Where did the magi first see the star?

Answer 1

The magi were priests of the Zoroastrian god, Ahura Mazda, and were widely known as "wise men" for their great learning. In particular, they were experts in astronomy and Astrology. So, if anyone could understand the meaning of a bright new star, they could.

Today, we know that a heavenly body, whether star or comet, could not possibly identify the exact house in a densely populated town like Bethlehem - they are just too far away. Nor is it at all probable that a divinely guided star would first lead the magi to Jerusalem, thus alerting King Herod and creating significant tension in Matthew's nativity story. That they asked the king for directions means that they did not yet realise that the star would lead them to the house in which Jesus was born, but after being sent away by the king they then had faith that it would.

Answer 2

AnswerAccording to the Gospel of Matthew, the magi came following a star from the east, so that they could worship Jesus in the house where he was born. The author of Luke's Gospel knew nothing of this particular event, and the star was not recorded by any of the scribes who recorded all other interesting celestial events of the time.

Historians have noted that there was no new star or unusual celestian event that appeared in the sky around the time that Jesus would have been born. Scholars also note that any star or other heavenly body could not behave the way that Matthewdescribes this star as behaving - guiding the wise men to Jerusalem, then to Bethlehem and the very house in which Jesus was to be found. John Shelby Spong (Born of a Woman: A Bishop Rethinks the Birth of Jesus) says that Matthew was clearly writing Christian midrash.

Answer 3

A:

Matthew's Gospel says that the magi (wise men) followed a star, which somehow led them westwards to Jerusalem then turned around and led them back towards the south-east, where it was even able to show them the exact house where Jesus lay. However, Ian Wilson (Jesus: The Evidence) says the hard reality is that Matthew's nativity story offers insufficient historicity for anyone to be confident that there was a star at all. This account has all the hallmarks of myth.

Answer 4

The three wise men followed the star becase they know the jesus was born The three wise men followed the star becase they know the jesus was born

Answer 5

they followed a star.

Answer 6

They were astrologers.