JUPITER. The name of the greatest god of Roman mythology. And the name of the largest planet of our solar system. Jupiter has been known from ages-old to the present as the King Planet. This greatest of planets is a “gas giant,” approximately eleven times the size of Earth and over 300 times more massive. It circles the Sun far beyond Earth, in an orbit of about twelve years duration. In ancient times, planets like Jupiter were considered “wandering stars.” Since humans have assigned kingly qualities to this giant wanderer for dozens of centuries, might it have something to do with our Star announcing the birth of a king? That will be our working theory.
It’s not enough to have a kingly name and reputation, of course. To be Matthew’s Star, Jupiter as viewed from Earth would have to do peculiar things. More precisely, as considered by a magus viewing from the Middle East during the years 3 and 2 BC, Jupiter’s movements would have to satisfy all nine identifying characteristics of the Star. In September of 3 BC at the time of the Jewish New Year, Rosh ha-Shanah, Jupiter began to do just that.A magus watching Jupiter that September saw two objects moving so close that they appeared to touch. This close approach of celestial bodies is sometimes called a ‘conjunction.’ Our Middle Eastern viewer saw Jupiter coming into a close conjunction with the star, Regulus. Regulus takes its name from the word root which yields our word ‘regal.’ The Babylonians called Regulus Sharu, which means ‘king.’ The Romans called Regulus Rex, which means ‘king.’ So to start things, at the beginning of the new Jewish year, the Planet of Kings met the Star of Kings.
This conjunction may have indicated kingship in a forceful way to a Babylonian magus (satisfying one qualification for the Star), but would it have startled him? Probably not.
Jupiter’s royal dance
Jupiter glides slowly past Regulus about every 12 years. Let’s assume our magus enjoyed a 50-year career, say from age 20 to age 70. We don’t know how old the Magi were, but if our man was in the second half of his career, he might have seen such a pass two or three times before. Jupiter’s orbit wobbles relative to Regulus, so not every conjunction is as close as the one he saw in 3 BC. Perhaps our magus recorded this event with some interest, but it is hard to imagine great excitement. Not from this alone. But, of course, there is more.
The planets move against the field of fixed stars. From Earth, they appear to be “active.” For example, were you to watch Jupiter each night for several weeks, you would see that it moves eastward through the starry field. Each night Jupiter rises in the east (satisfying a second Star qualification). Each night it appears to be slightly farther east in the field of fixed stars. All of the planets move like this.
But the wandering stars exhibit another, stranger motion. Periodically, they appear to reverse course and move backward through the other stars. This may seem odd, but the reason is simple enough: we watch the planets from a moving platform—Earth—hurtling around the Sun in its own orbit. When you pass a car on the freeway, it appears to go backward as it drops behind. For similar reasons, when the Earth in its orbit swings past another planet, that planet appears to move backward against the starry field. Astronomers call this optical effect retrograde motion.
In 3/2 BC, Jupiter’s retrograde wandering would have called for our magus’ full attention. After Jupiter and Regulus had their kingly encounter, Jupiter continued on its path through the star field. But then it entered retrograde. It “changed its mind” and headed back to Regulus for a second conjunction. After this second pass it reversed course again for yet a third rendezvous with Regulus, a triple conjunction. A triple pass like this is more rare. Over a period of months, our watching magus would have seen the Planet of Kings dance out a halo above the Star of Kings. A coronation.
The CD captured my complete attention, as I write devotions for the website, posted 2 times each week. I want to write a Christmas story using your terrific CD details, but need the pics to display the narrative.
Although I do not plagerize your work, Mr. Larson, is there any way that I might use several clips of night sky to show this dramatic starry dance announcing the King of kings to my readers? WITH Jupiter’s retrograde dance in red?
I will happily send you a completed story, (before publication), if you like, to see how I used your information–credited as such. Please let me know if this is possible, and thank you for your time and attention.
Sincerely,
Jolene Griffith
Jolene: you may use brief clips.
R
Hi Mr Larsen
I was stunned when I first watched you DVD a couple of years ago. I have watched it several times since as well as frequently visiting the website. (All of your information is so detailed I can’t take it all in in one go.)
Thank you so much for your painstakingly detailed work – and thank God for leading and inspiring you.
I am now preparing some sessions for our children’s church leading up to Christmas based on your work and wonder if I too could use a few short clips. The children I am working with are 10-13 so I need to pare down the wealth of information into far simpler and shorter bite sized pieces for them.
Blessings
Christine McDonald
Yes, you may use short clips. And, thank you for your kind encouragement!
We watched you video in Church tonight and I was so in to it very neat stuff I recommend everyone to watch it thank you Mr Larson..
Greetings Mr Larson, In presenting some of your researched material to the congregation I need to quote where I got it and how those interested can access more data. May I please use some of your information (in very simplified format) in two christmas sermons ? May I have permission to do this ? I will acknowledge you as my source. Respectfully, P.C.
You have my permission to use my material as you have described. My only requirements are that you tell people that you are using the material with permission (so that they know you are not violating copyright), and that you tell them how they can access the website and/or obtain their own copies of the DVD. Blessings!
Our group watched your video tonight and I’m fascinated. Do you have a timeline anywhere that explains the timeline of these events? I am having a hard time tracking our linear time with the 3/2 BC parts that you refer to. Thanks
Don’t have a timeline. But this site pretty much lays it all out.
Mr. Larson,
I was watching your video in bible class and me and my class were absolutely fascinated at your discoveries. May God bless you and your work!
Sincerely,
VC
Peace & Grace to you Mr. Larsen,
I’m from Egypt, i first heard your study on youtube while preparing for our Christmass festival & was astonished. I didn’t hear something like before, so GOD bless u.
I’m thinking to give a shortcut about this study for my children that i serve in my church they are about 11 to 15 years old. And you know that here in Egypt we don’t know much about astrology, so can you suggest what shall i do????
I really want them to know that our LORD’s birth wasn’t something ordinary or ok to happen, but it was something declaring GOD’s power & greatness. Plz help me simplifying this to them. thank u.
Mariam,
I collaborated with Billy Tucci on a children’s graphic novel called A Child is Born. You can see it here: http://www.amazon.com/Billy-Tuccis-Child-Is-Born/dp/0983835241/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1356110435&sr=8-1&keywords=a+child+is+born+billy+tucci
The book presents the information about the star in a much simplified form. It is a completely beautiful book. Perhaps you can order one from Amazon.
What amazing symbolism the celestia king, Reulus Sharu, meets and crowns the solar king, Jupiter, perfect symbolism of the celestial King Jehova, comming panetary earth and taking on mortal flesh to prefom the atonement and become the Jesus Christ the Eternal Father
Mr. Larson,
I have encountered a data point that I do not recall having been referenced in your presentation but that may corroborate further your theory of the Star of Bethlehem. According to early church tradition, the Annunciation took place around Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. For example, in the first complete biography of Jesus’ mother, “The Life of the Virgin,” Maximus the Confessor, a seventh-century Greek Father of the Church, wrote of the Annunciation: “It was in the first month, when God also created the whole world, in order to show us that now he renews the old world again. It was the first day of the week, which is Sunday, on which day he dispelled the primeval darkness and created the primordial light…” (translation by Shoemaker, Stephen). I would be very curious to hear the extent to which these details are consistent with your theory and available evidence from the Starry Night software.
Jouney On,
Learned Foot
This would be consistent with the chronology I use.
I was just wondering on what the program was that you used to make these discoveries. I have some basic astronomy programs and I was hoping to get my hands on the same one you used to do some of my own research. Thanks for your time, I really enjoyed the dvd and look forward to any other videos that you release.
Concerning the software, please see the FAQ. To help with my new project, please visit christquake.com Help me make the new film!
Some remarks. 2000 years ago, existed already a 1500 years old recorded history of conjunctions which are/were extremely common and well known. However, Matthew doesn’t write anything about a conjunction of TWO stars, but he was writing only about ONE star. Also, you make the retrograde movement of Jupiter coincide with the major parts of the trip of the Magi but how could they have known this in ADVANCE ? Or why do you stick an occidental point of view to the magi from the Orient? How can the name of Jupiter ‘King of the Stars’ be a reason to go to Jerusalem? And why only on this very occasion in 2/3 BC and not before or after? Why did the church never consider Jupiter as the Bethlehem star? Why do not you pay any attention to the very close resemblances of Zoroastrianism and the story as related by Matthew? Why the Magi came from the East and not from somewhere else? Why did they ‘see’ the star and nobody else?
Just too many questions you do not answer for you do not HAVE an answer.
For these reasons I just think your explanation is NOT right. I propose another one –Spica being the Bethlehem star– and all these issues examined from many other points of view (including Bible, history, iconography, literature, astronomy, comparing religions, linguistics, culture, mathematics, physics, ….)
I worried about accepting your post. Your aggressive tone and scattershot criticism do not seem to advance discussion of the Star. However, I have a strong preference for free expression. So, I decided to accept your post. I hope that as you study more, your questions and criticisms will resolve.
Sometimes those who run low-traffic sites post on high-traffic sites to attract an audience they have not earned with their own work. For this reason, I have removed links to your site from your post. If your site has merit, visitors will come.
Fabulous work! Other works have also identified the start in 3bc “Michael Rood”, but almost all church fathers prior to 300 AD -pointed to 3bc also confirming your research. I highly recommend your video when I teach on the real birth of Christ. Although I do let them know at the end of your video you didn’t do the same diligent research for Christ’s death on the cross as you did for his birth. You counted on traditions of believing Yeshua had a 3 1/2 ministry, and placing Christ on the cross in 33ad on a Friday. According to your calculations you have Christ dying on the cross at the age of 35. All church fathers prior to 300 ad had Yeshua with a 1 year ministry (matching the requirement of the Jews sacrificing a 1 year old lamb) placing Christ on the cross on a Wednesday night and 3 days and 3 nights would have him raising from the dead Saturday night at Sundown which to the Jews is “early on the first day of the week”. So his ministry started in 27 ad and ended in 28 ad making his birth exactly how you set it for Tabernacles 3bc.
Pastor: Thank you for your kind encouragement! I am quite familiar with the matters you raise. You’ll find multiple interesting entries in the FAQ when you get a chance to read it.
Several of your statements of what I teach are pretty far off the mark. But, I don’t do much editing of posts. I like to let people have their say as much as possible. You might want to check the FAQ, as there are several entries relevant to your statements.