2025/09/18 by Stephan F. Huckemann, Huckemann, Stephan F. · 1 voice
Arts and Humanities · Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #01A17 01A17 #01A20 #01A40 #01A45 #Archaeology and Historical Studies #FOS: Mathematics #FOS: Physical sciences #Historical Astronomy and Related Studies #Historical, Religious, and Philosophical Studies #History and Overview (math.HO) #History and Philosophy of Physics (physics.hist-ph) #math.HO #physics.hist-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2509.15387
openalex publication_date 2025/09/18 · arxiv published 2025/09/18 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · arxiv updated 2026/03/15 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Many have have taken in hand to write a treatise on the Star of Bethlehem, particularly on Kepler's explanation as a stellar birth, triggered by Mars joining a great conjunction (a meeting of Jupiter and Saturn), as he observed it in October 1604. It is the aim of my short treatise to introduce, at a hopefully well digestible level, into underlying antiquity's concepts of physics, astrology, and astronomy around the time of Christ's birth and to demonstrate their essential developments up to the early modern period. In the latter, Kepler played a significant role. His contributions enabled him to calculate back to the year 7 BC with astonishing precision, locating a triple great conjunction in Pisces, which was then complemented by Mars. This is confirmed by both Babylonian tradition and modern astronomy. The following background provided may be specifically helpful for a more theologically oriented audience, also because the controversy surrounding "geocentric" and "heliocentric" world systems (Copernicus) is touched upon. And, because the overall context raises questions for theology, with which the epilogue concludes.