spin

You are mixing the Lucan version with the manger and the shepherds with the Matthean version in which Jesus was born in Joseph's house in Bethlehem. He took her to himself in Mt 1:24, where Jesus was born, 1:25. We are told that this was Bethlehem in the following verse, 2:1.

To answer your question, the text says that a star stopped over where the child was.


spin

ScotsLoon

Spin,

Thanks for the answer, I am quite ignorant when it comes to the bible hence the simple question. Do christians then believe that a star rested a few feet above the birth place of jesus? Do we know if he suffered from a little sunburn?

Lógos Sokratikós

The three "wise" men weren't wise. They mistook Jebus for Mitra. All they had to do is have a word with their moms. One of them spoke Persian, the other Aramean. Can't be easier! :banghead:



Lógos Sokratikós
And also, they should have known astrology isn't kosher! Duh! What's next- gold, incense and pork? Sheesh!

spin

I wouldn't want to put words into the writer's mouth, so I can't answer these questions, sorry. I'm sure you can read what he says as well as I can. Probably better.

I do know that an ancient's ideas about stars didn't have the science behind them that our ideas can have. But I wouldn't want to make much out of this.


spin

ScotsLoon

Spin,

Thanks again for your response, I'll get myself a bible in the new year and have a look.

Do any christians want to respond?

David B

Only if there were any good reason to suppose that the story is true in the first place.

In the light of the absense of historical evidence of a census, or massacre of innocents, and the clear inconsistencies in the two biblical accounts of the alleged events, I see no such good reason.

However, I'm always ready to hear someones case made.

What good reasons are there for believing that the story of the magi ever happened?

If it didn't, your question of how they were led to the infant is a bit like asking how Rudolph can fly.

David B

GakuseiDon

The wise men saw a star in the east, which somehow indicated that a new king of the Jews was born. So they went to Jerusalem, where Herod told them to go to Bethlehem.

As for the star: no, it wouldn't have caused sunburn. As Tatian wrote:

How can I believe one who tells me that the sun is a red-hot mass and the moon an earth? Such assertions are mere logomachies, and not a sober exposition of truth.

ScotsLoon

David B,

If I were asking someone who believed Rudolph could fly then it would be a valid and sensible question (to ask how she can fly), do you agree? There are people who believe this did happen and I am interested in how they believe it happened (when it appears to me that a star cannot rest above a building).

David B

Why not look on line?

The KJV is here, as are links to other versions

http://www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/

David B

ScotsLoon

Does the bible explain how they found jesus once they got to Bethlehem?