(The following insights are from the book Finding God In Ancient China
by Chan Kei Thong with Charlene L. Fu; p.311-317.)
“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod,Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.’”(Matthew 2:1-2/NIV)
During King Herod’s reign, wise men followed an unusual star to Jerusalem, seeking the “King of the Jews.” They came from the East by way of the Silk Road, which was the only major land link between the East and the West. These wise men were also called “magi,” a word that is associated with the word “magic.” A magus (“magi” is the plural form) was a “magician” or a learned man skillful in a variety of disciplines, particularly astronomy. It is not surprising, then, that magi were the ones who noticed this unusual star. It must truly have been an extraordinary astronomic occurrence to have caused them to embark on a long journey all the way to Jerusalem to seek the source and the reason for it. In effect, they embarked on a journey to seek the truth. Since this was an astral event, it must also have been seen by other astronomers of that time. The magi said that they saw the star in the east, that is, the star they saw rose from the east. Is there corroborating evidence for this?
Indeed there is. The astronomers in far-off China saw the same star! Like their counterparts in the Near East, Chinese emperors were served by imperial astronomers who kept careful watch of the skies for signs from heaven. This imperial office consisted of 14, night observers, and three, day observers who were on duty in shifts. In addition, a few dozen other astronomers formulated and permutated their observations to gain insights into the signs of the time. And so it happened that Chinese astronomers observed and recorded several unusual astronomic phenomena around the time of the birth of Jesus.
The entry below is found in the Astronomy Records of the Book of the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D. 220) from the second year of Jian Ping of Emperor Xiao Ai (reigned 7-1 B.C.).(Jian Ping is the name given by the emperor to this period of his reign. Xiao Ai is his official title.)
In the second month of the second year, the comet was out of Altair for more than 70 days. It is said, “Comets appear to signify the old being replaced by the new,” Altair [see note below], the sun, the moon and the five stars are in movement to signify the beginning of a new epoch; the beginning of a new year, a new month, and a new day. The appearance of this comet undoubtedly symbolizes change. The extended appearance of this comet indicates that this is of great importance.
(Altair is one of the 15 brightest stars, the brightest star in the constellation Aquila, which means “the eagle.” Its Chinese name is Qian Niu, literally a cowherd, or to lead or walk a bull.)
The second month of the second year of Jian Ping correlates to March 9 to April 6, 5 B.C. This timeframe is highly significant because most experts place the birth of Jesus at 5 to 4 B.C.
Although the Chinese did not know about the birth of Jesus, they were so convinced of the “great importance” surrounding the comet’s appearance and its association with a new beginning that, according to the same historical record, some imperial ministers proposed changing the name of that year from the “Second Year of Jian Ping” to “First Year of Tai Chu,” which literally means “Genesis” or “The Grand Beginning.” This change was adopted and lasted until the eighth month when the original reign of Jian Ping was restored.
There is at least one other Chinese historical record that documents this same heavenly occurrence:
In the second year of Jian Ping of Emperor Xiao Ai, in the spring, the first month, a Bei comet was found at Altair. (A Bei comet has no tail; a regular comet, which does have a tail, is called a hui comet.)
These Chinese records also help us to understand why, and when the magi arrived in Jerusalem, King Herod questioned them closely about why they had set off on their journey. According to the Chinese record, the star was seen in the east and was observed for a period of more than 70 days. Since traveling from the East to Jerusalem could have taken up to a year, the star was no longer visible by the time the magi arrived in Jerusalem. That is why Herod had to question them closely to determine the exact time of the star’s appearance.
These records show that ancient Chinese astronomers observed a highly unusual astral event and concluded that something of monumental significance was happening that involved heaven, earth, and mankind and that it pertained to the beginning of a new epoch. Interpreting the events with their limited knowledge, they responded by instituting a new reign title. They did not know that this new epoch was far more significant and that the extent of its significance was for the entire world! This new epoch was actually the full and direct revelation of God, when God stepped down into time and space to lead us to the Truth [i.e. Jesus Christ]. (See the article The Star Of Bethlehem for more on this.)
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