Star of Bethlehem

[flaja]

What books on the Star of Bethlehem has anybody read?

I’ve read The Star that Astonished the World by Ernest L. Martin and The star of Bethlehem : the legacy of the Magi by Michael R. Molnar.

Martin’s is far more plausible.

 

[flaja]

While doing some research into Martin’s book I discovered that he was once associated with Herbert Armstrong’s cult the Worldwide Church of God. This organization used to believe that Christ is a created being rather than the only begotten Son of God. Martin was on the faculty of the Worldwide Church of God’s college, but he resigned due to a doctrinal dispute long before he wrote The Star that Astonished the World. I don’t know what his beliefs were when he wrote this book.

In researching Martin I ran across this website: http://www.september11news.com/Sept11History.htm

Supposedly September 11 is the anniversary of all kinds of historical events so 9-11 and the number 11 are supposed to have prophetic and supernatural significance. In an earlier work Martin calculated the birth of Christ as September 11, 3 BC. However, In TSTATW (written in 1999) Martin laid out an elaborate scenario for the death and funeral of Herod as they related to a particular eclipse that was mentioned by Josephus. If I correctly remember what I read, Martin placed Christ’s birth in 1 AD.

I note that on 9-11-1499 the French captured the Italian city of Milan. A French military victory without any help from the U.S. or Great Britain? Maybe 9-11 does have something supernatural about it.

BTW: I wonder if all of the 9-11s are based on the same calendar- Julian or Gregorian? The English speaking world did not adopt the Gregorian Calendar until sometime early in the 18th century. That’s why you’ll see two dates given for George Washington’s birthday in some reference books (Old Style and New Style).