A Comet, Christ's Birth, and Josephus's Lunar Eclipse

by Charles Dike

Overview

Abstract: A comet seen by the Chinese in 5 bc has been considered by some authors as a possibility for the Star of Bethlehem. This article starts with that premise and argues that Book of Mormon evidences reinforce that likelihood. The comet path can account for all events surrounding the Star of Bethlehem. Based on typologies in the scriptures, eyewitness reports, and the comet's timing, the date of Christ's birth can be determined. A proposal can then be made as to when and why the wise men began travelling to Jerusalem. The comet left a trail of debris the wise men saw on the night they located the house where Jesus was. The wise men and Joseph and Mary left Judea in mid-June of 5 bc and the slaughter of the innocents occurred later in that month. Using Josephus's "Antiquities," this article then argues strongly that Herod's death occurred sometime after a lunar eclipse on September 15, 5 bc and before the next Passover. This serves also to support his death in the spring of 4 bc, contrary to some scholars who opt for a 1 bc death. This study reaffirms the reality of the Star of Bethlehem.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940186577874
Publisher:	Interpreter Foundation
Publication date:	08/12/2022
Series:	Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship , #52
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Charles E. Dike joined the Navy to see the world. That got old pretty fast so he joined the Church and got a BSEE at BYU (1977), then while raising a family, he completed an MSEE (1984). He spent roughly 35 years in design and research of integrated circuits. Much of his later work entailed on-chip security for microprocessors. Charles retired in 2014 and has been exploring technical details in scriptures since then with his primary focus on the Book of Mormon.