In the photo: Painting by Igor Geko "Jesus in the manger"
According to the calculations of astronomers, Jesus could have been born on June 17, 2 years
Astronomers reproduced the sky of the time of Jesus Christ and, using the "Christmas star" that led to the baby of the Magi, calculated that he was born in June, that is, his zodiac sign was Gemini, and not Capricorn, as previously thought. An article about this is published by the Daily Telegraph, reports the site "Vokrug Sveta".
Astronomers have found that the star that appeared over Bethlehem more than 2,000 years ago could appear to be Jupiter and Venus, which were very close at that moment, which is why an unusually bright light appeared. Dave Rineuk, an Australian astronomer, used computer equipment to recreate the exact position of all celestial bodies and a map of the night sky at that time. It is believed that Christmas happened sometime between 3 BC. and 1 year after R. Kh. Using the Gospel of Matthew as a starting point, the astronomer analyzed all the changes that took place in the constellation Leo, which ultimately gave him a specific date - June 17, 2 years.
“We're not saying it was definitely a Christmas star, but this is the most reliable explanation I've ever met. There is no other explanation that is so much in line with the evidence that has come down to us. The Three Wise Men might well have interpreted this as a sign. And they could easily have been mistaken for one bright star,”said the astronomer. In addition, D. Rineik noted that although they have so far agreed that Christmas happened in December, this does not literally mean that it was then. However, in his opinion, this does not contradict religion at all, since their theory proves that the "star of Bethlehem" was indeed. Earlier theories suggested that it could be a comet or a supernova, but astronomers believe that their theory is much closer to the truth.
However, last year, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams said that most likely Jesus was not born in December. “Christmas was celebrated in December because it fit in well with the winter holidays,” he said. The archbishop exposed other details of the Christmas story, stating that there was hardly a donkey or an ox standing next to the manger where the baby Jesus lay. The archbishop claims that the traditional images of the Nativity, where the Virgin Mary, surrounded by shepherds and magi, stands at the cradle of the Child, are misleading, as are the paintings depicting snow at Christmas in Bethlehem.