Dr. Colin Nicholl’s affection for the Bible and for research stretches back to when he was just a lad. In fact, he used to spend his spare Northern Irish afternoons putting together books on theology!
After viewing a DVD several years ago on the topic of the mysterious nature of The Star of Bethlehem, Dr. Nicholl directed his considerable passion for study into discovering the truth about this vital part of the Christmas Story.
Dr. Nicholl reveals his findings in a tremendous book, recently released, called . He explains why the star couldn’t have been many of the things that have been widely speculated.
“Well I mean, there are so many aren’t there? Just as a generic statement what we can say is none of those positions fit naturally with what Matthew says. That’s the generic statement we can make.”
He tackles some of the most common explanations one by one.
“When you think about all the different pieces of evidence – the star appears suddenly and remains visible for over a year. That really rules out everything except a supernova and a great comet, a large comet.”
“The fact that the star does something extra special and surprising – it’s rising in the eastern sky – that eliminates all of the possibilities really except a comet making a close pass by the sun.”
“That it’s in the south within a couple of months after being in the eastern morning sky, low in the eastern sky, I mean that is something – the kind of movement that that requires across the sky – that means it can only only be a comet. All the other possibilities are ruled out.”
It’s also been speculated that perhaps the star was the planet Jupiter interacting with another object in the sky.
“The fact that the star suddenly appears isn’t explained at all. Jupiter doesn’t suddenly appear. It’s always always there.”
“You know, the fact the Magi emphasize a rising – that theory doesn’t postulate anything really important about the rising of Jupiter in regards to it.”
“The standing over of the house, the revealing of a particular location – again, that theory – the explanation of it standing over just doesn’t fit. It’s not something that’s perceptible within the period of a few hours. The journey time is wrong, you know, the astrological assumptions about the ancient world. It just doesn’t make sense. And the date is wrong even too.”
And lastly, could the Star of Bethlehem been a Supernova?
On the Road with Colin Nicholl“A Supernova is relatively good as an explanation. The problem is that there’s no evidence of a supernova from two thousand years ago. And a Supernova, like a fixed star, can’t move.”
“As for an ordinary star, well, the same issue. An ordinary star can’t really stand over anywhere pinpointing a place. “
