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Instead, the researcher suggests, it may have been another kind of celestial body.
A new astronomical study is reviving debate over one of the Bible’s most enduring mysteries. For centuries, the Star of Bethlehem has been portrayed as a miraculous beacon guiding travellers to the birthplace of Jesus.
Now a NASA researcher argues that the phenomenon may have been a real object in the sky — just not a supernatural one.
A celestial clue
In a recent paper for the Journal of the British Astronomical Association, planetary scientist Mark Matney examines an ancient comet recorded by Chinese observers in 5BC. According to his analysis, the timing aligns with historical estimates that place Jesus’ birth between 6BC and 5BC.
Matney suggests the object may have become visible on a June morning, bright enough for travellers to track during daylight. He writes that this visibility could match early descriptions in the Gospel of Matthew.
In the study, Matney concludes: “A comet candidate has been presented that can explain all aspects of Matthew’s pericope.” He adds that the orbit he reconstructed fits the Chinese records and brings the comet unusually close to Earth in early June.
Movement that matched a tale
The paper claims the comet’s path could have created the illusion of movement ahead of people journeying south from Jerusalem toward Bethlehem.
Matney notes that on a specific June day “this comet could have moved in such a way as to appear to ‘go before’ someone… and then ‘stop’ nearly overhead for about two hours.”
He argues that such behaviour, visible during hours when travellers typically moved between towns, aligns with both ancient astronomical reporting and biblical narrative.
The research does not assert that the Star was definitively identified, but positions the 5BC comet as the first candidate able to satisfy all recorded elements of the story.
Other bold claims
Scientific attempts to reinterpret episodes from the life of Jesus are not new.
Earlier this year, British anthropologist Paul Warner told the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities that he had located what he believes to be Jesus’ body and the Ark of the Covenant beneath the Great Pyramid.
Warner said the relics may lie inside a double cave sealed behind a stone barrier in a subterranean passageway. He emphasised that additional excavation would be required to validate the claim.
Sources: Journal of the British Astronomical Association, NASA reporting, The Jerusalem Post
