How the Star of Bethlehem Moved

DEFENSE

The star of Bethlehem did not lead the Magi.

Some propose that the star was a supernatural phenomenon, making it capable of leading the Magi. However, this proposal is unnecessary. The text doesn’t claim the star led anybody.

When the Magi arrive in Jerusalem, they say, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East” (Matt. 2:2). This passage has been understood two ways: (1) the Magi were in the east when they saw the star, and (2) they saw the star when it rose over the eastern horizon (as stars typically do).

On neither interpretation did the star lead the Magi. They recognized that its appearance implied a Jewish royal birth, and they therefore went where one would expect such a baby to be found: King Herod’s palace in Jerusalem. If the star were leading them, they would have gone straight to Bethlehem. The fact that they had to stop and ask where to find the baby shows they weren’t being led.

Once told where to look for the child, they set out on the road to Bethlehem, which is about six miles south of Jerusalem. Again, they are not following the star. They are already on their way when, by a providential coincidence, they see the star again.

“The star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy” (Matt. 2:9–10). Their rejoicing at seeing the star again indicates they recognized the coincidence. They weren’t expecting it.

All the text implies is that the star was in the southern sky in front of them as they traveled to Bethlehem, and when they got there it was, from their perspective, vertically above the Holy Family’s home. That fits the natural motion of a star, which would sweep out an arc in the sky of 15 degrees per hour as they went to Bethlehem.

The text thus indicates that the second sighting of the star was providential, but it does not suggest that the star moved in an unusual way.