[zot]

Two passages in Matthew’s Gospel are overlooked in studies of this subject:

“Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star appeared” (Mt 2:7) and

“Herod ... sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old and under, according to the time which he had ascertained from the wise men.” (Mt 2: 16).

Thus, the wise men apparently told Herod, “The star appeared two years ago.”

That means it wasn’t a conjunction of planets, because they don’t last that long.

Whatever it was, I think it was something that would make more sense to astrologers (which the Magi were) than to astronomers.

[Alberta's Child]

Thus, the wise men apparently told Herod, “The star appeared two years ago.”

That means it wasn’t a conjunction of planets, because they don’t last that long.

But a series of conjunctions could occur over a period of time -- especially when you consider the apparent "retrograde motion" of the planets at various times during their orbits around the sun (as the movement of these planets around the sun appear to change relative to the movement of the earth).

I think you're much closer to the truth here than you realize.

[mad_as_he$$]

I think it was Hancock who said it was a supernova.