An Historical Text Book and Atlas of Biblical Geography By Lyman Coleman

Coleman Lyman. An Historical Text Book and Atlas of Biblical Geography.
Philadelphia: Presbyterian publication committee.1860


An Historical Text Book and Atlas of Biblical Geography By Lyman Coleman: "THE STAR IN THE EAST It is the common and probably the true impression that some supernatural or meteoric appearance guided the wise men like the pillar of a cloud to the Israelites But the notion has been entertained that the star may have been none other than a remarkable conjunction of the planets Jupiter and Saturn If this be true it will relieve the passage of many difficulties and confirm by another astronomical fact the correction of our chronology which has already been mentioned The explanation as given below has engaged the attention of many of the greatest minds and is at least worthy of a respectful consideration Kepler the prince of modern astronomers under the influence of a conjunction of the planets Jupiter Saturn and Mars which took place in 1604 was led to think that he had discovered means for deter "


An Historical Text Book and Atlas of Biblical Geography By Lyman Coleman: "mining the true year of our Saviour's birth He made his calculations and found that Jupiter and Saturn were in conjunction in the constellation of the Fishes a fish is the astronomical symbol of Judea in the latter half of the year of Rome 747 and were joined by Mars in 748 Here then he fixed the first figure in the date of our era and here he found the appearance in the heavens which induced the Magi to undertake their journey and conducted them successfully on their way Others have taken up this view freed it from astrological impurities and shown its trustworthiness and applicability in the case under consideration It appears that Jupiter and Saturn came together for the first time on May 20th in the twentieth degree of the constellation of the Fishes They then stood before sunrise in the eastern part of the heavens and so were seen by the Magi Jupiter then passed by Saturn toward the north About the middle of September they were near midnight both in opposition to the sun Saturn in the thirteenth Jupiter in the fifteenth degree being distant from each other about a degree and a half They then drew nearer On October 27th there was a second conjunction in the"


An Historical Text Book and Atlas of Biblical Geography By Lyman Coleman: "conjunctions the interval between the planets amounted to no more than a degree so that to the unassisted eye the rays of the one planet were absorbed in those of the other and the two bodies would appear as one The two planets went past each other three times came very near together and showed themselves all night long for months in conjunction with each other as if they would never separate again Their first union in the East awoke the attention of the Magi told them the expected time had come and bade them set off without delay toward Judea the fish land When they reached Jerusalem the two planets were once more blended together Then in the evening they stood in the southern part of the sky pointing with their united rays to Bethlehem where prophecy declared the Messiah was to be born The Magi followed the finger of heavenly light and were brought to the child Jesus The conclusion in regard to the time of the advent is that our Lord was born in the latter part of the year of Eome 747 or six years before the common era These results of astronomical calculation do not call in question the exact and literal truthfulness of the gospel narrative of the star"


An Historical Text Book and Atlas of Biblical Geography By Lyman Coleman: "The coincidence is at least remarkable and exhibit a phenomenon by which it is supposed that the wise men may have been providentially guided to the infant Saviour 11 The flight into Egypt B c 5 Herod's cruelty B c 5 BETHLEHEM The return B c 4 Josephus relates that an eclipse of fhe moon occurred a few days before the death of Herod the Great This has been found by calculation to have been between March 12th and 13th B c 4 The return then may have been in the summer or autumn following NAZARETH Matt ii 13 23 Luke ii "

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