Tag: Messiah corroborating evidence

Conspiracy Theory – Christianity Is a Fiction

Posted on by K.B. Vogelman

Conspiracy Theory – Christianity Is a Fiction

 

Adversaries of Christianity sometimes argue against the reality of Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah, even that he is not a real historical figure, by claiming Christianity itself is a fictional story. One conspiracy theory claims Christianity and thus Jesus are the result of various groups colluding to invent a morphed deity image of a messiah:[1]

“…Christianity and the story of Jesus Christ were created by members of various secret societies, mystery schools and religions in order to unify the Roman Empire under one state religion.  …this multinational cabal drew upon a multitude of myths and rituals that existed long before the Christian era, and reworked them for centuries into the religion passed down to us today.” – Acharya S.

Challenges to create a fictional messiah figure would have been enormous at the beginning of the millennium. Especially true in an era without any means of electronic communication, media, even the printed word.

Just the opposite occurred. Christianity rose so rapidly, Jewish leaders tried to snuff it out quickly before it spread. Rome tried to quell Christianity by killing people who professed the belief.

During the four centuries before the Roman Empire, cabals from three Empires – Babylonians, Persians and Greeks – with authority over Judea had to be complicit in this conspiracy.[2] It has to be accepted by this theory there was a long-term strategy “to unify the Roman Empire under one state religion” even though just the concept of a Roman Empire was yet unknown.

Biblical history documents the Jews themselves were warring against each and taken captive in Babylon. After the Persian overthrow of Babylon, ancient enemies still wanted to subvert the Jew’s efforts.[3]

At least one conspiracy theory ironically maintains the created fictitious messiah image was himself a Jew. Probably the most scorned, if not hated, ethnic group in the Roman Empire were Jews.

Creating a Christian religion with a Jewish messiah upped the ante of the theory to the highest degree. Judaism then and now views Christianity as blasphemous for its belief that Jesus is the Messiah.

Pilate had Jesus crucified and to refute it means declaring renowned Roman historians Tacitus, Suetonius, and Josephus as well as others were wrong. The conspiracy theory proposes that Jewish leadership was supporting Rome when, in fact, Rome was crucifying Jews by the thousands and eventually destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 AD.[4]

For the invention of a fictional Jewish messiah, the image would call for a flawless ancestral background of pure Jewish lineage, not to mention an ancestral history free of unsavory or illegal activities. Alleged collaborators would then have to weave this complex lineage into a 2000 year timeline to create a messiah narrative.

A flawed genealogy would have been a huge obstacle for anyone who attempted to “rework them for centuries into the religion passed down to us today.” According to the Gospel accounts of Matthew and Luke, Jesus was born into this flawed Jewish royal lineage.

Genealogy of Jesus of Nazareth was anything but pure and flawless. A perfect lineage of a made-up messiah was simply not possible as demonstrated time and again by Scriptural history.

Disgraceful accounts pulled straight from the Old Testament, the Tenakh, include deceptions, lies, a prostitute, Gentile intermarriages, voyeurism, adultery, murder, greed, lascivious pleasures, etc. Background lineage of Jesus involved the most ignoble examples of disobedience to God yet by turning lemons into lemonade, each involved blessings from God.

Grandson of Abraham, Jacob swindled his older twin brother’s inheritance blessing from his father, Isaac. Jacob was still later renamed by God and became the father of the 12 tribes of Israel.[5]

Jacob’s own conniving sons sold their younger brother, Joseph, into slavery and lied to their father saying he had been killed by a wild animal. Joseph went on to become the second most powerful ruler in Egypt under Pharaoh and eventually saved his Hebrew family from a famine.[6]

Rahab, a Gentile prostitute spared from the destruction of Jericho, married a Hebrew named Salmon and their son was named Boaz who became a wealthy resident of Bethlehem.[7] Boaz married the Gentile Ruth, daughter-in-law of his Jewish relative Naomi, allowing Naomi to redeem her otherwise lost inheritance.[8]

Jewish sage Rabbi Rashi professed his distaste of having a Gentile in the prophetic lineage of the Messiah. His disgust appears in his commentary on the Bethlehem prophecy of Micah 5:2:[9]

“you should have been the lowest of the clans of Judah: [Rashi] You should have been the lowest of the clans of Judah because of the stigma of Ruth the Moabitess in you.” – The Complete Jewish Bible

Grandson of Boaz and Ruth was Jesse whose son, David, became the King of Israel.[10] David committed some dastardly deeds that would be scandalous in any century.

King David’s voyeurism led to an affair with his neighbor’s wife and when his plan to cover-up her illicit pregnancy failed, the King had her husband sent to the front lines of a war knowing he would be killed.[11] In spite of this, subsequent prophecies foretold the future Messiah would come from the lineage of David.

Solomon, King David’s son, indulged in the pleasures of 700 wives and 300 concubines, many of whom were Gentiles who brought with them forbidden idolatry influences. Still, Solomon built the Temple of God and was blessed with great wealth and wisdom.[12]

Arrival of Jesus of Nazareth happened during the era when Rome was experiencing it’s height of glory. One morning dawn everything changed, rather than the alleged “centuries” to rework “the religion passed down to us today.”

Unique to Christianity and the center of its core creed are the Resurrection accounts of Jesus.[13] No one, including the followers of Jesus, ever believed a resurrection could happen before Jesus was crucified.

Afterward he was crucified, he actually had to prove his own followers that he was back from the dead. Witness accounts about Jesus rang true with people, many believed labeled as “Christians.”

Adversaries of the Resurrection accounts refuted, ridiculed, imprisoned and killed witnesses who espoused the teaching of Christianity. They were still willing to die for what they believed.

Would anyone die to defend a false legend?

Updated February 16, 2025.

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

REFERENCES:

[1] Acharya S. (Murdock, D.M.)  The Christ Conspiracy. Google Books advertisement. n.d. https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Christ_Conspiracy.html?id=KnIYRi3upbEC> Stitcher. image. 2018. <https://megaphone-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/podcasts/4b9e4b82-9bf9-11e8-ad4e-23b6913e004d/image/aa316e8eb017eeb2d66bd3ab5ef8270c329c2cdb5347f0e589403a20369416bc4a7f9ac6d6f18a9a13fd4eb5c6d622a7e506238a1124dbd66019deba3532d1ee.jpeg
[2] Ezra 1:2-4, 6:7-12; 7:11-28. Spiro, Ken.  “History Crash Course #27: The Greek Empire.” Aish.com. 2001. <http://www.aish.com/jl/h/cc/48939587.html>  Hooker, Richard. “Hellenistic Greece: Alexander the Great.” Washington State University. 1999. <http://web.archive.org/web/20110104072822/http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/GREECE/ALEX.HTM>
[3] I Kings 11:26-12:24; Ezra 4;4, 5:6-17.
[4] Suetonius (C. Suetonius Tranquillus or C. Tranquillus Suetonius). The Lives of the Twelve Caesars. Ed. Maximilian Ihm, trans. J. C. Rolfe. University of Chicago|Bill Thayer. n.d. “The Life of Titus.” 109 AD. <https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Titus*.html> “Siege of Jerusalem.” Encyclopædia Britannica. 2020. <https://www.britannica.com/event/Siege-of-Jerusalem-70> Josephus, Flavius. Wars of the Jews. Book II, Chapter XIV, Book V, Chapter XI.. <http://books.google.com/books?id=e0dAAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false>
[5] Genesis 25; 27-28.
[6] Genesis 37; 41-46.
[7] Joshua 2, 6, Ruth 4; I Chronicles 2:1-17.
[8] Ruth 2-4.
[9] The Complete Jewish Bible with Rashi’s Commentary. Micah 5:2 Rashi commentary.
[10] Ruth 4; I Chronicles 2:10.
[11] 2 Samuel 11-12.
[12] 2 Chronicles 7, 9; I Kings 7-8, 10.
[13] I Corinthians 15:3-4.

Death of King Herod

Posted on by K.B. Vogelman

Death of King Herod

 

King Herod’s death occurred shortly after the birth of Jesus of Nazareth making it the lynch pin date to determine the birth year of Jesus, but the year isn’t easy to determine. Standardized calendars during Antiquity do not exist; instead, timelines and dates are linked to well-known historical events.

Establishing the date of Herod’s death requires piecing together such clues as the reigns of Tiberius, King Herod and his sons; the Battle of Actium; the Jewish religious calendar; astronomy data; history accounts; etc.[1] Nativity accounts of both Matthew and Luke report that Jesus of Nazareth was born during the lifetime of Judean King Herod.[2]

Adding another level of complexity is “inclusive reckoning” focusing on whether a partial year was counted as a full year in historical references. The unsettled question instills a potential plus or minus factor of at least a year.[3]

Historian Flavius Josephus is among the primary source in his books Antiquities and Wars for determining when rulers lived, how long they ruled, when they died, etc. Josephus wrote that Herod’s death occurred between the bookend events of a lunar eclipse and the following Passover that Spring.[4]

Jewish Passover is always observed at the first full moon of the year. Historical astronomy data provided by NASA is virtually undisputed.

Tiberius Caesar began his rule as Emperor of Rome upon the death of Caesar Augustus on August 19, 14 AD. History recognizes Tiberius ruled for almost 22 1/2 years.

According to Josephus, King Herod ruled for 37 years.[5] Philip, his son, also ruled for 37 years (Herod in the excerpt below is Herod Antipas) noting it says “the twentieth year of the reign of Tiberius.” [6]

Philip

“…Philip, Herod’s brother, departed this life, in the twentieth year of the reign of Tiberius after he had been tetrarch of Trachonitis, and Gaulonitis, and of the nation of Bataneana also thirty-seven years.” – Josephus (*printed)

Gutenberg-printed copies of Antiquities say that Philip died in the 20th year of Tiberius. NASA data for Jerusalem in 4 BC shows  a partial, less-than-half, lunar eclipse occurred on March 13th, 4 BC, followed four weeks later by Passover on April 10th. 

Determining Herod’s death year seems somewhat simple – subtract the 37 years of Philips rule from year of Tiberius’s rule (14 AD plus 20 years for the rule of Tiberius [34 AD], minus 37 of Philip’s rule) landing in 3 BC. Thus, secular history marks Herod’s death in 3 BC strongly supported by the partial lunar eclipse in 4 BC.

NASA lunar data for Jerusalem reveals another option where a lunar eclipse occurred on January 9-10, 1 BC. Passover that year was observed on April 7th.[7]

Four weeks spans between Herod’s death and Passover in the 4 BC scenario while in the 1 BC scenario the interval is 12 weeks. Some people question if all the events described by Josephus could have transpired in just 4 weeks in 4 BC.[8]

Many communications occurred during an era without telephones, computers, TV when news traveled no faster than a horse could run. News of the King Herod’s death spread across Judea and to other nations and Antiquities describes in detail events that occurred in the interim before the upcoming Passover. 

International dignitaries and top military personnel including centurions, captains and officers of the Thracians, Germans, Galatians and Gauls with full regiments wearing battle gear, traveled to the King’s funeral in Jericho. Meanwhile, a funeral bier was built of gold embroidered by “very precious stones of a great variety” and lined with purple material.

After the funeral, an elaborate and slow procession to Herodium for the King’s interment took many more days. Following the King’s burial was a 7-day morning period, then a feast was given for the people of Judea by Archelaus, Herod’s son.

Meanwhile, an uprising among the Jews took place over King Herod’s actions with the Temple and resulting executions marked by the eclipse. Archelaus subdued and killed many of these revolters, then set sail for Rome during the Passover.

Consultant and Biblical hobbyist, David Beyer, compared the 1544 Gutenberg printings of Antiquities to two dozen older, handwritten manuscripts predating the Gutenberg press. He discovered all older handwritten Antiquities manuscripts said that Philip died in the 22nd year of Tiberius, not the 20th year.[9]

Beyer’s discovery changed the calculus of the death of King Herod to the 1 BC timeframe. This timeline aligns with other historical information in Antiquities.

Among them, Agrippa, in 36 AD, said to Caius in a carriage ride that he wished Tiberius would die. The carriage driver told Tiberius who had Agrippa thrown into prison.[10]

Tiberius died in 36 AD when his successor, Caius (Caligula), appointed Marullus as procurator; released Agrippa from prison and gave the open tetrarchy of Philip to him. It is highly unlikely the tetarchy of Philip was left unfilled for 3 years.

Aretas and Antipas went to war “when all of Herod’s [Antipas] army was destroyed by the treachery of some fugitives, who, though they were of the tetrarchy of Philip, joined with Aretas’s army.”[11] Secular historians date the Aretas-Antipas war to 36 AD.

Did Herod’s death actually occur in 1 BC or the traditionally accepted year of 4 BC?

 

 

Updated November 12, 2025.

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

REFERENCES:

 

[1] Josephus, Flavius. Antiquities of the Jews.  Trans. and commentary.  William Whitson.  The Complete Works of Josephus. 1850. Book XV, Chapter V, Book XVII, Chapters VI – Chapter VIII. <http://books.google.com/books?id=e0dAAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false>  Josephus, Flavius. Wars of the Jews. Trans. and commentary. William Whitson. The Complete Works of Josephus.  Book I, Chapter XXXIII. “Actium (31 BCE).” 1850. <http://books.google.com/books?id=e0dAAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false> Livius.org. Ed. Jona Lendering. 2019. <https://www.livius.org/articles/battle/actium-31-bce> “King Herod the Great.” Livius.org. Ed. Jona Lendering. 2017. <http://www.livius.org/he-hg/herodians/herod_the_great01.html> “The Actium Project.” New World Encyclopedia. The University of South Florida and the Greek Ministry of Culture. Dir. William M. Murray. Research Project. 1997. <http://luna.cas.usf.edu/~murray/actium/brochure.html>  Chesser, Preston. “The Battle of Actium.” Ohio State University. 2002. <http://ehistory.osu.edu/articles/battle-actium> Gertoux, Gerard. “Herod the Great and Jesus: Chronological, Historical and Archaeological Evidence.” Academia.edu. n.d. <https://www.academia.edu/2518046/ Gertoux, Gerard. “Dating the death of Herod.”2015 Academia.edu. <http://www.academia.edu/2518046/Dating_the_death_of_Herod/a> “World History 50-0 BC.”  HistoryCentral.com.  MultiEducator, Inc. n.d. <http://www.historycentral.com/dates/50bc.html> Jewish Encyclopedia. 2011. <http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/7598-herod->  “Tiberius.” Encyclopædia Britannica. 2023. <https://www.britannica.com/biography/Tiberius>  Wolfram, Chuck.  “The Herodian Dynasty.” 2004. <http://web.archive.org/web/20151013221102/http://freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cwolfram/herod> Martin, Ernest L. The Star of Bethlehem – The Star That Astonished the World. 2nd Ed. 2003. Chapter 13. A.S.K. (Associates for Scriptural Knowledge.  <://web.archive.org/web/20170917115234/http://www.askelm.com/star/star015.htm>  Bunson, Matthew.  Encyclopedia of the Roman Empire. “Astronomy.” New York: Princeton University Library. Internet Archive. 2002. <https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780816045624>  San José, Juan Antonio Revilla. “On the Year of Herod’s Death.”  A partial translation from “La Fecha de Muerte de Herodes y La Estrella de Belén.” pp 14, 140.  28 Dec 1999.  Astrology of the New Centaurs.  <http://www.expreso.co.cr/centaurs/steiner/herod.html>
[2] Matthew 2. Luke 2.
[3] The Historical Method of Flavius Josephus. 1986. p14.  <http://books.google.com/books?id=kdUUAAAAIAAJ&lpg=PA14&ots=2ek7SgCy2c&dq=josephus%2C%20battle%20of%20actium%2C%20herod&pg=PA14#v=onepage&q=josephus,%20battle%20of%20actium,%20herod&f=false>”What is Inclusive Reckoning?” WednesdayCrucifixion.com. 2024. <https://www.wednesdaycrucifixion.com/inclusive-reckoning.html#:~:text=The%20common%20mode%20of%20counting%20employed%20in%20the,nations%2C%20as%20is%20shown%20unmistakably%20by%20source%20documents>  “Reckoning Tiberius’s Reign and Jesus’s Baptism.” TyndaleHouse. 2022. p 100, #3 “Way that Tiberius’s Reign May Have Been Reckoned in Antiquity”. <file:///Users/vogelman/Downloads/37789-reckoning-tiberius-s-reign-and-jesus-s-baptism-first-and-second-century-evidence-concerning-tiberius-s-fifteenth-year-luke-3-1.pdf.>  Steinmann, Andrew E.; Young, Rodger. Academia.Edu. “Elapsed Times for Herod the Great in Josephus.” 2023. <https://www.academia.edu/39731184/Elapsed_Times_for_Herod_the_Great_in_Josephus?email_work_card=thumbnail>
[4] Josephus. Antiquities. Book XVII, Chapter VI.4. Josephus, Flavius.  Wars of the Jews. Chapter XXXIII; Book II, Chapter I. The Complete Works of Josephus. 1850.  <http://books.google.com/books?id=e0dAAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false>
[5] Josephus. Antiquities of the Jews. Book XVIII, Chapters IV.6. (printed copy).
[6] Whiston, William. The Works of Flavius Josephus, the Learned and Authentic Jewish Historian.” 1850. Book XVII, Chapter VI footnote t.  <https://books.google.com/books?id=e0dAAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&hl=en#v=snippet&q=349&f=false> CR Whiston. Book XI, Chapter V, footnote t.  Bernegger, P.M. “Affirmation of Herod’s Death in 4 B.C.” Journal of Theological Studies. 1983. Vol. 34, no 2, pp 526-531, <http://www.redatedkings.com/postings/Bernegger.pdf>  Schurer, Emil.  A History of the Jewish People in the Time of Jesus Christ. 1890. Volume 1, pp 464-465, footnote 165.  <http://books.google.com/books?id=BRynO3W9FPcC&pg=PP1#v=snippet&q=Tiberius&f=false>Doig, Kenneth F.  New Testament Chronology. 1990. Chapter 4. <http://nowoezone.com/NT_Chronology.htm> Philip. Bible Wiki. image. n.d. <https://bible.fandom.com/wiki/Philip_the_Tetrarch>
[7] Espenak, Fred. NASA Lunar Eclipse Website. 2007. Asia and Asia Minor – Jerusalem, Israel; Century Selection -0001 – 0100. <https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/JLEX/JLEX-AS.html> Espenak, Fred. “Six Millennium Catalog of Phases of the Moon.” NASA Eclipse Website. n.d. “Phase years Table:  -0099 – 0000.” <https://archive.is/UsEwe> Kidger, Mark R. “The Date of Passover 11BC – 10AD.” <http://www.observadores-cometas.com/cometas/Star/Passover.html> Reinhold. “Other Scholarship Proving the Exact Date of Birth of Yeshua (Jesus), pt 5.”’
[8]  Bernegger, P.M. “Affirmation of Herod’s Death in 4 B.C.” Journal of Theological Studies Vol. 34, no 2, pp 526-531, 1983. RedatedKings.com. n.d. <http://www.redatedkings.com/postings/Bernegger.pdf> “The Infamous Procurators of Rome 6 -66 CE. Ed Jan Lilleby. Grace Panorama. n.d. <https://www.gracepano.com/language/en/2023/04/06/the-infamous-procurators-of-rome-in-6-66-ce/> “Did Caesar and Cleopatra really have a son?” The Ancient Standard. 2010. <http://ancientstandard.com/2010/12/03/did-caesar-and-cleopatra-really-have-a-son>
[9] Beyer, David W.  “Josephus Reexamined:  Unraveling the Twenty-Second Year of Tiberius.” Chronos, Kairos, Christos II.  Ed.  Jerry Vardaman. 1998. <http://books.google.com/books?id=mWnYvI5RdLMC&lpg=PP1&dq=isbn%3A0865545820&pg=PA85#v=snippet&q=beyer&f=false> Jachowski, Raymond. Academia.Edu. “The Death of Herod the Great and the Latin Josephus:  Re-Examining the Twenty-Second Year of Tiberius.” n.d. https://www academia.edu/19833193/The_Death_of_Herod_the_Great_and_the_Latin_Josephus_Re_Examining_the_Twenty_Second_Year_of_Tiberius>
[10] Jospehus. Wars. Book II, Chapter IX.5.   Villalba i Varneda, Pere. The Historical Method of Flavius Josephus. 1986. p14.  <http://books.google.com/books?id=kdUUAAAAIAAJ&lpg=PA14&ots=2ek7SgCy2c&dq=josephus%2C%20battle%20of%20actium%2C%20herod&pg=PA14#v=onepage&q=josephus,%20battle%20of%20actium,%20herod&f=false>
[11] Josephus. Antiquities.  Book XVIII, Chapter V.1.  “Herod Antipas.” Britannica Encyclopedia. 2022. <https://www.britannica.com/biography/Herod-Antipas> “Aretas.” Bible History. 2022. <https://bible-history.com/links/aretas-1067>  “Aretas ( in Aramaic ) IV.:” Jewish Encyclopedia. n.d. <https://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/1752-aretas> 

 

Magi – In a Jewish Nativity Story?

Posted on by K.B. Vogelman

 

Magi – In a Jewish Nativity Story?

 

Adoration of the Magi by Claude Vignon, 1694.

Clearly not worried the inclusion of the Magi in his Jewish account would be questioned by his contemporaries, the author of Matthew was fully committed to it. He covered the magi story with 12 verses, at least 10 providing specific details.[1]

Magi were scorned by Judaism for their mystical reputation.[2] Not motivated by an ancient prophecy nor a prophet, an angelic appearance, or any type of divine revelation; rather, the Magi’s actions were compelled by an awe-inspiring scene they observed in the night sky.

Greek text of Matthew uses the word magos, the Latin word equivalent to magus, its plural form is magi.[2] The word is sometimes translated into English as “wise men” – both translations are correct.

Babylonians, Medes and Persians viewed magos as an eclectic group of priests, physicians, teachers, soothsayers, interpreters of dreams, astrologers, and sorcerers making it easy for magi to be referred to as “mystics.” Not surprisingly, magi is the root word of “magic.”

MT 2:1 “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem…” (NIV)

MT 2:1 “In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem…” (NRSV)

Roman era Jewish society had a dual-perspective of magi. One perspective was that of the famed Hebrew, Daniel, a Israelite of royal descent captured by Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel was placed into the elite Babylonian school of the Chaldeans where he received an education in astronomy and astrology.[5]

God gave “Daniel understanding in all visions and dreams,” a gift that landed him in Nebuchadnezzar’s royal council of wise men, the chakkiym.[6] Later, Nebuchadnezzar made Daniel chief of all magi, a position known as Rab-mag.[7]

After the Medes and Persians overthrew the Babylonian Empire, Daniel’s “extraordinary spirit” again elevated him to a high level in the new government.[8] Under King Cyrus the main religion was Zoroastrianism where its founder, Zoroaster, was is often considered to be the original magi and priests of Zoroastrianism were called “magi.”.[9]

Setting the stage for the other Jewish perspective of magi began when Alexander the Great marched through Judea. Open-minded Hellenistic culture of the Greek Empire allowed the Jews religious freedom, but it also introduced Zoroastrianism that was intermingled with the influences of the Babylonian chakkiym. [10]

Over the coming decades, the effects of Hellenism on Jewish culture was unavoidable much to the frustration of the Jewish Rabbis. Liberal philosophies of Hellenism permeated Jewish culture meanwhile Greek became the common language.[11] Next came the Roman Empire which seemed content to leave the prevailing culture in Judea alone.[12]

As expert astronomers, magi used the legendary Babylonian astronomical science and charts to study of the motion of stars past, present and future. Ability to plot upcoming cosmic events by these wise men were scientifically predictive, not “mystical.”[13]

Toward the very end of the BC era a series of rare celestial conjunctions occurred, ones hard to ignore by astronomers then or today. Witnessing just one such rare conjunction can be an once-in-a-lifetime experience. Imagine the scenario where, in a space of just 5 years from 7-2 BC, there were 13 rare conjunctions including two triple conjunctions![14]

Zoroastrianism beliefs held that celestial events served as signs with earthly significance. Signs of a newborn king observed by the magi were so awe-inspiring, they set out on a month’s long quest to find and worship him.[15] Matthew does not say there were only three magi...the number of magi may or may not be accurate.

Not just anyone appearing on the door step of the King’s palace would expect to gain entry. Signifying King Herod‘s regard for magi, when they arrived unannounced the magi had no problem gaining direct access to the King who gave them his immediate and full attention.

Herod did not question the credibility of the magi when they gave him the alarming news about the birth of a King of the Jews. Neither did Herod’s Jewish religious experts who pointed the King to Micah’s prophecy saying a Jewish ruler was to be born in Bethlehem.

Believing the prophecy to be true, Herod invited the magi back for another meeting to investigate the timing of the star, directed them to Bethlehem, slyly asking for their help in finding the exact location of this newborn king. Angered when they didn’t return, Herod’s reaction by killing all the children 2 years old and under in the Bethlehem district demonstrates his belief in the truth of the magi’s message about a newborn King of the Jews.

King Herod and his royal Jewish religious council believed the credibility and message of the magi. How likely is it that the Jewish author of Matthew would unnecessarily introduce the magi…unless the author also believed it to be true?

 

Updated September 15, 2025.

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

REFERENCES:

[1] Matthew 2:1-12.
[2] Deuteronomy 4, 18.  Soncino Babylonian Talmud.  Sanhedrin 98a. <https://israelect.com/Come-and-Hear/sanhedrin/sanhedrin_98.html> “Zoroastrianism – Magi.” Geni. 2016. <https://www.geni.com/projects/Zoroastrianism-Magi/13185>
[3] “magus.” WordReference.com. <http://www.wordreference.com/es/translation.asp?tranword=magus> “magi.”  WordReference.com. <http://www.wordreference.com/es/translation.asp?tranword=magi> “magus.” Merriam-Webster <https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/magus>
[4] Martin, Ernest L. The Star of Bethlehem – The Star That Astonished the World. 2017. Chapter 2. A.S.K. (Associates for Scriptural Knowledge. <http://web.archive.org/web/20170226050457/http://www.askelm.com/star/star002.htm>
[5] Daniel 1. Guisepi, Robert. “The Chaldeans, The Chaldeans (Neo-Babylonian) Empire.” International World History Project.  2007.  <http://history-world.org/chaldeans.htm>  “Chaldea.”  Encyclopædia Britannica. 2014.  <http://www.britannica.com>  “Chaldea.”  Jewish Encyclopedia.  2011. <http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/4213-chaldea>
[6] NKJV.  Daniel 1- 2.  “Magi.” New World Encyclopedia. 2014. <http://web.archive.org/web/20211122161026/http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Magi>  Net.bible.org.  Daniel 2:12 Hebrew text “chakkiym” <02445>.  “Chaldea.” Jewish Encyclopedia.  Diodorus of Sicily. Mesopotamia: Ninus, Semiramis, the wonders of Babylon; Sardanapalus, Chaldaean astrology.  Vol. I.  Book II.  University of Chicago|Bill Thayer.  2017.  Page 431 # 24 ; p 447-457 #29-31. <http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Diodorus_Siculus/home.html>
[7] Jeremiah 39:3, 13.
[8] NASB. Daniel 6, 10-12.  Deuteronomy 4:19.  Gascoigne, Bamber.  “History of Zoroastrianism.”  HistoryWorld.net. n.d.  <http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=ab71>  “Zoroastrianism – Magi.” Geni. “Daniel, the Magi and the Luni-solar Calendar of Israel.” TryGod.com. 2017. <http://try-god.com/daniel-the-magi-and-the-luni-solar-calendar-of-israel.php
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[11] Josephus.  Antiquities of the Jews. Book XII, Chapter II.
[12] Hooker. “Hellenistic Greece:  Hellenism.” Petrucci, Valerio. “Hellenization and Romanization – the Dialogue Between Greek and Roman Cultures in the 1st and 2nd Centuries.” 2017. Academia. <https://www.academia.edu>  “Judaea.” Livius.org. Ed. Jona Lendering. 2019. <https://www.livius.org/articles/place/judaea>
[13] Eduljee, K. E. “Greek Perceptions of Zoroaster, Zoroastrianism & the Magi.” Zoroastrian Heritage. 25 Apr. 2011. <http://zoroastrianheritage.blogspot.com/2011/04/greek-perceptions-of-zoroaster.html>  Leverington. Babylon to Voyager and Beyond – A History of Planetary Astronomy. Chapter 1.
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[15] “Trade between the Romans and the Empire of Asia.” Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. <http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/silk/hd_silk.htm>  National Museum of American History, “Trade Routes” >  “Major Trade Routes of 2nd Century BCE – 1st Century CE.”  <http://web.archive.org/web/20160618154742/http://americanhistory.si.edu:80/numismatics/parthia/frames/pamaec.htm> “Iran Historical Maps Arsacid Parthian Empire, Armenian Kingdom.” Atlas of Iran Maps. n.d. Iran Politics Club. 2014. <http://iranpoliticsclub.net/maps/maps04/index.htm>