mankato take hwy 169 south for about 7 miles then turn on Blue Earth County Rd. 9. In 2-3 miles Rapidan will appear. If you cross the bridge, turn around. Pull into the Dam Store parking lot and drive to the dam. This dam was built in 1910 and supplied Mankato with electricity. It is still in use today. Ramsey Falls in the town of Redwood Falls : This falls drops 30-40 feet. There is a scenic overlook with excellent viewing. Located in Alexander Ramsey Park near Hwy 19. A GPS address is approximately: 398-314 MN-67, Redwood Falls, MN There are more than 20 waterfalls along the MN River Valley, they were created when Glacial River Warren roared through and carved this valley. In fact, there is a book called A Field Guide to Waterfalls in Southern Minnesota by Bob Douglas. Jeffers’ petroglyphs Historical Center : 27160 Co Road 2, Comfrey, MN. Well worth the stop! Admission fee. https://sites.mnhs.org/jefferspetroglyphs This red rock ridge about 250 yards wide containing some 5,000 petroglyphs dating thousands of years old. The largest petroglyph is a snake. Prior to 2011 the historical society did not know how many petroglyphs were present. So, with the removal of lichens and the use of a zero-impact light the resulting 3-D images were now seen. These petrophyphs are carved in quartzite, not quartz, but quartzite. Quartzite is harder than granite, on the Mohn’s scale of 1-10 with 10 the hardest, quartzite is a 7. Quartzite is formed from sandstone primarily made up of quartz. The sandstone is then metamorphized with heat and pressure to form quartzite. The reddish color is caused by iron oxide film surround the grains of quartz sand. This quartzite deposit runs to Pipestone National Monument. - Ripple marks in the quartzite. These look just like the ripple marks we see on beaches today. So how were they formed? During the Flood of Noah’s time great amounts of rocks were ground up and laid down. Some of the layers were laid down creating ripple marks. Then they were quickly covered up. If they had not been quickly covered the ripple marks would have been destroyed. Then the sandstone would then have experienced heat and pressure (metamorphism) changing into quartzite. Later the top layers would have been removed by flood waters rushing off the continents at the end of the flood and/or glacial ices scraping off the layers and leaving behind glacial striations (scratches). - Fossilized mud cracks: These were formed during the Flood of Noah’s day, then quickly covered, become metamorphosed, later top layers razed by glaciers (notice the glacial striation -scratch marks)to reveal mud cracks from Noah’s flood. Notice the definition of how quartzite is formed: “ Quartzite is a metamorphic rock formed when quartz-rich sandstone or chert has been exposed to high temperatures and pressures.” It says nothing about a long time period for the sandstone to become metamorphic, just high temperatures and pressures. Noah’s Flood would have provided that. High temperatures from hot volcanic waters and hot mineralized water erupting from the deep would have provided high temperatures. (One lecture I attended by a geologists gave a temperature to form quartzite at 150º C or 302º F) As far as pressure, Noah’s Flood would have laid down hundreds of feet of sediment during the year long flood. Pipestone National Monument : 36 Reservation Ave, Pipestone, MN For centuries Native Americans have come to this site to quarry a soft red clay-rich stone to carve pipes out of it. The stone is called pipestone. There are three rock types in this Sioux quartzite: pipestone (originally mud), quartzite (originally sand) and conglomerate (originally gravel). This pipestone (specifically called catlinite) is unique for it has other minerals and crystals and hardly any quartz. This catlinite is found sandwiched between thick beds of quartzite. Catlinite is easily carved, not being very hard, later as the catlinite is exposed to air, it hardens. In the picture below red is the pipestone or catlinite. 1. Visitors can watch a 22-minute film “Pipestone: An Unbroken Legacy”. It tells of a maiden running up to the top of a high hill while the rest of the area experienced a great flood. All were drowned. Then a bird came and saved her. From this all rest of the world was repopulated. The red in pipestone is from the blood of all those who drown in the flood. Have you considered ……why there are over 360 flood legends from around the world. All the flood legends have a basic theme of…. God sent a worldwide flood to judge the sinfulness of man. One righteous family, who was forewarned, was saved. They built a boat and took animals on board and survived the flood. At the end of the worldwide flood, their boat came to rest on high mountains. The people and the animals got off and repopulated the earth….. This cultural story is what we would expect to find as the survivors told and retold it to their children and grandchildren. With the tower of Babel, the people dispersed even farther across the earth, carrying with them the story of Noah and the Flood. That is reason we find more than 360 cultures having flood legends. Here at Pipestone we have a remembrance of the Noah’s Flood, the red pipestone is from the blood of all those who drown in the flood. 2. Walk the ¾ mile long Circle Tour starting at the visitor center. You will see quarries, wild prairies, a waterfall and sedimentary layers, cross-bedding, and ripple marks in the quartzite. - Sedimentary layers were laid down in the Flood. See the layers stacked as pancakes. - Cross-bedding in quartzite. How is cross-bedding formed? - Strong, fast-flowing water currents move sands across the ocean floor as sand waves or dunes (Figure 7a). As the sand grains are swept over the dune crests, they fall on the advancing dune faces to produce sloping sand beds , and on top of the trailing edges of the dunes in front. The dunes thus advance over one another, resulting in stacked sand layers (Figure 7b) with internal sloping beds (cross-beds).. https://answersingenesis.org/geology/rock-layers/transcontinental-rock-layers/ - Ripple marks in quartzite. So how were they formed? During the Flood of Noah’s time great amounts of rocks were ground up and laid down. Some of the layers were laid down creating ripple marks. Then they were quickly covered up. If they had not been quickly covered the ripple marks would have been destroyed. Then the sandstone would then have experienced heat and pressure (metamorphism) changing into quartzite. 3. At the entrance of the monument are large granite boulders called the Three Maidens. These humongous granite boulders are not from the surrounding area of quartzite. The sign says they were transported from Canada within the ice sheets and deposited here; these types of rocks are called erratics. Blue Mounds State Park: 1410 161st St, Luverne, MN Blue Mounds State Park is a high hill of Sioux Quartzite. Those early settlers heading west saw a blue mound rising above the prairie. The cliff rises some 90 feet high. The website says that Sioux quartzite rock was formed on the bottom of an ancient sea where vast quantities of sand were deposited on the seafloor. This is true; the ancient sea was Noah’s Flood and the flood ground up huge quantities of rock into sand. Sandstone was formed and then with heat and chemical reactions, sandstone transformed into a very hard quartzite. The pinkish color is due to the presence of iron oxide. This Sioux quartzite extends from New Ulm, MN to 500 miles west into South Dakota, then to Iowa and Nebraska and Wisconsin. This quartzite is thousands of feet thick. This size and volume would require a worldwide flood to deposit. Ripple marks, cross-bedding and raindrop imprints can be seen in the park’s quartzite- ask for their location. Mention that it is in their literature. http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/blue_mounds/narrative.html see geology and then continue on to http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/blue_mounds/geology_details.html Raindrop imprints are formed when relatively sticky mud experienced heavy rains. The raindrops hit the mud and formed an impression. Then the area is quickly covered over and hardened. Sounds like the Flood of Noah’s day! 2. On top of the Blue Mound's southern end is a 1,250 foot long line of rocks aligned in a east-west direction. Equinox wall: on the first day of spring and fall, the sunrise and sunset are lined up on this stone alignment. Visitors can hike to these rocks. There is no signage so ask for directions. Archaeoastronomy Ancient man was a genius as depicted throughout the world in the numerous ancient structures from Stone Hedge to Chaco Canyon which were built to determine the solstices, equinoxes, and more. -Chaco Canyon’s Sun Dagger on Fajada Butte: Three rocks leaning against a cliff were set up such that shafts of sunlight passed through onto a spiral petroglyph. The sun dagger’s location varied throughout the year. To mark the winter solstice two daggers appear on each side of the spiral petroglyph. The summer solstice has one dagger piercing the center of the spiral. - Medicine Wheel high in the Bighorn Mountains, Wyoming, USA. Using rocks, cairns and spokes, the solstices and other astronomical alignments are revealed. Sunset on the summer solstice. (Pix from http://solar-center.stanford.edu/AO/bighorn.html ) -At Chichen Itza the Maya pyramid called El Castillo is known for the Snake of Sunlight. At the spring equinox, March 21, in the late afternoon the sun casts a shadow such that it crosses the pyramid’s balustrade creating a wriggling snake descending; ending with the carved head of the serpent as its base, marking the first day of spring. -The Mayans (c. 2000 B. C.) also were precise with their calculations of the length of a solar year to within two ten thousandths of a day. Their year was 365.242 0 days long. We were not able to achieve this level of accuracy until modern times and calculated the solar year as 365.242 2 days long. These are just a few examples of the discoveries that have been made in the field of archaeoastronomy. Man, in the beginning was created intelligent!

Glacier National Park Video: Awesome Science Explore Glacier National Park with Noah Justice One of the homeschooling families would love to share what not to miss at Glacier National Park. The hike to Grinnel Glacier. Look at the sedimentary layers laid down in the Flood, then the mountains rose up. Here at Glacier National Park you see evidence of the Genesis Flood. Sedimentary layers laid down like pancakes. Notice no erosion between the layers. If it took millions of years for each layer to form, there should be gullies and other erosional features. Also, on this hike to Grinnel Glacier look for folded rock layers. These layers were laid down during the Flood and then the mountains rose, bending the rock layers. Notice the layers are NOT fractured. If each layer were laid down over millions of years, they would have hardened and then when the mountains rose, they would have fractured. As it is, these layers were still pliable, like playdo, and bent without breaking when the mountains rose. So, as you travel to this national park, look for evidence of the Genesis Flood: sedimentary layers like pancakes with no erosion in between the layers and folded rock layers without breaking. The very rocks are crying out the Biblical Flood was true! Glendive Dinosaur & Fossil Museum, Glendive Great museum with an option to dig fossils https://creationtruth.org/

Theodore Roosevelt National Park, ND Theodore Roosevelt National Park: “Testimony to the Receding Flood” https://www.icr.org/article/15064/ South Unit: Painted Canyon Visitor Center , just off I-94. This gives a panoramic view of the multicolored strata. The horizontal layers are beds of sedimentary rocks. Read about in the Badlands of SD (see page). Petrified Forest hike: This park claims it has the nation’s third greatest concentration of petrified logs and this is quite believable! This hike will take you to a remote place with a high concentration of logs and stumps, many gigantic! These petrified trees are sequoia and bald cypress. What aren’t cypresses, found in swampy Florida? North Dakota is hot and arid during the summers and frigidly cold during the winters. The environment must have been very different before the Flood of Noah’s day. Notice the logs have no roots and no branches. The jumbled mess of petrified logs testifies to a violent flood that ripped the trees up and moved them around! They did not grow here but were probably rafted here and then covered with sediments and became petrified. Get the shorter hiking directions from the visitor’s center, it is well worth it! Remember no collecting, let future generations enjoy the awe. Just a note, nearby is the town of Dickenson. While I-94 was being constructed the workers uncovered a gigantic petrified log, 120 feet long and 10 feet in diameter at the base. This definitely would be one of the largest petrified logs ever found. Time did not allow them to dig it out so, they buried it. Perhaps someday someone will dig it up. ( Petrified Wood in the USA , Arthur Manning, 2002, p.57-59) 36-mile Scenic Loop Drive: Milepost markers show the mileage from the entrance to the park. 3.3 Prairie Dog Town see article on prairie dogs. 4.2 Skyline Vista: Notice the flat area on which this overlook is located. The Little Missouri River flows in the valley below. 5.4 River Woodland Overlook: The cottonwood and willow trees grow close to the river. This provides shelter for wild life such as white-tailed deer and birds. The open area is filled with sagebrush which provides space for hawks, songbirds, and mule deer. Throughout the park certain trees grow in ravines or coulees, these are green ash, wild plum, chokecherry, and box elder. Notice how some trees grow in horizontal bands in the hillsides; these are Rocky Mountain juniper trees. Why do they grow in horizontal bands? The hillside is made of layers of sediment, some sediment is looser and more permeable than others, this water comes to the surface where that layer is exposed and hence junipers trees grow with the moist conditions. 5.6 Cottonwood campground. Drive in; many times bison hang out here. 5.9 Lignite coal seam on the right, halfway up the slope. Coal seams can be seen throughout the park. Have you considered how coal is formed? Coal is the remains of once-living plants. Evolutionists will tell you that coal formation took place slowly in swamps over millions years. Yet, many of the plants found in coal would not grow in swamps. The plants found in swamps tend to stay together, while plants found in coal have been torn apart and separated into layers- roots, stems, leaves, seeds and pollen. Also today, we do not see swamps and bogs turning into coal. So, how was coal made? During the Flood, huge amounts of vegetation was ripped up and torn apart in this cataclysmic storm. They were then deposited in layers along with other sediments. The weight of the other sediments above squeezed out the extra water, keeping the oxygen out, and raising the temperature of the buried plants. The plants then turned into coal. What happened to the pre-flood world’s luscious plant life? Much of it turned into coal. Many coal deposits show burial over a great area. For example Kentucky No. 12 runs from Kansas to Pennsylvania, halfway across America! Coal-like features were seen when the volcano Mt. St. Helens erupted on May 18, 1980. This volcano produced a steam and ash blast that caused a huge wave in Spirit Lake to reach 860 feet up into the mountain side. The waters rushed back into the lake bringing with it about one million broken trees. The rocks, ash, and plant material began to settle out on the bottom of Spirit Lake- bark sheets in one layer, pollen, and spores in another...similar to what is seen in coal fields. If Spirit Lake were covered with more sediment, like with the Flood, then coal could have developed. Coal is found world- wide. Coal is a result of a world wide Flood. ( The Fossil Book , Gary and Mary Parker, 2005, p.14-16) Did you know that coal has been carbon dated! Evolutionists date coal to about 300 million year old, if that were true then no carbon -14 should be present. Ten samples of coal were collected from the major coalfields across America. These samples were analyzed for their C-14 content. In all ten samples carbon- 14 was found to be present. Coal is not millions of years old, just thousands. Coal testifies to a recent worldwide Flood, about 3,500 years ago. ( Thousands not Millions , Dr. Don DeYoung, 2005, p.51-55.) Just north of here are the rich oil fields. So much time does it take to make oil? Zero time! It already exists in plants (corn oil, olive oil...), in animals (whale oil...), microbes and people. So oil started as oil, it now had to get trapped. If it is not trapped, oil gets eaten by scavengers and decomposers, and no pools of oil form. Like with the olive oil to retrieve it, the oil is squeezed out of it. During Noah’s Flood, billions of plants and critters were buried under huge amounts of sediments; this caused the oil to be squeezed out of the once living things. The oil separated from the water and continued to rise to the top. Oil can move fairly easily through the sand and lime, however, a dome of shale and clay can trap the oil, forming a pool of oil. The gathered oil is under great pressure, so when it is drilled into, the oil gushes out. ( The Fossil Book , Gary and Mary Parker, 2005, p.16-17.) 6.6 begin loop drive , continue to the road on the right. 8.8 Turnout on left . Notice how the juniper trees are heavy on the north-facing slopes. Why? The north-facing slopes generally are cooler and moister. The slopes on the south are drier because they receive more sunlight both in the summer and the winter causing the moister to evaporate before absorbed into the ground. 9.3 Scoria Point Overlook . Notice the reddish rock layers; these are sediments that were baked by burning lignite. The locales call it scoria but it should be called clinkers. True scoria is of volcanic origin, lignite is formed from compressed plant debris. Scoria (clinkers) has a variety of colors pink-red to orange, yellow and purple. Color is based on mineral composition, grain size and the baking process temperatures. 9.9 in the Badlands the buttes and other hills are often capped with scoria (clinkers) or sandstone which resist weathering. 10.8 Ridgeline Nature Trail: A 0.6 mile walk through a typical landscape of North Dakota Badlands. 11.4 North Dakota Badlands Overlook: Horizontal layers of sedimentary rocks. The Grayish-blue layers are beds of made of clay. Clay is derived from the decomposed volcanic ash. During the Flood, a tremendous number of volcanoes were erupting large amount of ash. Extremely fine particles of ash were caught in the Flood and laid down in these bluish layers. The ash then decomposed into bentonite clay. Commercially bentonite clay is used in hundreds of products such as kitty litter, candy bars, and toothpaste. It has the ability to soak up water and swell up to 16 times its size. When wet, bentonite clay is very slippery and gummy, making it very difficult to drive in. The brownish gray layers are made of sand. Black layers are lignite coal. These layers were laid down during the Flood. As the Rocky Mountains rose up, water would run off the land in sheets; sheet erosion would plain the land. As the waters became less, they would become channelized thus carving out the land and to reveal the layers we see before us. Look around you, look at the highest parts and then see the amount of dirt that had to be washout out of this area. Where is the washed out dirt? 12.0 Lignite coal bed: In the gully on the right. North Dakota has the largest reserve of lignite coal in the world. Thin seams are seen throughout the park. 16.2 Notice the layers of sediments. The reddish brown layers are rich in iron. 17.1 Buck Hill . Turn right and travel 0.8 mile to the top. A 100 yard foot trail leads to the very top of the hill. This gives a view of the badlands. Where did all the dirt go that has been eroded away? 19.9 Boicourt Overlook : Rocky Mountain juniper grow thickly on the north-facing slopes, more moisture is available than from the south-facing slopes. Boicourt Overlook Trail is considered one of the most beautiful South Unit overlooks and is accessible by an easy nature trail. Rangers pick this as a favorite for a sunset over the Badlands. 20.5 Petrified tree: To the right near the bottom of the valley. It takes very special conditions for a tree to turn to stone. Would not a tree rot away in your back yard before turning into a rock? The Flood of Noah’s day provided the special conditions in order for a tree to petrify. 24.8 East River Road: Turn left to return to Medora, finishing the loop. 26.6 Beef Corral Pullout . A guide book states, “This flat area is the old floodplain of the Little Missouri River”. Did the Little Missouri River really fill this valley from edge to edge? This is a wide valley with a little river. It is common worldwide to find valleys like this, where the river is much smaller than the valley. Geographers have given a name for this, “underfit valleys”. Underfit valleys are evidence of huge volume of Flood waters receding from the land and carving out these large valleys at the end of the Genesis Flood, later the river follows the carved valley. 28.8 Peaceful Valley Ranch : This historic ranch is to your right. During the 1880’s this was a working cattle ranch, then a horse ranch, a dude ranch, Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) headquarters, Theodore Roosevelt National Park Headquarters and today a saddle horse concession. 29.1 End of loop . Turn right to Medora North Unit: some 50 miles away. 14 mile scenic drive 4.6 Cannonball concretion Pullout : Giant red concretions almost 10 feet in diameter can be found having weathered out of the hillside. Read about concretions –Lemmon SD ( Roadlog Guide for the South and North Units TRNP , Theodore Roosevelt Nature and History Association, 2005) Have you considered petrified wood ? It is not as rare as you may think. In fact it is an abundant fossil and found worldwide. To make petrified wood, wood needs to be buried in oxygen-poor sediment. Then water percolates through the ground bringing with it minerals. Cell by cell, the original wood is completely dissolved away and replaced. The ideal environment for wood to become petrified is burial by volcanic ash. Ash from the multitude of volcanoes erupting during the flood was carried to the Dakota/Montana area. Flood waters moved through the silica rich volcanic ash and sediments. This silica rich water soaked into the buried trees. The organic compounds in the wood dissolved and were replaced, turning the wood into stone which is called petrifaction. The color of the petrified wood depends on the minerals in the water and sediment. Arizona’s petrified wood is famous for its yellows and reds (from the iron minerals) and green and blues (from the copper). The petrified wood of the Dakota’s is creamy brown in color. Near here in Lemmon, South Dakota, there is a 1930’s gas station and a large museum all made from petrified wood, even some of the nearby roads are “graveled” in petrified wood. Petrified wood is abundant and worldwide, yet it rarely occurs today because of the special conditions required. What event in history would have worldwide deep burial of wood in a water saturated ground? The Flood of Noah’s time provides the answer. So as you stand in the midst the third largest concentration of petrified forest in the United States, realize that this is a result of the Flood of Noah’s day! Also within many coal deposits are polystrate fossils. Polystrate fossils like tree trunks cut across many sedimentary layers. These polystrate fossils represent those plants caught in the Flood and buried in an upright position while more sediment filled in around. Evolutionists have a hard time explaining tree trunks existing for millions of years as the sediments covered them. Would the tree not rot over the millions of years as it stood there? The tree had to be catastrophic covered in order for it to become fossilized. The Flood of Noah’s day would have provided those special conditions for it to become a fossil.

Table of Contents Introduction Chapter 1 Evolution Fosters Moral Decline Chapter 2 Kinsey, Darwin, and the Sexual Revolution Chapter 3. Havelock Ellis, Eugenist and Sexual Revolutionary Chapter 4. Abortion Leader Margaret Sanger, Darwinists, Racist and Eugenists. Chapter 5. Evolution Justifies Abortion Chapter 6. Darwin and Psychoanalysis Chapter 7. Friedrich Nietzsche: Anti-Christian Disciple of Darwin Chapter 8. The Charles Manson Murders and Darwinism Chapter 9. Evolution and Morality. Two cases 1. The “Baby Doctor,” Benjamin Spock, on Darwin and Morality 2 From Catholic to Atheist: The Case of Chet Raymo Chapter 10. Academic’s Darwinian War Against Christian Morality Chapter 11. Preaching Darwinism: A History of Church Support for Eugenics. Chapter 12. Hitler’s Darwinian Goals for the World. Chapter 13. Karl Pearson: Racist, Warmonger and White Supremacist Conclusions. Evolution true, but going the wrong way. Click to download the full book:

Preview: Evolution is a very big topic and it will obviously not be possible to thoroughly cover it in a single short paper. What I do hope to accomplish, however, is to raise questions and stimulate thought. I hope to make everyone skeptical of those who say that evolution is a proven fact. It is obvious to those who study history that people often have incorrect ideas. In fact, at any given time, even the great majority of people may be mistaken on a particular topic. And to anyone familiar with human nature, it will not be a shock to realize that when the majority is powerful, dissenting views may also be suppressed. What is popular may not be true, and truth may not be popular. Therefore, to know the truth, we need to have an open mind, which includes a willingness to say, "Could I be wrong on this topic?" Knowing that it is difficult to even look at the relevant data from this perspective, one must also ask, "If I were wrong, could I be convinced?" Finally, given the reality of social pressure, a final question might be, "If I were convinced, would I be willing to change?" ... Click to download and view the full debate:

SCIENCE THE LOOM August 7, 2006 Last night, as my family settled into a three-hour drive home, I began scanning the AM radio dial. The tuner stopped at on a well-produced segment in which the announcer was talking about recent evolution of pigmentation genes and lactose-digestion genes in humans. This is a surprise, I thought, and I settled in for a listen. It took about twenty seconds for me to realize that this was the work of creationists. I spent the next fifteen minutes listening to the piece with jaw aslack, making sure I didn’t get so distracted I missed my exit. There is something so absorbing about the elaborate rhetorical gymnastics that creationists engage in order to square their views with new scientific evidence. This morning I did a little research online and discovered that what I had heard was part of a weekly radio program from the Institute for Creation Research. It claims that all of the new research on recent evolution in humans does not actually serve as evidence of evolution, but rather of man’s recent creation and fall. They dismiss the examples of recent evolution in various ways. They are just minor changes, for starters, not the sort that produce “fish-to-philosopher” evolution, as the announcer put it. They just tweak the human form. Or these mutations consist of losses, rather than gains, through mutation. Humans have lost olfactory receptor genes, for example. The radio show then explains the real origin of all these patterns in our genome. The Institute for Creation Research was founded to promote Young Earth Creationism–the claim that the Earth is only a few thousand years old. The announcer explained that the minor variations in the human genome originated at the time of the flood, or at the creation of man at the earliest. Mankind was created with a perfect genome, we are told, and once we turned away from God through sin, our genome has been degrading ever since. All mutations that have accumulated since the fall of man have led to the loss of genes and to disease. I have to say that the “Genomic Degradation as Original Sin” line was new to me. But in order to make this case, the radio show engages in the three classic creationist errors. Error #1: Get the science wrong. In order to portray recent mutations as nothing but loss and suffering, ICR must distort the facts. Take their discussion of mutations that provide protection for malaria but can also cause sickle-cell anemia. An ICR “scientist” tells us that all this mutation does let people die of sickle-cell anemia at age 15 instead of dying of malaria at age 10. Become a subscriber and support our award-winning editorial features, videos, photography, and more—for as little as $2/mo. GET STARTED Earth to ICR: if what you say is true, then why do so many people have these mutations? Why didn’t they all die before they could pass that awful gene down to children? Because people only get sickle-cell anemia when they inherit two copies of this gene. One copy gives protection to malaria. On balance, natural selection thus favors the gene in regions with high rates of malaria. The radio piece also makes a big deal about the digestion of lactose, a sugar in milk. It describes some populations as producing lactase, the enzyme for digesting lactose, and others as not producing it. Thus, this is just another case of a mutation destroying “genetic information” rather than creating it. Second transmission from Earth to ICR: if what you say is true, then babies in those populations that cannot digest lactose should all die. After all, they cannot digest the lactose in the milk they get from their mothers. Here’s the real story: all mammals produce lactase as babies, in order to break down lactose in milk. Then, after weaning, the mammal’s cells stop reading the lactase gene. Since adult mammals don’t drink milk, making an enzyme to break down lactose is a waste of energy. The timing of this switch is under genetic control, and mutations can delay it until later in life. In human populations where cattle-herding became important, mutations that allowed humans to continue making lactase as adults were favored by natural selection. So nothing was lost. In fact, dare I say it, these human populations gained an adaptation that their ancestors lacked. Error #2: Skip over inconvenient facts. The ICR molecular biologists and science professor from Liberty University throw out lots of details, which may give the impression that they’re telling you everything there is to know about the evidence of recent evolution. But they skip over major things that would knock out the basis for their claims. For example, they claim that all the genetic changes that scientists have identified have nothing to do with the major changes that would have arisen on the way from ape-like ancestors to humans–such as an increase in cranial capacity. They conveniently skip over the genes that have been identified as having experienced natural selection in our ancestors that play a role in language, brain size, and brain development. Error #3: Contradict yourself. You can only conclude from this radio piece that the folks at ICR accept the evidence that humans have recently acquired mutations. But in many cases, scientists can only determine recent changes in humans by comparing our genomes to our relatives–chimpanzees, for example, and mice. By studying their genomes, scientists discover what our ancestral genome was like, and can then pinpoint the changes that arose in our genome after our ancestors split off from other species. If the ICR accepts these examples of recent human genetic change, then they must accept our common ancestry with chimpanzees and mice. I am not a theologian, and so I won’t try to dive too deeply into the religious implications of thinking of our genomes as the result of original sin. But I do wonder how one makes that sort of idea work. The ICR radio show claims we lost our olfactory receptor genes since the flood. We have 388 working olfactory receptor genes and 414 broken ones (called pseudogenes). Mice, on the other hand, have 1037 working receptor genes and 354 psuedogenes. Many of their working genes have counterparts among our pseudogenes, which is some of the main evidence that our ancestors lost many genes involved in smell. So does that mean that mice enjoy an Edenic perfection that we have lost? Anyway, let you own mind roam free: here’s the show in mp3 and real audio . And if you are hungry for more, here’s the radio show archive . It’s a fact-checker’s paradise. Original Sin Genomics By loom on August 31, 2006. Before I moved the Loom to this address earlier this year, I got a fair amount of comments on my blogs about evolution from creationists. (See this entry , for example.) They fell off after the move, but now they're back in fine form. Today we are joined by Kevin Anderson , editor-in-chief of the Creation Research Society Quarterly. Here's a little background: last week I wrote here about stumbling across a radio show put out by the Institute of Creation Research. It claimed that recent research on the human genome supports Young Earth creationism. Dr. Anderson spoke on the program about how sickle-cell anemia and lactose tolerance, and other genetic changes in human populations have nothing to do with evolution but are just the result of original sin. Dr. Anderson's outfit is not shy about how life began. Here I quote from their "statement of belief": The Bible is the written Word of God, and because it is inspired throughout, all its assertions are historically and scientifically true in the original autographs. To the student of nature this means that the account of origins in Genesis is a factual presentation of simple historical truths. All basic types of living things, including man, were made by direct creative acts of God during the Creation Week described in Genesis. Whatever biological changes have occurred since Creation Week have accomplished only changes within the original created kinds. The great flood described in Genesis, commonly referred to as the Noachian Flood, was an historic event worldwide in its extent and effect. Are we clear? The radio show I caught was perfectly consonant with this belief. In my post, I pointed out some of the many errors and misleading statements in the show, including some made by Dr. Anderson. Well, today he has left a comment on the blog that's a doozy . Check it out, and check out my response in the comment thread. I'll be curious to see where this goes... Update: 8/1 9:50 am: I appreciate the comments that are already coming in--as always, interesting stuff. Rather than splitting comments between two posts and dispersing the conversation, could people leave all their comments on the original post ? Thanks. More like this Cystic Fibrosis? Blame Eve Last night, as my family settled into a three-hour drive home, I began scanning the AM radio dial. The tuner stopped at on a well-produced segment in which the announcer was talking about recent evolution of pigmentation genes and lactose-digestion genes in humans. This is a surprise, I thought,… Haven't you tired of this yet, Pennsylvania? A reader sent along anan article from the Lancaster Sunday News, announcing a lecture on 17 May by John Morris, an infamously silly Young Earth Creationist. It's a little peculiar; it's written by Helen Colwell Adams, bylined as a staff writer for the paper, but it is completely credulous — she… Reading Genesis As part of my research for my book on evolution and creationism, I have been reading a lot of books and articles about how to read the Bible. From this reading I have learned a great deal, but I also find certain things a bit puzzling. For example, consider the book Reading the Bible Again for the… The Mosquito and the Bottle Natural selection is not natural perfection. Time and again, biologists have discovered traits that are both beneficial and harmful. Perhaps the most famous example is the devastating disorder known as sickle-cell anemia. To get sickle-cell anemia, you have to inherit two faulty copies of a gene… I'm impressed that you could even understand what he was saying. "You assume that all beneficial mutations serve evolution? This is only true if you refuse to acknowledge that evolution is actually common descent, and not just merely any change." ?? Looks like someone used a random creationist argument generator and ended up with word salad they don't understand. Log in to post comments By tsmith on 31 Aug 2006 #permalink Dr. Anderson spoke on the program about how sickle-cell anemia and lactose tolerance, and other genetic changes in human populations have nothing to do with evolution but are just the result of original sin. I have a question for him, I haven't received any responses from skeptics elaborating as of yet, and it would be a first for a Creationist, if they'd answer. Just how "physical" was the so-called immortality of Genesis? No death before the fall? Did man and all the creatures in the Garden partake in the tree of life? I heard from one skeptic, how to the recent day some still search for the Fountain of Youth , and a lot of ancient cultures believed the human could take a bite of magic fruit and live forever. Revelation:2:7: He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. Revelation:22:2: In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. Revelation:22:14: Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.(KJV) This tree of life sounds very much like a physical immortality for imperfect bodies . I mean, if Adam were built immortal and perfect to begin with, what need would he have of any "tree of life" to sustain his body? According to the scripture, after the curses were handed out to snake, woman and man, Adam still had the potential for eternal life. It was only a matter of getting his hands on the magic fruit. Gn:3:22: And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: (KJV) So, man (and animal) were cut off from the lifeline of immortality when driven from Eden? For all we know, Adam may have been lactose intolerant. Log in to post comments By sharon (not verified) on 01 Sep 2006 #permalink What I can't get past is the fact that I just don't understand the psychology behind creating a creationist organization in the first place. If there is an omnipotent creator God, surely he doesn't need our help in defending his own existence. If a) the goal is to "win over sinners and unbelievers," and b) there really is a shaky foundation under evolutionary biology, wouldn't a more effective tactic be to quietly work within the academic and peer review system without revealing your agenda, and let the facts of the universe (and, if you're right, God) speak for themselves? Log in to post comments By Matt Bull (not verified) on 01 Sep 2006 #permalink opriginal sin, that's where Adam eats the apple and we are all sinners because of it. WOW many ancient cultures punished the children of the initiator of crime. They just carried this into their bible. "He's a sinner, kill his children" Sorry, a god that punishes all for what Adam did is not one that we should admire. If we started punishing the children of criminals we would be rediculed. Then they say "god is love" WOW Log in to post comments By richCares (not verified) on 01 Sep 2006 #permalink Carl, could you ask Dr. Anderson what "ei;(i umlauted and underlined)" is? I can't find it on Dictionary.com, can't in fact even type it, and even the Germans don't umlaut "i". Thanks. Log in to post comments By lee (not verified) on 01 Sep 2006 #permalink Lee--I think some html/ascii gobbledy-gook emerged as I moved his text from my email to the blog. I've tried to fix it. Log in to post comments By loom on 01 Sep 2006 #permalink For what it's worth, i with a diaresis (or umlaut, though technically it isn't that in those languages) is used in several languages (Welsh and Ukrainian, off the top of my head), but I don't think this is anything more than a mark-up error. Log in to post comments By The Ridger (not verified) on 02 Sep 2006 #permalink This statement is interesting, "The Bible is the written Word of God, and because it is inspired throughout, all its assertions are historically and scientifically true in the original autographs. To the student of nature this means that the account of origins in Genesis is a factual presentation of simple historical truths." Given that Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 give contradictory chronologies of the creation, it is hard to see how they can both be inerrant. There are multiple inconsistancies which you can consult for yourselves, but just to mention one. In G 1, god created the animals and then man(adam). In G 2, god created man(adam) and then created the animals. Log in to post comments By bernarda (not verified) on 02 Sep 2006 #permalink original sin is when two replicators fonicated Log in to post comments By bill mccarron (not verified) on 11 Sep 2006 #permalink

Meanings, Interpretations, Timetable, Other Astronomical Events Near Time Of Christ's Birth Jupiter = Planet of Kings, Righteousness, The Messiah Venus = The Mother Planet Saturn = Planet Protector of the Jews Mars = Planet of War, Aggression, Danger Mercury = Planet of Speed, Messenger, Deception Regulus = Star of Kingship, Chief Star of Leo Day Star = The Star in the Head of the Infant in "Coma" visible in daylight for 300 years Leo = Constellation of Kings and of Tribe of Judah Pisces = Constellation of Nation of Israel Virgo = The Virgin 7 BC May Jupiter and Saturn in Pisces 7 BC Sep Jupiter and Saturn in Pisces 7 BC Dec Jupiter and Saturn in Pisces 6 BC Feb Jupiter and Saturn in Pisces, this time with Mars – Royal Planet and Israel's Protector Planet in Israel's Constellation 4 times, the last with signs of danger 5 BC Mar-Apr Supernova in Capricorn -- significance? 4 BC Mar 13 Eclipse of the Moon (late night) Josephus set as associated with death of Herod - now felt to be wrong 3 BC May 19 Saturn and Mercury Protector of Israel and Messenger Planet 3 BC Jun 12 Saturn and Venus -- Protector of Israel and Mother Planet 3 BC Aug 12 Jupiter and Venus in Leo(close) Royal Planet and Mother Planet in Royal Constellation (Judah) 3 BC Sep 11 Jupiter joined Regulus, chief star in Leo, Royal Planet and Royal Star Sun in Virgo (Virgin Constellation), New Moon in Royal Constellation Leo (Judah) First day of Jewish New Year Day Noah landed on Mt. Ararat 3 BC Nov Jupiter, Mars, Venus, Mercury in Leo -- Royal Star, Royal Planet and Mother Star in Royal Constellation, but also danger and deception 2 BC Feb 17 Jupiter and Regulus (in Leo) -- Royal Planet and Royal Star 2 BC May 8 Jupiter and Regulus (in Leo) -- Royal Planet and Royal Star 2 BC Jun 17 Jupiter and Venus (Touching) -- Royal Planet and Mother Planet in Leo (Royal Constellation: Judah) fused into one point! Moon Full (to Romans this seemed to honor Caesar) 2 BC Aug 27 Jupiter, Mars, Saturn, Venus -- Royal Planet and Mother Planet and Israel's Protector Planet, also Danger 2 BC Dec 25 Jupiter began to move westward, At its stationary point in Virgo Winter Solstace, Daystar in Coma Overhead at Bethlehem at Dawn? (Seen by looking into a deep well) 1 BC Jan 10 Eclipse of the Moon (late night) Associated with Herod's Death? 1 BC Dec 29 Eclipse of the Moon More likely to have been seen by many. (started at dusk) If so, Herod died in 1 AD

The Christmas story with the angels, shepherds, wise men and star has gripped the imagination of many over the last 20 centuries. We are indebted to two Biblical accounts, one in Matthew, and one in Luke. They provide the basic information needed to reconstruct Mid-Eastern history and astronomical events in order to discover exactly what occurred in the night sky on that first Christmas when Messiah was born in the cave at Bethlehem amongst the cattle and horses. Luke records that it was the whim of the Roman Emperor Augustus which sent Joseph and Mary from Nazareth to Bethlehem. This 125 Km journey by foot, and on the back of a donkey, was particularly exhausting for a woman in her 9th month of pregnancy. In the event, they only just got to Bethlehem in time. To make matters worse, when they arrived there, Bethlehem was so crowded that there was no room for them at the inn. Mary had the some Emperor Augustus to thank for that too. He had decreed that there should be a world census and taxation so that he would know the exact resources of his Empire. This order required that each return to the city which had originated their family lineage, and Bethlehem was the city for all those descended from King David. The Census order was given by Augustus in 8 BC, but it was implemented province by province. Provincial Italy was taxed in 8/7 BC. Rome itself was taxed in 7/6 BC. As for the province of Judea, Luke records that it was taxed when 'Cyrenius was first Governor of Syria.' Senator P. Sulpicius Quirinius, otherwise known as Cyrenius, was Governor of Syria twice. As Luke states, it was on the first occasion that the world census occurred. Quirinius was Legate (Governor) to Syria an that first occasion for 5 years during the Homonadensian War. He then become adviser to Gaius Caesar in I BC. Additionally, the Christian historian Tertullian records that the Judean census took place when Sentius Saturninus was Proconsul to Syria, attending to the day to day running of the province, which included Judea. He left early in 2 BC to be replaced by Quintillius Varus, about a year before the death of Herod, who was the king of Judea. These facts indicate that the census acted on by Joseph and Mary had been completed by late in 3 BC. This is confirmed by the date of Herod's death. According to Matthew, Herod ordered the slaughter of all children two years old and under, according to the time the Star first appeared to the Wise Men. Therefore, if we back-track two years from the date of Herod's demise, this will give the date for the first appearance of the Star and an approximate date for the birth of the Christ-Child. Josephus records that Herod died shortly after an eclipse of the Moon seen at Jericho, and sometime before the Feast of Passover. It is this point which has caused much historical. confusion, as we have to select between four Lunar eclipses. There is one key piece of evidence which is often overlooked. The Jewish historian Josephus, records that there was a Jewish holiday celebrating Herod's death on 2nd day of the month Shebat. Significantly, this date is in accord with only one of those 4 eclipses, namely the one an 9th Jan, 1 BC. The 2nd Shebat date fell just 15 days after that eclipse. This means that Herod died 24th January I BC. Consequently, the Christmas star must have appeared throughout 3 and 2 BC. This accords with the census completed by late 3 BC. As to the time of the year that Messiah was born, Luke gives us further details. He records that shepherds were watching over their flocks by night. There are only two specific times in a year when this was done, namely when lambs were being born in the spring or autumn. At other times of the year they were kept safely in their sheep-folds to protect them from wild animals. Significantly the flocks bred in the Bethlehem fields were used for the Temple sacrifices. It was there, to those shepherds, that the angels announced the birth of the Lamb of God who was to make the final sacrifice for the sin of the world. However, we can pinpoint the in the time of Messiah's birth more exactly. Revelation 12 tells of the birth of Messiah when the constellation Virgo (the woman in the heavens) was clothed with the sun and had the moon at her feet. This tells us that Jesus was born when the sun and moon were in Virgo. In other words, at the time of the September New Moon, or shortly thereafter. This fits the autumn lambing season. Furthermore, it coincides with the season of the three Jewish feasts, Trumpets, Atonement and Tabernacles. Interestingly, the apostle John records in John 1:14 that the "Word became flesh and tabernacled amongst us." As the New Moon was on the 10th and Tabernacles on the 25th September in 3 BC, the birth of Christ would be somewhere between those dates. Why then do we celebrate Messiah's birth on December 25th? There are 4 reasons. Firstly there was the Jewish feast of Hanukkah - the Festival of Lights, or Feast of Dedication as it is called in John 10:22. On this occasion, Jewish children lit candles, sang hymns and gave gifts to celebrate a genuine miracle which occurred with the Temple Menorah (or 7-branched lamp-stand) in 165 BC. Now the early Christians were nearly all Jewish and the other Festivals were linked with Messiah's ministry rather than his birth. It seemed the natural occasion to commemorate the birth of Messiah who had come to be the Light of the World [Jn 8:2), and who admonished His followers to have their Lamps trimmed and burning as they waited for Him to Return (Matthew 25). This Jewish feast occurred on 25th Kislev which corresponds to our month of December. Up until 1583 AD, the time when the Gregorian calendar was introduced, the 25th Kislev and 25th December were the same day. Following the introduction of the new calendar, the two dates parted company. England did not adopt the new calendar until 1752 AD, by which time it was 11 days out of step with Europe. However December 25th was also celebrated by the Romans as the feast of the Saturnalia, which celebrates the winter solstice-the longest night of the year. In the northern hemisphere this now occurs on December 21 or 22, but back then it was December 25. On this day the Romans celebrated the birth of the 'New Sun' as the days lengthened and light triumphed over darkness. Romans Christians in those days saw a new significance in this pagan festival. They too celebrated the birth of the New Sun in accordance with Malachi 4:2 - this time the Sun of Righteousness who will arise with healing in His wings. On the 3rd of February 313 AD in Milan, Italy, the Roman Emperor Constantine issued an edict giving absolute tolerance to Christianity throughout the Empire. It comes as no surprise, therefore, to find that December 25th was first documented as Christmas Day in 354 AD. Under the Roman Emperor Justinian, it became an official holiday around 550 AD. This constitutes the third reason why we celebrate Christmas on that date. However, there is a fourth reason. All the astronomical evidence suggests that this date also marked the final appearance of the Christmas Star. It was on 25th Dec in 2 BC when Jesus was 15 months old, that the Wise Men presented their gifts to the young Messiah. This leads us naturally to consider who these Wise Men were. THE CHRISTMAS STAR PART 2: We have seen that all the evidence points to Messiah being born in September of 3 BC. Furthermore we have noted that there are 4 reasons why this event is celebrated on December 25th. It was commented that one of those reasons involved the Wise Man and the final appearance of the Christmas Star. But how do we know this, and who were the Wise Men? Matthew 2:1 says that they came from the East, that is east of Judea. Now Judea was a buffer state between the sprawling Roman Empire in the West, and the fabulous Persian Empire of the Parthian Dynasty in the east. Whenever the Persians and Romans clashed militarily, the Persians almost always won. Their crack cavalry units could pin down the Roman legions indefinitely. The Persian Empire also controlled the Silk Route to India and China. The gifts that the Wise Man brought to Jesus, the gold, the frankincense and myrrh were the very best that world trade could offer from this route. As to the identity of the Wise Men, the word that Matthew uses to describe them is Magoi. As we take this word over into a Persian setting, an amazing fact emerges. The Parthian Dynasty was ruled by something equivalent to our houses of Parliament. They called It the Megistanes. The Lower House members were called the Sophoi or 'Wise Ones': the Upper House members were called the Magoi or 'Great Ones'. It was these Magoi, the king makers of their empire, that come to visit Jesus. It was not the astrologers - It was the politicians - and there were more then 3, even if only three types of gift were given. This delegation of Rulers from Persia penetrated 750 km into Roman territory. They would be escorted by their crack cavalry units that consistently won out against the Romans. These Persians were the finest equestrians in the world. They always rode horses as their means of transport - camels were only used for baggage. Consequently, it was no wonder that Herod was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. He had a small army from a foreign power at the gates of Jerusalem. And at a very inconvenient time too. Herod's garrison that normally protected Jerusalem was away helping fight the Homonadensian War. Jerusalem was virtually undefended. Furthermore, the news was not good. These Magoi proclaimed the birth of a contender for Herod's throne. Indeed, they had come to support this child-king, and their army was there to back them. It was a very tense time for Herod, but he played his options very skillfully. But why did the Persian Magoi make such a perilous trip at all? There were 3 reasons. Firstly, the Hebrew prophet Daniel had been held in high regard in the Persian court. In Daniel 9, the Magoi had the prophecy of Messiah's sacrifice as a man cut off at age 35 (in the midst of his years). They knew that this event would occur 483 Babylonian years of 360 days after a specific decree. Backtracking 35 years gave a birth date for Messiah of 448 Babylonian years or 442 actual years after the decree. As It turned out, that decree was Issued by the Persian king Artaxerxes in his 20th year which was 445/444 BC. The Magoi consequently knew the time of Messiah's birth as around 3/2 BC on our Calendar. The second reason was that there had been a Mesopotamian prophet called Balaam who had foretold the coming of the Star that would herald Messiah for all the tribes of Israel (see Numbers 24). Finally, Zoroaster, a pupil of Daniel, had incorporated these prophecies in his bible, called the Zend Avesta, and Zoroastrianism was the State Religion of Persia at the time of Christ's birth. It prophesied that there would be born unto the Jews a King Messiah, and that His coming would be heralded by a sign In the heavens in the constellation Virgo. That compels us to find out just what this sign was in the heavens. What was the Star that appeared in the skies of 3 and 2 BC? As we begin this search, we note that the word star had a variety of meanings back then. It could mean anything that blazed, shone or moved across the sky. It could mean an aurora, the sun, moon, or a star. It may mean any strange light in the sky - a bolt of lightning, an oddly illuminated cloud, a planet, or grouping of several planets. The two-year time period for visibility automatically eliminates many objects. Meteors are too last two years. When the record is searched, there was only one nova at the time - a faint one in 4 BC. Supernovas last longer and can be visible in broad daylight. But again we are disappointed. Only two supernovae are recorded near the time of the Nativity: one in 134 BC, the other in 173 AD. As we examine Matthew, it becomes apparent that the account requires the star to appear in the eastern sky, move across the starry background, and go before the Magoi to Judea. Only comets, planets, or groupings of planets behave this way. Comets can travel through the background stars at the rate of 1 or 2 degrees per day. They may be visible to the naked eye for 100 days or so. Now a journey to Judea from Persia would take the Wise Men about 6 weeks. Comets would thus be visible long enough for the journey itself. But none last 2 years, and no comets were recorded for the prime dates of 3 and 2 BC. Halley's comet flared in the skies in 11 BC. Another comet swept across the heavens in 4 BC. But both of these were too early. So comets fade as a possibility for the Star. This leaves the option of planets. When we examine the night sky with planets in mind, a series of amazing celestial events occurred. On the 1st August 3 BC the drama began to unfold with Jupiter rising helically in the rays of dawn. On the 13 August Venus and Jupiter stood very close together in the sunrise. On the 18th, Mercury came out of the solar glare, and on September 1st, Mercury and Venus stood 1/3rd degree apart in Leo. These were dramatic events. The astronomers who were based at the Sippar Institute would see an astrological significance in these signs. Essentially, Jupiter, the King planet, had left the Sun, the Father of the Gods, to be conjoined with Venus, the Virgin Mother in the constellation of Leo, which is the symbol for the tribe of Judah in Israel. Furthermore, Mercury, the Messenger of the Gods, had come from the Sun's presence to stand with Venus the virgin mother in the rays of the dawn. Then on 14th September 3 BC and 17th February and 8th May in 2 BC, Jupiter the King planet stood next to Regulus the brightest star in Leo, which also represented Royalty. Then came a climax to the display. On June 17th 2 BC, Venus and Jupiter, the two brightest planets in the Solar System, appeared to collide. They stood an Incredible 1/50th degree apart and seemed to fuse into one immense ball of Light. This was an unprecedented event. But that was not all. On 27th August in 2 BC there was a grand meeting of the planets In Virgo. Jupiter and Mars were only 1/7th degree apart and close at hand were Mercury and Venus standing together in the glare of the rising sun. This dramatic sequence of events ending in Virgo qualified for the Star spoken of by the Zend Avesta. But then Jupiter left the other planets in the dawn, and moved westwards. This was the sign the Magoi were waiting for. Jupiter the key player in the Christmas star sequence was leading them towards Judea. And so they set out. From that moment in Mid-November, Jupiter the King planet actually went before them in the sky towards Judea. Six weeks later as the Magoi checked the pre-dawn sky, Jupiter was on the Meridian due south of Jerusalem. It would appear directly over Bethlehem 65 degrees above the southern horizon. And just at that time, the final event occurred. Jupiter had reached its furthest point westward, and no longer moved against the background store. It actually 'Stood Over' where the young child was. Incredibly, on that some day, the Sun was at its furthest point south for the year, and stood still in the heavens (for that is what the word 'solstice' means). Jupiter was again in the constellation Virgo as the Zend Avesta predicted, when this occurred on 25th December in 2 BC. It was a unique sequence of events that had landed the Magoi at Bethlehem. But wait! There is one more important detail. Matthew 2:9-11 implies that something was marking the very house that Jesus had been living in for 15 months. The planets and stars can never mark a single building. What is the answer to this Biblical conundrum? Throughout the Scriptures, God has consistently appeared to His servants in what has often been called the Shekinah Glory Cloud. The Children of Israel were guided from Egypt to Canaan by the 'Pillar of cloud by day, and a Pillar of fire by night'(see Ex.13:21.22 etc). In Genesis it is described as looking like a twisting blazing, shining object at the entrance to the Garden of Eden. The Shekinah out of which God spoke to the patriarch Job appeared as a whirlwind of bright and shining cloud. Abraham saw this cloud of Glory at sunset outside his tent as a burning smoking light. Ezekiel witnessed the Shekinah In which God dwelt as a whirlwind of fire enfolding itself. For the Magoi, this oddly Illuminated cloud also qualified for the word 'star'. It would have been seen and described by Balaam as he looked down on the hosts of Israel. The Wise Men also had the record of Daniel 7 where the Shekinah is linked with Messiah and described as the 'Cloud of Heaven'. This same Glory of the Lord shone around the shepherds just before the angels announced Messiah's birth to them. Similarly, when the Persian Magoi arrived near Bethlehem in the early dawn, the Shekinah would be seen standing above and marking the very house where Messiah was. The Magoi would Immediately recognize this as a sign of Messiah's presence. They had seen the blazing planetary orb in the sky. Then the key planet, Jupiter had led them to standing over the house, the Magoi from Persia would assuredly know that their quest had ended. They had found the One of Whom the Star of David speaks - the Messiah of the Tribes of Israel, Who was to become the Savior of the world. Has your quest to find Messiah ended? Remember, with child-like faith in the prophecies of Daniel and Balaam contained In the Scriptures, the Wise Men set out. In the depths of winter, they undertook a long and difficult journey deep into enemy territory to come and worship Christ. Today Messiah awaits your response. Will you bow down to him as King and Lord of your Life. For this is what Christmas is all about. Messiah has come to rule as King-firstly in our lives individuality, then from the throne of David internationally at His Return. Will you offer the only acceptable sacrifice to Him now -- the Throne of your Life given over to Christ's control without reserve? The choice is yours, and the consequences are eternal. ********************************************************************* THE CHRISTMAS STAR - PART 1 - ADDITIONAL NOTES. 1. INTRODUCTION TO ADDITIONAL NOTES: These notes amplify the foregoing commentary and provide additional information in summary form. The two accounts of Messiah's Birth - Matthew 2 and Luke 2 - offer 2 clues as to the time of Christ's Birth. This Birth date must be approximately established to know when the Christmas Star appeared. (1). Luke 2: The census decree of Caesar Augustus that resulted in the overcrowded conditions at Bethlehem and its inn. CLUE 1: This gives the earliest possible date for Christ's Birth as Census decrees took time to implement. (2). Matt 2: The interaction of the Wise men with King Herod; his decree for all children under 2 to be slaughtered and his own death shortly afterwards. CLUE 2: Herod's death gives the latest possible date for Christ's Birth and the subsequent flight to Egypt of Joseph, Mary and Jesus to Egypt. 2. THREE POINTS OF POSSIBLE CONFUSION: (1). Three different calendars were in use at the time - their relationship to our BC-AD system must be established. (2). Herod's death is historically linked with an eclipse of the Moon seen at Jerusalem and Jericho. There are 4 choices. (3). Some dates are given in terms of the year of reign of Caesar Augustus. The career of Augustus has 3 possible starting dates to count from. ELIMINATION OF THESE 3 POINTS OF CONFUSION: (1). THE CALENDAR PROBLEM: A. Our current BC-AD calendar was introduced in 527 AD by the then Abbott of Rome, Dionysius Exiguus. B, The Varronian Calendar used by the Romans gave dates in years AUC (Ad Urbe Condita - from the founding of the city of Rome). This calendar was cross-referenced to the ... C. Olympiad System - based on the 4 year cycle of the Olympic Games. Year 1 on this system occurred 23 years before Year 1 AUC. D. The Seleucid Calendar - began with the 1st year of the reign of Seleucus Ist in Babylon. This occurred on 1st year of Olympiad 117. E. Seleucid calendar used by Syrian Christians in Lebanon until mid-20th Century. This gives us an accurate cross-link to BC-AD system. CONCLUSION: AUC System began on 21st April 753 BC. Olympiad System began on 1st July 776 BC. Seleucid Era began 3rd April 311 BC. (2). THE DATE OF HEROD'S DEATH: A. The statement of Josephus - Herod died shortly after a Lunar Eclipse seen at Jerusalem and Jericho and sometime before Passover. B. Only 4 eclipses of Moon near Herod's death. I. Earliest was 15 September 5 BC. Eliminated as too late for Passover. II. Partial eclipse 13 March 4 BC. Passover began April 12th. III. Full eclipse 9th January I BC. IV. Full eclipse 29 December 1 BC. NOTE: It is often assumed that Herod died about 1st April 4 BC from item II. Many other events are dated upon this premise. Item C is thus vital. C. Elimination of contenders from the remaining 3 Eclipses. I. Josephus lists too many events to fit the time from Herod's death to the Passover in 4 BC. This favors the I BC eclipses. II. A Jewish holiday celebrated Herod's death on 2nd Shebat. This is incompatible with the 4 BC eclipse. The 2nd Shebat date came just 15 days after both the 1 BC eclipses. III. Early Christian historians placed Christ's Birth after 4 BC eclipse and before 9th Jan I BC eclipse. This may eliminate the 29 December eclipse in I BC. CONCLUSION: Josephus' eclipse was probably the 9th Jan I BC, so Herod died about 24th January I BC. The less favorable eclipse on 29th December 1 BC gives Herod's death on 13 Jan. 1 AD. NOTE: Herod had all children under 2 killed. This suggests that Jesus may have been born sometime in 3 or 2 BC. (3). THE BEGINNING OF THE REIGN OF CAESAR AUGUSTUS: A. Julius Caesar nominated Octavian his son and heir in his will. Julius was murdered on 15th March 44 BC. Will effective from 17th. Octavian and Mark Antony had joint rule from 17th March 44 BC. B. A cross-check on Herod: Antony appointed him King of Judea in winter. late in 39 BC. Herod's 1st Regnal year was thus 38 BC. Josephus records that he reigned 37 years from that appointment. CONCLUSION: Herod died early in 1 BC. Messiah therefore born 3 BC. C. On 2nd September 31 BC, Octavian scattered fleets of Antony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium. Antony and then Cleopatra committed suicide. Octavian became ruler of Egypt and undisputed leader of all Roman Legions on that date. D. On 13th Jan 27 BC the Roman Senate proclaimed Octavian as Augustus. SUMMARY: Octavian joint rule with Antony from 17th March 44 BC. Octavian leader of all Roman Legions and all Egypt 2 September 31 BC. Octavian proclaimed as Augustus by Senate 13th January 27 BC. E. Christ's Birth from Augustus' dates (selected from 18 historians). I. Clement of Alexandria statement - Jesus born in the 28th year of Egyptian rule of Augustus. That was 31 BC less 28 years = 3/2 BC. II. Eusebius adds that this was also the 42nd year of the reign of Octavian. That is true if counted from 44 BC. This results in 3/2 BC. III. Tertullian and Origen further specify that Augustus ruled for another 15 full years after Christ's birth. As Augustus died on 19th August 14 AD we again come to 3/2 BC for the birth. CONCLUSION: Eighteen Christian historians give birth of Messiah as 3/2 BC.   4.- DATING THE WORLD CENSUS-TAXATION OF AUGUSTUS. (1). THE ACTIVITIES OF QUIRINIUS: [Cyrenius in Luke 2]. A. Consul in Rome with Messala in 12 BC. B. Conducted the Homonadensian War sometime between 10 and 1 BC. C. Became Adviser to Gaius Caesar late in 1 BC. D. Conducted a Judean Census when direct Roman Rule began in 6/7 AD. NOTE: Cyrenius (Quirinius) was Legate to Syria twice. The first time was for 5 years during the Homonadeneian War. The second was for the 6/7 AD tax. The evidence indicates the first appointment was from late 6 BC to I BC. CONCLUSION: The Census when Cyrenius was 1st Governor of Syria was sometime between 6 and I BC during the Homonadensian Campaign. (2). THE IMPORTANCE OF SATURNINUS: A. Historically, Saturninus was Proconsul to Syria in the period from 5 years to 2 years before the death of Herod, or 6 BC to 3 BC inclusive. [If the December 29th eclipse is used this becomes 5 BC to 2 BC]. B. Early Christian historian Tertullian notes that the census at the time of Christ's birth was "taken in Judea by Sentius Saturninus". C. Saturninus left very early in 2 BC once the census was complete. He was replaced by Quintillius Varus about a year before Herod died. D. CONCLUSION: Jesus was born when BOTH Quirinius and Saturninus administered Syria. (3) AUGUSTUS WANTED EXACT KNOWLEDGE OF HIS EMPIRE'S RESOURCES A. Geographical information obtained by Agrippa was collated by Strabo. His map of the Empire and commentary 'Geography' was complete in 6 BC. B. A world census such as experienced regularly by citizens of Rome since 28 BC was needed to complete the information. C. The Res Gestae inscriptions date the initial proclamation as 8 BC. I. Provincial Italy always taxed one year before Rome - 8/7 BC. II. Rome taxed in 7/6 BC. Empire then taxed province by province. Ill. Saturninus delegated to Roman Syria late in 6 BC. IV. Two years spent on location preparing and mobilizing the people. Order acted on in 3 BC. V. Saturninus left when Census complete early in 2 BC. CONCLUSION. The Census Tax of Augustus was acted on in Judea in 3 BC. Jesus the Messiah was probably born sometime during that year. 5. THE TIME OF THE YEAR FOR CHRIST'S BIRTH [Luke 2]. (1). Shepherds were watching their flocks by night - only when lambs are being born in the spring or autumn, (2). Revelation 12 depicts the birth of Christ when sun and moon in Virgo. That dates the Nativity as 10th September 3 BC. or 29th September. 2 BC. (3). John 1:14 may imply the Birth at the time of the Feast of Tabernacles which is 15 days after the New Moon or 25th September 3 BC or 14 October 2 BC. CONCLUSION: Jesus was probably born in September or October of 3 or 2 BC. 6. WHY CELEBRATE THE NATIVITY ON DECEMBER 25TH? (1). The Jewish Feast of Hanukkah - the Festival of Lights or Feast of Dedication (John 10:22) - when children lit candles and sang hymns. Jewish Christians saw Messiah as the "Light of the world". Occurred on 25th Kislev (December) on the Jewish calendar. (2). Roman Festival of the Saturnalia - the birth of the 'New Sun' celebrated at the winter solstice (December 25th). Roman Christians commemorated the coming of the "Sun of Righteousness that arose with healing in His wings" (Malachi 4:2). (3). Evidence presented in Part 2 suggests that this date marked the final appearance of the Christmas Star when the Wise Men saw Jesus. (4). December 25th first documented as Christmas Day in 354 AD and became an official holiday under Emperor Justinian around 550 AD. 7. FINAL SUMMARY OF PART 1: (1). Census decree of Caesar Augustus was issued in 8 BC and implemented province by province. Messiah was born after that decree. (2). Christ was born during the 5 years when Cyrenius (Quirinius) was first Governor (Legate) of Syria - that is sometime from 6 BC to 1 BC. (3). Census was acted on in Judea when Saturninus was Proconsul to Syria. Saturninus left with Census complete by 2 BC. Jesus was born before that. This places the Birth in 3/2 BC. (4). Josephus records that Herod reigned for 37 years from his appointment as King by Antony in December of 39 BC. This places his death in 1 BC. (5). Herod died 15 days after the Lunar Eclipse on 9th January I BC. [It is just possible that it may have been the 29th December I BC eclipse]. Christ was born before Herod died -perhaps 2 years before or 3/2 BC. (6). Eighteen early Christian historians place Messiah's Birth in either (a). The 42nd year of the reign of Augustus (which began in 44 BC) or (b). The 28th year of Augustus' Egyptian rule (which began September 31 BC). (c) or 15 full years before Augustus died on 19th August 14 AD.   CONCLUSION: These all give a date for the Nativity of 3 BC [with 2BC a distant possibility].   NOTE: The Shepherds and Flocks; The Tabernacles Festival; and Revelation 12 all combine to give the time of the year as September or October.   THE CHRISTMAS STAR PART 2 - ADDITIONAL NOTES I. INTRODUCTION: The date for the Nativity of September or October of 3 or 2 BC also fixes the time the Christmas Star appeared and the subsequent visit of the Wise Men. But who were they, where did they come from, and why were they interested in Messiah? 2. WHERE THE WISE MEN CAME FROM: Matthew 2:1 says they came from the East - that is east of Judea. (1). Judea was a buffer state between the sprawling Roman Empire in the West and the fabulous Persian Empire of the Parthian Dynasty in East. (2). The Persian Empire largely controlled the Silk Route to India and China. The gifts of the Wise Men were the best that world trade could offer. CONCLUSION: The Wise Men came from the Persian Empire east of Judea. 3. WHO WERE THE WISE MEN? (1). Parthian Dynasty ruled Persia through a King and Megistanes (roughly equivalent to our Houses of Parliament) plus Advisers. (2). Lower House members called the Sophoi or Wise Ones; Upper House members called the Magoi or Great Ones. Matthew calls them Magoi. CONCLUSION: The Wise Men were Magoi - the King Makers of the Persian Empire. 4. HOW DID THEY TRAVEL? (1). This Delegation of Rulers from Persia penetrated 750 Km into Roman territory. They would be escorted by their armed cavalry units. (2). Persia was the home of the finest cavalry units in the world. They were called the Cataphracti and consistently won out against the Roman Legions. (3). The Persians always rode horses; camels were only used for baggage. CONCLUSION: The Magoi rode horses and were accompanied by crack cavalry units for protection. 5. WHY WAS HEROD TROUBLED? (1). He had a small army from a foreign power at the gates of Jerusalem (2). Most of his Garrison that normally guarded Jerusalem were away fighting the Homonadenaian War. Jerusalem was virtually undefended. (3). The Magoi proclaimed the birth of a contender for Herod's Throne whom they intended to support. CONCLUSION: Jerusalem was undefended against a foreign army which announced the birth of Messiah Who was to rule Israel from Herod's throne. 6. WHY DID THE WISE MEN COME? (1). They had Daniel's prophecy indicating the time of Messiah's Birth. (2). They had the prophecy of Balaam about Messiah and His Star. (3). Zoroaster had incorporated these prophecies in the Zend Avesta and Zoroastrianism was the State Religion of Persia at that time. NOTE: The Mithras sect had declined by this epoch, but again became dominant at the close of the 1st century AD. CONCLUSION: The Wise Men came to Judea because the bible of their religion prophesied that there would be born unto the Jews a King Messiah and that His coming would be heralded by a sign in the heavens. 7. WHAT WAS THE STAR THE WISE MEN FOLLOWED? (1). Note that the word 'star' had a wide variety of applications. The various possibilities are discussed and eliminated. (2). Meteors and meteor showers such as the Leonids though impressive last a maximum of a few weeks. (3). A nova or unstable star is longer lasting. The only nova recorded at the time was a faint one in 4 BC. They rarely last 2 years. (4). By contrast, a supernova has been seen in broad daylight and can last several years. The Wise Men claimed to Herod that the star they followed was visible for 2 years. A. Supernovae and fixed stars can be used for North-South guidance. B. Certain stars pass directly overhead at given locations every day. C. For this form of guidance the star must pass overhead in Judea. D. The Zend Avesta prophesied that Messiah's Star would be in Virgo. E. Virgo does not pass overhead in Judea. F . Only two supernovae recorded near the Nativity: 134 BC and 173 AD. CONCLUSION: The Christmas Star was not a meteor-shower, a nova or supernova. NOTE: The account requires the star to appear in the eastern sky, move across the starry background. and go before the Wise Men to Judea. Only comets, planets or groupings of planets behave this way. 8. THE TWO PRIME CANDIDATES FOR THE CHRISTMAS STAR. (1). COMETS: A. They travel through the background stars at the rate of I or 2 degrees per day. B. They may be visible to the naked eye for 100 days or so. C. A journey to Judea would take the Wise Men about 6 weeks. Comets are thus visible long enough for the journey. But... D. No comets were recorded in 3/2 BC. Certainly none lasted 2 years. (2). PLANETS AND PLANET GROUPINGS: A. The motion of planets against the background stars is discussed. When two or more planets or a planet and star appear to stand close to each other in the sky, it is called a conjunction. B. The triple conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in Pisces in 7 BC is detailed. The planets were about 2 times the diameter of the Moon apart. This is an average apparent separation for such phenomena. C. In February of 6 BC Jupiter, Saturn and Mars stood together in a rather loose triangle in the western sky. The Sippar Institute of Astrology in Babylonia recorded these and the following events. D. On the 1st August 3 BC Jupiter rose helically in the rays of the dawn. This is the precise phrase used in Matthew "En te anatole". The Greek singular form "anatole" has retained the special astronomical significance of a star appearing in the rays of the rising sun. By contrast "anatolai" means "east". On August 13 at 5 am Jupiter and Venus stood a quarter of a degree apart in the sunrise glare. That is less than half diameter of Moon. E. On 18th August 3 BC Mercury came out of the solar glare. On September 1st, with sun in Virgo, Mercury and Venus stood 1/3rd degree apart in Leo. F. On 14th September 3 BC, Jupiter stood in conjunction with Regulus This was repeated on 17th February and 8th May in 2 BC. G. On June 17th, 2 BC Jupiter and Venus 'collided' - - they stood 1/50th of a degree apart. The two brightest planets in the sky appeared to fuse into one immense blaze of light - - an unprecedented happening. H. On 27th August 2 BC a grand conjunction of planets occurred. Jupiter and Mars were 1/7th degree apart with Mercury and Venus together just I degree away -- in the rays of the sunrise in Virgo. I. Jupiter then moved westwards. By mid-November it had passed the zenith and was shining in the western sky-and still moving west. At this point the Wise Men set out. J. Six weeks later, from Jerusalem, the Wise Men saw Jupiter due south on the meridian above Bethlehem. At that time Jupiter had reached its furthest point west, came to a halt and stood still against the background stars in the sky 65 degrees above Bethlehem. It was December 25th. CONCLUSION: This extremely unusual set of events in 3 and 2 BC was probably the Christmas Star. Everything seems to fit the Biblical account. Barry Setterfield Email: barry4light2@yahoo.com Web Site: http://setterfield.org posted: May 7, 1998. (from an older article by Barry Setterfield) The Christmas Star (12/04/04) Revised Article Addendum, December 21, 1999: There have been a variety of suggestions as to the identity of the Christmas Star recorded in Matthew 2. Also surfacing is the idea that the whole sequence of events was a manifestation of the Shekinah glory cloud. It is true that Luke records that the "Angel of the Lord came upon them and glory of the Lord shone round about" the shepherds. In Old Testament terminology that usually referred to a manifestation of the Shekinah. I also consider it likely that the Shekinah was again manifested over the house in Bethlehem where Jesus was staying as a 15 month old boy when the Wise Men came into the town after their evening observation of the Star. This is probably how they knew which building Messiah was in. However, to attribute the whole Christmas Star sequence that guided the Wise Men from Persia to Bethlehem to the Shekinah does not quite fit all the facts. First, the Star appeared in Persia and led the Wise Men to Jerusalem and also appeared to them there. If it had been the Shekinah, the Rabbis in Jerusalem would have instantly been aware of its significance. However, the Star attracted no great interest in Judea or Jerusalem. Consequently, its significance to the population There is, however, textual evidence that it was in fact an astronomical object rather than the Shekinah. In the AV, the translation of Matthew 2:2 is not strictly correct. It translates the statement of the Wise Men as "We have seen His Star in the East". In the original Greek "in the east" is in fact "En te anatole" which is the Greek singular. However, elsewhere "the east" is represented by "anatolai", the Greek plural. Dr Werner Keller, the German archaeologist writes on page 335 of "The Bible As History" (Hodder and Stoughton, 1969) the following comment:: The singular form "anatole" has quite a special astronomical significance, in that it implies the observation of the early rising of the star, the so-called heliacal rising. The translators of the Authorized Version could not have known this. When 'en te anatole' is translated properly Matt.2:2 reads as follows: 'We have seen his star appear in the first rays of the dawn.' That would correspond exactly with the astronomical facts. The heliacal rising of a prominent star was a defined astronomical phenomenon. The Egyptians noted it, as did other civilizations in the Fertile Crescent and elsewhere. The conclusion is that a very specific 'star' was involved in the heliacal rising. It would therefore seem that a manifestation of the Shekinah cannot be considered until after the departure of the Wise men from Jerusalem. It is certainly possible that the Christmas Star was a mighty angel. An event as momentous as the incarnation of the Son of God at Bethlehem would surely merit a unique "sign" the heavens. WHEN WAS JESUS BORN ? , by Chuck Missler Each year at Christmas we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. After the New Year, we struggle to remember to add a year as we date our checks, which should remind us that the entire Western World reckons its calendar from the birth of the One who changed the world more than any other before or since. Yet, it is disturbing to discover that much of what we have been taught about the Christmas season seems to be more tradition than truth. Most serious Bible students realize that Jesus was probably not born on December 25th. The shepherds had their flocks in open fields, which implies a date prior to October. Furthermore, no competent Roman administrator would require registration involving travel during the season when Judea was generally impassable. If Jesus wasn't born on December 25, just when was he born? Although the Bible doesn't explicitly identify the birthday of our Lord, many scholars have developed diverse opinions as to the likely birthday of Jesus. The early Christian church did not celebrate Jesus' birth, and therefore the exact date was not preserved in festivals. The first recorded mention of December 25th is in the Calendar of Philocalus (AD 354), which assumed Jesus' birth to be Friday, December 25th, AD 1. This was subsequent to Constantine's Edict of Toleration in AD 313, which officially ended the government-sanctioned persecution of the Christians. The date of December 25th, which was officially proclaimed by the church fathers in AD 440, was actually a vestige of the Roman holiday of Saturnalia, observed near the winter solstice, which itself was among the many pagan traditions inherited from the earlier Babylonian priesthood. The year of Jesus' birth is broadly accepted as 4 BC, primarily from erroneous conclusions derived from Josephus' recording of an eclipse, assumed to be on March 13, 4 BC, "shortly before Herod died." There are a number of problems with this in addition to the fact that it was more likely the eclipse occurred on December 29, 1 B.C. Considerable time elapsed between Jesus' birth and Herod's death since the family fled to Egypt to escape Herod's edict and they didn't return until after Herod's death. Furthermore, Herod died on January 14, 1 BC Tertullian (born about 160 AD) stated that Augustus began to rule 41 years before the birth of Jesus and died 15 years after that event. Augustus died on August 19, 14 AD, placing Jesus' birth at 2 BC. Tertullian also notes that Jesus was born 28 years after the death of Cleopatra in 30 BC, which is consistent with a date of 2 BC. Irenaeus, born about a century after Jesus, also notes that the Lord was born in the 41st year of the reign of Augustus. Since Augustus began his reign in the autumn of 43 BC, this also appears to substantiate the birth in 2 BC. Eusebius (264-340 AD), the "Father of Church History," ascribes it to the 42nd year of the reign of Augustus and the 28th from the subjection of Egypt on the death of Anthony and Cleopatra. The 42nd year of Augustus ran from the autumn of 2 BC to the autumn of 1 BC. The subjugation of Egypt into the Roman Empire occurred in the autumn of 30 BC. The 28th year extended from the autumn of 3 BC to the autumn of 2 BC. The only date that would meet both of these constraints would be the autumn of 2 BC. Another approach in determining the date of Jesus' birth is from information about John the Baptist. Elisabeth, John's mother, was a cousin of Mary and the wife of a priest named Zacharias who was of the "course" of Abijah (Priests were divided into 24 courses and each course officiated in the Temple for one week, from Sabbath to Sabbath). When the Temple was destroyed by Titus on August 5, 70 AD, the first course of priests had just taken office. Since the course of Abijah was the eighth course, we can track backwards and determine that Zacharias would have ended his duties on July 13, 3 BC. If the birth of John took place 280 days later, it would have been on April 19-20, 2 BC (precisely on Passover of that year). John began his ministry in the 15th year of Tiberius Caesar. The minimum age for the ministry was 30. As Augustus died on August 19, 14 AD, that was the accession year for Tiberius. If John was born on April 19-20, 2 BC, his 30th birthday would have been April 19-20, 29 AD, or the 15th year of Tiberius. This seems to confirm the 2 B.C. date and, since John was five months older, this also confirms the autumn birth date for Jesus. Elisabeth hid herself for five months and then the Angel Gabriel announced to Mary both Elisabeth's condition and that Mary also would bear a son who would be called Jesus. Mary went "with haste" to visit Elisabeth, who was then in the first week of her sixth month, or the fourth week of December, 3 BC. If Jesus was born 280 days later it would place the date of his birth on September 29, 2 BC. If Jesus was born on September 29, 2 BC, it is interesting to note that it was also the First of Tishri, the day of the Feast of Trumpets (See also our briefing package on The Feasts of Israel for more background). Christians today tend to fight the ongoing secularization of their holidays. Some have rejected anything to do with them, saying they are not Biblically ordained. Others have tried to go back to keeping the Jewish feasts instead. It should be pointed out that the New Testament doesn't really ordain anything other than the Lord's Supper. But it does not prohibit it either, and under grace Christians are free to honor different days if they wish. Koinonia House Ministries Posted 12/23/04. See also Signs in the Stars What was the Star? (Frederick A. Larson) Datings Appendix from the Companion Bible. E. W. Bullinger, The Witness of the Stars The Star of Bethlehem, by Ray Bohlin Messiahmas? On the Birth Date of Jesus of Nazareth, by Uri Marcus Back to Lambert Dolphin's Library

INTRODUCTION The Birth of Christ is recorded in Scripture. No further information is necessary for us to understand that Jesus, true God, Himself, came to earth to live among men and to suffer and die to redeem mankind from the consequences of their sins. Scripture briefly mentions some of the history surrounding His birth. However, these snippets need further historical understanding to give us a better perspective, and satisfy our natural curiosity. Unfortunately much of the history is buried in antiquity, and although it is continually researched, none of it can be established beyond a doubt. Every historical item has a range of acceptance among the historians. The scriptural account itself is certainly true in all details. But our understanding of the account depends greatly on translation, which sometimes can be legitimately disputed. If our own translation differs from one widely circulated, there is always the chance that it is inferior, even though it better fits our individual background. Our understanding of the environment and settings surrounding the events being described can also greatly alter the meaning of a sentence, the proper translation being the one compatible with the actual circumstances. I offer an example: Consider the sentence, “I will take that watch.” If that were spoken by a sailor aboard a ship, he would be offering to work a particular shift. When uttered by a customer in a store, it is an offer to purchase a timepiece. The Scriptural accounts are reproduced below in the traditional King James Version, KJV. Words in Italics will be the subjects of comments. LUKE 2: 1 – 5 1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus , that all the world should be taxed. 2 ([And] this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. Caesar Augustus decreed a taxing, the first, when Cyrenius was governor of Syria. The general consensus is that “Taxing” is better translated as “enrollment” for either a census or taxing purposes. Enrollment processes took place on several occasions during the Roman rule. The word “first,” which is applied to this particular enrollment, if properly translated and understood, can be a key in determining the date of Christ’s birth. The scoffers in the early 1900’s claimed Cyrenius did not exist. The church literature countered that he had been lost to history. It is now accepted that he was a famous Roman general better known as Quirinius, who was a special friend and agent of Augustus, and was sent to Syria and Judea more than once, to enforce taxation and control rebellions. For a time he was the Governor of Syria. The NIV translation differs somewhat: This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria. It has been generally established that Quirinius was appointed governor of Syria about 6 AD. But this is ten years after the accepted time of Herod’s death, who we know was the King of Israel at the time of Jesus’ birth. There are several historical theories, both among believers and scoffers, that are offered as resolutions of this seeming discrepancy. One version notes that Quirinius was in Syria and Judea around 6 BC, (BC, not AD) and was in charge somewhat in a capacity of acting governor for a time. This roughly fits the NIV above. Another, rather awkward, translation has been proposed that says this census took place during the first time he was the governor. I suggest that the preferred translation is: “This was the previous enrollment to the one taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.” The Greek word translated “first” is legitimately translated “previous.” “Previous” is a word not used anywhere in either the NIV nor KJV to translate this word, but the words “before” and “former” are both found, in both translations for that same Greek word. In a number of other uses of the word the context would also easily allow “previous” to be legitimately substituted, as I suggest. For example, as in Rev. 21:4. “for the former things are passed away.” (KJV) The Greek word is protos. Pro simply means “before”, and protos is the superlative form. So the literal translation is: “This was the taxing most prior to that taken when Quirinious was governor of Syria.” “When” is not present in the Greek, but was added to accommodate the English format. This word illustrates a common problem confronting translators. People speaking different languages don’t always employ the same logical processes to allow a particular word to express various other thoughts. So in Greek the word for “way before” can in context also mean “chief in rank,” “first in order,” “former,” or “previous.” My high-school classmates and I, struggling with translation, agreed that “those Greeks didn’t think the same way we do.” In Acts 5:37, Luke refers again to a taxing (the same Greek word being used.) This time Luke’s record had no need to point out which taxing was involved, since it is a famous event that happened while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All modern historians agree. The Acts passage describes a famous revolt to this taxing that was led by a ‘Judas of Galilee.’ So this serves as a convenient reference point to identify the taxing of Joseph and Mary as the “previous one.” So we need to examine the previous taxing enrollment. It is somewhat obscure. The Roman world had periodic censuses. There is some evidence that one or more of these may have required journeys to home towns, although historians disagree. However, none of the known census enrollments fits the scenario of Jesus’ birth, time-wise. Additionally, taxing of individuals, personally, from Rome was almost unheard of. Romans depended on the local rulers to tax the people and subsequently pay tribute. But their legions of soldiers, recruited from all over the world, had created such acute financial problems for Augustus that that he levied a special empire-wide inheritance tax to pay the army. This required individual enrollment. The second inheritance tax carried out by Quirinius in 6AD is well recorded, but some records refer to a previous assessment that had not been completely successful, and by that time had fizzled out. It is thought that General Quirinius, was a logical overseer of fundraising for the army. He had been sent to Syria and Judea for a period some time during Herod’s latter reign. (Herod died in 4 BC.) Some evidence will be covered later that indicates the taxing and Christ’s birth may have been in 6BC. The house and lineage of David It would be difficult for historical records to convey the details here. Speculation may be able to supply them, if done with a sincere attempt to remain truly compatible with Scripture and credible historical evidence. Where Scripture records the commandment against coveting the neighbor’s house , Luther recognized a direct connection to inheritance , and connected them in his Catechism. Joseph was of the house and lineage of David . “The economy of Scripture” limits the anecdotes of one Gospel account from repetition in another, except for major events. But why does Luke’s account use both house and lineage? They must be separate items. It seems that one denotes descent, the other partaker in the inheritance. A collection of inheritance tax in the Israelite realms had to be largely associated with real estate. In areas controlled by Jewish laws if a family sold land, it reverted to the original family in the “Jubilee year,” observed every fifty years. So there was a rather stable linkage between family lines and land holdings that survived for centuries. Jesse was a landowner in Bethlehem. David, his son, certainly added to it. Solomon, David’s son, was among the richest of all times. And all of them were in Joseph’s family tree. There followed many rulers, Babylonian captivity, reconstruction, wars and turmoil, but Bethlehem was still recognized as the city of David, and David’s descendents and heirs were rather well documented. The total estate may have included the town of Bethlehem and land for miles around. There were obviously many heirs, some of whom probably owned a small portion, not enough to live on, but able to generate some rent. It was especially easy for the tax collectors to enforce the registration and payment, since the penalty would be disinheritance. So Joseph went to register his claim and pay his tax, with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child . She went along because she was with child so that her baby could be registered as an heir. The Christian writer, Justin Martyr, said that the registrations of Joseph and of Mary’s Baby, could be read in the Bethlehem town records in his day. Those records have all since disappeared. CONCLUSION: Jesus was born in Bethlehem at the time of the Inheritance-tax enrollment, the one previous to the taxing enrollment enforced while Quirenius was governor of Syria. LUKE 2: 6 - 7 6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 7 And she brought forth 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 Inn The “motels” of those days were called “caravansaries.” They had a large secure enclosed yard for the pack- animals, surrounded by a wall containing semi-covered stalls and merchant shops. There were usually one or more buildings with storage on the ground floor and second or third floors, the “Inn.” These were divided into cubicles with large window opening to catch the breeze and dispel the odor from the yard. Fabric drapes were used to block the breeze in cold weather. Whether such a unit was located at that time in Bethlehem has been questioned, but the text is clear that it was a place having at least one stable and a public rental room in which no space was available. (A ‘bed and breakfast’ perhaps?) The Greek word used by the Spirit, here translated ‘inn’ was used elsewhere in the Bible in only two other places, in Luke and Mark, for the room where the disciples prepared the Lord’s passover supper . Many edifices in that hilly region were built beside a cave that was used as a stable, another distinct possibility for Jesus’ birth place. LUKE 2: 21 - 35 21 And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, conceived in the womb. 22 And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present [him] to the Lord; 23 (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;) 24 And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons. 25 And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name [was] Simeon; and the same man [was] just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. 26 And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27 And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, 28 Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, 29 Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: 30 For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, 31 Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; 32 A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. 33 And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him. 34 And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this [child] is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; 35 (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. Simeon; a just and devout man. Mary was required by the ceremonial law not to enter a “sanctuary” for at least forty-one days after giving birth to a son, but then to offer the sacrifice. For this they went to the temple in Jerusalem, where they encountered Simeon. Here Scripture reveals insights into the society into which our Savior was born. Simeon was devout, best described as a worshipper of the true God. He strove to worship in the manner that God had ordered through Moses. And there were many like him. God was still blessing the people through the temple worship and sacrifices, although Jesus had arrived, and intended to abolish those worship modes through His new covenant. But there was also great turmoil both in an out of the religious realm. The religious leaders had corrupted the doctrine and replaced it with many pagan ideas. There was a frenzy of anticipation for the arrival of the Messiah. The devout were awaiting Jesus. The majority Persians, and allow Israel to rule the world. The Pharisees expected him to kick the Sadducees out of the temple, and vise versa. Several other sects expected him to place their own parochial leaders in charge. Many, like the sect that produced the Dead-Sea Scrolls, had morphed him into two, one military, the other a religious leader. The people were well aware of the messianic prophecies in the book of Daniel where the numbers of years add up to that particular era as the time for Messiah to appear. Several opportunists had already claimed to be He. Each had amassed a following, and then disappeared or been executed for rebellion. Others have also been reported to have come later. Some evidence for a date of Christ’s birth in late 7BC or early 6BC Scriptural evidence is spotty, but contains check points that plainly rule out much of the published speculation. Herod ruled at the time, and died in 4BC. His three sons divided his empire. Joseph, Mary, and the Baby came back from Egypt when Archelaus, Herod’s son, ruled in Judea. They feared him and went to Gallilee, although Herod’s other son, Antipas ruled up there. (Antipas was the ‘Herod’ in the crucifixion narratives.) The reason to fear one, and not completely unknown, and certainly better known in Judea. When Baby Jesus was brought to the temple it was well noticed. His true identity was known to many others: Some were His mother and step-father, relatives in Bethlehem, shepherds, Mary’s cousin and her associates, temple priests, Simeon and Anna and the rest of the temple crowd. Herod had certainly been military surely remembered. After Herod’s death, Mary and Joseph dared to come back, but not to Jerusalem, for continued fear of the King, who was now Archelaus. In Gallilee it was now Antipas, but Jesus was less known up there. For that and perhaps other reasons, he was less of a threat, and the family settled in Nazareth. In Luke 2:41 we are told that Jesus parents went to Jerusalem annually for Passover. Scripture does not say that they brought Jesus along. It is doubtful that they would have taken Him into the danger zone starting when He was 4-5 years old. But in 6AD Archelaus was deposed (An action overseen by Quirenius , incidentally) and exiled to Gaul. Verse 42 ff relates that when Jesus was 12 years old they all went to Jerusalem and Jesus made prominent contact with the temple priests. In 6AD Quirenius not only deposed Archelaus, but also revived the inheritance tax. Joseph and Jesus possibly needed to renew their registration in Bethlehem, which would have furnished His parents another reason to bring Jesus along to the Passover in Jerusalem. Jesus was twelve at that time, indicating that He was born in late 7BC or early 6BC. THE “WISE MEN” The previous centuries to Christ’s birth saw great strides in science. Astronomy, because of its use in navigation as well as in astrology, was considered the "queen of the sciences." Excellent sextants and other instruments had been devised. These instruments were calibrated and augmented by noting the reflections of stars and the sun in a deep well, which showed that the star was directly overhead. The tilt of the earth's axis was regularly measured and tracked by many, including Pythagoras, in 515 BC. The earth's circumference was measured with an error no larger than 25 miles by Eratosthenes and others. The distance to the moon still had an error of 8%, and, unfortunately, the distance to the sun awaited some hundreds of years for a measurement to be devised. Particularly active in these activities were the Magi of northern Persia. It is completely false that the ancients thought the earth to be flat. Although ancient writings exist showing that some educated writers were still unaware of the scientific evidence regarding the solar system, most astronomers, navigators, architects, and their associates were well aware of the basics. Astrology was rampant, and the prophecy of Balaam (Num 24:17) mentioning a star marking Mesiah’s birth was causing a renewed interest in star-watching. This interest extended far beyond the land of Israel. THE MAGI and the STAR OF BETHLEHEM MATTHEW 2: 1 - 2 1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east , and are come to worship him. MAGI The Greek here uses the term “Magi”. The translation 'wise men' is poor. (1) Of course they were wise in seeking Jesus, but the word is the plural of Magos, the root of the word 'magic'. Just as Levites were known as priests of the LORD GOD, Magi were known as priests of the order of Zoroaster. They were the overseers of the Median religion. The only other use of the term in Scripture is translated 'sorcerer'. The Magi were a Median society, known as scientists, scholars, astronomers (and astrologers), and priests. At the time of Daniel the Magi were the chief advisors to the king. Daniel, himself, for a time was the chief Magos. By the time of Christ’s birth the Magi were consulted by many rulers, including the Roman Senate. They were not exclusively Medes and Persians, and included learned men from elsewhere, probably some Jews as well. Scripture tells us that these were Magi who had observed a star. History tells us that many Magi were astronomers. It is then in keeping with scripture to infer that among this group of Magi were astronomers, and that they did as astronomers were known to do. They were far more advanced than is generally thought. Ancient astronomers had many types of instruments, and those that have been preserved were not only accurate, but are works of art. I use "sextant" in a generic sense, to avoid scientific jargon that may mislead. The actual instrument in common use at that time is called an 'astrolabe', which served the same purpose. When astronomers traveled they carried sextants and sand-glass devices for timing. Water timers were common as well. They took turns counting their and their camel's steps. Most desert travel was necessarily at night. They took frequent sightings of the major stars, and all of the visible planets. Whenever they came to a well, they noted which stars might be reflected in it. That reflected star would necessarily be overhead at that time. Some owned a mirror with a hole in it, particularly useful for observing a reflection in a well without their heads getting in the way. It is a natural conclusion that these astronomers did the same. (2) These Magi are not identified in scripture as ‘three’, or ‘kings’. They would typically require several men to make the star observations, and their party would probably have included an ambassador and servants. HIS STAR What the star of Bethlehem really was has been the subject of much speculation for centuries. Few are true to scripture in identifying it as a single, miraculous, unique star. Others suggest conjunctions of one planet with another, or a planet with a fixed star. Comets, eclipses, and miraculous objects that hover low (Like UFOs) have all been touted. A claim that is quite prevalent theologically, and appears in commentaries, is that the ‘star’ could be low enough, point the way, and identify a certain house. I suspect these authors are unaware of the ancient astronomical ability to determine whether a star is directly overhead. Scripture calls it a star, and would describe UFO-like objects with other terms, as is done today. (3) I consider the most likely candidate to be the unique star that suddenly appeared in125 BC. It was miraculous, in that no other star has ever behaved as it was reported to behave. This unique star was bright enough to be seen in daylight. The great astronomer Hiparchus observed the birth of the star and recorded it for us. The Chinese also recorded it. Ptolemy records the star's death, when he wrote in 150 AD. "It can scarcely be seen." The star grew up in a few days' span, remained brilliant for a much longer time, then faded gradually. It was not a super nova, since it lasted much longer than a modern astronomer considers possible, and was, of course, unexplainably brighter. The Christian writer, Ignatious, in his Epistle to the Ephesians, described the Bethlehem Star as a unique star, and described its brightness "above all stars, or the sun, or moon" about 110 AD. He used the miraculous nature of the star as an apologetic for Jesus as Messiah. His account of general society being awed and puzzled by this star denies the idea of only a few Magi observing it one night, low and indicating a particular house, and only known generally by the divine inspiration of Matthew. It does match the daystar described here, however. This daystar is ignored by most speculators on the Bethlehem star, and is unknown to most of them. It is sometimes referred to as “Hiparchus’ or Ptolemy’s nova,” and is assumed that each probably lasted a few months as do the novas. Modern astronomers dismiss all ancient data as primitive and inaccurate for reasons I have determined to be totally defective. (4) The star was located by Hiparchus accurately enough for us to expect it to pass directly over Bethlehem around Easter time during the years of Jesus' ministry. When Matthew wrote about it, perhaps 175 years after it first appeared, there was no need for explanation, as everybody had seen the daystar -- it was simply there. The Christians also were all familiar with it as "His star". Matthew expected to be understood when he said the Magi had "seen His star in the East." Peter in his epistle describes Christian Faith as when "The day star arises in your heart." (Commentators who think this is Venus, which is briefly visible in the twilight, ignore the fact that worship of Venus was inimical to faith, and could never be used in that context by Peter. ) Avoid astrology. Until modern times most astronomers were also astrologers. Many still are. Astronomy is wholesome and useful. Astrology is condemned by God. Many people confuse them. Scripture declares that God named the stars. To a great extent His original names can still be found, translated into many languages. Many documents of ancient historians and Jewish rabbis indicate that the figures in the zodiac were originated by Seth and Enoch, to illustrate the fundamentals of God’s plan of salvation. The role of Enoch in cataloging stars is also mentioned in the Dead Sea scrolls. The zodiac is traceable with little variation as far back as archeology can probe. The pagan mythology bears little resemblance to its original meaning. Christian authors have done a credible job of translating the probable original meanings. A simple illustration is Orion, claimed to be made/owned by God, twice in Job, and once in Amos. In Orion’s side is the star, ‘Wounded’, and ‘Bruised’ is in his leg. His other ankle is marked by a star named ‘The Foot That Crushes’, and immediately beneath it is the head of the serpent. Compare this to genesis 3:15 where God says to the devil/serpent, “He will crush your head, and you will strike His heel.” The day-star was located in the constellation named "The Desire of the Nations" or Coma, completely obliterating all the surrounding stars by its unimaginable brightness and beauty. Since Coma graphically represents the "Son of the Virgin", and since the unusual new star was located in the very head of the child, as it was generally drawn in the pictorial representations of the Zodiac, most God-fearing people considered it a divine sign that the Messiah was about to appear. So that, I believe, is most likely “His Star.” IN THE EAST. (2) Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east , and are come to worship him. The Greek for ‘East’ is literally “In the Sunrise.” That word is generally used in Greek for the East, as in the previous verse, “Wise men from the east.” But I earnestly question the translation ‘East’ in this least none used by the Spirit in the New Testament, to denote “East.” So it is in no way awkward to find the same word immediately used in its natural sense of “sunrise,” particularly by an astronomer talking about a star. As our globe circles the sun our relatively near-by sun appears to walk around the far distant star-field annually, eastward. Its rate is two of its diameters per day. To our natural perspective, however, since our “day” and time is synchronized to the sun, we observe the star field seeming annually to rotate around us, each star moving westward, the distance of two sun- diameters, daily. (5) It is useful to remember that this slow movement of the sun relative to the stars is independent of the daily revolution of the whole system westward, where the sun and all its accompanying stars rise in the east and set in the west, the stars rendered invisible by sunlight during the day. If on a particular morning a certain star rises with the sun, it is not visible in the glare. But the next day, it is two sun diameters ahead of the sun. So it rises two diameters ahead. The brighter ones then are very briefly visible, and the observer knows, “Yesterday the star was neck and neck with the sun.” The date when a star rises with the sun has always been the most accurate means of locating its position. The term is “In the heliacal rising.” This has been the standard jargon of astronomers and astrologers forever, and simply means “Located on the same celestial longitude as the sun on that particular date.” It could actually be said that the star is “in conjunction with the sun” at that time. And that is the Greek word employed by the Holy Spirit through Matthew, when the Magi said, “We have seen His star in the “sunrise” (heliacal rising), and have come to worship Him.” (The NIV translates it as, “We have seen His star in its rising . . .”) Note that on a day when a star is heliacal in Iraq it will generally also be heliacal in Jerusalem, or in America, since the sun will have moved less than a diameter in the time between dawns in those places. When a star is heliacal, like the sun it is at the zenith at noon, when stars are normally difficult to see, except for some reported comets and, of course, the day star. Three months after heliacal, on a known date, the star is directly overhead at dawn. (The instant of dawn in ancient times was always easier to determine accurately than midnight, although sophisticated astronomers could always determine time by using their sextants on known stars or observing them on the horizon.) Another three month later, six months after Heliacal, the star is overhead at midnight. The star being overhead at Bethlehem is a prominent part of Matthews’s later narrative. The star could pass the zenith on any day of the year, since it was visible during the day. But time of day when it is overhead depends upon the time of year, and the star overhead at midnight would occur only on one single night of the year. Although we cannot be certain, the most probable is that they sought the star overhead at midnight. That would have happened approximately at Easter time, a very significant time. Magi were equipped to determine midnight. A lesser probability would be overhead at dawn, easier to measure, and happening around Christmas,. But as developed later, that would have less significance. MATTHEW 2: 3-6 3 When Herod the king had heard [these things], he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. 5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, 6 And thou Bethlehem, [in] the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. Herod and All Jerusalem Were Troubled. King Herod now heard about a new king of the Jews, known to the Magi, but not previously to him. This was obviously very disturbing to him, but not to the people. He was not popular, but they had another major worry. About sixty years previously Magi had gone to the Roman senate with a similar announcement of a new infant destined to be the Roman Emperor. In that case there were many children killed to prevent his survival, Was this destined also for Jerusalem? Why This Particular Year? The Magi needed another reason to come in that particular year. The star was level with the sun (heliacal) in September for several years running, and overhead at midnight in March. This was true for the entire period that Jesus’ birth might have occurred. There are three possibilities I entertain for the Magi to have chosen this particular year. 1-God may have given them a special revelation. There are pros and cons to this, as well as the other two. 2-They may have ascertained the date when the latitude as well as the longitude would have placed the star directly over Bethlehem. When they were on the site, they actually determined that it was overhead. But their calculation in advance would necessarily have had an uncertainty wide enough to include Jerusalem. Although that calculation would have been a challenge, I cannot rule out their ability to have made it. We cannot make it today, since we do not possess an accurate enough description of the star’s position. They, however, would have measured it over the years, and would have perfected a very precise location. 3-This is the one I have known since childhood and still have a preference for: There was a well-known ancient prophecy, whether genuine or not does not matter, that the great King of the Jews would be born when a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn should occur in the "House of the Hebrews" (Pisces). This had happened when Moses was born, and again when Cyrus was born. [Isaiah 44:48 foretells how God would send Cyrus, years later to release the Babylonian captives, and give them permission and aid to go back to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple.] So, prophecy or not, in both cases the conjunction occurred, the man was born, and the Hebrew slaves were freed. Josephus (6) states that it was when the Egyptian priests warned Pharaoh of the conjunction that he started having the Hebrew boys killed, although Moses escaped by being hid in a floating basket. Should one believe an ancient legend, particularly one that seems so akin to astrology? Certainly not. It is strongly suspicious in this and in any other case where it is not recorded in Scripture. But Jewish history is clear that it was considered settled fact, at least among the rabbis. And other secular history confirms that it was widely believed elsewhere. It certainly was considered truth by the Magi. Jupiter and Saturn are in conjunction about every eleven years. The location of the conjunction will fall somewhat randomly among the twelve “signs” of the zodiac. Most ethnic groups were associated with one or another of these signs. The early Israelites had the individual sign of each of their tribes inscribed on their marching banners. The full tradition, going back before the Egyptian captivity, was that the nation represented by the sign hosting the conjunction was welcoming a newborn king. Pisces was the traditional sign of the Hebrews. Sixty years previously, in 63 BC, when the Magi made their presentation to the Roman senate, their evidence that the “Oracles” indicate the birth of a new ruler would have been based on a conjunction happening in “the house of the Romans.” This could not be a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, which was in 66 BC, but rather between Jupiter and another planet or fixed star. Many of these other conjunctions have been suggested as candidates also for the “star of Bethlehem,” because of the widespread interest at that time in all conjunctions of Jupiter particularly by the Romans. There is a great deal of evidence for this widespread belief. Joseph Seiss, a respected Lutheran theologian, and editor of an important journal in the latter nineteenth century has referenced a number of writers that accepted this prophecy.(7) One of his sources was Isaac Abarbanel, a prolific Jewish theologian. (There are several alternate spellings.) He wrote several books concentrating on the messianic writings that are found either in the Bible or the Rabbinical literature. These were valuable resources for the early protestant scholars. In his Commentary on Daniel, he noted that such a conjunction was expected shortly, and that the Messiah was about to appear. Actually, Martin Luther was born the following year. It needs to be noted that although they may be rare, ancient prophecies did exist that are not recorded in the Bible. Anna, mentioned in Luke’s account when Baby Jesus was taken to the temple, was called a prophetess. The statement in Matthew that “the prophets said that Christ should be called a Nazarene” can be traced to no known prophet of Scripture. The Book of Enoch, written years before the flood, but completely lost, is quoted in Jude. It is also quoted by some of the early Christian fathers, who must have had some access to it. It is referenced in one of the Dead-Sea scrolls as also discussing astronomic data. Its prophecies are lost, but are possible sources of some of the legends. The importance to the visitation of the Magi is that they believed this ‘prophecy,’ as did the priests in Egypt at the time of Moses, and the Roman senate, about sixty years before Christ’s birth. MATTHEW 2: 7-8 7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found [him], bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. WHEN ? The Star was in Virgo, in the constellation Coma. It was heliacal in September. That had been true for many years, and would have no significance to Herod. The Greek word for star can also mean a conjunction of two planets. That was significant. The planetary conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn happened in Pisces in 7BC, but in a very rare triple form. Three conjunctions happened within a year in Pisces, in May, October, and December. This must have been highly exciting to the Magi. Then the heliacal rising of “His star” in September would have easily clinched the conclusion that the long awaited Hebrew Messiah was born. There were previous occurrences of the (singular, rather than triple) conjunction known to the Magi, and the most significant feature of each was that Messiah had not appeared. But this one held unusual promise. (to us, it is the only one in the proper Biblical time frame, but that, of course, was not a factor that could have coaxed the Magi to Bethlehem.) The Conjunctions in Pisces in 185BC and 126 predated the daystar. The next was in Feb. 66 BC, a poor or impossible time to see it. (Stars in Pisces were obliterated by daylight between mid January and mid May approximately.) But by then Magi knew that the next one, in 7 BC, would be a triple. Perhaps some of them had come in 66, and found nothing, or on the basis of the political situation at that time, knew it would be futile. So this they expected to be it. The evidence, then, directs a conclusion that the Magi came for the next possible time that His star would be overhead, over His dwelling, at a time of day that to them would be most symbolic according to their understanding. There are two choices, neither can be logically eliminated. They expected to find the new-born King directly under His star on a particular (presently unknown) date that they had calculated that was within two weeks of Easter, when it was overhead at midnight, or near Christmas, when it was overhead at dawn. I like Easter-time, which seems to “fit” better. That is the time of the spring equinox. The first new moon of that season marks the New Year, appointed by God to Moses. Devout Jews marked their age to that day rather than the day of their birth. Two weeks later is the full moon, marking Passover (and now, Easter.) Having made the long journey from Galilee, it is extremely possible that the family may have wanted to stay for Passover, as well. So to summarize on ‘the when’: His star was the only truly unique star in history. It was heliacal in September. This it had been for many years, including 7BC. The conjunctions occurred in May, October and December of 7BC, singling out that specific year. So the Magi came expecting to find the newborn King under that special star at midnight, six months after the heliacal rising, late-March, 6BC. Scripturally, this had to be after Jesus’ presentation at the temple, forty days after his birth. Jesus’ birth was then no later than early February 6BC. How long before? There is some evidence that the family had intended to stay in Bethlehem, so the length of time could even include December 25, 7BC. It had to be a short time, since all the implications of the scriptural narrative are associated with His birth and very early infancy. There is actually no evidence for a Dec. 25 birthday. It was chosen, along with the year of 1 AD, in a series of miscalculations, including one for the solstice which is actually Dec, 22. MATTHEW 2: 9-10 9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. The Star Appeared Again ? That is not the best translation. I propose the following: [Underlines are my alterations.] 9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they had seen in its heliacal rising , was before them, until it was directly above the location of the child . 10 When they had carefully observed the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. 11 And when they were come into the house, they discovered the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: . . . Lo: This interjection has been interpreted to show that the Magi were surprised. But the Spirit is describing the circumstances with this passage, what actually happened. The men are not being quoted here. The reaction of the men is in the following verse. The interjection is by the Spirit, and means “Behold” or “Please understand.” “Was before them”: This is a navigation account, and is phrased in navigation terms. Regular desert and sea travelers comprised a large portion of the early readers of Matthew’s account. They would have naturally understood these terms in the navigation sense. When using a star for guidance they kept it before them. They would say that it went before them, or that they continued to hold it before them. For the Magi, this was now an extremely delicate observation, so close to vertical, and essentially beyond the ability of their instruments. However the Spirit is telling us here that it was indeed actually before them. “Was directly above the location of the Child”: The word the KJV translates “stood over” is used more than a hundred times, with a wide range of meanings, most commonly being simply “was” or “were.” This is not an account reported by the Magi as to what they experienced. It is the Spirit describing what happened. A skeptic’s declaration that a star cannot be observed to be directly above a very specific location is irrelevant. God knew, and Matthew recorded by inspiration. Now the Magi carefully observed the star. They needed something more accurate than their sextants to observe that it was, as Matthew's revelation attests, “above their location.” Tradition holds that they used the method astronomers had used for at least the previous two centuries, the reflection in a deep well. Paul Maier included a photo of “the Magi’s well” near Bethlehem in his book. (8) That may not be the authentic well, but it has been shown to tourists for centuries. So that tradition is well established, as well as being a most reasonable assumption. The KJV uses the simple translation “when they saw the star.” The Greek word (eido) is used 663 times, and KJV translates it as "see" 314 times and “know” 281. This leaves 68 or over 10% of the usage among other meanings, which include “observe,” “inspect," “examine.” Since it is rare for scripture to describe a scientific inquiry, one would not expect high usage of those particular shades of meaning. They rejoiced As scientists they were certainly anxious as to the success of their deductions that His star would be over Him at six months after being heliacal. 10 When they had carefully observed the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. I have had several first-hand experiences of celebrating a successful scientific proof of a deduction, after a long and arduous time of preparation and observance. These Magi not only confirmed their deductions but also realized that they were about to see their God and Savior, Who had recently descended to earth. So their mirth was exceedingly great. MATTHEW 2: 11-12 11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh . 12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way. They saw the young child I suggest a better translation may be achieved by substituting another word for “saw.” This brings out another problem facing a Bible translator. There are several cases where slight variations are found between the several ancient manuscripts that are available. This is one of them. Pious scholars agree that none of the variations cast any doubt on the doctrines of Scripture. In this case, it will alter the emphasis in Scripture between the seeking process of the Magi to find the Christ Child, and the visit they enjoyed with the divine Baby and His mother. By examining the various definitions used in the scriptural usage of each variant word, I find that both could actually be squeezed into the word “discovered.” The manuscript chosen for the KJV translation is named the “Receptus,” although others were also consulted. The word in Receptus is “Eureka” (Found after intense search, or by complete surprise.) But here they departed from Receptus and found other sources that use the Greek “Eidon” (saw, examined, understood, discovered.) They then chose to translate the word as “saw.” I think that is defective. “See” is a proper translation in less than half of the cases where the Spirit used “eidon.” Other Greek words are used to express simply “seeing.” When eidon is used to particularly “see a person,” it is in the context of conferring-with (as we use the word to “see a doctor”) or having an interview. So if eidon is the correct version, I would suggest that the narrative would then be telling us: “On entering the house, they visited the Child and Mary . . .” The narrative, that had first told us that the star had been over the area, and that they had rejoiced over having observed it, now relates that they entered the house. We are not told by what means they selected the proper house, but if the original was eureka , that they entered and, Eureka! (See the Note (9) for more detail) Gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. These are often assumed to have spiritual meanings, representing Christ's atoning sacrifice. But they also had the practical purpose of financing the family’s sojourn in Egypt, as they are the most portable and spendable wealth and currency of that era. We are not told how these members of a pagan society became children of God, but God had certainly brought about their trek and honored it by directly communicating the warning that brought them home safely. MATTHEW 2: 13-23 13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. 14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: 15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son. 16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, 18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping [for] her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not. 19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life. 21 And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee: 23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene. Two years old and under. Literally, “in their second year” and younger. The Jews marked their age to the New Year’s day, the first new moon after the vernal equinox. That would be some time between March 21, and April 18. Now, whether the Magi told Herod that Jesus was born at the first conjunction in May, or the heliacal rising in September, or the final conjunction in December, he would be in his “first year” at all times before the New Year, and in His “second year” thereafter. This is another possible indication that the Magi visit took place after the New Year. Since Herod’s calculation included “and under” which would have included a child born after the New Year. Also, if the New Year were yet to occur, only those born within that same year (who were then in their first year) could have been included in the dates told to Herod by the Magi. Great mourning in Rama, Rachel weeping for her children The connection of Rachel here in Jeremiah’s prophecy can be a bit mystifying. We know this refers to the babes in Bethlehem, because God says so through Matthew's inspired pen. What is Rama? It is a community in suburban Jerusalem, just as is Bethlehem. Here it is obviously used symbolically for “The country around Bethlehem.” Why Rachel? She was the mother of Joseph and Benjamin. So she was the ancestral mother of the tribes of Benjamin, Ephraim and Manasseh. The ancestral mother of the rest of Israel is Leah, Jacob’s first wife. Rachel died just outside Bethlehem, giving birth to Benjamin. She was buried there, and a famous monument was erected there to her memory. This monument survived for hundreds of years. So Rachel was known at the time Jeremiah wrote, as the symbolic Mother of the children in Bethlehem. APPENDIX So what? I did the research because I find it fun and fascinating. I distribute it because there are others out there who may similarly enjoy it. If you have read this far, you are probably one such. But please don’t fail to see the forest because of these trees. I submitted an early version to a few trusted scholars to make sure I committed no embarrassing ‘false doctrine’ to writing. The Rev. Karl J. Anderson, of my home church, Heritage Lutheran, in Apple Valley, MN, submitted these very-pertinent comments: The details you research are indeed interesting and edifying to the more experienced Bible student. Your attention to detail led me to think about why God did not inspire Luke to provide more detail.... more answers to more of our questions. The first answer to that is simply historical and sociological. Luke doesn't include contemporary historical details or explanations because that knowledge was then current and known by the common man. For example, our questions surrounding Quirinius and his governance of the province of Syria. After 2,000 years these details are misty and muddy to us, but as Luke wrote the Gospel the details were general knowledge. Scholarly study of available and reliable historical resources can help us better understand and appreciate the inspired text. The second part of the answer (Why is there not more detail in the inspired text?) derives from understanding the central, focal point of Scripture. That point, of course, is Christ and his cross. God knows his creatures, he knows our fallen condition and its peculiar impediments, and he deals with us accordingly. For example, God surely could have directed Luke to describe in great detail the exact location of Christ's birth, the exact type of 'stopping place' Mary and Joseph came to in Bethlehem, a complete description of the "stable" (cave, etc.) and so on. God could have directed Luke to precisely establish with irrefutable cross-references to secular, Roman, calendar and time, the exact year, month, day, and hour of Christ's birth. But God did not direct Luke (or anyone else for that matter) to record any of that. Why? Because God knows us. If we knew and preserved the exact spot of Christ's birth we would have turned it into a temple and people would have idolized it. (It is bad enough that the supposed places of Christ's birth are to this day enshrined and worshiped.) Likewise the exact time of Christ's birth. God knew that we would enshrine that day on our calendars and turn it into a form of idolatry. (Again, consider what the world does with the appointed traditional festivals [East and West!] of Christ birth.) In the same way we would like more detail on the Magi, the shepherds, the leading star, etc. Our yearning for details, and our quest to find answers not revealed in Scripture, must not distract us from the central point of the birth narrative of Christ: The Incarnation. This will always be a dilemma for Bible scholars who always want to research and know all that there is to know on a subject. Scholars are not wrong in asking questions or seeking answers inside and outside of Scripture. At the same time, scholars must remember the purpose of Scripture-- and therefore the very purpose of Christian scholarship: "But these (things) are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name" (John 20:31). All Christian scholarship, if it truly is worthy of the name, serves to point people to Christ and salvation. The intended audience must also come into consideration. New believers, converts, and young believers still need the "milk" of the Word and we must be careful not to distract or overload them with detail. On the other hand, mature Christians often find their confidence in the Word bolstered by the results of closer examination of detail and corroborating extra-biblical sources. – Karl J. Anderson (See 2Kings 18:4 for a startling case of people turning a sacred object into an idol. – WMO) NOTES 1 Most people assume that a scientist is “wise” I benefit from that socially, but know first hand it is totally wrong. The use of that term in the KJV reinforces the fact that scientists were among the Magi. 2 During WWII our planes were equipped with a Plexiglas dome, strangely called an astrolabe, through which we could "shoot a star" and determine how many degrees 'before' or 'after' it was. We used a type of sextant (called an 'octant') equipped with a mechanical device for averaging the readings and overcome the effects of a vibrating and gyrating platform. We got amazingly accurate readings. Once on a flight from the Palau Islands to Guam we passed over a tiny atoll named Ulithe. Our navigator had allowed his watch to stop. While I manned the drift-meter, a downward-looking telescope with calibrated reticules, and informed him of the instant we crossed the tip of the atoll, he shot the sun, and set his watch with an error of only twenty seconds. Now the Magi had no lenses in their sextants, but the advantage of their stable position on solid ground certainly compensated for it. Our device averaged several readings, but the ancients often did the same, by employing several observers simultaneously. Again it is a very safe conjecture that the Magi had a sufficient crew to assure accuracy through redundancy. Incidentally, shooting a star is much more accurate than shooting the sun, because the sun is so large that it is hard to locate its center precisely. I believe that having this understanding of the shooting of a star in the navigational sense renders the greatest clarity to the meaning of this passage. 3 If a luminous object were to stop over a house, low enough to be observed without instruments and small enough to have a meaningful position in respect to a house, it would not be honest to call it a star, it would not be one. If it happened today, any observer would call it a UFO. When his skeptical audience suggests he has mistaken a star for the object, he loudly objects, pointing out the vast difference between a star and a small luminous object that could be accurately pinpointed to be over a particular house, or even a particular town, by simply “eye-balling” it. Scripture says star, and I accept that, but do allow a closely associated pair of stars (conjunction,) since this is allowable within the colloquial use of the word. 4 This is published in a paper on the history of the tilt of the earth’s axis where I show that if one recognizes the great flood, it leads to the scientific acceptability of many measurements of the tilt of the axis, some as early as the seventh century BC. These data are widely dismissed as primitive and inaccurate because they differ from modern uniformitarian calculations, that discount the flood. This leads to a blanket false rejection of all ancient data. Details are given in this paper presently available at : http://tccsa.tc/articles/precession.html 5 The stars residing near the sun’s path, the ecliptic, move that two sun-diameters daily, but the distance shortens as their location nears the North Star, which appears essentially stationary. The stars near Polaris just circle it annually. 6 Titus Flavius Josephus: Was a Jewish general who was captured by the Romans, He was enslaved, and tasked to write the history of the Roman-Jewish wars, and of the early Jews. He made a full-fledged capitulation to the Roman cause, and became a citizen of Rome. He is acknowledged as the foremost secular historian of the period. 7 The Gospel in the Stars, Joseph A. Seiss 8 Paul Maier, “In The Fullness of Time” 9 This is nit-picky on my part, but in the KJV the narrative seems to have been translated with an honest attempt to accommodate the translator's understanding that the context required that the very house had been already uniquely indicated by the star. Translating to context is proper and desirable, but I consider his context defective. I do not claim scriptural proof for my context, only scriptural and historical compatibility. I am neither a Greek scholar nor at all educated into the various sources of scriptural manuscripts. My various computer tools are very useful, but are inadequate to decipher subtleties such as this one. My good friend Al Braunwarth, though. has the requisite skills to study this, and he has done that for me. I greatly appreciate his help. He informs me that “eidon” (leading to the translation “saw”) is the more likely correct original version, based on evidence of available sources Because of the tools I have used, my research has been based on Strong's assumption that KJV is translated from Receptus, which is generally true. The 1550 Receptus does use “heurisko” (eureka), but according to Al there is “overwhelming witness for “eidon” in Matthew 2:11,”. Nestle uses “eidon”. So, although I suspect the KJV translators had motive to assume that no further search was needed, they did have legitimate evidence from other sources to use the word "saw." Although for eidon, the use of “visited” seems to have been a more accurate translation. Addenda 4/24/15: Ref Page 12 “the Magi had no lenses in their sextants” – It is now known that many centuries before, instruments incorporated rock-glass lenses. No other possible means is known for constructing the ancient structures so perfectly. Hundreds of these lenses in museums were originally thought to be mere ornaments. It is possible that the Magi still had preserved that art. The Vikings had polarizing lenses used to “see” the sun when navigating on cloudy days. The ancients may have done that as well.

Someone once observed, "The universe is composed of stories, not atoms." The Star of Bethlehem is certainly a story (as is most of the Bible, first and foremost). It is a mystery and a puzzle, involving not only theology and astronomy, but also history and even astrology. It is an attempt of men to understand not the universe at large, but specific events, or "What I Saw." What do we know about the Star of Bethlehem? The popular conception is summarized in the Christmas carol: We three kings of Orient are / Bearing gifts we traverse afar / Field and fountain, moor and mountain / Following yonder star. 0 star of wonder, star of night / Star with royal beauty bright / Westward Leading; still proceeding / Guide us to thy perfect light. We all know those lines as the story of the Star, which is fine - except for the fact that almost everything in it is wrong. The actual New Testament account of the Star of Bethlehem comes from the second chapter of the Gospel of Matthew (told here in the Revised English Bible translation): Jesus was born at Bethlehem in Judaea during the reign of Herod. After his birth astrologers [Magi] from the east arrived in Jerusalem; asking; "Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We observed the rising of his star, and we have come to pay him homage. " King Herod was greatly perturbed when he heard this and so was the whole of Jerusalem. He called together the chief priests and scribes of the Jews and asked them where the Messiah was to be born. "At Bethlehem in Judaea, " they replied, '.for this is what the prophet wrote 'Bethlehem in the land of Judah, you are by no means Least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you shall come a ruler to be the shepherd of my people Israel '" Then Herod summoned the astrologers to meet him secretly, and ascertained from them the exact time when the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, so that I may go myself and pay him homage. " After hearing what the king had to say they set out, there before them was the star they had seen rising; and it went ahead of them until it stopped above the place where the child lay They were overjoyed at the sight of it and, entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother and bowed low in homage to him; they opened their treasure chests and Presented gifts to him: gold frankincense, and myrrh. Then they returned to their own country by another route for they had been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod. What is your initial reaction to this story? It seems to me that it is not a fabulous tale. That is it does not conjure up fantastic details or images, and it is told in a rather mundane fashion, not at all like a fable. It is also the only account we have of it in our Bible. Later, various non-canonical sources did elaborate on it. Books like the Protevangelium of James and an epistle of Ignatius say this star was the brightest star in the sky, brighter than all other stars combined, even including the sun and the moon, which bowed down before it. But Matthew is very matter-of-fact. The historical perspective To understand this story, we must view it in the context of its time. Who were these Magi? Where did they come from? Magi is the plural of Magus, the root of our word magic. "Court astrologer" is probably the best translation. "Wise men" is also a good term, descriptive of the esteem in which they were widely held. The group of Magi in question (it is the Christmas carol, not Matthew, that refers to three of them) came "from the east." They might have been Zoroastrians, Medes, Persians, Arabs, or even Jews. They served as court advisors, making forecasts and predictions for their royal patrons based on their study of the stars, about which they were quite knowledgeable. Magi often wandered from court to court, and it was not unusual for them to cover great distances in order to attend the birth or crowning of a king, paying their respects and offering gifts. It is not surprising, therefore, that Matthew would mention them as validation of Jesus' kingship, or that Herod would regard their arrival as a very serious matter. When might these Magi have appeared in Judaea? Obviously, determining the story's date is important if we are to look for astronomical connections. We might assume that it was around I B.C. or I A.D., since that is when, by conventional reckoning, Jesus was born. But the calendar on which these dates are based was set by the Roman monk Dionysius Exiguus in the year 525 A D., long after the fact. Scholars writing in the first and second centuries A.D. asserted that Jesus was born between what we now call 4 B.C. and 1 B.C. They were living much closer to the event and had access to thousands of historical records in many excellent libraries, and their opinions probably should be given much more weight than has been common. How about the time of the year? The best clue is a passage in the Book of Luke: "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the fields keeping watch over their flock by night " If the reference to "fields" is accurate - not pastures or holding pens - we might guess at a date in late summer or early fall, for it was customary for farmers to allow sheep and cattle to graze the stubble in the fields following the harvest. This clue is suggestive, but hardly definitive. One difficulty in seeking a precise date is the fact that Matthew reports two separate sightings, possibly separated by a substantial time. First, the Magi saw the Star rising en anatole, best translated as "rising in the east," the ancient technical term for an acronical rising, when an object rises at sunset and is visible all night. After they come to Jerusalem - we do not know how long that took, and there is no indication that the Star was in any way involved with the journey- they see the Star again as they travel the few miles to Bethlehem: There before them was the star they had seen rising; and it went ahead of them until it stopped above the place where the child lay. There was no need for a bright or supernatural guiding light to find Bethlehem from Jerusalem; it lies just five miles south on the main road. There is a reference not to the house of an infant (brephos in the Greek) but of a paidion, or toddler, indicating that some months may have elapsed since the birth itself . What are the astronomical possibilities? This question has been asked many times since the Christian apologist Origen first raised it around 250 A.D. It is safe to say that every astronomical event known to have occurred during, say, the decade of interest has at some point been proposed as the Star of Bethlehem. The key point to answering this question is to note that it is not just any astronomical event that is of interest. We can restrict our inquiry to those appearances that would have had astrological significance to the Magi, who declared: "We observed the rising of his star, and we have come to "pay him homage." An astronomical event may not have been very obvious at all; certainly it was not obvious to Herod. Had it been an incomparably bright object, as later writers thought, there would be numerous written records of it. It is much more plausible that the Star of Bethlehem went unnoticed by all but a few experts such as the Magi. The Death of Herod A major key to the chronology is the date of the death of Herod, who figures prominently in our story. Herod was alive when the Star of Bethlehem appeared and the commonly quoted date for his death is 4 B.C. Thus dates of 7 B.C. through 4 B.C. are often given for the birth of Jesus. The political events of this period are best known from the writings of Josephus Flavius, the Jewish historian who lived from 37 A.D. to about 95 A.D. His testimony has always been considered vital in determining these dates. According to Josephus, on the night of a lunar eclipse Herod executed two rabbis. They were accused of inciting some young men to climb up on the wall and tear down the golden eagle that the king had ordered placed on the gate to the Temple in Jerusalem. This eagle was, of course, an abomination to the Jews because it was a graven image. Soon Herod himself died and was buried. One of his sons inherited his throne, shortly after which Passover was celebrated. It was long believed that the lunar eclipse in question occurred on March 13 in 4 B.C. But this was only a partial eclipse (40 percent total) and fairly hard to detect. And it occurred only 29 days before Passover. Based on what we know of Herod's life, here is what would have had to happen in those 29 days: Herod was sick at the time of the execution of the rabbis and his condition worsened almost immediately. He was treated for a time by his physicians, to no avail. Herod then decided to pack up the royal household and move to Jericho to take the baths. He tried the baths unsuccessfully for some days and then returned to Jerusalem. Believing that he soon would die, Herod came up with a diabolical plan to insure that all of Israel would mourn his death, in spite of his unpopularity. He commanded the leading men from around the country to come to Jerusalem; there he imprisoned them in the Hippodrome and ordered the army to execute them as soon as he was dead. Israel would indeed mourn. (Fortunately, the order was not carried out.) In the meantime, word arrived from Rome that Herod had the Emperor's permission to execute his rebellious son Antipater, and he promptly complied. Five days later he died, but not before decreeing that his was to be the largest funeral ever held in the history of the world. His body was embalmed. The army was assembled to carry his body in the funeral procession to a burial site some 25 miles away. The soldiers walked in bare feet, as was required when in mourning, traveling one mile a day. A legate from Rome, where word of Herod's death had been received, arrived to protect the royal treasury. Finally, Herod's son Archelaus was crowned king and had time to issue a few decrees prior to the celebration of Passover. The 29 days between the eclipse of 4 B.C. and the following Passover simply do not allow enough time for all of this to have happened. A minimum of 10 weeks would have been required. But on January 10, 1 B.C., there was a total lunar eclipse visible in Palestine, and it occurred twelve-and-a-half-weeks before Passover. As Martin points out, there are other compelling reasons to regard I B.C. as the true date of Herod's death. For example, the War of Varus, known to have followed Herod's death, can be redated to I B.C., where it fits the other known facts perfectly. If we conclude that Herod did die in the spring of 1 B.C., we are free to add the years 3 B.C. and 2 B.C. to our search for the Star of Bethlehem. What was happening then? The year 2 B.C. marked the 25th anniversary of Caesar Augustus's rule and the 750th anniversary of the founding of Rome. Huge celebrations were planned. The whole empire was at peace. The doors of the temple of Janus were closed for only the third time in Roman history. To honor their emperor, the people were to rise as one and name Augustus pater patriae, or "Father of the Country." Now, getting the people of an empire to do something "spontaneously" requires a great deal of organization. And so an enrollment, or census, was ordered. In those days, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled .... And all went to be enrolled, each to his own city. This enrollment, described in the Gospel of Luke, which brought Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem, always has been a mystery since no regular taxation census occurred at this time. But the pater patriae enrollment fits perfectly. The Astronomical Perspective What astronomical events, possibly in the years 3 or 2 B.C., might have been related to the Star of Bethlehem? Novae have been suggested, the unexpected, sudden brightening of a star from invisibility into a bright object for a period of days or weeks. There is no historical record of such a nova, nor is it clear what a nova's astrological significance would be. Comets are candidates, for they appear sporadically, move, and even seem to point down to the earth. (This was Origen's choice.) But the recorded comets around this time, even Halley's Comet in 12 B.C., were very impressive; astrologically, they were considered ominous. Meteors and fireballs are even less likely candidates. Conjunctions of planets have long been considered good possibilities. A conjunction is a close apparent approach between two celestial objects. Technically speaking, a conjunction occurs at the moment when both objects have the same celestial longitude; one is due north of the other. The closer the objects, the more visually impressive is the event and the more significant astrologically. In 3 B.C. and 2 B.C., there was a series of close conjunctions involving Jupiter, the planet that represented kingship, coronations, and the birth of kings. In Hebrew, Jupiter was known as Sedeq or "Righteousness," a term also used for the Messiah. In September of 3 B.C., Jupiter came into conjunction with Regulus, the star of kingship, the brightest star in die constellation of Leo. Leo was the constellation of kings, and it was associated with the lion of Judah. The royal planet approached the royal star in the royal constellation representing Israel. Just a month earlier Jupiter and Venus, the Mother planet, had almost seemed to touch each other in another dose conjunction, also in Leo. Then the conjunction between Jupiter and Regulus was repeated, not once but twice, in February and May of 2 B.C. Finally, in June of 2 B.C., Jupiter and Venus, the two brightest objects in the sky save the sun and the moon. experienced an even closer encounter when their discs appeared to touch; to the naked eye they became a single object above the setting sun. This exceptionally rare spectacle could not have been missed by the Magi. In fact, we have seen here only the highlights of an impressive series of planetary motions and conjunctions fraught with a variety of astrological meanings, involving all the other known planets of the period, Mercury, Mars, and Saturn. The astrological significance of these impressive events must surely have been seen by the Magi as the announcement of the impending birth of a great king of Israel. September 11, 3 B.C., is perhaps the most interesting date of all. Not only was Jupiter very dose to Regulus in the first of their conjunctions, but the sun was in the constellation of Virgo (of obvious symbolism), together with the new moon, in a configuration that fits a plausible interpretation of a passage in the Book of Revelation describing the birth of a male child who is to be the ruler of the universe. Significantly, September 11, 3 B.C., also marked the beginning of the Jewish New year, traditionally regarded as the anniversary of Noah's landing after the Great Flood. But if the planet Jupiter was the Star of Bethlehem, or was a component of the events that triggered the visit by the Magi, how do we view the final appearance of the Star on their journey to Bethlehem? It would have been in the southern sky, though fairly high above the horizon. Could it have stopped over Bethlehem? The answer is yes. The word "stop" was used for what we now call a planet's "stationary point." A planet normally moves eastward through the stars from night to night and month to month, but regularly exhibits a "retrograde loop." As it approaches the opposite point in the sky from he sun, it appears to slow, come to a full stop, and move backward (westward) through the sky for some weeks. Again it slows, stops, and resumes its eastward course. It seems plausible that the Magi were "overjoyed" at again seeing before them, as they traveled southward, His star, Jupiter, which at its stationary point was standing still over Bethlehem. We do know for certain that Jupiter performed a retrograde loop in 2 B.C. and that it was stationary on December 25, interestingly enough, during Hanukkah, the season for giving presents. What Room for God? Where has this search for the Star of Bethlehem taken us? What meaning, what room for God, do we find in the events that we know to have occurred? If we have correctly identified the Star of Bethlehem, the science is clear and simple. Keplerian orbits of planets are predictable, so that we can deduce quite accurately what the sky looked like 2,000 years ago. Even the ancient Magi understood apparent planetary motions quite well. Predictions of the conjunctions of 3 and 2 B.C. were made 400 years prior to the birth of Christ, and they were in error by only a few days. There is no need to invoke God or divine miracles to explain what happened in the heavens above Judaea. Natural laws are sufficient. But is this kind of sufficiency really enough for us? The significant question raised here is not what happened, but why it happened. What does it mean? Was Matthew right in seeing this event as divine confirmation of a central moment in God's plan for mankind? What room is left for God, not as an agent filling in the gaps between what we can understand as physical causes, but as the creator of purpose? And was God's purpose fulfilled by the great celestial dance that we call the Star of Bethlehem? These questions are examples of the kind of decisions we are faced with daily. No theologian can say, in a way convincing to a scientist, that some event required an act of God outside natural law. Similarly, no scientist can say that some event was merely (a dangerous word) an act of natural law working itself out with no other meaning. That is, no one is forced to believe that what happened in the heavens two thousand years ago was a simple, natural event devoid of meaning. The Star of Bethlehem is an excellent example of an event that occurs right at the intersection of Christianity and science, in a world created by a God who chose to institute natural laws but who nevertheless continues to carry out His own purposes. Craig Chester is the president and co-founder of the Monterey (California) Institute for Research in Astronomy (MIRA). He holds a Ph.D in Astronomy from Case Western Reserve University [Reprinted from IMPRIMIS, the monthly journal of Hillsdale College, December 1993] Minnesota Christian Chronicle Dec.23,1993

The Star of Bethlehem is one of the most powerful, and enigmatic, symbols of Christianity. Second perhaps only to the Cross of the Crucifixion, the importance of its role in the story of the Nativity of the Christ child is almost on a par with the birth itself. However, the true origin of the Star of Bethlehem has baffled astronomers, historians, and theologians for the past two millennia. For the purposes of this discussion we shall consider four possibilities: That the star was a "one-shot" occurrence - never before seen and has not been seen since; it was placed in the sky by God to announce the birth of His Son; That the Star was added to the story of the Nativity after the fact; That the Star was a real, documentable astronomical object; That the entire New Testament is fake. If you subscribe to the first theory, then we, as astronomers, have nothing to talk about. It was a supernatural miracle that defies scientific explanation. However, many theologians insist on putting some sort of divine interpretation on Matthew's writings. By admitting that the Star was a natural phenomenon, with an actual scientific explanation, is tantamount to totally removing its heavy symbolic significance. After all, how could something so miraculous have such a mundane explanation? There is a certain amount of credence to the second theory. At the time of Jesus' birth, very few people recognized its significance. The only time the Star is mentioned at all is in the Book of Matthew. It is not mentioned in any of the other Gospel accounts of the Nativity. Matthew, writing some time after Jesus was crucified, may have added the star to the account, because all great kings at that time had stars associated with their nativity. Jesus' significance did not become apparent until after he began his ministry, at the approximate age of 30, the age at which Jews reach spiritual maturity. As bizarre as the fourth theory may seem at first glance, there is a certain amount of credence to it, also. This theory holds that the entire New Testament was written by members of the Roman ruling family, for the specific purpose of splitting the Jewish people as a political and religious entity. Rome had just fought a third war with the Jews that began in about 60 AD, and although they won the war, they knew full well that Rome could not survive another war with them, unless they could be defeated from within, using a "divide and conquer" strategy. The character of Jesus was said to have been modeled after one Arrius Piso, who is said to have written, among other Books of the New Testament, the Book of Matthew. The rest of the New Testament was written by other members of the Piso family, one of the ruling families of Rome. Although the strategy itself is sound, the evidence to support it is largely circumstantial, and most historians and theologians do not give it much credence. For our purposes, however, we shall subscribe to the third theory - that the Star of Bethlehem was a genuine astronomical occurrence. As significant as the Star of Bethlehem is to the mysticism of the Nativity, it is only mentioned once in the Bible, and that is in the Book of Matthew. Luke, whose account of the nativity is far more detailed than that of Matthew, doesn't mention the Star, or the Magi, or wise men, who came from the east, drawn by the Star. He also makes no mention of a fearful Herod, slaughtering all male children in Bethlehem aged two and under, and the Holy Family fleeing to Egypt as a result. Matthew, on the other hand, makes no mention of a trip to Joseph's ancestral home, Bethlehem or the decree from Caesar Augustus that brought them there. He also doesn't mention a crowded inn, a manger, or angels appearing to the shepherds in the fields. Yet the best information we have regarding the Nativity comes from Matthew and Luke. The Gospel according to Matthew was written between the years 50 - 70 AD; Luke wrote his Gospel between 58 -70 AD. Both agree that Jesus was born, in Bethlehem, during the last years of the reign of Herod the Great, that the birth was announced by a heavenly messenger, and that his actual home town was Nazareth. The discrepancies in their two accounts are not surprising, when one takes into account the fact that they wrote in an age of oral history and myth, and without the standards of science, history, or journalism that we take for granted today. In fact, it could be said that those standards as regarding certain forms of modern media have not advanced at all. That two people, neither of whom were eyewitnesses, have different recollections of a story that was told to them verbally, should not surprise us in the least; this same thing happens today only too often. It is generally accepted by most scholars that Christ was born sometime between 7BC and 1 BC. There are a number of historical markers that allow us to pin the date down to this time period. There were also some incredibly spectacular astronomical events that occurred during this period as well. Let us first look at the historical background. During this period, the Roman Empire was enjoying a time of unparalleled peace and prosperity. Augustus Caesar, the Roman emperor, had begun to recall many of his troops in outlying provinces starting in 7 BC and release them from duty. In the year 2 BC Rome celebrated its 750th year since it was founded, as determined by the records of the Roman priests - the Romans at that time determined that Rome was built in the year 753 BC. This also coincided with the 25th jubilee year of the reign of Caesar Augustus as Emperor of the Romans. In August of 2 BC there were great festivals in Rome and throughout the provinces and kingdoms allied with Rome. People came to the festivities from all over the Empire and beyond. Also, in 2 BC, Augustus finally dedicated, after many delays, the new Forum bearing his name. But possibly the most significant event that occurred in 2 BC was that Augustus was given his most prestigious title, the highest honor that could be bestowed on any Roman - that of "Pater Patriae", or "Father of the Country". A decree went out from Augustus that required "the entire Roman people" to register their approval of Augustus receiving this title, before it could be bestowed upon him. This oath took place in the late summer and early fall of 3 BC and was required of all Roman citizens and others of distinguished rank among the client kingdoms associated with Rome. By the year 2 BC, Augustus was seen by the Romans as the "Prince of Peace." This universal census of allegiance to Augustus was demanded of those who claimed any kind of authority within the Empire. It was also required of any person, most notably the Jewish communities, who could trace their ancestry back to the great Jewish royal families. Jesus' parents, Mary and Joseph, both being descendants of King David, fell into this category. They, among others, were required to swear an oath that neither they, nor any of their offspring would usurp the throne. It was Jewish custom that, during such a census, each travel to the city of their ancestry. In the case of Mary and Joseph, this city was the city of David - Bethlehem. It was also customary for provincial Romans to periodically have their citizenships affirmed and imperial privileges renewed . The normal thing for Roman provincials was to do this in their native city. However, Romans in outlying provinces of Asia Minor were not always able to do this, so a number of "archive cities" were established throughout Asia Minor where Roman imperial records were deposited. Roman provincials in Asia Minor could then prove their citizenship by reference to these records. If the oath to Caesar Augustus required Roman provincials to travel to these cities, then Luke's statement that "everyone went into his own city" (Luke 2:3) might apply to Roman provincials as well as non-Romans. Romans were evidently required to renew these privileges every five years. Furthermore, there were official censuses held every 20 years for taxation purposes. The last such census had occurred in 8 BC, making 3 BC exactly five years from the previous Roman census. At this time, Herod the Great was king of Judaea. He was appointed King by Augustus; he did not inherit the title. Herod was not even a Jew; he was Idumaenean by birth, and a commoner at that, and yet, as King of Judaea, was the ruler of a large segment of the Jewish population. This made him immensely unpopular among the Jewish people. Furthermore, his father, Antipater, Rome's representative in Judaea, had paved the way for the overthrow of the Hasmoneans, the Jewish royal family in power who were very popular. This didn't go over too well, either. To appease the Jews, Herod took, as his second wife, Mariamne, a member of the Hasmonean family. This had little effect; Herod was universally despised by the Jews, and he knew it. This, among other things, made him paranoid and delusional. During his reign, his eldest son by his first wife, Antipater, convinced Herod that the two young royal sons, born to Mariamne, were plotting against their father. Herod immediately had them executed. Later, he had Mariamne and her mother executed as well. These executions infuriated the Jewish people. Ironically, just before his death, Herod had Antipater himself executed - for allegedly attempting to assassinate his father by poisoning him, and then attempting a military coup. Now let's take a look at the astronomical events that corresponded to this period in history. There were probably as many or more people, percentage-wise, interested in astronomical occurrences and their interpretations at this period of history than at any other time in western civilization. Astrological matters at this time in history were believed by most people to be reliable scientific indicators of present and future events, especially those involving rulers of the various countries. The notable exception to this were the Jews. To them, Gentile forms of astrology were blasphemy; they did not believe that the stars should be used to predict the future. However, they did believe that the stars were signs of God's works; there are several indications in the Old Testament, starting with Genesis 1:14, that God placed the stars in the sky as signs, to make known His wishes and actions. During this period of history, there was no clear distinction between astronomy and astrology. The motions of the stars and planets were charted, and this information used to determine the events of history, and the fate of people's lives, most notably that of royal families. Of the various groups of priests and astrologers/astronomers of this period, the group that garnered the most respect were the Magi. The word "Magi" is plural for "magus", which is the root of the word "magic" in the English language. The mysticism surrounding the Magi and their profession would possibly have been seen as magic by the people of the time; many of the races that inhabited what was then considered to be the civilized world, including the Jews, were very superstitious by nature. The origins of the Magi are not entirely clear, but they are believed to have had their beginnings with the teachings of Zoroaster, sometime around 1000 BC. Zoroaster was a religious leader and teacher in the region of Persia where the Magi were thought to have their origins. Zoroaster espoused monotheism, and taught that at sometime in the future, there would arise a king who would raise the dead and transform the world into a kingdom of peace and security. Interestingly enough, the Zoroastrian traditions associated with this prophesied king said that the king would come forth from the descendants of Abraham. The Magi were not simple astrologers; they were professional astronomers as well. Over the centuries they became important members of royal courts, often serving as emissaries to the kings by whom they were employed. The secrets of their teachings were reserved for other members of their profession and royalty. The Magi, particularly those from the eastern parts of what was then considered to be the civilized world, were held in high esteem. In 7 BC there was a triple conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn. All three meetings of the two planets occurred in the constellation Pisces, long associated with the Hebrew nation, a phenomenon that occurs only once every approximately 900 years. The first conjunction occurred in late May, the second in September, and the third in early December. Although the two planets never came closer together than about two diameters of the moon, and therefore could hardly have been seen as a single star, these events would have had great significance to the trained astronomers of the time. Jupiter was known as the "planet of Kings" and Saturn as the "Protector of the Jews". This could easily have been interpreted as a sign that the Jewish Messiah had been, or was about to be, born. In February of 6 BC a massing of three planets occurred, again in the constellation Pisces, when Jupiter, Mars and Saturn came within 8 degrees of each other. This event occurs only once every 800 years, approximately, and again, would have had great significance to the astronomers of the time. Both of these rare events would have been predicted by the ancient astronomers. Chinese astronomers recorded a nova in the constellation Capricorn that was visible during March-April of 5 BC. It was visible for over 70 days. But Matthew indicates that the star moved from the eastern sky to the south. A nova in Capricorn, some 40 degrees off the ecliptic, would not have moved much at all, with respect to Earth; it would have remained in the same place with respect to the celestial background. Chinese astronomers also recorded two comets - one in 5 BC and one in 4 BC. The comet of 5 BC had an observable tail; the comet the following year did not. Although the Chinese thought of comets as "broom stars" - sweeping away the old and bringing in the new, and thus, looked upon them with favor, many astronomers, as well as the general populace, in Persia and the Roman empire did not share this view. Comets were felt to be harbingers of disaster; it is therefore highly unlikely that a comet could have been the star that announced the birth of the Jewish Messiah, or that inspired the Magi to make the long journey to Bethlehem. Furthermore, Matthew's account clearly described a star; it is highly unlikely that he would have mistaken a comet for a star. However, these astronomical events, exciting as they were, pale by comparison to the events of an 18 month period during 3-2 BC. This was one of the most remarkable periods in terms of celestial events in the last 3000 years. These celestial events no doubt inspired many wonderful and mystical interpretations, by the priests and religious peoples of those times. And coincidentally, they occurred when the entire Roman empire was in celebration. It was as though the heavens were confirming the greatness of the sovereignty of the Roman Empire in general, and Caesar Augustus in particular. On May 19, 3 BC, the planets Saturn and Mercury were in close conjunction - within 40' (minutes of arc) of each other. Then Saturn moved eastward through the stars to meet with Venus on June 12, 3BC. During this conjunction the two were only 7.2' apart. And if this weren't enough, on August 12, 3 BC, Jupiter and Venus came into close conjunction just before sunrise, coming within 4.2' from each other as viewed from earth, and appearing as a very bright morning star. This conjunction took place in the constellation Cancer, the "end" sign of the Zodiac. Ten months later, on June 17 2BC, Venus and Jupiter joined again, this time in the constellation Leo. The two planets were at best 6" (arc seconds) apart; some calculations indicate that they actually overlapped each other. This conjunction occurred during the evening and would have appeared as one very bright star. Even if they were 6" apart, it would have required the sharpest of eyes to split the two, because of their brightness. The constellation Leo was not only considered the "head" or "chief" sign of the Zodiac, it was thought to be ruled by the sun, the "chief" star of the heavens. It was considered the "Royal Constellation", dominated by the star Regulus. The name Regulus itself is derived from the Latin word for king; it was considered the "King Star". Leo was also considered the beginning zodiacal sign for the astrological year and was thought to denote royalty and power for any of the planets found within it. Jupiter was regarded by the Roman people to be the guardian and ruler of the Roman Empire and it was thought to have the power to determine the course of all human affairs. Venus, now in conjunction with Jupiter, was believed to be the mother of the family of Augustus. So here were the two planets dedicated to the origins of Rome and the sovereignty of Augustus merging together in a "marriage" during one of the most glorious years in the history of Rome, and in the constellation of Leo, at that. That this conjunction also occurred during a full moon was also important to the Romans. Full moon day was especially sacred to Jupiter, and the day itself was called "the Trust of Jupiter". It was celebrated as a time when faith and trust were supposed to be given to the guardian and ruler of the Empire of Rome, whether human or divine (and in the case of Augustus, there was little distinction). Another rare astronomical event occurred 72 days after the conjunction of Jupiter and Venus, on August 27, 2 BC. This was a close grouping, or massing, of the planets Jupiter, Mars, Venus, and Mercury. It also occurred in the constellation Leo, and during the month of August when most of the Roman festivities for that unusual year were taking place. This was seen by astrologers as "common agreement of purpose". It probably also signaled a new and powerful beginning for Rome and the rest of the known civilized world. Just 33 days after the Jupiter/Venus "morning star" conjunction, on August 12, 3 BC, Jupiter came to within 19.8' of Regulus. Regulus, the chief star in Leo, lay practically in the path of the Sun, and was therefore afforded the additional epithet of "Royal Star". Here was the King planet now coming into contact with the "King Star". AND in the Royal Constellation. If viewed in isolation to other astronomical occurrences this single event might not have been significant to astrologers, but combined with the other celestial displays of 3 to 2 BC, it soon took on increased symbolic meaning. This is because the first conjunction began a series of three meetings of Jupiter and Regulus that occurred in a precise sequential pattern. Jupiter first united with Regulus and then continued on its normal journey through the heavens. On December 1, 3 BC, Jupiter stopped its motion through the fixed stars and began its annual "retrograde" motion. In doing so, it once again headed toward Regulus. Then on February 17, 2 BC, the two were reunited, 51' apart. Jupiter continued its retrograde motion another 40 days and then it reverted to its normal motion through the stars. Remarkably, this movement once again placed Jupiter into a third conjunction with Regulus on May 8, 2 BC. They were then 43.2' apart. To astrologers, it appeared as though the King Planet was circling over and around Regulus, the King Star, "homing in" on it and pointing out the significance of the King Star as it related to the King Planet. This circular movement of Jupiter over Regulus would, in all probability, have signaled that a great king was then destined to appear. This circling motion also provided another significant astrological observation. The zero line for beginning and ending the 360 degrees of the Zodiac was determined by some astrologers as existing between Cancer and Leo. This means that this motion effect of Jupiter circling around Regulus was happening in the heavens just east of the zero degree line for astrological measurements. It occurred at the beginning section of the astrological Zodiac in the view of some Gentile astrologers. This interpretation is similar to that designed by Moses; the Biblical Zodiac designed by Moses also began with the royal sign of Leo, but its zero degree line was located in the middle of the constellation, not at its beginning. Whatever the case, these indications would unquestionably have shown the people of that era that a great king or ruler was then being introduced, to the people of the world. And who was the greatest ruler then in existence? Caesar Augustus. These celestial events coincided with the 25th year of Augustus' elevation to supreme power over the Romans, the 750th priestly anniversary of the founding of Rome, and the exact year the people and Senate of Rome bestowed upon Augustus his supreme title of Pater Patriae. To those in Rome, it seemed as though heaven itself was giving approval for the emperorship of Augustus and that the government of Rome had the divine right to world sovereignty. Hardly a person in Rome would have disputed this interpretation and most people would have agreed that the astronomical evidence in support of this interpretation was overwhelming. In other parts of the world, however, these astonishing celestial events were interpreted in a different way. For example, the Magi from the eastern world were also watching these celestial phenomena denoting the advent of royalty. These Magi decided to skip Rome and its festivities; instead they headed toward Jerusalem, and Judaea, looking for this special child whom they considered to be the important newborn "King of the Jews". Some scholars assert that the Star was only visible to the Magi; this is misleading, if not totally false. The stars and planets were there for all to see; but it took the training of the Magi to understand the significance of their positions. And as I've already stated, theirs was not the only interpretation of the celestial pageantry of 3-2 BC. What brought the Magi to Judaea? A prophesy made by Daniel, writing between 605 and 530 BC, which stated that Jerusalem would be rebuilt after the Babylonians destroyed it in the 6th century BC, and that 490 years would pass from a command to rebuild Jerusalem until a world-embracing messianic kingdom would emerge on the earth in the region of Palestine. Although vague references to a Jewish Messiah had been made by earlier prophets, Daniel was the first to specifically predict the birth of this Messiah. However, Daniel's prophecy had some pretty vague factors associated with it. For instance, Daniel did not clearly explain which command to rebuild Jerusalem was meant. He also did not say whether his year-lengths were lunar or solar. As regards the Messiah, Daniel did not indicate at what point in the life of the Messiah the 490 years began their countdown. Thus, the prophecy does not provide, with pinpoint accuracy, when the Messiah would make His presence known. Significant events in a Jewish male's life could include his bar mitzvah, when he achieved 20 years of age and thus able to go to war, or when he became thirty, the year of spiritual adulthood. The 490 year period could also have begun whenever the Messiah would be proclaimed King, which could happen at any time during his life. Because Daniel did not detail these points, the prophecy was vague to Jews and others at the time. It was subject to a variety of questions, not to mention interpretations. Most Jews, however, were certain enough about the prophecy to believe that it would occur somewhere near the first century. Flavius Josephus, born Joseph ben Matthias, the Jewish historian who lived in the last part of the first century, mentioned a conviction among the Jews that this prophecy of Daniel would have its fulfillment within the first century. Josephus further stated that it was shown in the "sacred writings" that about that time one from their country (Judaea) should become governor of the habitable earth. Daniel was a Jewish slave, who as a young boy, was captured by Babylonian soldiers and taken to Babylon, where he served the Babylonian kings. He became a Master Magi, in a sense, and was highly prized by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar, because of his uncanny ability to accurately interpret dreams and predict historical events based on these dreams. His reputation was known throughout the then western civilized world. The Magi were well aware of Daniel's prophecies, since he was one of them. Furthermore the constellation Leo the Lion had great significance to the Jewish people. It was referred to as the Lion of Judah, after the tribe of Judah. To the Magi, the astronomical events fit the prophecy concerning the birth of a great king born of the Jews far more closely than they did the sovereignty of the Roman Empire and Augustus. Even the Romans were aware of the prophecies of Daniel. Roman historians in the early second century wrote of the firm belief that had long prevailed through the east that it was destined for the empire of the world at that time to be given to someone who would come forth from Judaea. Even the Roman emperor Nero was advised to move his seat of empire from Rome to Jerusalem, because that city was then destined to become the capital of the world. Nero, of course, declined. However, in 2 BC, the Romans already had the fulfillment of the prophecy staring at them in the face, in the form of Caesar Augustus. They didn't feel the need to look elsewhere for interpretations. All these widespread beliefs were based on the prophecies of Daniel. Since Jewish people lived in all areas of the Roman and Parthian worlds, their national aspirations would have been well known. These early prophetic convictions of the Jews, Romans, and Magi, were important to those who lived in the first century BC. And the use of astrological interpretations in evaluating the historical events of the time were at an all time high. So, when the Magi, who were professional astrologers, saw what they considered to be the "Star" of a Jewish king, it was a certain sign to them to go to Jerusalem with gifts to present to that newborn king. Most Jews admired the Magi of the east. This was not only because of their former association with the prophet Daniel, but also because they were not idolaters. Though the Magi believed that the power of the deity was manifested in the natural elements of fire, water, air and earth, these Gentile priests did not set up material images in recognition of him. So when the Magi arrived in Jerusalem and made their presence known, Herod was justifiably alarmed. His own court astrologers had no doubt given Herod their own interpretation of the celestial events of the previous months, but Herod, knowing full well the reputation of the Magi, and the esteem in which they were held by the Jews, decided that he needed more information. Furthermore, to refuse an audience with these Magi, who represented eastern royalty, would have been decidedly politically incorrect, not to mention extremely bad manners. The Sanhedrin, the Supreme Court of the Jews, was evidently also anxious to hear what the Magi had to say. How many Magi, or their point of origin, is unclear. But one thing is certain; they traveled with a great deal of pomp and circumstance. Furthermore, persons of their stature would not have traveled by camel; they would have made the journey on horseback. So with all due respect to Hallmark - the three kings on camels depicted on most Christmas cards has no basis in fact. The legend of the "three kings" arose, no doubt, because of the three different gifts presented to the newborn king; gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Three gifts, three kings; the explanation is probably as simple as that. Why, if the Magi were well aware of the prophecy concerning the birth of the King of the Jews, did they stop at Jerusalem and ask Herod for directions? For one thing, as emissaries of royalty, they were bound, by their own code, to pay their respects to royalty in cities they passed through. Also, although they knew that the child was to be born in Judaea, in the city of David, they evidently did not know exactly where Bethlehem was. Bethlehem was about 6 miles south of Jerusalem; once the Magi obtained this information, they were on their way, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, the traditional gifts for newborn royalty. When the Magi arrived in Bethlehem, Jesus was not an infant; he was a toddler. Mary and Joseph were by this time living in a house, not a stable. Matthew, in Chapter 2, Verse 11 of his Gospel states: "And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh." Depending on their point of origin, the journey would have taken them anywhere from two to four months or more, with a stopover in Jerusalem. This would have put their arrival in Bethlehem somewhere between early September and late December of 2 BC. Furthermore, they may not have all started from the same place; they could have stopped along the way and picked up, or consulted with, more of their colleagues. Several places have been proposed for their point of origin, including Babylon, Persia, or Sheba, in Arabia. Although there is some reference in the Old Testament of the Magi coming from Arabia, this is by no means certain and it is highly possible that they did not all come from the same country. There are also historical references to an incident that occurred in 614 AD, when Persian armies invaded the Holy Land, destroying Christian churches. However, when they came to the Basilica in Bethlehem they refused to destroy it because of a mosaic depicting the adoration of the Magi. It turns out they recognized them because of their dress; they were fellow Persians. Through the years there has been some misunderstanding about the star due to a mistranslation of Matthew in the King James version of the Bible. The King James version has the Magi saying "we have seen his star in the east". A more accurate translation is "we have seen his star at its rising". Most of their daily observations took place in the early morning hours, during which they would have seen the Jupiter/Venus conjunction of August, 3 BC. They then searched for further signs, and found them, in the triple conjunction of Jupiter with Regulus. Then, on June 17, 2 BC, Jupiter again joined with Venus, this time in the early evening. This conjunction, in all probability, was what brought the Magi to Jerusalem. The Magi, observing this conjunction from Mesopotamia, would have seen this conjunction on the western horizon, precisely in the direction of Judaea. But the conjunction would have only been visible for a short time, before setting in the western horizon. Yet Matthew's account of the star has the Magi following it westward, until it stopped at the place where the child was born. Now let's take another look at the astronomical events of the 18 month period in 3-2 BC again. What is the one thing they all have in common, with the exception of the Saturn/Mercury conjunction? The planet Jupiter. After leaving its massing with Mars, Saturn, and Venus on August 27, 2 BC Jupiter continued its apparent motion westward each morning, as viewed by the Magi at their regular pre-dawn observations. This westward motion would have led them to Jerusalem. Jupiter then, due to retrograde motion, appeared to "stop" in the sky, as viewed from Jerusalem, directly to the south, over Bethlehem. It came to its normal stationary position at dawn on December 25th, 2 BC. Not only that, but the planet came to a stop in the constellation Virgo. It remained there for nearly six days. Furthermore, being near the Winter Solstice, the sun was also "standing still". So when was Christ born? We know from Biblical references that Christ was born six months after his cousin John the Baptist. Again from Biblical references we can pin down the date of John's birth. John's father, Zachariah, was in the temple performing his priestly duties when an angel visited him in a vision and informed him that his wife Elizabeth, who was barren and on in years, would soon conceive a son. We know from Luke that Zachariah was responsible for the eighth of the 24 Priestly Courses of the Jewish Faith. Each of the 24 courses lasted a week and were repeated twice during the year. The Jews used a luni-solar calendar of 51 weeks - the other three weeks of the year were for the three major Jewish religious celebrations - Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles. Because the calendar only had 51 weeks, the Jews had to add 30 days at prescribed intervals so that the calendar kept pace with the solar year. In the case of Zachariah, he was officiating in the 8th course, or 8th week of the Jewish year, when the angel paid him a visit. The priestly courses probably started their serving in the springtime month of Nisan - the first month of the Jewish ecclesiastical year. This is a chronological clue - it tells us the general time of year that Zachariah was serving. We also know that he was not serving at a festival period because the priests suspended their normal weekly duties and all served together during the major Jewish high holy seasons. Assuming that the springtime month of Nisan began that year (it varied with the state of the crops - in 4 BC it began after midnight on March 28 - March 29) on what corresponds to the end of March of our current calendar, then Zacharias was visited by the angel, and his wife became pregnant, in the month of June. Remember also that Passover, one of the High Holy weeks of the Jews, occurred during the time interval from late March to June - putting off Zacharias' priestly course for one week. Assuming a full-term pregnancy of 9 months, Elizabeth gave birth to John sometime in March. This means Jesus' birth would have taken place the following September. But in which year? And what if Zacharias was serving his priestly course during his second time of the year, in December? This would mean that Elizabeth gave birth to John in September, and Jesus was born the following March. In fact, many modern historians and theologians readily accept a spring date for the birth of Christ because of the passage in Luke regarding the angel who appeared to shepherds guarding their flocks in the field. Several of these historians assert that the only time shepherds were in the fields with the flocks was spring, which was lambing season. The lambs were an important part of the feast of the Passover. However, flocks of sheep were habitually kept in the fields, from early March until late October, and sometimes all year round. It does not seem reasonable that the shepherds would leave them unattended at all, as important as they were to Passover, where they would be subject to predators and theft. In other words, the sheep provide us with no real clue as to the time of the Nativity. Again let us go back to the census of Caesar Augustus - the oath required of all people in the Roman empire and client kingdoms, which began in the late summer or early autumn of 3 BC. If this was indeed the census that brought Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem, and it seems quite probable that it was, than Jesus had to have been born sometime around this period. We know from the Biblical stories of the Nativity that Mary was "great with child" - in other words, close to full-term. We know that once Joseph and Mary arrived at their destination, Bethlehem, she went into labor and delivered. This makes September of 3 BC the most likely month of Jesus' birth, with John being born in March of 3 BC. We know also that Jesus' birth had to occur before September 26 of that year, because the High Holy week of Tabernacles was from September 26 to October 3 in 3 BC; this required Jews to be in Jerusalem to celebrate this holy festival. Yet Mary and Joseph were in Bethlehem when Jesus was born. The Romans would not have selected the three primary festival seasons for a census when most of the Jews in Palestine were required to be in Jerusalem. Luke tells us that the city of Bethlehem was crowded because of the census - NOT because people were crowding toward Jerusalem for ceremonial purposes. There are other historical markers that point to the year 3 BC as the year of Jesus' birth. Luke's narrative states that Jesus began his ministry in the 15th year of Tiberius' reign as Emperor of Rome, when Jesus was about 30. Unfortunately Luke does not tell us if he used the Roman method of reckoning Tiberius' 15th year, or that which people in Judaea and Syria were accustomed to, which antedated the reign of kings and emperors to Tishri One ( the Jewish New Year's Day) of the previous year. However, Ernest Martin believes that it is more likely that Luke was using the Eastern method of reckoning Tiberius' reign, because he was writing his gospel to the Greeks and Romans, to Gentiles in general, and to one Christian convert, Theophilus, in particular. This method of reckoning would put the whole year in which Tiberius became emperor of Rome on August 19, 14 AD as his first year of rule. This means that New Year's day for the beginning of that year begins the first year of Tiberius. Hence, the whole year from Tishri One, 13 AD to Tishri One, 14 AD would have been the first year of Tiberius. Consequently, Tiberius 15th year would have been from Tishri One in 27 AD to Tishri One in 28 AD. This would put Jesus' birth somewhere in 3 BC, given that he was "about thirty" when he began his ministry. This also fits nicely with the Jewish belief that spiritual maturity did not begin until the age of thirty. Many scholars have limited their time frame of Jesus' birth to the period before 4 BC, as most of them accept the fact that Herod the Great died in 4 BC. We know a great deal about Herod's death, from the works of Flavius Josephus, who stated that Herod died after a lunar eclipse and was buried before Passover. There were lunar eclipses in March 23 of 5 BC (total), March 13 of 4 BC (partial) and January 10 of 1 BC (total). There was also an eclipse on September 15, 5 BC, but this eclipse has been ruled out for a variety of reasons. Herod was in Jericho when the rabbis were executed - Jericho was where his winter palace was located. Because of his ill health, he was advised by his physicians to return to Jericho from Jerusalem, because the climate was better for his health. He would not have been in Jericho in September, because the heat at that time of year would have been unbearable. He was critically ill at the time, and would hardly have subjected himself to the late summer heat of Jericho in his condition. The day of the eclipse, after the executions, it was said that the moon that night was red with the blood of the murdered rabbis. The eclipse of March 13 of 4 BC was only a partial - 40% at that. This would not have turned the moon red. Furthermore, there was not enough time between this eclipse, and the final burial of Herod's body at the Herodian, once all the customs, and mourning periods required at the time, to take place. The March 23, 5 BC eclipse suffers from the same problems. The problem is that Josephus wrote that the eclipse of 4 BC was the eclipse with which Herod's death was associated. This is why most scholars have asserted that Herod died in 4 BC. However, it must be remembered that there were no Xerox machines in the first century AD. Manuscripts were copied painstakingly by hand and errors were made. In this case, Josephus, writing some 100 years after the birth of Christ, may have made the error himself - or some poor scribe, toiling by candlelight in the late hours simply copied the date incorrectly. Those proponents of the March, 4 BC eclipse claim that, because the elaborate funeral preparations took so much time, that the Passover Josephus refers to is the Passover in the year following Herod's death. This reasoning has a number of flaws. It was recorded, by Josephus, that Archelaus, Herod's son and successor, was able to accomplish several matters of state before Passover began. Archelaus would hardly have waited an entire year to assume the throne; in fact, Josephus reports that the new king went to Rome as soon as Passover was ended in order to confirm his kingship with the Roman Emperor. Josephus reports that both the public and private mourning periods had been carried out before Archelaus began making state decisions. Furthermore, it was customary at the time of a king's death for the king's royal treasury to be returned to Rome. Caesar's financial officer for Syrian affairs, one Sabinus, met Archelaus at the port city of Caesarea in order to secure the treasure of the dead king. It is hard to believe that Sabinus would have waited 13 months to take charge of Herod's treasury, which in essence belonged to Rome. Josephus wrote about the circumstances surrounding Herod's funeral in great detail. Herod had left explicit instructions regarding his funeral; it was to be the grandest funeral in all of human history. To make sure that the Jewish people would also be in mourning, Herod had first invited, then imprisoned, many prominent Jewish elders. Messengers were sent out from Jericho to all parts of Herod's realm, bearing orders that all the elders of the cities and villages come to Jericho on pain of death. Since the northern cities of Herod's kingdom were some 130 miles away, it would have taken at least a week from the day the order was issued to get them all to Jericho. Once they were there, they were locked up in the hippodrome. Herod gave further orders that they were all to be put to death the day Herod died. This would ensure that the entire Jewish community would be in mourning, albeit not for Herod. Fortunately, this monstrous plan was never carried out; Herod's successors immediately released the elders after Herod's death. There were only 29 days between the eclipse of March 13, 4 BC and Passover - and the public mourning period alone was 30 days. Furthermore, custom required the body to be borne to its final resting place on the shoulders of family members, on foot. And as was Jewish custom, the mourners were unshod. Members of the royal family were hardly used to bearing heavy burdens over rough roads in bare feet. The burial site, the Herodian, was some 25 miles from Jericho. The procession went in "stages", much like the Roman armies traveled. This meant that in all likelihood, the distance the funeral cortege could have traveled was approximately 1 mile per day, with stopovers in each town so that the body could lay in state for a period of time in each one of them, enabling the local townspeople to pay their respects. Another reason for the slow rate of travel was to keep the body intact; it was embalmed with honey, as was the custom of the time. This anointing of the body with honey took place once per day to prevent putrefaction. One can only imagine the hordes of flies that accompanied the funeral cortege (no doubt paying their final respects), to say nothing of the odor of decaying flesh. If the bier were mounted on a carriage and drawn by horseback over the rough road, the body would have fallen to pieces en route. Also, a suitable military escort for the funeral cortege had to be assembled; Herod was hated by the Jews and there was a high risk of desecration of the body on the trip to the Herodian. Archelaus, his successor, was also at high risk of assassination. When one adds on the tasks of organizing the procession (it took some 500 domestics to carry spices that were also used in the preservation process), and the time it took to secure the royal treasury from Jerusalem for its role in the burial rites, this whole process was more likely to have taken 8-10 weeks, not 29 days. The only eclipse that fits this timeline is that of January 10, of 1 BC. This leaves us free to look at the years 3 and 2 BC, instead of limiting our search to the years prior to 4 BC. In conclusion, it was the first Jupiter/Venus conjunction of August 12, 3 BC in the constellation Cancer that alerted the Magi to look for further signs. They found them - in the triple conjunction of Jupiter in Regulus in the constellation Leo. But it was the second conjunction, on June 17, 2 BC, in the evening, of Jupiter and Venus, in the constellation Leo, that started the Magi on their way west. Although the Magi probably had predicted these celestial events in advance, they wanted confirmation that their predictions would come to pass. The "star" they followed was the planet Jupiter, the King Planet, which, having gone through its retrograde motion, appeared to stand still on precisely December 25, 2 BC in the southern sky - and from Jerusalem it would appear that Jupiter had come to rest directly over Bethlehem. It remained stationary for 6 days, and to add to the symbolic significance, it was stationary in the center, or perhaps "womb", of the constellation Virgo. This explanation is elegant in its simplicity, but often the simplest answers are the correct ones. This scenario, first presented by Dr. Ernest Martin, is the only one that fits the facts that we have at our disposal and I believe it to be by far the most plausible to date. But it requires us to go back in time, and attempt to understand the prevailing concepts of astronomy/astrology of 2000 years ago. For many astronomers today, this is a difficult task. Yet there is something compelling about the story of the Star that urges us, as amateur astronomers, to attempt to unravel the mystery surrounding it. Whatever the Star of Bethlehem was, it has had more impact on humankind than any star before or since. It is also possible that the mystery of the Star will never be completely solved. But for many of us, it is the mystery itself that drives us to find the solution. SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY NOTE: URLs are subject to change. The URLs listed below were current at the time of writing. Some may have changed since then. Those URLs that are not linked could not be verified as of 12/24/98. Bidelman, Dr. William P. The Bimillenary of Christ s Birth: The Astronomical Evidence. Reprinted from the Planetarian, September 1991.< http://www.griffithobs.org/IPSBidelman.html > Binder, Richard. The Star of Bethlehem. Originally written December 1984; last revised July 1997. < http://members.aol.com/pugnax/StarOfBethlehem/ > Chester, Craig. The Star of Bethlehem. Monterey Institute for Research in Astronomy. Reprinted from IMPRIMUS, December 1993, 22(12). Hillsdale, MI C.I.M. Outline #19, Volume 3. The Star of Bethlehem: What Was It? < http://www.fni.com/cim/briefings/star.txt > Collins, Kenneth W. The Star of Bethlehem.1995. < http://www.kencollins.com/Why-01.htm > Dietrich, Bill. Star of Wonder: Astronomical Events That Could Have Shone Down On Bethlehem. Seattle Times, December 24, 1996. < http://seattletimes.com/todaysnews/browse/html/altstar_122496.html > Greetham, Rev. Phil. The Wise Men and the Star of Christ. 1997 http://ourworld.compuserve.com/hompages/p_greetham/wisemen/chron1.html < http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/p_greetham/wisemen/chron1.html > Hamilton, Edith. Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes. Penguin Books, LTD. 1940. The Holy Bible, King James edition. The Holy Bible, NIV (New International Version) 10th Anniversary Edition. Josephus, Flavius. (born Joseph ben Matthias) Antiquities of the Jews ca 100 AD. < http://wesley.nnc.edu/josephus > Josephus, Flavius. War of the Jews. ca 100 AD. < http://wesley.nnc.edu/josephus > Leake, Jonathan. Wise Men of West Find The Star Of Bethlehem. London Times, November 24, 1996. Martin, Ernest L. The Star of Bethlehem: The Star That Astonished The World. 1996. ASK Publications, PO Box 25000, Portland, OR 97225 ISBN 0-945657-87-0 Morris, Henry M., Ph.D. Star Witness. Institute for Creation Research, 1985. www.icr.org/pubs/imp/imp-150.htm < http://www.icr.org/pubs/imp/imp-150.htm > Mosley, John. Common Errors in Star of Bethlehem Planetarium Shows. Reprinted from the Planetarian, Third Quarter 1981. < http://www.griffithobs.org/IPSChristmasErrors.html > No author listed. The Star of Bethlehem. < http://riemann.usno.navy.mil/AA/faq/docs/faq3.html > No author listed. The Origin of Christianity. http://www.widowmaker.com/~piso/html/forward.html Pratt, John P. Yet Another Eclipse For Herod. Reprinted from the Planetarian, 19(4):8- 14. 1990. < http://www.griffithobs.org/IPSPlanPlatt.html > Rozell, Ned. Searching for the Star of Bethlehem. Alaska Science Forum, December 12, 1996. Article #1315. < http://www.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF13/1315.html > Stasiuk, Garry T. The Magi s Star. < http://www.pacifier.com/~garrys/Magi.html > Strobel, Nick. The Star of Bethlehem: An Astronomical Perspective. December 1995. University of Washington, Department of Astronomy, Box 351580, Seattle, WA 98195- 1580. Email - strobel@astro.washington.edu < mailto:strobel@astro.washington.edu > Walden, B. The Star of Bethlehem. < http://www2.trincoll.edu/~bwalden/ast-proj/group7/star.html > Webb, John Charles, Jr. The Star of Bethlehem: The Pi Factor. 1997. http://www.alohanet/~johnboy/pi.htg/pi.htm < http://www.aloha.net/~johnboy/pi.htg/pi.htm > Zouhar, Paul James. Star of Bethlehem: Chart of Bethlehem Star. 1996, 1997. http://www.abeso.com/artdenz/ari/betstar/html Simulations of pertinent astronomical events were performed using TheSky software, Version IV. Published by Software Bisque, Golden, CO. 1996 Additional simulations performed with RedShift 2. Published by Maris Multimedia Ltd. 1995. And Distant Suns, RomTech, Inc. 1995. Copyright 1989-95 by R. Michael Smithwick. The Star of Bethlehem: An Astronomical and Historical Perspective - Copyright 1997 by Pulcherrima Productions. 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