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The Christmas story with the angels, shepherds, wise men andstar has gripped the imagination of many over the last 20 centuries.We are indebted to two Biblical accounts, one in Matthew, andone in Luke. They provide the basic information needed to reconstructMid-Eastern history and astronomical events in order to discoverexactly what occurred in the night sky on that first Christmaswhen Messiah was born in the cave at Bethlehem amongst the cattleand horses.
Luke records that it was the whim of the Roman Emperor Augustuswhich sent Joseph and Mary from Nazareth to Bethlehem. This 125Km journey by foot, and on the back of a donkey, was particularlyexhausting for a woman in her 9th month of pregnancy. In the event,they only just got to Bethlehem in time. To make matters worse,when they arrived there, Bethlehem was so crowded that there wasno room for them at the inn. Mary had the some Emperor Augustusto thank for that too. He had decreed that there should be a worldcensus and taxation so that he would know the exact resourcesof his Empire. This order required that each return to the citywhich had originated their family lineage, and Bethlehem was thecity for all those descended from King David.
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The Census order was given by Augustus in 8 BC, but it wasimplemented province by province. Provincial Italy was taxed in8/7 BC. Rome itself was taxed in 7/6 BC. As for the province ofJudea, Luke records that it was taxed when 'Cyrenius was firstGovernor of Syria.' Senator P. Sulpicius Quirinius, otherwiseknown as Cyrenius, was Governor of Syria twice. As Luke states,it was on the first occasion that the world census occurred. Quiriniuswas Legate (Governor) to Syria an that first occasion for 5 yearsduring the Homonadensian War. He then become adviser to GaiusCaesar in I BC. Additionally, the Christian historian Tertullianrecords that the Judean census took place when Sentius Saturninuswas Proconsul to Syria, attending to the day to day running ofthe province, which included Judea. He left early in 2 BC to bereplaced by Quintillius Varus, about a year before the deathof Herod, who was the king of Judea. These facts indicate thatthe census acted on by Joseph and Mary had been completed by latein 3 BC. This is confirmed by the date of Herod's death. Accordingto Matthew, Herod ordered the slaughter of all children two yearsold and under, according to the time the Star first appeared tothe Wise Men. Therefore, if we back-track two years from the dateof Herod's demise, this will give the date for the first appearanceof the Star and an approximate date for the birth of the Christ-Child.
Josephus records that Herod died shortly after an eclipse ofthe Moon seen at Jericho, and sometime before the Feast of Passover.It is this point which has caused much historical. confusion,as we have to select between four Lunar eclipses. There is onekey piece of evidence which is often overlooked. The Jewish historianJosephus, records that there was a Jewish holiday celebratingHerod's death on 2nd day of the month Shebat. Significantly, thisdate is in accord with only one of those 4 eclipses, namely theone an 9th Jan, 1 BC. The 2nd Shebat date fell just 15 days afterthat eclipse. This means that Herod died 24th January I BC. Consequently,the Christmas star must have appeared throughout 3 and 2 BC. Thisaccords with the census completed by late 3 BC.
As to the time of the year that Messiah was born, Luke givesus further details. He records that shepherds were watching overtheir flocks by night. There are only two specific times in ayear when this was done, namely when lambs were being born inthe spring or autumn. At other times of the year they were keptsafely in their sheep-folds to protect them from wild animals.Significantly the flocks bred in the Bethlehem fields were usedfor the Temple sacrifices.
It was there, to those shepherds, that the angels announcedthe birth of the Lamb of God who was to make the final sacrificefor the sin of the world. However, we can pinpoint the in thetime of Messiah's birth more exactly. Revelation 12 tells of thebirth of Messiah when the constellation Virgo (the woman in theheavens) was clothed with the sun and had the moon at her feet.This tells us that Jesus was born when the sun and moon were inVirgo. In other words, at the time of the September New Moon,or shortly thereafter. This fits the autumn lambing season. Furthermore,it coincides with the season of the three Jewish feasts, Trumpets,Atonement and Tabernacles. Interestingly, the apostle John recordsin John 1:14 that the 'Word became flesh and tabernacledamongst us.' As the New Moon was on the 10th and Tabernacleson the 25th September in 3 BC, the birth of Christ would be somewherebetween those dates.
Why then do we celebrate Messiah's birth on December 25th?There are 4 reasons. Firstly there was the Jewish feast of Hanukkah- the Festival of Lights, or Feast of Dedication as it is calledin John 10:22. On this occasion, Jewish children lit candles,sang hymns and gave gifts to celebrate a genuine miracle whichoccurred with the Temple Menorah (or 7-branched lamp-stand) in165 BC. Now the early Christians were nearly all Jewish and theother Festivals were linked with Messiah's ministry rather thanhis birth. It seemed the natural occasion to commemorate the birthof Messiah who had come to be the Light of the World [Jn 8:2),and who admonished His followers to have their Lamps trimmed andburning as they waited for Him to Return (Matthew 25).
This Jewish feast occurred on 25th Kislev which correspondsto our month of December. Up until 1583 AD, the time when theGregorian calendar was introduced, the 25th Kislev and 25th Decemberwere the same day. Following the introduction of the new calendar,the two dates parted company. England did not adopt the new calendaruntil 1752 AD, by which time it was 11 days out of step with Europe.
However December 25th was also celebrated by the Romans asthe feast of the Saturnalia, which celebrates the winter solstice-thelongest night of the year. In the northern hemisphere this nowoccurs on December 21 or 22, but back then it was December 25.On this day the Romans celebrated the birth of the 'New Sun' asthe days lengthened and light triumphed over darkness. RomansChristians in those days saw a new significance in this paganfestival. They too celebrated the birth of the New Sun in accordancewith Malachi 4:2 - this time the Sun of Righteousness who willarise with healing in His wings.
On the 3rd of February 313 AD in Milan, Italy, the Roman EmperorConstantine issued an edict giving absolute tolerance to Christianitythroughout the Empire. It comes as no surprise, therefore, tofind that December 25th was first documented as Christmas Dayin 354 AD. Under the Roman Emperor Justinian, it became an officialholiday around 550 AD. This constitutes the third reason why wecelebrate Christmas on that date. However, there is a fourth reason.All the astronomical evidence suggests that this date also markedthe final appearance of the Christmas Star. It was on 25th Decin 2 BC when Jesus was 15 months old, that the Wise Men presentedtheir gifts to the young Messiah.
This leads us naturally to consider who these Wise Men were.
THE CHRISTMAS STAR PART 2:
We have seen that all the evidence points to Messiah beingborn in September of 3 BC. Furthermore we have noted that thereare 4 reasons why this event is celebrated on December 25th. Itwas commented that one of those reasons involved the Wise Manand the final appearance of the Christmas Star. But how do weknow this, and who were the Wise Men? Matthew 2:1 says that theycame from the East, that is east of Judea. Now Judea was a bufferstate between the sprawling Roman Empire in the West, and thefabulous Persian Empire of the Parthian Dynasty in the east. Wheneverthe Persians and Romans clashed militarily, the Persians almostalways won. Their crack cavalry units could pin down the Romanlegions indefinitely. The Persian Empire also controlled the SilkRoute to India and China. The gifts that the Wise Man broughtto Jesus, the gold, the frankincense and myrrh were the very bestthat world trade could offer from this route.
As to the identity of the Wise Men, the word that Matthew usesto describe them is Magoi. As we take this word over into a Persiansetting, an amazing fact emerges. The Parthian Dynasty was ruledby something equivalent to our houses of Parliament. They calledIt the Megistanes. The Lower House members were called the Sophoior 'Wise Ones': the Upper House members were called the Magoior 'Great Ones'. It was these Magoi, the king makers of theirempire, that come to visit Jesus. It was not the astrologers -It was the politicians - and there were more then 3, even if onlythree types of gift were given.
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This delegation of Rulers from Persia penetrated 750 km intoRoman territory. They would be escorted by their crack cavalryunits that consistently won out against the Romans. These Persianswere the finest equestrians in the world. They always rode horsesas their means of transport - camels were only used for baggage.Consequently, it was no wonder that Herod was troubled, and allJerusalem with him. He had a small army from a foreign power atthe gates of Jerusalem. And at a very inconvenient time too. Herod'sgarrison that normally protected Jerusalem was away helping fightthe Homonadensian War. Jerusalem was virtually undefended. Furthermore,the news was not good. These Magoi proclaimed the birth of a contenderfor Herod's throne. Indeed, they had come to support this child-king,and their army was there to back them. It was a very tense timefor Herod, but he played his options very skillfully.
But why did the Persian Magoi make such a perilous trip atall? There were 3 reasons. Firstly, the Hebrew prophet Danielhad been held in high regard in the Persian court. In Daniel 9,the Magoi had the prophecy of Messiah's sacrifice as a man cutoff at age 35 (in the midst of his years). They knew that thisevent would occur 483 Babylonian years of 360 days after a specificdecree. Backtracking 35 years gave a birth date for Messiah of448 Babylonian years or 442 actual years after the decree. AsIt turned out, that decree was Issued by the Persian king Artaxerxesin his 20th year which was 445/444 BC. The Magoi consequentlyknew the time of Messiah's birth as around 3/2 BC on our Calendar.
The second reason was that there had been a Mesopotamian prophetcalled Balaam who had foretold the coming of the Star that wouldherald Messiah for all the tribes of Israel (see Numbers 24).Finally, Zoroaster, a pupil of Daniel, had incorporated theseprophecies in his bible, called the Zend Avesta, and Zoroastrianismwas the State Religion of Persia at the time of Christ's birth.It prophesied that there would be born unto the Jews a King Messiah,and that His coming would be heralded by a sign In the heavensin the constellation Virgo.
That compels us to find out just what this sign was in theheavens. What was the Star that appeared in the skies of 3 and2 BC? As we begin this search, we note that the word star hada variety of meanings back then. It could mean anything that blazed,shone or moved across the sky. It could mean an aurora, the sun,moon, or a star. It may mean any strange light in the sky - abolt of lightning, an oddly illuminated cloud, a planet, or groupingof several planets.
The two-year time period for visibility automatically eliminatesmany objects. Meteors are too transitory. Meteor showers onlylast a few weeks. Novae or unstable stars shine longer, but rarelylast two years. When the record is searched, there was only onenova at the time - a faint one in 4 BC. Supernovas last longerand can be visible in broad daylight. But again we are disappointed.Only two supernovae are recorded near the time of the Nativity:one in 134 BC, the other in 173 AD.
As we examine Matthew, it becomes apparent that the accountrequires the star to appear in the eastern sky, move across thestarry background, and go before the Magoi to Judea. Only comets,planets, or groupings of planets behave this way. Comets can travelthrough the background stars at the rate of 1 or 2 degrees perday. They may be visible to the naked eye for 100 days or so.Now a journey to Judea from Persia would take the Wise Men about6 weeks. Comets would thus be visible long enough for the journeyitself. But none last 2 years, and no comets were recorded forthe prime dates of 3 and 2 BC. Halley's comet flared in the skiesin 11 BC. Another comet swept across the heavens in 4 BC. Butboth of these were too early. So comets fade as a possibilityfor the Star.
This leaves the option of planets. When we examine the nightsky with planets in mind, a series of amazing celestial eventsoccurred. On the 1st August 3 BC the drama began to unfold withJupiter rising helically in the rays of dawn. On the 13 AugustVenus and Jupiter stood very close together in the sunrise. Onthe 18th, Mercury came out of the solar glare, and on September1st, Mercury and Venus stood 1/3rd degree apart in Leo.
These were dramatic events. The astronomers who were basedat the Sippar Institute would see an astrological significancein these signs. Essentially, Jupiter, the King planet, had leftthe Sun, the Father of the Gods, to be conjoined with Venus, theVirgin Mother in the constellation of Leo, which is the symbolfor the tribe of Judah in Israel. Furthermore, Mercury, the Messengerof the Gods, had come from the Sun's presence to stand with Venusthe virgin mother in the rays of the dawn.
Then on 14th September 3 BC and 17th February and 8th May in2 BC, Jupiter the King planet stood next to Regulus the brighteststar in Leo, which also represented Royalty. Then came a climaxto the display. On June 17th 2 BC, Venus and Jupiter, the twobrightest planets in the Solar System, appeared to collide. Theystood an Incredible 1/50th degree apart and seemed to fuse intoone immense ball of Light. This was an unprecedented event. Butthat was not all. On 27th August in 2 BC there was a grand meetingof the planets In Virgo. Jupiter and Mars were only 1/7th degreeapart and close at hand were Mercury and Venus standing togetherin the glare of the rising sun.
This dramatic sequence of events ending in Virgo qualifiedfor the Star spoken of by the Zend Avesta. But then Jupiter leftthe other planets in the dawn, and moved westwards. This was thesign the Magoi were waiting for. Jupiter the key player in theChristmas star sequence was leading them towards Judea. And sothey set out. From that moment in Mid-November, Jupiter the Kingplanet actually went before them in the sky towards Judea. Sixweeks later as the Magoi checked the pre-dawn sky, Jupiter wason the Meridian due south of Jerusalem. It would appear directlyover Bethlehem 65 degrees above the southern horizon.
And just at that time, the final event occurred. Jupiter hadreached its furthest point westward, and no longer moved againstthe background store. It actually 'Stood Over' where the youngchild was. Incredibly, on that some day, the Sun was at its furthestpoint south for the year, and stood still in the heavens (forthat is what the word 'solstice' means). Jupiter was again inthe constellation Virgo as the Zend Avesta predicted, when thisoccurred on 25th December in 2 BC. It was a unique sequence ofevents that had landed the Magoi at Bethlehem.
But wait! There is one more important detail. Matthew 2:9-11implies that something was marking the very house that Jesus hadbeen living in for 15 months. The planets and stars can nevermark a single building. What is the answer to this Biblical conundrum?Throughout the Scriptures, God has consistently appeared to Hisservants in what has often been called the Shekinah Glory Cloud.The Children of Israel were guided from Egypt to Canaan by the'Pillar of cloud by day, and a Pillar of fire by night' (see Ex.13:21.22etc). In Genesis it is described as looking like a twisting blazing,shining object at the entrance to the Garden of Eden. The Shekinahout of which God spoke to the patriarch Job appeared as a whirlwindof bright and shining cloud. Abraham saw this cloud of Glory atsunset outside his tent as a burning smoking light. Ezekiel witnessedthe Shekinah In which God dwelt as a whirlwind of fire enfoldingitself.
For the Magoi, this oddly Illuminated cloud also qualifiedfor the word 'star'. It would have been seen and described byBalaam as he looked down on the hosts of Israel. The Wise Menalso had the record of Daniel 7 where the Shekinah is linked withMessiah and described as the 'Cloud of Heaven'. This same Gloryof the Lord shone around the shepherds just before the angelsannounced Messiah's birth to them. Similarly, when the PersianMagoi arrived near Bethlehem in the early dawn, the Shekinah wouldbe seen standing above and marking the very house where Messiahwas. The Magoi would Immediately recognize this as a sign of Messiah'spresence. They had seen the blazing planetary orb in the sky.Then the key planet, Jupiter had led them to Judea and was nowpoised above Bethlehem. Finally, with the sign of the ShekinahGlory Cloud standing over the house, the Magoi from Persia wouldassuredly know that their quest had ended. They had found theOne of Whom the Star of David speaks - the Messiah of the Tribesof Israel, Who was to become the Savior of the world.
Has your quest to find Messiah ended? Remember, with child-likefaith in the prophecies of Daniel and Balaam contained In theScriptures, the Wise Men set out. In the depths of winter, theyundertook a long and difficult journey deep into enemy territoryto come and worship Christ. Today Messiah awaits your response.Will you bow down to him as King and Lord of your Life. For thisis what Christmas is all about. Messiah has come to rule as King-firstlyin our lives individuality, then from the throne of David internationallyat His Return. Will you offer the only acceptable sacrifice toHim now -- the Throne of your Life given over to Christ's controlwithout reserve? The choice is yours, and the consequences areeternal.
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THE CHRISTMAS STAR - PART 1 - ADDITIONAL NOTES.
1. INTRODUCTION TO ADDITIONAL NOTES: These notes amplify theforegoing commentary and provide additional information in summaryform.
The two accounts of Messiah's Birth - Matthew 2 and Luke 2- offer 2 clues as to the time of Christ's Birth. This Birth datemust be approximately established to know when the Christmas Starappeared.
(1). Luke 2: The census decree of Caesar Augustus that resultedin the overcrowded conditions at Bethlehem and its inn.
CLUE 1: This gives the earliest possible date for Christ'sBirth as Census decrees took time to implement.
(2). Matt 2: The interaction of the Wise men with King Herod;his decree for all children under 2 to be slaughtered and hisown death shortly afterwards.
CLUE 2: Herod's death gives the latest possible date for Christ'sBirth and the subsequent flight to Egypt of Joseph, Mary and Jesusto Egypt.
2. THREE POINTS OF POSSIBLE CONFUSION:
(1). Three different calendars were in use at the time - theirrelationship to our BC-AD system must be established.
(2). Herod's death is historically linked with an eclipse ofthe Moon seen at Jerusalem and Jericho. There are 4 choices.
(3). Some dates are given in terms of the year of reign ofCaesar Augustus.
The career of Augustus has 3 possible starting dates to countfrom.
ELIMINATION OF THESE 3 POINTS OF CONFUSION: (1). THE CALENDARPROBLEM:
A. Our current BC-AD calendar was introduced in 527 AD by thethen Abbott of Rome, Dionysius Exiguus.
B, The Varronian Calendar used by the Romans gave dates inyears AUC (Ad Urbe Condita - from the founding of the city ofRome). This calendar was cross-referenced to the ..
C. Olympiad System - based on the 4 year cycle of the OlympicGames. Year 1 on this system occurred 23 years before Year 1 AUC.
D. The Seleucid Calendar - began with the 1st year of the reignof Seleucus Ist
in Babylon. This occurred on 1st year of Olympiad 117.
E. Seleucid calendar used by Syrian Christians in Lebanon untilmid-20th
Century. This gives us an accurate cross-link to BC-AD system.
CONCLUSION:
AUC System began on 21st April 753 BC.
Olympiad System began on 1st July 776 BC.
Seleucid Era began 3rd April 311 BC.
(2). THE DATE OF HEROD'S DEATH:
A. The statement of Josephus - Herod died shortly after a LunarEclipse seen at Jerusalem and Jericho and sometime before Passover.
B. Only 4 eclipses of Moon near Herod's death.
I. Earliest was 15 September 5 BC. Eliminated as too late forPassover.
II. Partial eclipse 13 March 4 BC. Passover began April 12th.
III. Full eclipse 9th January I BC.
IV. Full eclipse 29 December 1 BC.
NOTE: It is often assumed that Herod died about 1st April 4BC from item II. Many other events are dated upon this premise.Item C is thus vital.
C. Elimination of contenders from the remaining 3 Eclipses.
I. Josephus lists too many events to fit the time from Herod'sdeath to the Passover in 4 BC. This favors the I BC eclipses.
II. A Jewish holiday celebrated Herod's death on 2nd Shebat.This is incompatible with the 4 BC eclipse. The 2nd Shebat datecame just 15 days after both the 1 BC eclipses.
III. Early Christian historians placed Christ's Birth after4 BC eclipse and before 9th Jan I BC eclipse. This may eliminatethe 29 December eclipse in I BC.
CONCLUSION: Josephus' eclipse was probably the 9th Jan I BC,so Herod died about 24th January I BC. The less favorable eclipseon 29th December 1 BC gives Herod's death on 13 Jan. 1 AD.
NOTE: Herod had all children under 2 killed. This suggeststhat Jesus may have been born sometime in 3 or 2 BC.
(3). THE BEGINNING OF THE REIGN OF CAESAR AUGUSTUS:
A. Julius Caesar nominated Octavian his son and heir in hiswill. Julius was murdered on 15th March 44 BC. Will effectivefrom 17th. Octavian and Mark Antony had joint rule from 17th March44 BC.
B. A cross-check on Herod: Antony appointed him King of Judeain winter. late in 39 BC. Herod's 1st Regnal year was thus 38BC. Josephus records that he reigned 37 years from that appointment.
CONCLUSION: Herod died early in 1 BC. Messiah therefore born3 BC.
C. On 2nd September 31 BC, Octavian scattered fleets of Antonyand
Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium. Antony and then Cleopatracommitted suicide. Octavian became ruler of Egypt and undisputedleader of all Roman Legions on that date.
D. On 13th Jan 27 BC the Roman Senate proclaimed Octavian asAugustus.
SUMMARY: Octavian joint rule with Antony from 17th March 44BC. Octavian leader of all Roman Legions and all Egypt 2 September31 BC. Octavian proclaimed as Augustus by Senate 13th January27 BC.
E. Christ's Birth from Augustus' dates (selected from 18 historians).
I. Clement of Alexandria statement - Jesus born in the 28thyear of Egyptian rule of Augustus. That was 31 BC less 28 years= 3/2 BC.
II. Eusebius adds that this was also the 42nd year of the reignof Octavian.
That is true if counted from 44 BC. This results in 3/2 BC.
III. Tertullian and Origen further specify that Augustus ruledfor another 15 full years after Christ's birth. As Augustus diedon 19th August 14 AD we again come to 3/2 BC for the birth.
CONCLUSION: Eighteen Christian historians give birth of Messiahas 3/2 BC.
4.- DATING THE WORLD CENSUS-TAXATION OF AUGUSTUS.
(1). THE ACTIVITIES OF QUIRINIUS: [Cyrenius in Luke 2].
A. Consul in Rome with Messala in 12 BC.
B. Conducted the Homonadensian War sometime between 10 and1 BC.
C. Became Adviser to Gaius Caesar late in 1 BC.
D. Conducted a Judean Census when direct Roman Rule began in6/7 AD.
NOTE: Cyrenius (Quirinius) was Legate to Syria twice. The firsttime was for 5 years during the Homonadeneian War. The secondwas for the 6/7 AD tax. The evidence indicates the first appointmentwas from late 6 BC to I BC.
CONCLUSION: The Census when Cyrenius was 1st Governor of Syriawas sometime between 6 and I BC during the Homonadensian Campaign.
(2). THE IMPORTANCE OF SATURNINUS:
A. Historically, Saturninus was Proconsul to Syria in the periodfrom 5 years to
2 years before the death of Herod, or 6 BC to 3 BC inclusive.[If the December 29th eclipse is used this becomes 5 BC to 2 BC].
B. Early Christian historian Tertullian notes that the censusat the time of Christ's birth was 'taken in Judea by SentiusSaturninus'.
C. Saturninus left very early in 2 BC once the census was complete.He was replaced by Quintillius Varus about a year before Heroddied.
D. CONCLUSION: Jesus was born when BOTH Quirinius and Saturninusadministered Syria. (3) AUGUSTUS WANTED EXACT KNOWLEDGE OF HISEMPIRE'S RESOURCES
A. Geographical information obtained by Agrippa was collatedby Strabo. His map of the Empire and commentary 'Geography' wascomplete in 6 BC.
B. A world census such as experienced regularly by citizensof Rome since 28 BC was needed to complete the information.
C. The Res Gestae inscriptions date the initial proclamationas 8 BC. I. Provincial Italy always taxed one year before Rome- 8/7 BC. II. Rome taxed in 7/6 BC. Empire then taxed provinceby province. Ill. Saturninus delegated to Roman Syria late in6 BC.
IV. Two years spent on location preparing and mobilizing thepeople. Order acted on in 3 BC.
V. Saturninus left when Census complete early in 2 BC.
CONCLUSION. The Census Tax of Augustus was acted on in Judeain 3 BC. Jesus the Messiah was probably born sometime during thatyear.
5. THE TIME OF THE YEAR FOR CHRIST'S BIRTH [Luke 2].
(1). Shepherds were watching their flocks by night - only whenlambs are being born in the spring or autumn,
(2). Revelation 12 depicts the birth of Christ when sun andmoon in Virgo. That dates the Nativity as 10th September 3 BC.or 29th September. 2 BC.
(3). John 1:14 may imply the Birth at the time of the Feastof Tabernacles which is 15 days after the New Moon or 25th September3 BC or 14 October 2 BC.
CONCLUSION: Jesus was probably born in September or Octoberof 3 or 2 BC.
6. WHY CELEBRATE THE NATIVITY ON DECEMBER 25TH?
(1). The Jewish Feast of Hanukkah - the Festival of Lightsor Feast of Dedication (John 10:22) - when children lit candlesand sang hymns. Jewish Christians saw Messiah as the 'Lightof the world'. Occurred on 25th Kislev (December) on theJewish calendar.
(2). Roman Festival of the Saturnalia - the birth of the 'NewSun' celebrated at the winter solstice (December 25th). RomanChristians commemorated the coming of the 'Sun of Righteousnessthat arose with healing in His wings' (Malachi 4:2).
(3). Evidence presented in Part 2 suggests that this date markedthe final appearance of the Christmas Star when the Wise Men sawJesus.
(4). December 25th first documented as Christmas Day in 354AD and became an official holiday under Emperor Justinian around550 AD.
7. FINAL SUMMARY OF PART 1:
(1). Census decree of Caesar Augustus was issued in 8 BC andimplemented province by province. Messiah was born after thatdecree.
(2). Christ was born during the 5 years when Cyrenius (Quirinius)was first Governor (Legate) of Syria - that is sometime from 6BC to 1 BC.
(3). Census was acted on in Judea when Saturninus was Proconsulto Syria. Saturninus left with Census complete by 2 BC. Jesuswas born before that. This places the Birth in 3/2 BC.
(4). Josephus records that Herod reigned for 37 years fromhis appointment as King by Antony in December of 39 BC. This placeshis death in 1 BC.
(5). Herod died 15 days after the Lunar Eclipse on 9th JanuaryI BC. [It is just possible that it may have been the 29th DecemberI BC eclipse]. Christ was born before Herod died -perhaps 2 yearsbefore or 3/2 BC.
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(6). Eighteen early Christian historians place Messiah's Birthin either (a). The 42nd year of the reign of Augustus (which beganin 44 BC) or (b). The 28th year of Augustus' Egyptian rule (whichbegan September 31 BC). (c) or 15 full years before Augustus diedon 19th August 14 AD.
CONCLUSION: These all give a date for the Nativity of 3 BC[with 2BC a distant possibility].
NOTE: The Shepherds and Flocks; The Tabernacles Festival; andRevelation 12 all combine to give the time of the year as Septemberor October.
THE CHRISTMAS STAR PART 2 - ADDITIONAL NOTES
I. INTRODUCTION:
The date for the Nativity of September or October of 3 or 2BC also fixes the time the Christmas Star appeared and the subsequentvisit of the Wise Men. But who were they, where did they comefrom, and why were they interested in Messiah?
2. WHERE THE WISE MEN CAME FROM:
Matthew 2:1 says they came from the East - that is east ofJudea.
(1). Judea was a buffer state between the sprawling Roman Empirein the West and the fabulous Persian Empire of the Parthian Dynastyin East.
(2). The Persian Empire largely controlled the Silk Route toIndia and China. The gifts of the Wise Men were the best thatworld trade could offer.
CONCLUSION: The Wise Men came from the Persian Empire eastof Judea.
3. WHO WERE THE WISE MEN?
(1). Parthian Dynasty ruled Persia through a King and Megistanes(roughly equivalent to our Houses of Parliament) plus Advisers.
(2). Lower House members called the Sophoi or Wise Ones; UpperHouse members called the Magoi or Great Ones. Matthew calls themMagoi.
CONCLUSION: The Wise Men were Magoi - the King Makers of thePersian Empire.
4. HOW DID THEY TRAVEL?
(1). This Delegation of Rulers from Persia penetrated 750 Kminto Roman territory. They would be escorted by their armed cavalryunits.
(2). Persia was the home of the finest cavalry units in theworld. They were called the Cataphracti and consistently won outagainst the Roman Legions.
(3). The Persians always rode horses; camels were only usedfor baggage.
CONCLUSION: The Magoi rode horses and were accompanied by crackcavalry units for protection.
5. WHY WAS HEROD TROUBLED?
(1). He had a small army from a foreign power at the gatesof Jerusalem
(2). Most of his Garrison that normally guarded Jerusalem wereaway fighting the Homonadenaian War. Jerusalem was virtually undefended.
(3). The Magoi proclaimed the birth of a contender for Herod'sThrone whom they intended to support.
CONCLUSION: Jerusalem was undefended against a foreign armywhich announced the birth of Messiah Who was to rule Israel fromHerod's throne.
6. WHY DID THE WISE MEN COME?
(1). They had Daniel's prophecy indicating the time of Messiah'sBirth.
(2). They had the prophecy of Balaam about Messiah and HisStar.
(3). Zoroaster had incorporated these prophecies in the ZendAvesta and Zoroastrianism was the State Religion of Persia atthat time. NOTE: The Mithras sect had declined by this epoch,but again became dominant at the close of the 1st century AD.
CONCLUSION: The Wise Men came to Judea because the bible oftheir religion prophesied that there would be born unto the Jewsa King Messiah and that His coming would be heralded by a signin the heavens.
7. WHAT WAS THE STAR THE WISE MEN FOLLOWED?
(1). Note that the word 'star' had a wide variety of applications.The various possibilities are discussed and eliminated.
(2). Meteors and meteor showers such as the Leonids thoughimpressive last a maximum of a few weeks.
(3). A nova or unstable star is longer lasting. The only novarecorded at the time was a faint one in 4 BC. They rarely last2 years.
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(4). By contrast, a supernova has been seen in broad daylightand can last several years. The Wise Men claimed to Herod thatthe star they followed was visible for 2 years.
A. Supernovae and fixed stars can be used for North-South guidance.
B. Certain stars pass directly overhead at given locationsevery day.
C. For this form of guidance the star must pass overhead inJudea.
D. The Zend Avesta prophesied that Messiah's Star would bein Virgo.
E. Virgo does not pass overhead in Judea.
F . Only two supernovae recorded near the Nativity: 134 BCand 173 AD.
CONCLUSION: The Christmas Star was not a meteor-shower, a novaor supernova. NOTE: The account requires the star to appear inthe eastern sky, move across the starry background. and go beforethe Wise Men to Judea. Only comets, planets or groupings of planetsbehave this way.
8. THE TWO PRIME CANDIDATES FOR THE CHRISTMAS STAR.
(1). COMETS:
A. They travel through the background stars at the rate ofI or 2 degrees per day.
B. They may be visible to the naked eye for 100 days or so.
C. A journey to Judea would take the Wise Men about 6 weeks.Comets are thus visible long enough for the journey. But..
D. No comets were recorded in 3/2 BC. Certainly none lasted2 years.
(2). PLANETS AND PLANET GROUPINGS:
A. The motion of planets against the background stars is discussed.When two or more planets or a planet and star appear to standclose to each other in the sky, it is called a conjunction.
B. The triple conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in Pisces in7 BC is detailed. The planets were about 2 times the diameterof the Moon apart. This is an average apparent separation forsuch phenomena.
C. In February of 6 BC Jupiter, Saturn and Mars stood togetherin a rather loose triangle in the western sky. The Sippar Instituteof Astrology in Babylonia recorded these and the following events.
D. On the 1st August 3 BC Jupiter rose helically in the raysof the dawn. This is the precise phrase used in Matthew 'Ente anatole'. The Greek singular form 'anatole'has retained the special astronomical significance of a star appearingin the rays of the rising sun. By contrast 'anatolai'means 'east'. On August 13 at 5 am Jupiter and Venusstood a quarter of a degree apart in the sunrise glare. That isless than half diameter of Moon.
E. On 18th August 3 BC Mercury came out of the solar glare.On September 1st, with sun in Virgo, Mercury and Venus stood 1/3rddegree apart in Leo.
F. On 14th September 3 BC, Jupiter stood in conjunction withRegulus This was repeated on 17th February and 8th May in 2 BC.
G. On June 17th, 2 BC Jupiter and Venus 'collided' - - theystood 1/50th of a degree apart. The two brightest planets in thesky appeared to fuse into one immense blaze of light - - an unprecedentedhappening.
H. On 27th August 2 BC a grand conjunction of planets occurred.Jupiter and Mars were 1/7th degree apart with Mercury and Venustogether just I degree away -- in the rays of the sunrise in Virgo.
I. Jupiter then moved westwards. By mid-November it had passedthe zenith and was shining in the western sky-and still movingwest. At this point the Wise Men set out.
J. Six weeks later, from Jerusalem, the Wise Men saw Jupiterdue south on the meridian above Bethlehem. At that time Jupiterhad reached its furthest point west, came to a halt and stoodstill against the background stars in the sky 65 degrees aboveBethlehem. It was December 25th.
CONCLUSION: This extremely unusual set of events in 3 and 2BC was probably the Christmas Star. Everything seems to fit theBiblical account.
posted: May 7, 1998. (from an older article by Barry Setterfield) The Christmas Star (12/04/04) Revised Article
Addendum, December 21, 1999:
There have been a variety of suggestions as to the identityof the Christmas Star recorded in Matthew 2. Also surfacing isthe idea that the whole sequence of events was a manifestationof the Shekinah glory cloud. It is true that Luke records thatthe 'Angel of the Lord came upon them and glory of the Lordshone round about' the shepherds. In Old Testament terminologythat usually referred to a manifestation of the Shekinah. I alsoconsider it likely that the Shekinah was again manifested overthe house in Bethlehem where Jesus was staying as a 15 month oldboy when the Wise Men came into the town after their evening observationof the Star. This is probably how they knew which building Messiahwas in.
However, to attribute the whole Christmas Star sequence thatguided the Wise Men from Persia to Bethlehem to the Shekinah doesnot quite fit all the facts. First, the Star appeared in Persiaand led the Wise Men to Jerusalem and also appeared to them there.If it had been the Shekinah, the Rabbis in Jerusalem would haveinstantly been aware of its significance. However, the Star attractedno great interest in Judea or Jerusalem. Consequently, its significanceto the population in that area was minimal. They may casuallyhave noted an astronomical display but have attached no particularsignificance to it. Only the Wise Men were attracted by the phenomena.
There is, however, textual evidence that it was in fact anastronomical object rather than the Shekinah. In the AV, the translationof Matthew 2:2 is not strictly correct. It translates the statementof the Wise Men as 'We have seen His Star in the East'.In the original Greek 'in the east' is in fact 'Ente anatole' which is the Greek singular. However, elsewhere'the east' is represented by 'anatolai', theGreek plural. Dr Werner Keller, the German archaeologist writeson page 335 of 'The Bible As History' (Hodder and Stoughton,1969) the following comment::
'The singular form 'anatole' has quite a specialastronomical significance, in that it implies the observationof the early rising of the star, the so-called heliacal rising.The translators of the Authorized Version could not have knownthis. When 'en te anatole' is translated properly Matt.2:2 readsas follows: 'We have seen his star appear in the first rays ofthe dawn.' That would correspond exactly with the astronomicalfacts.'
The heliacal rising of a prominent star was a defined astronomicalphenomenon. The Egyptians noted it, as did other civilizationsin the Fertile Crescent and elsewhere. The conclusion is thata very specific 'star' was involved in the heliacal rising. Itwould therefore seem that a manifestation of the Shekinah cannotbe considered until after the departure of the Wise men from Jerusalem.
It is certainly possible that the Christmas Star was a mighty angel. An event as momentous as the incarnation of the Son of God at Bethlehem would surely merit a unique'sign' the heavens.
WHEN WAS JESUS BORN?, by Chuck Missler
Each year at Christmas we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. After the New Year, we struggle to remember to add a year as we date our checks, which should remind us that the entire Western World reckons its calendar from the birth of the One who changed the world more than any other before or since. Yet, it is disturbing to discover that much of what we have been taught about the Christmas season seems to be more tradition than truth.
Most serious Bible students realize that Jesus was probably not born on December 25th. The shepherds had their flocks in open fields, which implies a date prior to October. Furthermore, no competent Roman administrator would require registration involving travel during the season when Judea was generally impassable.
If Jesus wasn't born on December 25, just when was he born? Although the Bible doesn't explicitly identify the birthday of our Lord, many scholars have developed diverse opinions as to the likely birthday of Jesus.
The early Christian church did not celebrate Jesus' birth, and therefore the exact date was not preserved in festivals. The first recorded mention of December 25th is in the Calendar of Philocalus (AD 354), which assumed Jesus' birth to be Friday, December 25th, AD 1. This was subsequent to Constantine's Edict of Toleration in AD 313, which officially ended the government-sanctioned persecution of the Christians. The date of December 25th, which was officially proclaimed by the church fathers in AD 440, was actually a vestige of the Roman holiday of Saturnalia, observed near the winter solstice, which itself was among the many pagan traditions inherited from the earlier Babylonian priesthood.
The year of Jesus' birth is broadly accepted as 4 BC, primarily from erroneous conclusions derived from Josephus' recording of an eclipse, assumed to be on March 13, 4 BC, 'shortly before Herod died.' There are a number of problems with this in addition to the fact that it was more likely the eclipse occurred on December 29, 1 B.C. Considerable time elapsed between Jesus' birth and Herod's death since the family fled to Egypt to escape Herod's edict and they didn't return until after Herod's death. Furthermore, Herod died on January 14, 1 BC Tertullian (born about 160 AD) stated that Augustus began to rule 41 years before the birth of Jesus and died 15 years after that event. Augustus died on August 19, 14 AD, placing Jesus' birth at 2 BC. Tertullian also notes that Jesus was born 28 years after the death of Cleopatra in 30 BC, which is consistent with a date of 2 BC. Irenaeus, born about a century after Jesus, also notes that the Lord was born in the 41st year of the reign of Augustus. Since Augustus began his reign in the autumn of 43 BC, this also appears to substantiate the birth in 2 BC. Eusebius (264-340 AD), the 'Father of Church History,' ascribes it to the 42nd year of the reign of Augustus and the 28th from the subjection of Egypt on the death of Anthony and Cleopatra. The 42nd year of Augustus ran from the autumn of 2 BC to the autumn of 1 BC. The subjugation of Egypt into the Roman Empire occurred in the autumn of 30 BC. The 28th year extended from the autumn of 3 BC to the autumn of 2 BC. The only date that would meet both of these constraints would be the autumn of 2 BC.
Another approach in determining the date of Jesus' birth is from information about John the Baptist. Elisabeth, John's mother, was a cousin of Mary and the wife of a priest named Zacharias who was of the 'course' of Abijah (Priests were divided into 24 courses and each course officiated in the Temple for one week, from Sabbath to Sabbath). When the Temple was destroyed by Titus on August 5, 70 AD, the first course of priests had just taken office. Since the course of Abijah was the eighth course, we can track backwards and determine that Zacharias would have ended his duties on July 13, 3 BC. If the birth of John took place 280 days later, it would have been on April 19-20, 2 BC (precisely on Passover of that year). John began his ministry in the 15th year of Tiberius Caesar. The minimum age for the ministry was 30. As Augustus died on August 19, 14 AD, that was the accession year for Tiberius. If John was born on April 19-20, 2 BC, his 30th birthday would have been April 19-20, 29 AD, or the 15th year of Tiberius. This seems to confirm the 2 B.C. date and, since John was five months older, this also confirms the autumn birth date for Jesus.
Elisabeth hid herself for five months and then the Angel Gabriel announced to Mary both Elisabeth's condition and that Mary also would bear a son who would be called Jesus. Mary went 'with haste' to visit Elisabeth, who was then in the first week of her sixth month, or the fourth week of December, 3 BC. If Jesus was born 280 days later it would place the date of his birth on September 29, 2 BC. If Jesus was born on September 29, 2 BC, it is interesting to note that it was also the First of Tishri, the day of the Feast of Trumpets (See also our briefing package on The Feasts of Israel for more background).
Christians today tend to fight the ongoing secularization of their holidays. Some have rejected anything to do with them, saying they are not Biblically ordained. Others have tried to go back to keeping the Jewish feasts instead. It should be pointed out that the New Testament doesn't really ordain anything other than the Lord's Supper. But it does not prohibit it either, and under grace Christians are free to honor different days if they wish.
Koinonia House Ministries Posted 12/23/04.
See also Signs in the Stars
Datings Appendix from the Companion Bible.
It's a popular misconception that black holes behave like cosmic vacuum cleaners, ravenously sucking up any matter in their surroundings. In reality, only stuff that passes beyond the event horizon—including light—is swallowed up and can't escape, although black holes are also messy eaters. That means that part of an object's matter is actually ejected out in a powerful jet.
If that object is a star, the process of being shredded (or 'spaghettified') by the powerful gravitational forces of a black hole occurs outside the event horizon, and part of the star's original mass is ejected violently outward. This in turn can form a rotating ring of matter (aka an accretion disk) around the black hole that emits powerful X-rays and visible light. Those jets are one way astronomers can indirectly infer the presence of a black hole. Now astronomers have recorded the final death throes of a star being shredded by a supermassive black hole in just such a 'tidal disruption event' (TDE), described in a new paper published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
'The idea of a black hole 'sucking in' a nearby star sounds like science fiction. But this is exactly what happens in a tidal disruption event,' said co-author Matt Nicholl of the University of Birmingham. 'We were able to investigate in detail what happens when a star is eaten by such a monster.'
Star Story: The Horizon Escape Cracked
“A tidal disruption event results from the destruction of a star that strays too close to a supermassive black hole,” said Edo Berger of Harvard University's Center for Astrophysics, another co-author. “In this case the star was torn apart with about half of its mass feeding—or accreting—into a black hole of one million times the mass of the Sun, and the other half was ejected outward.”
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The notion of being 'spaghettified' after falling into a black hole was popularized in Stephen Hawking's 1988 best-selling book, A Brief History of Time. Hawking envisioned an unfortunate astronaut who passed beyond the event horizon and would find themselves subject to the intense gravitational gradient of the black hole. (The gravitational gradient is the difference in strength of gravity's pull depending on an object's orientation.)
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If the astronaut fell in feet first, for example, the pull would be stronger on the feet than the head. The astronaut would be stretched vertically and compressed horizontally by the black hole's tidal forces until they resembled a strand of spaghetti. From a physics standpoint, it's the same reason the Earth experiences tides: the gravitational pull from the moon pulls oceans one way and flattens them the other way. At least it would be quick; the whole process would occur in less than a second.
All of this is purely hypothetical, the subject of various thought experiments. But on the scale of stars and galaxies, a kind of spaghettification is a real phenomenon, albeit one that occurs outside the black hole's event horizon rather than inside. These tidal disruption events are likely quite common in our universe, even though only a few have been detected to date.
For instance, in 2018, astronomers announced the first direct image of the aftermath of a star being shredded by a black hole 20 million times more massive than our Sun, in a pair of colliding galaxies called Arp 299 about 150 million light years from Earth. They used a combination of radio and infrared telescopes, including the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA), to follow a particular formation and expansion of the jet of matter ejected in the wake of a star being shredded by a supermassive black hole at the center of one of the colliding galaxies.
Advertisement However, these powerful bursts of light are often shrouded behind a curtain of interstellar dust and debris, making it difficult for astronomers to study them in greater detail. This latest event (dubbed AT 2019qiz) was discovered shortly after the star had been shredded last year, making it easier to study in detail, before that curtain of dust and debris had fully formed. Astronomers conducted follow-up observations across the electromagnetic spectrum over the next six months, using multiple telescopes around the world, including the Very Large Telescope (VLT) array and the New Technology Telescope (NTT), both located in Chile.
“Because we caught it early, we could actually see the curtain of dust and debris being drawn up as the black hole launched a powerful outflow of material with velocities up to 10,000 km/s,” said co-author Kate Alexander of Northwestern University. “This is a unique ‘peek behind the curtain’ that provided the first opportunity to pinpoint the origin of the obscuring material and follow in real time how it engulfs the black hole.”
According to Berger, these observations provide the first direct evidence that outflowing gas during disruption and accretion produces the powerful optical and radio emissions previously observed. 'Until now, the nature of these emissions has been heavily debated, but here we see that the two regimes are connected through a single process,' he said.
DOI: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2020. 10.1093/mnras/staa2824 (About DOIs).
Listing image by ESO/M. Kornmesser