Magi

Une perspective juive et babylonienne concernant l’étoile de Bethléem

Le récit biblique des Mages et de l’étoile qui a annoncé la venue du Messie d’Israël a inspiré et intrigué bien des personnes au cours de ces deux derniers millénaires. Des aspects importants de l’astronomie babylonienne semblent impliqués dans la compréhension de l’apparition de l’étoile. Ce livre tente également d’explorer l’histoire de ces hommes et de ces événements à partir d’une perspective juive. Les noms juifs traditionnels des étoiles et des planètes, les symboles juifs et même les dates juives semblent tous être des clés qui permettent de déchiffrer l’énigme de la célèbre étoile.

Qui étaient les Mages de la Bible ? Différents savants ont joué un rôle important dans l’histoire de la vaste région du Moyen-Orient qui s’étend à l’est de la Judée. Des savants zoroastriens, babyloniens, grecs et même juifs ont tous joué un rôle dans les différents empires qui se sont succédé dans cette partie du monde. La possibilité d’un lien entre les Juifs et l’histoire des Mages de la Bible a été longtemps négligée. Des centaines de milliers de Juifs vivaient en Mésopotamie et en Iran à l’époque de la naissance de Jésus. Il convient d’établir un rapprochement entre l’astronomie babylonienne et l’espérance messianique juive.

Site web: www.star-of-bethlehem.info

The biblical account of the wise men and the star that announced the coming of the Messiah of Israel has inspired and puzzled people for two millennia. Important aspects of Babylonian astronomy seem to be involved in understanding the star’s appearing. But in addition, this short book​ also explores the men and events from a profoundly Jewish perspective. The traditional Jewish names of stars and planets, Jewish symbols, as well as Jewish dates, all seem to be keys to unlocking the mystery of the famous star.

As we move forward into new discoveries in the heavens, it is also important for Christians involved in science to seek clarity about our ancient scripture texts. Matthew's account of the Magi and the star has been misinterpreted for generations. The star resists attempts to be discovered. One can find dozens of interpretations and speculations. Have we understood Matthew's account in its proper context? Recent archeological discoveries concerning Babylonian astronomy may help us to reimagine the Magi and their famous star.

The present article examines the depiction of the Magi and their homeland in the Revelation of the Magi, a Christian apocryphon that purports to offer the perspective of the Magi themselves on their journey to Bethlehem. In this text the Magi come not simply “from the East” (Matt 2:1), but from a faraway land called “Shir,” a mysterious place at the edge of the world with a mountain, the “Mount of Victories,” which the Magi would regularly ascend in anticipation of the star that would guide them to Bethlehem. Previous studies of the Revelation of the Magi have tended to associate the Mount of Victories with Zoroastrianism and identify Shir with China. The present study argues that the distant land of the Magi is rather to be found on the edge of Eden, and that it belongs to an interpretation of Genesis 6:1–4 in which the “sons of God” are no longer fallen angels, but the children of Seth who live on the edge of paradise.

Across the Mediterranean during the third and fourth centuries ce, artists began to develop a distinctive iconography to express Christian religious beliefs. According to the material evidence, the bulk of which survives from funerary contexts, artists focused on a small group of stories from scripture that included instances of salvation and divine revelation, along with cases of Jesus performing acts of healing and restoring life to the dead.1 The archaeological record attests that in Rome by the early fourth century, the adoration of the newborn Jesus by wise men from the East (Matthew 2:1-14) was among the most popular stories within this repertoire; and a largely unacknowledged outcome of this popularity was that in that city at that date, Mary the mother of Jesus was the single most frequently appearing female figure in Christian art.2 Among the earliest surviving depictions of the Adoration in Rome is a mural in the Catacomb of Priscilla.3 Painted sometime perhaps in the third or in the early fourth century, it is prominently positioned on a structural arch dividing the cubiculum known as the cappella greca (see Figure 19.1).4 In that

The traditional understanding of Matthew 2:9 leads to a type of Christian mysticism concerning the Star of Bethlehem. There is another way of reading the text which avoids some of the problems associated with the main historical understanding of the story.

This document is a summary of several symbolic royal celestial events in the years near the birth of Jesus. 

In the ancient world, Jupiter was thought of as the "king planet" and Regulus as the "king star." Regulus had been spoken of a the "king star" since Sumerian times (over 2,000 years previously). The star's name was LUGAL, the Sumerian word for king. The Parthians, who ruled in Babylonia and the Iranian Plateau, minted the coins with the Moon and Regulus together as a royal symbol. While everyone knew that Jupiter was a planet, it was also a "star." In most Babylonian astronomical documents the planet was called MUL.BABBAR, meaning "the White Star."

The presence of the sun and moon has messianic significance through Ps. 89:35-37. The entire early part of the Psalm is messianic up to verse 37. The Jewish names of the planets were also important. Venus / Nogah means "brightness" and Jupiter / Sedeq means "righteousness." The "Righteous One" was a name commonly used concerning the promised King / Messiah.

MUL.BABBAR The White Star Over Bethlehem is a historical novel about the wise men and the Star of Bethlehem. The book places Dwight Hutchison's theory of the star into a historical context. There are about 400 pages of the main text and an additional 60 pages of appendices. The book begins with a prophetic  section before the main text of the story about the star.

This paper accompanies the PowerPoint presentation with the same title.  It briefly explains the Biblical backgrounds of current Christmas customs and symbols.  While all ages will benefit from and enjoy this program, it will be most meaningful for middle school, high school, and adult groups.  Selected slides can be used with elementary school children.  Both the accompanying PowerPoint program and this guide and commentary can be used in teaching classes, small group Bible study, offering a one-session program, or for individual Advent and Christmas devotion. 

The whole program package, which is free for unedited education purposes worldwide, contains the PowerPoint presentation; this guide and commentary on the PowerPoint slides; and an accompanying brief Pre-and Post-quiz.  Subjects in the presentation include the following: Advent; Advent Colors; Advent Wreath; Angels; Ball Ornaments; Bells; Candles; Candy Canes; Carols; Crèche; Christmas; Christmas Colors; Christmas Customs; Christmas Symbols; Christmas Star; Christmas Tree; Cross; Culture; Date of Jesus’ Birth; Frankincense; Gifts; Giving; Gold; Grace; Gratitude; Guilt; Heidelberg Catechism;  Inn; Ivy; King Jesus; King Herod; Lights; Magi; Manger; Messiah; Messianic Rose; Myrrh; Poinsettia; Presents; Saint Nicholas; Santa Claus; Salvation; Service; Sin; Tree Cross; Wisemen; Witness for Jesus Christ; Wreath.

L’histoire des rois mages n’est bien connue qu’en apparence. A en croire le seul évangile qui en parle, les mages n’étaient pas rois, et n’étaient pas trois. Ils s’insèrent dans l’histoire tragique du Massacre des Innocents, concomitant de la Fuite en Egypte. Mais l’autre évangile qui parle de la nativité ne fait aucune mention des mages, du massacre, ni de la fuite en Egypte ; il présente au contraire un calendrier ordinaire, avec une circoncision et une présentation au temple dans les délais prescrits. L’histoire des mages d’orient et du massacre de tous les bébés est de toute évidence un conte pieux, mais qui, en s’insérant dans « l’histoire sainte », entre en contradiction avec le calendrier normal. Comment le récit synthétique des événements va-t-il résoudre cette contradiction ? Nous voici devant un problème classique pour les techniques du récit. - version 3

This PowerPoint presentation briefly explains the Biblical backgrounds of current Christmas customs and symbols.  While all ages will benefit from and enjoy this program, it will be most meaningful for middle school, high school, and adult groups.  Selected slides can be used with elementary school children.  Both this PowerPoint program and its accompanying guide and commentary can be used in teaching classes, small group Bible study, offering a one-session program, or for individual Advent and Christmas devotion. 

The whole program package, which is free for unedited education purposes worldwide, contains the PowerPoint presentation; an accompanying leader’s guide and commentary on the PowerPoint slides; and an accompanying brief Pre-and Post-quiz.  Subjects in the presentation include the following: Advent; Advent Colors; Advent Wreath; Angels; Ball Ornaments; Bells; Candles; Candy Canes; Carols; Crèche; Christmas; Christmas Colors; Christmas Customs; Christmas Symbols; Christmas Star; Christmas Tree; Cross; Culture; Date of Jesus’ Birth; Frankincense; Gifts; Giving; Gold; Grace; Gratitude; Guilt; Heidelberg Catechism;  Inn; Ivy; King Jesus; King Herod; Lights; Magi; Manger; Messiah; Messianic Rose; Myrrh; Poinsettia; Presents; Saint Nicholas; Santa Claus; Salvation; Service; Sin; Tree Cross; Wisemen; Witness for Jesus Christ; Wreath.