Abstract
REFERRING to the hypothesis in your last week's issue, that the star of Bethlehem was Venus, I would point out that 1180 synodical periods of Venus (i.e. 1180 × 583.92 = 689,025 mean solar days) take us back from October 28, 1887—when Venus was at her maximum brilliancy as a morning star—to only May 3 of the year 1 A.D. instead of December 25 of the year 1 B.C. For the number of days from October 28, 1887, to December 25, 1 B.C., is 689,155 (viz. 1887 × 365.2425 = 689,213 - 64 + 6 = 689,155). This would appear to show, either that the birth of Christ took place about May 3, or that Venus at her maximum brilliancy as a morning star was not the star of Bethlehem. I should be glad of your remarks on this.
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NICOLSON, J. The Star of Bethlehem. Nature 37, 221 (1888). https://doi.org/10.1038/037221c0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/037221c0
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