At 06:01 AM 12/1/99 -0600, William P Thayer wrote: >Yes, since it's now that time of year, a quick quadruplicity of Web >links to Star of Bethlehem theories....
Hi Bill, Thanks for the links. It really is the time of the year to discuss "Star of Bethlehem" theories. I have my own theory that I would like to expound . It builds on those outlined in the links below that involve celestial events in the constellation Pisces around 6 BC. Did you know that the "Precession of the Equinox" moved the position of the sun relative to the stars from the zodiac constellation Aries to Pisces on the spring equinox in the year 6BC. The ancient astronomers knew. Hipparchus had discovered the precession of the equinox over a hundred years earlier based on accurate observations using the bronze ring in the Square Hall in Alexandria. It is well described in Ptolmey's Almagest. The Magi, Zoroastrian astrologers from Mesopotania, would interprut this as the dawning of a new age of Pisces. Add to this the triple conjunction in Piscies and they would conclude that something really special was happening in the land of Judea. No wonder they independently concluded that they should go and investigate and find the babe in the manger in Bethlehem. As symbols to commemorate this historical event, I am giving close friends and family "Rings of the Magi", small armillary spheres, to hang on their Christmas tree. For me, these gifts are ideal. They are hand crafted, novel, unique works of art linking the history of Christmas with astronomy and sundials. The construction is simple. Three rings are cut from 1.5 inch brass tubing, finished and polished. An wire arrow through the meridian ring is the gnomon. The equatorial ring, at right angles to the gnomon, is inscribed with hour lines (adjusted for longitude). The zodiac ring, circumscribed with the signs of the zodiac is mounted at 23.5 degrees to the equatorial ring. The first point of Pisces is aligned the crossing point of the equatorial and zodiac rings to commemorate the year of Christ's birth. The armillary sphere is then hung on the tree with a gold thread through a small hole in the meridian ring at the appropriate position for the latitude. Included in the gift wrapped package will be a suitable retelling of the Christmas story from a Wise Man's point of view. This idea is my gift to subscribers of this list. Use it as you wish. For inspiration I would like to thank Luke Coletti for the armillary sphere pictured on his web site, Robert Adzema and Mablen Jones for their "Great Sundial Cutout Book" and of course, Hipparchus and Ptolmey. If the precession of the nodes from Aries to Pisces was so important in 6 BC, think what will happen in the year 2200, the dawning of the age of Aquarius. Y2K is nothing. Y2K2C is coming! Cash in your chips before six o'clock on June 6th, 2200. I am sure skeptical historians will find flaws in my argument. That is fine. This is how knowledge advances. Also I never let facts get in the way of a good story. Roger Bailey Walking Shadow Designs N 51 W 115 > >overview of the main theories, by Nick Strobel >http://userzweb.lightspeed.net/~astronomy/history/bethlehem.star.html > >configuration theory; a very curious but undeniably accurate heliocentric map: >http://www.aloha.net/~johnboy/pageone.htg/pageone.htm > >Jupiter station theory >http://www.eclipse.net/~molnar/ > >conjunction theory >http://members.aol.com/theologue/christ/02naissa.htm > >And a happy feast of lights to all, >Bill Thayer >LacusCurtius ><http://www.ukans.edu/history/index/europe/ancient_rome/E/Roman/index.html> >
