WASHINGTON DC – A NASA expert believes he’s cracked the code on the legendary Star of Bethlehem. According to Biblical accounts, this celestial beacon guided the three wise men to the newborn Jesus during the nativity story.
The star reportedly emerged in the eastern sky, leading the trio before hovering above Bethlehem to pinpoint the Christ child’s location.
For centuries, the Star of Bethlehem has fascinated believers and skeptics alike, with many dismissing it as pure legend. But now a NASA researcher suggests the star may have been real—just not quite as traditional interpretations imagine.
Writing in the Journal of the British Astronomical Association, planetary expert Mark Matney points to a comet documented by Chinese stargazers in 5BC as a likely explanation.
Given that historical records place Jesus’s birth around 6BC or 5BC, the timeline appears to align. Additionally, Mr Matney’s analysis indicates the comet could have been visible during a June morning in 5BC, reports the Express.
Mr Matney noted that travelers heading south toward Bethlehem would have observed the comet appearing to move ahead of them in the sky.
In his research, Mr Matney stated: “A comet candidate has been presented that can explain all aspects of Matthew’s pericope. A comet orbit can be constructed that both fits the Chinese observations and passed very close to Earth in early June.
“On one particular June day, this comet could have moved in such a way as to appear to ‘go before’ someone travelling from Jerusalem to Bethlehem and then ‘stop’ nearly overhead for about two hours.
“This unusual comet motion would have occurred during daylight, when ancient people would normally travel…the candidate presented here corresponds to all aspects of both the Chinese observations and the descriptions of the Star in Matthew.”
This isn’t the first occasion a scientist has applied scientific analysis to the life of Jesus. Earlier this year, British anthropologist Dr Paul Warner made the extraordinary claim that he had discovered Jesus’ body and the Ark of the Covenant beneath the Great Pyramid of Egypt.
Presenting his findings to the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities, Dr Warner suggested that these ancient relics had been concealed within a double cave deep inside the pyramids.
He went on to say that the artifacts could be located behind a stone block that seals off the subterranean chamber’s southern passageway, though additional investigation would be needed to verify his hypothesis.
