Nansings (4 Sep 2026)
"THE STAR THAT ASTONISHED THE WORLD"

 
There was one typo in the document that is now corrected.  I'm submitting two documents on this subject, as the two page version may be more readable, and gives two possibilities for posting.  Probably the one page document is too "mashed" together for posting.

Even without the astronomical input, the Bible shows that Jesus was not born on Succot - book, chapter, and verse!

Thank you,
Nancy Harbour
harbourn@yahoo.com

                                     THE STAR THAT ASTONISHED THE WORLD   BY DR. ERNEST L. MARTIN

     FROM 6 BC TO 4 AD IS ONE OF THE MOST NEBULOUS DECADES IN THE HISTORY OF ROME.  EVEN JOSEPHUS AND OTHERS LEFT SOME QUESTIONABLE INFORMATION, SOME OF IT AT ODDS WITH RECORDS LEFT BY THE EARLY CHURCH FATHERS.
     ASTRONOMERS ARE ABLE TO SCIENTIFICALLY PINPOINT JESUS’ BIRTH IN THE TWILIGHT HOURS OF ROSH HASHANAH, WHICH WAS SEPTEMBER 11, 3 BC.  THE WITNESS IN THE STARS CONFIRMS THIS. 
     THE “STAR” (A TEMPORARY CONJUNCTION OF VENUS AND JUPITER) WAS SPOTTED IN THE EAST ON JUNE 17, 2 BC.  JESUS WOULD HAVE BEEN ABOUT 9 MONTHS OLD AT THIS POINT.  THE MAGI HAD A LONG AND ARDUOUS JOURNEY, VISITING THE CHRIST CHILD IN A HOUSE (MATTHEW 2:11) IN BETHLEHEM.  AT THIS TIME (HANUKKAH, THAT WAS DECEMBER 25, 2 BC), THE CHRIST CHILD WAS 15 MONTHS OLD.  THE MAGI, WARNED IN A DREAM NOT TO RETURN TO HEROD AND REPORT TO HIM AS REQUESTED OF THEIR VISIT, “DEPARTED INTO THEIR OWN COUNTRY ANOTHER WAY” (MATTHEW 2:12).
     JOSEPH, WARNED BY THE ANGEL OF THE LORD IN A DREAM, WENT WITH MARY & JESUS TO EGYPT IN LATE DECEMBER 2 BC.  IN EARLY JANUARY 1 BC HEROD, WROTH THAT THE MAGI LEFT WITHOUT REPORTING TO HIM, ORDERED MALE CHILDREN IN BETHLEHEM & VICINITY 2 YEARS & UNDER TO BE KILLED.  THERE WAS A LUNAR ECLIPSE JAN. 10, 1 BC SHORTLY BEFORE HEROD’S DEATH IN LATE JANUARY 1 BC.  HE WAS BURIED (AN ELABORATE, LENGTHY PROCEDURE FOR A KING), & HIS SON ARCHELAUS REIGNED BY PASSOVER 1 BC.  JOSEPH, MARY AND JESUS RETURNED TO NAZARETH IN SPRING 1 BC.
     THIS DATING HAS COME INTO VIEW ONLY IN THE LAST HALF CENTURY DUE TO ARCHAOLOGICAL DISCOVERIES AND TECHNICAL ADVANCES.  DR. ERNEST L. MARTIN GOES INTO EXTENSIVE LENGTH TO DETAIL THIS, AND IN THE PROCESS GIVES QUITE A DISCOURSE ON MUCH NEEDED REVISIONIST HISTORY OF ROME IN THE PERIOD FROM 6 BC TO 4 AD.  HE ALSO GIVES DETAILED ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS, AND SHOWS HOW BIBLICAL REFERENCES ARE SUPPORTED BY THEM.
     HE CONTENDS THAT JESUS BEGAN HIS OFFICIAL MINISTRY IN THE PASSOVER AND PENTECOST SEASON OF THE SABBATICAL YEAR AD 27/28 (FROM TISHRI 27 AD TO TISHRI 28 AD).  THE LAND WAS ALLOWED TO LIE FALLOW EVERY 7TH YEAR AFTER THE RETURN FROM THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY.
     ASTRONOMERS, USING TECHNICAL ADVANCES, CAN NOW SIMULATE THE MOVEMENTS OF THE CELESTIAL BODIES IN ANCIENT TIMES AND SHOW WHAT WAS SEEN IN THE HEAVENS SURROUNDING THE PERIOD OF JESUS’ BIRTH.  PLANETARIUMS HAVE SHOWN THIS ACTIVITY, AND IT SHOULD BE ABLE TO BE VIEWED ON THE INTERNET.
    SOME HAVE THOUGHT THAT JESUS WAS BORN ON THE JEWISH FEAST OF TABERNACLES BECAUSE JOHN’S GOSPEL SAYS HE “TABERNACLED AMONG US” (JOHN 1:14).  IN 3 BC, TABERNACLES WAS FROM SEPT. 26 TO OCT. 3.  JESUS’ BIRTH AT THAT TIME WAS NOT POSSIBLE – COULDN’T HAVE BEEN AT PASSOVER, PENTECOST, OR TABERNACLES.  AT THESE TIMES, ALL JEWISH MEN WERE REQUIRED BY BIBLICAL LAW TO BE IN JERUSALEM (DEUTERONOMY 16:6,11,16).  YET LUKE TELLS US AT THE TIME OF JESUS’ NATIVITY “EVERYONE WENT INTO HIS OWN CITY” (LUKE 2:3).  BESIDES, THE ROMANS WOULD NOT HAVE SELECTED THE THREE PRIMARY FESTIVAL SEASONS FOR A CENSUS WHEN MOST OF THE JEWS IN PALESTINE WERE REQUIRED TO BE IN JERUSALEM.  THERE WAS NO ROOM AT THE INN BECAUSE THEY WERE THERE TO BE REGISTERED FOR THE CENSUS.  THE CENSUS & THE OATH OF ALLEGIANCE TO CAESAR AUGUSTUS WERE ONE & THE SAME.  SO EVEN MARY, WHO WAS IN BIBLICAL LAW ABLE TO BEAR A KING OF THE JEWS, WOULD ALSO BE EXPECTED TO SWEAR THAT SHE & HER OFFSPRING WOULD REMAIN LOYAL TO THE EXISTING GOVT.  THE CENSUS OCCURRED IN THE LATTER PART (LATE SUMMER) OF 3 BC.  ONLY MATTHEW, LUKE AND REVELATION 12 RECORD EVENTS CONNECTED WITH JESUS’ BIRTH.
                                                                  


                             THE STAR THAT ASTONISHED THE WORLD   BY DR. ERNEST L. MARTIN

 

 

     FROM 6 BC TO 4 AD IS ONE OF THE MOST NEBULOUS DECADES IN THE HISTORY OF ROME.  EVEN JOSEPHUS AND OTHERS LEFT SOME QUESTIONABLE INFORMATION, SOME OF IT AT ODDS WITH RECORDS LEFT BY THE EARLY CHURCH FATHERS.


     ASTRONOMERS ARE ABLE TO SCIENTIFICALLY PINPOINT JESUS’ BIRTH IN THE TWILIGHT HOURS OF ROSH HASHANAH, WHICH WAS SEPTEMBER 11, 3 BC.  THE WITNESS IN THE STARS CONFIRMS THIS.

 
     THE “STAR” (A TEMPORARY CONJUNCTION OF VENUS AND JUPITER) WAS SPOTTED IN THE EAST ON JUNE 17, 2 BC.  JESUS WOULD HAVE BEEN ABOUT 9 MONTHS OLD AT THIS POINT.  THE MAGI HAD A LONG AND ARDUOUS JOURNEY, VISITING THE CHRIST CHILD IN A HOUSE (MATTHEW 2:11) IN BETHLEHEM.  AT THIS TIME (HANUKKAH, THAT WAS DECEMBER 25, 2 BC), THE CHRIST CHILD WAS 15 MONTHS OLD.  THE MAGI, WARNED IN A DREAM NOT TO RETURN TO HEROD AND REPORT TO HIM AS REQUESTED OF THEIR VISIT, “DEPARTED INTO THEIR OWN COUNTRY ANOTHER WAY” (MATTHEW 2:12).


     JOSEPH, WARNED BY THE ANGEL OF THE LORD IN A DREAM, WENT WITH MARY AND JESUS TO EGYPT IN LATE DECEMBER 2 BC.  IN EARLY JANUARY 1 BC HEROD, WROTH THAT THE MAGI LEFT WITHOUT REPORTING TO HIM, ORDERED MALE CHILDREN IN BETHLEHEM AND VICINITY 2 YEARS AND UNDER TO BE KILLED.  THERE WAS A LUNAR ECLIPSE JANUARY 10, 1 BC SHORTLY BEFORE HEROD’S DEATH IN LATE JANUARY 1 BC.  HE WAS BURIED (AN ELABORATE, LENGTHY PROCEDURE FOR A KING), AND HIS SON ARCHELAUS REIGNED BY PASSOVER 1 BC.  JOSEPH, MARY AND JESUS RETURNED TO NAZARETH IN SPRING 1 BC.


     THIS DATING HAS COME INTO VIEW ONLY IN THE LAST HALF CENTURY DUE TO ARCHAOLOGICAL DISCOVERIES AND TECHNICAL ADVANCES.  DR. ERNEST L. MARTIN GOES INTO EXTENSIVE LENGTH TO DETAIL THIS, AND IN THE PROCESS GIVES QUITE A DISCOURSE ON MUCH NEEDED REVISIONIST HISTORY OF ROME IN THE PERIOD FROM 6 BC TO 4 AD.  HE ALSO GIVES DETAILED ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS, AND SHOWS HOW BIBLICAL REFERENCES ARE SUPPORTED BY THEM.


     HE CONTENDS THAT JESUS BEGAN HIS OFFICIAL MINISTRY IN THE PASSOVER AND PENTECOST SEASON OF THE SABBATICAL YEAR AD 27/28 (FROM TISHRI 27 AD TO TISHRI 28 AD).  THE LAND WAS ALLOWED TO LIE FALLOW EVERY 7TH YEAR AFTER THE RETURN FROM THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY.


     ASTRONOMERS, USING TECHNICAL ADVANCES, CAN NOW SIMULATE THE MOVEMENTS OF THE CELESTIAL BODIES IN ANCIENT TIMES AND SHOW WHAT WAS SEEN IN THE HEAVENS SURROUNDING THE PERIOD OF JESUS’ BIRTH.  PLANETARIUMS HAVE SHOWN THIS ACTIVITY, AND IT SHOULD BE ABLE TO BE VIEWED ON THE INTERNET.

 

     BY THE WAY, ROSH HASHANAH 2026 STARTS IN THE TWILIGHT HOURS OF SEPTEMBER 11, 2026.  JESUS WAS BORN IN THE TWILIGHT HOURS OF ROSH HASHANAH ON SEPTEMBER 11, 3 BC.

     (TWILIGHT IN ISRAEL ON 9/11/26 IS ABOUT NOON EASTERN STANDARD TIME.)

 

 

 


SOME HAVE THOUGHT THAT JESUS WAS BORN ON THE JEWISH FEAST OF TABERNACLES BECAUSE JOHN’S GOSPEL SAYS HE “TABERNACLED AMONG US” (JOHN 1:14).  IN 3 BC, TABERNACLES WAS FROM SEPT. 26 TO OCT. 3.  JESUS’ BIRTH AT THAT TIME WAS NOT POSSIBLE – COULDN’T HAVE BEEN AT PASSOVER, PENTECOST, OR TABERNACLES.  AT THESE TIMES, ALL JEWISH MEN WERE REQUIRED BY BIBLICAL LAW TO BE IN JERUSALEM (DEUTERONOMY 16:6,11,16).  YET LUKE TELLS US AT THE TIME OF JESUS’ NATIVITY “EVERYONE WENT INTO HIS OWN CITY” (LUKE 2:3).  BESIDES, THE ROMANS WOULD NOT HAVE SELECTED THE THREE PRIMARY FESTIVAL SEASONS FOR A CENSUS WHEN MOST OF THE JEWS IN PALESTINE WERE REQUIRED TO BE IN JERUSALEM.  THERE WAS NO ROOM AT THE INN BECAUSE THEY WERE THERE TO BE REGISTERED FOR THE CENSUS.  THE CENSUS & THE OATH OF ALLEGIANCE TO CAESAR AUGUSTUS WERE ONE & THE SAME.  SO EVEN MARY, WHO WAS IN BIBLICAL LAW ABLE TO BEAR A KING OF THE JEWS, WOULD ALSO BE EXPECTED TO SWEAR THAT SHE AND HER OFFSPRING WOULD REMAIN LOYAL TO THE EXISTING GOVERNMENT.  THE CENSUS OCCURRED IN THE LATTER PART (LATE SUMMER) OF 3 BC.  ONLY MATTHEW, LUKE AND REVELATION 12 RECORD EVENTS CONNECTED WITH JESUS’ BIRTH. (PAGES 79 TO 80 IN THE BOOK)