Changes

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[[File:lighterstill.jpg]][[File:3wisemen.jpg|right|frame]]

These [[priests]] from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesopotamia Mesopotamia] had been told sometime before by a strange [[religious]] [[teacher]] of their country that he had had a [[dream]] in which he was informed that " the light of life "[http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Gospel_of_john#Chapter_1] was about to appear on [[earth]] as a babe and among the [[Jews]]. And thither went these [[three]] [[teachers]] looking for this " light of life. "[http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Gospel_of_john#Chapter_1] After many weeks of futile search in [[Jerusalem]], they were about to return to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ur Ur] when [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zechariah_(priest) Zacharias] met them and disclosed his [[belief]] that [[Jesus]] was the object of their quest and sent them on to [[Bethlehem]], where they found the babe and left their [[gifts]] with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_(mother of Jesus) Mary], his earth [[mother]]. The babe was almost three weeks old at the time of their [[visit]].

These [[priests]] from [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesopotamia Mesopotamia] had been told sometime before by a strange [[religious]] [[teacher]] of their country that he had had a [[dream]] in which he was informed that " the light of life "[https://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Gospel_of_john#Chapter_1] was about to appear on [[earth]] as a babe and among the [[Jews]]. And thither went these [[three]] [[teachers]] looking for this " light of life. "[https://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Gospel_of_john#Chapter_1] After many weeks of futile search in [[Jerusalem]], they were about to return to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ur Ur] when [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zechariah_(priest) Zacharias] met them and disclosed his [[belief]] that [[Jesus]] was the object of their quest and sent them on to [[Bethlehem]], where they found the babe and left their [[gifts]] with [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_(mother of Jesus) Mary], his earth [[mother]]. The babe was almost three weeks old at the time of their [[visit]].

These [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblical_Magi wise men] saw no [[star]] to guide them to [[Bethlehem]]. The [[beautiful]] [[legend]] of the [http://www.bethlehemstar.net/ star of Bethlehem] originated in this way: [[Jesus]] was [[born]] August 21 at noon, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7_BC 7 B.C.] On May 29, 7 B.C., there occurred an extraordinary [http://www.astronomynotes.com/history/bethlehem-star.html conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in the constellation of Pisces]. And it is a remarkable [[astronomic]] [[fact]] that similar conjunctions occurred on September 29 and December 5 of the same year. Upon the basis of these extraordinary but wholly [[natural]] [[events]] the well-meaning [[zealots]] of the succeeding [[generation]] constructed the appealing [[legend]] of the [http://www.bethlehemstar.net/ star of Bethlehem] and the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblical_Magi adoring Magi] led thereby to the manger, where they beheld and [[worshiped]] the newborn babe. [[Oriental]] and near-Oriental [[minds]] delight in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairy_tales fairy stories], and they are continually spinning such [[beautiful]] [[myths]] about the lives of their [[religious]] [[leaders]] and [[political]] [[heroes]]. In the [[absence]] of [[printing]], when most [[human]] [[knowledge]] was passed by [[Orality|word of mouth]] from one [[generation]] to another, it was very easy for [[myths]] to become [[traditions]] and for traditions [[eventually]] to become [[accepted]] as [[facts]]. ([[122:8]])

These [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblical_Magi wise men] saw no [[star]] to guide them to [[Bethlehem]]. The [[beautiful]] [[legend]] of the [https://www.bethlehemstar.net/ star of Bethlehem] originated in this way: [[Jesus]] was [[born]] August 21 at noon, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7_BC 7 B.C.] On May 29, 7 B.C., there occurred an extraordinary [https://www.astronomynotes.com/history/bethlehem-star.html conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in the constellation of Pisces]. And it is a remarkable [[astronomic]] [[fact]] that similar conjunctions occurred on September 29 and December 5 of the same year. Upon the basis of these extraordinary but wholly [[natural]] [[events]] the well-meaning [[zealots]] of the succeeding [[generation]] constructed the appealing [[legend]] of the [https://www.bethlehemstar.net/ star of Bethlehem] and the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblical_Magi adoring Magi] led thereby to the manger, where they beheld and [[worshiped]] the newborn babe. [[Oriental]] and near-Oriental [[minds]] delight in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairy_tales fairy stories], and they are continually spinning such [[beautiful]] [[myths]] about the lives of their [[religious]] [[leaders]] and [[political]] [[heroes]]. In the [[absence]] of [[printing]], when most [[human]] [[knowledge]] was passed by [[Orality|word of mouth]] from one [[generation]] to another, it was very easy for [[myths]] to become [[traditions]] and for traditions [[eventually]] to become [[accepted]] as [[facts]]. ([[122:8]])

[[Category: Religion]]

[[Category: Religion]]