Symbology
(1/25/10)

 


1. So again, what I want to do now is track down the frequency, and DEGREE OF RELEVANCY, for each relevant celestial event during this 5 year period (Terminology). Here’s the star story:

1.1. MAY – DEC, 7 BCE: “TRIPLE CONJUNCTION” OF JUPITER AND SATURN IN PISCES.
1.1.1. Jupiter was the “King” planet, 2nd brightest “star” in the sky, and “Royal Star” of the house of David.
1.1.2. Saturn was the “Protector of the Jews,” and the Messiah’s Star.
1.1.3. Pisces was known as “the House of Israel,” and also closely associated with Jesus.
1.1.4. From the Babylonian point of view, this configuration would indicate the coming of a new age and the birth of a divine King.
1.1.5. In general, the people in the Middle East during this period were hoping for, and to some extent expecting, a new King to beat back the Romans.
1.1.6. According to Jewish Sage, Abravanel (1437-1508), Jewish astrologers believed that this configuration, indeed, portended the coming of the Messiah.
1.1.7. In those times, Jupiter and Saturn were the outermost planets and known as the "Great Chronocrators" -- their conjunction seen as a predictor of a great turning point in history.
1.1.8. This specific configuration occurs only once every 900 years (approx). (62 and 63 in Bibliography (Link at bottom))

1.2. 2/25/6 BCE: CONJUNCTION OF MARS, JUPITER AND SATURN IN PISCES.
1.2.1. Mars signified danger.
1.2.2. Again, Jupiter was the “King” planet, 2nd brightest “star” in the sky, and “Royal Star” of the house of David.
1.2.3. Saturn was the “Protector of the Jews,” and the Messiah’s Star.
1.2.4. Pisces was known as “the House of Israel,” and also closely associated with Jesus.
1.2.5. This configuration occurs only once every 800 years (approx). Exactly how to compute the combined probability of 1.1. and 1.2. is difficult in that the two are NOT INDEPENDENT, and the combined probability is, at least in a sense, somewhat less than 1/800 X 1/900. (See (64) and (77) through Bibliography link below.)

1.3. 3/2/5 BCE: “PRECISE ASTROLOGICAL (SUN-CENTERED, OR HELIOCENTRIC) MAPS OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM ON THIS DATE SHOW THE ‘SEAL OF SOLOMON.’” Occurs once every 40,000,000 years! (See 47 through Bibliography link below.)

1.4. 5/19/3 BCE: CLOSE CONJUNCTION OF SATURN AND MERCURY.
1.4.1. (.67 degrees.)
1.4.2. Mercury was known as the “Messenger.”
1.4.3. Again, Saturn was “Protector of the Jews,” and the Messiah’s Star.

1.5. 6/12/3 BCE: CLOSE CONJUNCTION OF SATURN AND VENUS.
1.5.1. (.12 degrees)
1.5.2. Venus was the “Mother” planet, and brightest “star” in the sky.
1.5.3. Again, Saturn was the “Protector of the Jews,” and the Messiah’s Star.

1.6. 8/12/3 BCE: CLOSE CONJUNCTION OF VENUS AND JUPITER IN LEO. "Jupiter, the king planet, having left the Sun, the supreme Father, is now conjoined with Venus, the mother. The Sun, Moon and Mercury (the messenger) are also located with Jupiter and Venus in Leo, the lion, representing the tribe of Judah (Gen 49:9; see fig. 1). The message of this configuration: some important royal event is to happen among the Jews." (61)
1.6.1. (.07 degrees)
1.6.2. Again, Jupiter was the “King” planet, 2nd brightest “star” in the sky, and “Royal Star” of the house of David.
1.6.3. Venus was the “Mother” planet, and brightest “star” in the sky.
1.6.4. Leo, the “Lion,” was associated with the tribe of Judah from which the Messiah was to come.

1.7. 8/31/3 BC: CONJUNCTION OF MERCURY AND VENUS.
1.7.1. Again, Mercury was the “Messenger.”
1.7.2. Venus was the “Mother” planet, and brightest “star” in the sky.
1.7.3. Note that this would coincide with Gabriel’s alleged visit with, and message to, Mary regarding her coming pregnancy, if her conception occurred on 9/14 of 3 BCE (see below)…

1.8. 9/14/3 BCE – 5/8/2 BCE: TRIPLE CONJUNCTION OF JUPITER AND REGULUS IN LEO.
1.8.1. Again, Jupiter was the “King” planet, 2nd brightest “star” in the sky, and “Royal Star” of the house of David.
1.8.2. Jupiter was also known as the “Big King.”
1.8.3. Regulus was known as the “Little King”.
1.8.4. Again, Leo was associated with the tribe of Judah from which the Messiah was to come.
1.8.5. The “Big King” passes the “Little King” three times, and in effect “circles” the Little King, tracking a halo around him.
1.8.6. BY NOW, any well trained astrologer would be expecting the Messiah -- and looking for a clear indication of his birth. And then,

1.9. 6/17/2 BC: FULL MOON.
1.9.1. NINE months after first of three conjunctions (trimesters?) of Jupiter and Regulus above. Also,

1.10. 6/17/2 BC: EXTREMELY TIGHT CONJUNCTION OF VENUS AND JUPITER IN LEO, near Regulus.
1.10.1. (.01 degrees)
1.10.2. The two brightest “stars” in the sky.
1.10.3. To the naked eye, touching each other and forming one brilliant star.
1.10.4. In LEO.
1.10.5. Again, nine months after the first meeting of Jupiter and Regulus.
1.10.6. The frequency of such a tight conjunction between Venus and Jupiter in Leo, appears to be somewhere between every 1154 years and 34,615 years – depending upon whose calculation of separation is used. (95 in Biblio)
1.10.7. From Persia or Babylonia, this highly unlikely conjunction of a lifetime would have occurred directly over Judaea. (70 in Biblio)

2. So the Magi probably got their sign on June 17 of 2 BCE – a full moon followed by a 15 minute “perfect” conjunction between the two brightest stars in the sky, and loaded with the right symbolization, Jupiter and Venus, as they set over Judea. (To see this, you’ll need your own astronomy program.)
3. For 15 minutes, this conjunction would have been seen as a single star, and probably the brightest star that anyone living had ever seen. (Though, from Chinese history, we have reason to believe that there was, in fact, a very bright nova in 5BCE (Link).)
4. Surely, the Magi would have saddled up – or at least, begun to make the necessary arrangements.

5. Then, during the Magi’s suggested trip to Jerusalem,
5.1. 8/27/2 BC: CONJUNCTION OF MARS (SIGNIFYING DANGER) AND JUPITER, IN A CLOSE GROUPING OF VENUS AND MERCURY -- IN LEO. (Not hard to relate this to Herod’s coming execution of all boys 2 years old or younger living around Bethlehem, and to the Magi’s ultimate warning to the couple.)
6. And then,
6.1. 1/10/1 BC: TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE. (According to Josephus, Herod died shortly after a lunar eclipse.)

 

(Bibliography)