What Was the Star of Bethlehem?
My wife and I discovered this video on the identity of the Star of Bethlehem by Rick Larson (www.bethlehemstar.net) a few years ago and were absolutely speechless by his presentation and evidence. Viewing it has become a part of our annual Christian tradition, and I want to share it with you all now (full video below).
Larson treats the biblical Star of Bethlehem as a “puzzle or mystery” that can be solved, not as a metaphor or allegory, not as a miraculous sign in the sky that appeared and disappeared without a trace; in other words, a real celestial body that can be discovered by using astronomical technology.
After making a case for a new understanding of Christ’s birth around 2 B.C. (by looking at early manuscripts of Josephus), Larson utilizes 9 characteristics of the star in Matthew 2 to reveal what it really was. Some of those characteristics include:
(Matthew 2:2b) The star must have risen in the east like other stars.
(Matthew 2:7) Herod didn’t know when the star appeared, suggesting that the star was not an uncommon phenomenon (like a comet).
(Matthew 2:9) The star “stopped.” But can a star really do such a thing?
When Larson’s case has been made and he finally reveals what his search has discovered, you will be blown away by the awesome majesty of the God of the universe.I hope you enjoy this video and, on behalf of all of us at A Clear Lens, we hope you have a warm, safe, and joy-filled Christmas!
