Historical research suggests that it is likely that it was the year 7 BC when a group of wise men, probably more than three of them, arrived at the court of King Herod asking him: "Where is he that is born the King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and are come to worship him."

The Star of Bethlehem is only mentioned in the Gospel of St. Matthew. It is not a dramatic light in the sky, but a more subtle message to those looking for it. The Star of Bethlehem is also mentioned in a non-biblical text called the Protoevangelium of St James.

Here the description of the star is very different: "And the wise men said: 'We saw how an indescribably greater star shone among these stars and dimmed them so that they no longer shone.'"

The explanation for this difference may lie with the need for the writer of the Protoevangelium to associate the Messiah with a great star on the principle that, without a great star, there could be no great Messiah.

Clues in the text

The star had to have appeared before Herod died, some time before 11th April 4 BC. Also the reason why Joseph and Mary had travelled from Nazareth to Bethlehem was the census decreed by Emperor Augustus around 8 BC.

Another clue is that the arrival of the wise men came as a great surprise to Herod. This indicates that his advisors had not seen the star.

Notice also that the wise men said they saw the star in the east. This is thought to be an error in translation from 'en te anatole' which is a phrase that has a special astronomical significance. It means that the star was up all night. It rose as the Sun set and set as the Sun rose.

This is one of the five principal astrological positions of the Babylonians when a celestial body was thought to have its maximum influence on world events.

In Matthew we have one of the major problems in the interpretation of the Star of Bethlehem. The wise men said that the star 'went before them' and stood over where Jesus was born. This we cannot explain.

Jupiter and Saturn

So these are the clues. Is there anything that gives a satisfactory explanation for them?

Many objects and events have been suggested, exploding stars, shooting stars or meteors, the planet Venus, close approaches of Jupiter and Saturn and even Halley's Comet. Some explanations can be discounted immediately. Ancient astrologers would have known all about Venus.

Halley's Comet was spotted by the Chinese in August 12 BC and, unlike its recent dismal showing, it would have been a spectacular sight in the night sky. But to be the Star of Bethlehem it was four years early.

There is, however, another significant clue a millennia after the life of Christ. In 1377, an unknown author wrote in the chronicles of Worcester Priory about an event that happened in 1285 AD. The planets Jupiter and Saturn had come close together in the sky in the constellation of Aquarius.

Centuries later, Johannes Kepler, last of the great astrologer-astronomers, also believed that a conjunction, a term meaning close approach, of Jupiter and Saturn was the Star of Bethlehem.

At Christmas 1603, from his observatory at Hradcyn near Prague, Jupiter and Saturn came close together again in the sky. Kepler was fascinated because the conjunction was in the constellation of Pisces, a constellation with special significance for Israel. Significantly the last time this had happened was in 799 AD and the time before that was 7 BC.

Christmas day

We can calculate what happened to Jupiter and Saturn in 8 and 7 BC and see that Jupiter and Saturn came together in the ancient skies three times. On the 27 May, 7 BC, they paused at one degree apart and two months later had separated to 3 degrees apart.

They came together two more times, being 1 degree apart on October 6th and December 1st before they moved away from each other. It was what astronomers call a triple conjunction.

To astrologers of the time these events were staggering. Saturn was commonly identified with the God of Israel and Jupiter with the Messiah. They had come together in the constellation of Pisces, the water sign. Water falls to Earth and makes it fertile which was believed to be the role of Israel among nations.

If Jesus was born in 7 BC, as many believe, and if the conjunction theory is correct then it points to the birth of Jesus in August or September. We have no way of being sure of the exact day but we could take the so-called acronychal rising of Jupiter and Saturn when they were in the sky all of the night.

If this is so then the correct date for the first Christmas is Tuesday 15th September 7 BC.