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The Great Christ Comet: Revealing the True Star of Bethlehem
The Star of Bethlehem is one of the greatest mysteries in astronomy and in the Bible. What was it? How did it prompt the Magi to set out on a long journey to Judea? How did it lead them to Jesus?
In this groundbreaking book, Colin R. Nicholl makes the compelling case that the Star of Bethlehem could only have been a great comet. Taking a fresh look at the biblical text and drawing on the latest astronomical research, this beautifully illustrated volume will introduce readers to the Bethlehem Star in all of its glory.
In this groundbreaking book, Colin R. Nicholl makes the compelling case that the Star of Bethlehem could only have been a great comet. Taking a fresh look at the biblical text and drawing on the latest astronomical research, this beautifully illustrated volume will introduce readers to the Bethlehem Star in all of its glory.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published September 30, 2015
22 people are currently reading
238 people want to read
About the author
Colin R. Nicholl
4 books2 followersColin R. Nicholl (PhD, University of Cambridge) taught at the University of Cambridge and was a professor of New Testament at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary before devoting himself to biblical research. His book From Hope to Despair in Thessalonica was published by Cambridge University Press, and his articles have appeared in publications such as The Journal of Theological Studies and The Times (London).
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January 1, 2022
If we're grading on effort, this book gets an A. The Great Christ Comet is lavishly illustrated, heavily footnoted, and its two-columned, thick, glossy pages read like a textbook. It took me three attempts, but I finally worked my way through while prepping for a podcast on the birth narrative of Jesus, a favorite topic of mine. Colin R. Nicholl comes from a theological background, having been a seminary New Testament professor, and bones up on enough scientific details to conclusively tackle the mystery of the famed star that led the magi to find Jesus in Bethlehem. That's right: this is presented as the one, the true, the final, and the only correct and consistent interpretation of what that "star" had to be. In case you're not familiar, there's something of a cottage (stable?) industry built up around this object and hypotheses about what it could have been.
The only problem is that there almost certainly never was a star of Bethlehem to begin with. We only hear about it in one gospel (Matthew), which conflicts in almost every detail with Luke's equally implausible birth narrative, and is part of a clearly tacked-on origin story (we next see Jesus as an adult), written some 80-90 years after the supposed events, and with so many clear signs that the author (technically anonymous, probably not Matthew) was constructing a story to match his poor reading of prophecy rather than faithfully conveying a story that just happened to fulfill prophecy. I don't think Nicholl intended it as such, but the entire enterprise is an exercise in pious fraud. He works so, so immensely hard to shoehorn a rational explanation on top of something that was never rational in the first place. I mean, c'mon. Matthew and Luke can't even agree on the name of Joseph's father.
The Great Christ Comet is a sad, sad tribute to the immense lengths one will go to preserve belief when working backward from a literal reading of the Bible. Nicholl begins with the assumption that Matthew's fragmentary account of magi seeing a star rise in the east that leads them westward to Jerusalem, then disappears, then reappears and leads them south to Bethlehem, and then stops OVER AN INDIVIDUAL HOUSE has to be true in all regards: TO THE WORD. That last detail of pinpointing an individual house (not an actual stable, that's from Luke) should be enough to make anyone concede that this is not a star, comet, supernova, planetary conjunction, or ANY natural phenomenon, but rather a convenient plot device written by someone with a prescientific understanding of the firmaments. It might be more rational to posit a UFO or a miraculous object or vision. And yet, Nicholl performs mental backflips to address each point seriously, arguing the star didn't necessarily go away (maybe there was cloud cover for a while), that it may have only appeared to stop in the sky, and that his hypothesized comet may have just conveniently pointed, with its tail, toward a spot on the horizon that just happened to perfectly align with the magi's path.
Like I said, it's a monumental effort. Nicholl extracts every relevant scrap of knowledge that he can from history, from science, and from the Bible and brings it to bear. He evaluates other popular explanations of the star and shoots them down, concluding that the object must have been a comet. (Never mind that there was a separate term for comets available to the author of Matthew - Nicholl wriggles out of this by providing examples of people who referred to comets as stars, or "hairy stars" (ew)). He has a LOT to say about heliacal risings (when a celestial object shows up in the morning sky just before the sun) and how they explain the star's appearance in the east before showing up later in the western sky. We learn a lot about comets (that's actually kind of cool and useful) and their trajectories and makeup. We learn a lot about historical comets and how they appeared to the people at that time; also cool. We see charts of relative brightness on the apparent magnitude scale, and how that can be affected by orbit, angle and position of the sun. We see star charts from various apps that Nicholl has used to recreate the sky 2,000+ years ago (which we can reliably do, because science is awesome).
As Nicholl is setting up all these factors, he is simultaneously working to block out the exact schedule of when the star must have first appeared, when Jesus was born, when the wise men set off, how long it took them to get to Jerusalem, and when they would have returned to their homeland. He must work within various constraints. The Matthean narrative is inextricably tied up with the life of Herod the Great, who inconveniently died in 4 BC (yeah, that's 4 years before Christ, stay with us). So Nicholl knows that we have to work backward from there and allow enough time for the star to arrive, but also time enough for Herod to want to kill children up to their second year (Nicholl wrangles with the text here to bring the number down from the traditional translation of 2 years old - also, history gives us no confirmation that there was such a massacre: it's most plausibly a figurative nod to the Moses story), but also time for Joseph and the family to flee to Egypt to wait for Herod to die (and then move to Nazareth, where Luke already has the family living before they head to Bethlehem for a implausible census that never happened, yet involves a named historical figure (Quirinius) who wasn't legate of Syria until 6 AD - OOPS! But I digress). Nicholl keeps his references to Luke to a minimum, but is content to brush contradictions aside and assume it's all true as well. He similarly sorts out where in the east the magi could have come from and settles on Babylon: there was a rich tradition of astronomy there, as well as Jews living in diaspora who might have advised on Jewish prophecies about a return to the monarchial lineage of David. Fair enough. He calculates that their journey westward would have taken 28-37 days (we hear this phrase so much).
Aside from that, we don't have much from Matthew's account to fill in the gaps and narrow down to a specific time period, let alone a date that Jesus was born. But never fear! Nicholl is more than ready to leap back to Numbers 24 to fill in missing info about the comet (which alternately takes on the appearance of a scepter, a sword and a fetus), and forward to REVELATION 12 to turn that future prediction of celestial events (including a third of the stars falling from the sky) into a detailed recounting of the events leading to Christ's birth. HOO BOY. (For an example of a current Christian group reading that particular prophecy as a sign of Christ's imminent return, listen here.)
Nicholl takes the Revelation 12 account and combines it with astrology (which is apparently real?) in order to recreate the detailed path that the "star" had to take through the sky in order to pass through the hips of Virgo the virgin at just the right moment, down to her relative position to the sun. I'm sparing you LOTS of details here. Combining this with his star charts and his window before Herod's death, Nicholl traces its detailed path and triangulates the EXACT date of Jesus's birth. Ready for this? It was October 20, 6 BC.
Cool, so now we can point to the amazing comet that showed up around 6 BC and all go home, right? Well, unfortunately, no. Halley's Comet regularly shows up every 75 years or so, but we know its nearest visit to Jesus's birth would have been in 12 BC, which is far too early. Chinese and Korean astronomers recorded a comet in 5 BC, but that also doesn't match up to Nicholl's timeline (and to his credit, he admits it does not perform the necessary movements through the sky). No, the Great Christ Comet (as he dubs it) had to have arrived in 7 BC and lingered for a year in the sky to accomplish all that the account requires of it. But, inconveniently... we have no historical record of such a comet ever occurring. Nicholls knows it must have happened though. We just don't have good enough records. He simultaneously builds this up as the "greatest comet in history", the most astounding celestial phenomenon of all time that likely outshone the moon and whose arc covered more than half the sky, but also has to rationalize its complete absence from the historical record, apart from Matthew's account. *smacks forehead*
It's sad to consider the heroic effort put into composing this narrative and wrangling these complex explanations, considering it's all premised on a fundamental misunderstanding of how history and human psychology work. Nicholls even mentions events that the author of Matthew may have seen in recent memory that might have inspired him to concoct his birth narrative, including a much-vaunted visit from magi, led by Tiridates, king of Armenia, to Rome in 66 AD, as well as a spectacular display by Halley's Comet in... you guessed it, 66 AD. He notes these, but only to underscore that such things occurred. Nicholl is unable to see the far more likely flow of causality. The magi returned to the east, but we never hear from them again. We don't have any record of them having shared their newfound knowledge, or a contingent of eastern followers coming to acknowledge Jesus as a king during his lifetime (or any time) as a result. It's make-believe.
The only problem is that there almost certainly never was a star of Bethlehem to begin with. We only hear about it in one gospel (Matthew), which conflicts in almost every detail with Luke's equally implausible birth narrative, and is part of a clearly tacked-on origin story (we next see Jesus as an adult), written some 80-90 years after the supposed events, and with so many clear signs that the author (technically anonymous, probably not Matthew) was constructing a story to match his poor reading of prophecy rather than faithfully conveying a story that just happened to fulfill prophecy. I don't think Nicholl intended it as such, but the entire enterprise is an exercise in pious fraud. He works so, so immensely hard to shoehorn a rational explanation on top of something that was never rational in the first place. I mean, c'mon. Matthew and Luke can't even agree on the name of Joseph's father.
The Great Christ Comet is a sad, sad tribute to the immense lengths one will go to preserve belief when working backward from a literal reading of the Bible. Nicholl begins with the assumption that Matthew's fragmentary account of magi seeing a star rise in the east that leads them westward to Jerusalem, then disappears, then reappears and leads them south to Bethlehem, and then stops OVER AN INDIVIDUAL HOUSE has to be true in all regards: TO THE WORD. That last detail of pinpointing an individual house (not an actual stable, that's from Luke) should be enough to make anyone concede that this is not a star, comet, supernova, planetary conjunction, or ANY natural phenomenon, but rather a convenient plot device written by someone with a prescientific understanding of the firmaments. It might be more rational to posit a UFO or a miraculous object or vision. And yet, Nicholl performs mental backflips to address each point seriously, arguing the star didn't necessarily go away (maybe there was cloud cover for a while), that it may have only appeared to stop in the sky, and that his hypothesized comet may have just conveniently pointed, with its tail, toward a spot on the horizon that just happened to perfectly align with the magi's path.
Like I said, it's a monumental effort. Nicholl extracts every relevant scrap of knowledge that he can from history, from science, and from the Bible and brings it to bear. He evaluates other popular explanations of the star and shoots them down, concluding that the object must have been a comet. (Never mind that there was a separate term for comets available to the author of Matthew - Nicholl wriggles out of this by providing examples of people who referred to comets as stars, or "hairy stars" (ew)). He has a LOT to say about heliacal risings (when a celestial object shows up in the morning sky just before the sun) and how they explain the star's appearance in the east before showing up later in the western sky. We learn a lot about comets (that's actually kind of cool and useful) and their trajectories and makeup. We learn a lot about historical comets and how they appeared to the people at that time; also cool. We see charts of relative brightness on the apparent magnitude scale, and how that can be affected by orbit, angle and position of the sun. We see star charts from various apps that Nicholl has used to recreate the sky 2,000+ years ago (which we can reliably do, because science is awesome).
As Nicholl is setting up all these factors, he is simultaneously working to block out the exact schedule of when the star must have first appeared, when Jesus was born, when the wise men set off, how long it took them to get to Jerusalem, and when they would have returned to their homeland. He must work within various constraints. The Matthean narrative is inextricably tied up with the life of Herod the Great, who inconveniently died in 4 BC (yeah, that's 4 years before Christ, stay with us). So Nicholl knows that we have to work backward from there and allow enough time for the star to arrive, but also time enough for Herod to want to kill children up to their second year (Nicholl wrangles with the text here to bring the number down from the traditional translation of 2 years old - also, history gives us no confirmation that there was such a massacre: it's most plausibly a figurative nod to the Moses story), but also time for Joseph and the family to flee to Egypt to wait for Herod to die (and then move to Nazareth, where Luke already has the family living before they head to Bethlehem for a implausible census that never happened, yet involves a named historical figure (Quirinius) who wasn't legate of Syria until 6 AD - OOPS! But I digress). Nicholl keeps his references to Luke to a minimum, but is content to brush contradictions aside and assume it's all true as well. He similarly sorts out where in the east the magi could have come from and settles on Babylon: there was a rich tradition of astronomy there, as well as Jews living in diaspora who might have advised on Jewish prophecies about a return to the monarchial lineage of David. Fair enough. He calculates that their journey westward would have taken 28-37 days (we hear this phrase so much).
Aside from that, we don't have much from Matthew's account to fill in the gaps and narrow down to a specific time period, let alone a date that Jesus was born. But never fear! Nicholl is more than ready to leap back to Numbers 24 to fill in missing info about the comet (which alternately takes on the appearance of a scepter, a sword and a fetus), and forward to REVELATION 12 to turn that future prediction of celestial events (including a third of the stars falling from the sky) into a detailed recounting of the events leading to Christ's birth. HOO BOY. (For an example of a current Christian group reading that particular prophecy as a sign of Christ's imminent return, listen here.)
Nicholl takes the Revelation 12 account and combines it with astrology (which is apparently real?) in order to recreate the detailed path that the "star" had to take through the sky in order to pass through the hips of Virgo the virgin at just the right moment, down to her relative position to the sun. I'm sparing you LOTS of details here. Combining this with his star charts and his window before Herod's death, Nicholl traces its detailed path and triangulates the EXACT date of Jesus's birth. Ready for this? It was October 20, 6 BC.
Cool, so now we can point to the amazing comet that showed up around 6 BC and all go home, right? Well, unfortunately, no. Halley's Comet regularly shows up every 75 years or so, but we know its nearest visit to Jesus's birth would have been in 12 BC, which is far too early. Chinese and Korean astronomers recorded a comet in 5 BC, but that also doesn't match up to Nicholl's timeline (and to his credit, he admits it does not perform the necessary movements through the sky). No, the Great Christ Comet (as he dubs it) had to have arrived in 7 BC and lingered for a year in the sky to accomplish all that the account requires of it. But, inconveniently... we have no historical record of such a comet ever occurring. Nicholls knows it must have happened though. We just don't have good enough records. He simultaneously builds this up as the "greatest comet in history", the most astounding celestial phenomenon of all time that likely outshone the moon and whose arc covered more than half the sky, but also has to rationalize its complete absence from the historical record, apart from Matthew's account. *smacks forehead*
It's sad to consider the heroic effort put into composing this narrative and wrangling these complex explanations, considering it's all premised on a fundamental misunderstanding of how history and human psychology work. Nicholls even mentions events that the author of Matthew may have seen in recent memory that might have inspired him to concoct his birth narrative, including a much-vaunted visit from magi, led by Tiridates, king of Armenia, to Rome in 66 AD, as well as a spectacular display by Halley's Comet in... you guessed it, 66 AD. He notes these, but only to underscore that such things occurred. Nicholl is unable to see the far more likely flow of causality. The magi returned to the east, but we never hear from them again. We don't have any record of them having shared their newfound knowledge, or a contingent of eastern followers coming to acknowledge Jesus as a king during his lifetime (or any time) as a result. It's make-believe.
December 17, 2015
The Great Christ Comet by Colin R. Nicholl is the kind of book that I would not normally touch with a barge pole. Anything that offers us ‘new insight’ and the key to understanding scripture usually deserves to be put on the shelf with all the other wacko conspiracy theories. So when I saw this book in the wonderful Evangelical Bookshop in Belfast (the best Christian bookshop I have ever been in) I was a wee bit surprised. Then I read the commendations by JP Moreland, John Lennox, Eric Metaxis, Simon Gathercole, Walter C Kaiser and others and I was so intrigued, I bought it. This was one time when the commendations really did make a difference. And I am very thankful they did.
This is an outstanding book. In every way. It is beautifully produced, well illustrated and superbly written. And it does what it says on the cover – it reveals the true star of Bethlehem. It is a book of theology, astronomy, cosmology, history and biblical studies. It combines faithfulness to the biblical text with historical and scientific studies.
I had great difficulty in putting The Great Christ Comet down. It reads like a detective story as Colin masterfully (and with a clear grasp of his subject) explores the various theories of what the Star was. His own explanation (the clue is in the title!) is throughly convincing.
There is lots more that could be said but let me just give you a few facts and quotes from the book. The birth of Jesus was probably Oct 20th 6 BC. The Magi came from Babylon and travelled 550 miles to Jerusalem. What made them do that? They saw signs in the heavens – Colin gives a wonderful exposition of Revelation 12 and links it with the prophecy of Balaam in Numbers. He also shows how a comet could pinpoint a single house.
Ignatius – 1st Century his epistle to the Ephesians. “A star shone in heaven with a brightness beyond all the stars. It’s light was indescribable, and its newness provoked astonishment.and all the other stars, together with the sun and moon, formed a chorus to the star, yet it’s light far exceeded them all. And there was perplexity regarding from where this new entity came so unlike anything else in the heavens was it.”
“The Magi felt great joy when they saw the comet standing up over the house. Incredibly, it had enabled them to complete their mission. the Messiah’s star had led them right to the Messiah. The comet that had represented the Messianic baby in the great celestial wonder marking his first appearance, was now pinpointing his precise location on the earth.”
Justin Martyr – 2nd Century – “and that he should arise like a star from the seed of Abraham, Moses showed beforehand when he thus said, a star shall arise from Jacob, and a leader from Israel, accordingly, when a star rose in heaven at the time of his birth, as is recorded in the memoirs of his apostles, the Magi, recognising the sign by this, came and worshipped him”
I was so stunned by this I used it last Sunday for my evening service as I began a short three part mini-series on the visit of the Magi to Bethlehem. You can hear it on St Peters Sermons I unashamedly plagarised Colin’s wonderful book. I believe we were all blessed.
I think what stuns me most of all is the greatness of our God. The One who ‘fixed the heavens’ in their orbits so that at just the right time, in just the right place, signs appeared which showed to the Magi and ultimately to us all, the wonder of the birth of the Christ child – Immanuel – God with us. As Colin states – “The most magnificent comet in human history had announced that the Messiah was born, who he was, what he was destined to do, and where he was”.
As you can gather this is a book I would highly recommend. It is faith affirming, stimulating, challenging and wonder inducing. Don’t wait for the paperback version to come out, or buy it on Kindle. Get the hardback and you will benefit not only from the writing but also the beautiful pictures and illustrations. Would make a superb Christmas present. When I was back in the Belfast Evangelical Bookshop they said it was sold out…I’m not surprised.
This is an outstanding book. In every way. It is beautifully produced, well illustrated and superbly written. And it does what it says on the cover – it reveals the true star of Bethlehem. It is a book of theology, astronomy, cosmology, history and biblical studies. It combines faithfulness to the biblical text with historical and scientific studies.
I had great difficulty in putting The Great Christ Comet down. It reads like a detective story as Colin masterfully (and with a clear grasp of his subject) explores the various theories of what the Star was. His own explanation (the clue is in the title!) is throughly convincing.
There is lots more that could be said but let me just give you a few facts and quotes from the book. The birth of Jesus was probably Oct 20th 6 BC. The Magi came from Babylon and travelled 550 miles to Jerusalem. What made them do that? They saw signs in the heavens – Colin gives a wonderful exposition of Revelation 12 and links it with the prophecy of Balaam in Numbers. He also shows how a comet could pinpoint a single house.
Ignatius – 1st Century his epistle to the Ephesians. “A star shone in heaven with a brightness beyond all the stars. It’s light was indescribable, and its newness provoked astonishment.and all the other stars, together with the sun and moon, formed a chorus to the star, yet it’s light far exceeded them all. And there was perplexity regarding from where this new entity came so unlike anything else in the heavens was it.”
“The Magi felt great joy when they saw the comet standing up over the house. Incredibly, it had enabled them to complete their mission. the Messiah’s star had led them right to the Messiah. The comet that had represented the Messianic baby in the great celestial wonder marking his first appearance, was now pinpointing his precise location on the earth.”
Justin Martyr – 2nd Century – “and that he should arise like a star from the seed of Abraham, Moses showed beforehand when he thus said, a star shall arise from Jacob, and a leader from Israel, accordingly, when a star rose in heaven at the time of his birth, as is recorded in the memoirs of his apostles, the Magi, recognising the sign by this, came and worshipped him”
I was so stunned by this I used it last Sunday for my evening service as I began a short three part mini-series on the visit of the Magi to Bethlehem. You can hear it on St Peters Sermons I unashamedly plagarised Colin’s wonderful book. I believe we were all blessed.
I think what stuns me most of all is the greatness of our God. The One who ‘fixed the heavens’ in their orbits so that at just the right time, in just the right place, signs appeared which showed to the Magi and ultimately to us all, the wonder of the birth of the Christ child – Immanuel – God with us. As Colin states – “The most magnificent comet in human history had announced that the Messiah was born, who he was, what he was destined to do, and where he was”.
As you can gather this is a book I would highly recommend. It is faith affirming, stimulating, challenging and wonder inducing. Don’t wait for the paperback version to come out, or buy it on Kindle. Get the hardback and you will benefit not only from the writing but also the beautiful pictures and illustrations. Would make a superb Christmas present. When I was back in the Belfast Evangelical Bookshop they said it was sold out…I’m not surprised.
Want to read
August 14, 2019Interview with Eric Metaxas here. This book is in some ways a response to Rick Larson's
Star of Bethlehem
, which Nicholl's father-in-law had asked him to respond to. R. C. Sproul was convinced by Nicholl's argument (see the December 2016 Message of the Month). TGC review here; interview here.
December 21, 2015
Ordinarily I'd never read a book like this. But the commendations from the astronomical and biblical scholarship worlds were so effusive I couldn't resist. Much to my happy surprise, the research was excellent, the argument airtight, and the exegesis absolutely airtight. He could not treat Scripture with any more care. The results are especially compelling when you plug in his orbital information into planetarium software such as Starry Night 7. Well worth a read for anyone serious about astronomy or relentless biblical scholarship.
January 18, 2023
“The Bethlehem star is, without doubt, the most famous and celebrated astronomical entity in history. No other celestial object captures the attention of the world like it.”
The star that led the Magi to worship Jesus.
How did it happen? Can it be explained?
Before I read this book I think I would have fallen into the camp of- I guess it was just a miracle star that God put in the sky. I hadn’t really thought about it much. It wasn’t something that necessarily mattered to me.
But now that I’ve read this detailed and compelling book, I have changed my belief about the star.
Nicholl first explores all the most popular theories regarding the star: “was it a planet, a nova or supernova, a comet, a miraculous phenomenon, or something else?”
In order to investigate this, Nicholl emphasizes that it requires the interdisciplinary cooperation between both astronomy and theology.
He states:
“In this book I offer what I am convinced is the solution to the age-old mystery of the Star of Bethlehem… rooted in a careful consideration of the relevant biblical material and is, I believe, able to explain everything said about the Star in a natural and compelling way and in harmony with current astronomical knowledge.”
It must be said at the outset that Nicholl is not presenting his case as if it is a fact that can be proven but rather a pretty convincing possible explanation that can be supported in a lot of ways. This is not a salvation issue and so we are allowed freedom of conscience in this area and can disagree lovingly.
Nicholl spent a decade of his life studying and researching for this book, communicating with some of the foremost astronomers and theologians. What he puts forth is not a willy-nilly conspiracy theory but a fascinating and historical account.
I will also say at the outset that this is not a light read. It’s a beautiful book with a hard cover, glossy pages, and color pictures, but the two columned text and detailed footnotes do make it read like a textbook.
I hope that he puts out a more condensed version because I think a lot of people won’t give this one a chance or find it too cumbersome.
I found it really interesting but it did feel too long and repetitive in parts. Not to mention there was quite a bit of technical language or charts or sections that I was just not going to understand. I am planning to link some videos at the end of this review that he’s put out to make sure I understood what I was supposed to and to get some visuals. Even with all the pictures, it is hard to visualize the 3D reality of what he describes especially considering the different planes that earth and the comet orbited on and the spinning of the earth, etc.
The Scripture passages he draws heavily from are:
- Matthew 2
- Revelations 12: 1-5
- Numbers 24:17
- Psalm 2:8-9
- Isaiah 7-12; 60: 1-6
I think my favorite chapters were ‘The Celestial Wonder’ and ‘Tracking the Comet'. The former talks about some astronomical things that are pretty amazing in conjunction with the Revelation passage. The latter helps understand the possible course of the comet and the timing of the Magi’s travels and visit to Jesus which is the relevant ‘Nativity’ aspect that many theories differ on.
I’m obviously not the best person to try to summarize this book but based on my amateur reading, here are a few of the main things I gathered from the book that I felt were significant.
The questions that must be asked are: what made this star so special or unique that it would have gotten the Magi’s attention and triggered them to travel hundreds of miles to worship a baby? And what would have happened to cause Herod to be so worried about Jesus and to take the Magi’s visit so seriously if he hadn’t also seen what the Magi saw and knew it to be significant?
Nicholl proposes that this long-period comet (aka unlike Halley’s comet that visits every 75 years) would have likely been visible for over a year (which is similar to the Halle-Bopp comet which was visible for 18 months.)
The Magi would have seen the comet appear “at its rising” (appearing after being obscured from the sun— it rises in the east in conjunction with the sun and is at it’s most productive, brightest, largest point) and been keeping an eye on it.
Thus, they would have seen it on the move throughout the constellations. Based on the time of year and a bunch of astronoical data, the comet would have been coming toward earth in the ‘womb’ of the constellation Virgo (the virgin).
This is where the Revelations passage comes into play. Nicholl poses that these verses are highlighting the “celestial drama” that was playing out in the sky as it was on earth— the virgin (Virgo) giving birth to a king (the comet). The path of the comet would have been getting closer, larger, and brighter, appearing to descend out the womb as if being birthed.
[Sidenote: I thought it was weird how he kept taking about the vaginal opening as if it was such an obvious point in the constellation. Some of his description of this phenomenon was possibly too detailed, but I understood what he was getting at]
Also part of this celestial play is the constellation Hydra which is right next to Virgo. Based on the Revelation passage, Hydra is the part of Satan waiting to ‘devour’ the child and ‘sending a third of the stars to earth)— a meteor storm.
All of this would truly be a sight to behold and a hard sign to miss!
Even though astrology as a belief system is a myth, it’s cool that God would have put these signs in the heavens (from Creation) to play out in a way that the people would have understood and interpreted as a sign ushering in the Messiah.
The Magi, most likely aware of the prophecies and having gained insight from the local Jewish community, would have helped them to interpret the celestial happenings as significant and the precursor to Jesus’ birth. Their gifts of gold and frankincense (Isaiah 60) and myrrh (Isaiah 53) “imply that by the time they arrived in Judea, they believed that the one whom they were going to see was royal and divine, and yet was destined to be killed and buried.”
They would not have waited long to travel. Their journey would have taken about 30ish days. And so they would have most likely seen a 1-2 month old baby Jesus.
Herod would have been worried because the brightness and activity of the comet would have been seen by Herod and all of Jerusalem and in those times comets were often bad omens to kings of their death or loss of power. When the Magi came to him it was confirming his worst fears. But because he ascertained the time from the Magi of when they first saw the star (which could have been over a year) Herod then planned to kill babies 2 and under based on the potentiality that the child was born when the star first appeared.
As I was reading this book it became very apparent how little I actually knew about space stuff. I started to question if even knew what a comet was.
Fear not, he goes into much detail about what a comet is (an icy dirtball) and the various characteristics and measurements of comets. How when a comet comes into contact with the sun, the sun burns the gases of the comet’s head (the coma) causing its brightness and creating the ‘tail’ of the comet (which is always on the opposite side of the sun no matter which direction the comet is going).
Based on our knowledge of astronomy, most of the other theories of the star can be ruled out because either they don’t match up with Matthew’s account and timing of Jesus’ birth, or because they can’t do what this star did— like move from the eastern to the southern sky in a matter of a couple months or appear suddenly and for a long period of time.
I’m sure my brief summary has brought up questions or doubts from you, which is natural. But if it interests you, check out the book and you’ll see everything that he studied to come to these conclusions.
And if Nicholl’s conclusion is actually how it happened, it definitely even surpasses the idea of a ‘miracle’ star that God just randomly put in the sky. God’s sovereignty and power is clearly at display in this book and it reminds me how small I am and how big God is.
Another reason why this matters is because, as Collin states in one of the videos, “it underlines the historical reliability of the Gospel because no one could have invented such an unusual star.” Scripture tells us that the heavens declare the glory of God and in one of the most important times of history— God coming to earth, our Savior King— the heavens did pour forth speech in a spectacular way. It’s more evidence to support the reliability and historicity of Scripture.
Did I fully comprehend everything I read? No. The glossary in the back was helpful and I am very aware of what heliacal means, but there is much I’m sure I didn’t grasp. Can I prove anything he wrote wrong? Also no.
I can’t think of a good reason why he would go through all the work and effort and years of studying and writing this book if he knew he couldn’t intelligently defend it. Unless he’s insane. And based on its promotion by many other scholars in both theology and astronomy and my own take having read the book and watched videos of him presenting— he is not insane.
If someone puts forth compelling evidence to contradict his conclusions, I will listen and think about it, but until then I will not let my lack of astronomical knowledge and reactionary disbelief/surprise keep me from believing him.
I find this book compelling and trustworthy, yet I also know we will never on this side of heaven exactly what happened so there will always be an aspect of speculation. And that’s okay.
This book brings new life and perspective to the Nativity story that we’re all so familiar with. I would recommend this book if you’re interested in learning more about that. If you’re too intimidated by the length or technicality, keep an eye out for a condensed version or at least watch the videos because I think you’ll find them really interesting to think about!
My original blog post has the aforementioned video links.
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The star that led the Magi to worship Jesus.
How did it happen? Can it be explained?
Before I read this book I think I would have fallen into the camp of- I guess it was just a miracle star that God put in the sky. I hadn’t really thought about it much. It wasn’t something that necessarily mattered to me.
But now that I’ve read this detailed and compelling book, I have changed my belief about the star.
Nicholl first explores all the most popular theories regarding the star: “was it a planet, a nova or supernova, a comet, a miraculous phenomenon, or something else?”
In order to investigate this, Nicholl emphasizes that it requires the interdisciplinary cooperation between both astronomy and theology.
He states:
“In this book I offer what I am convinced is the solution to the age-old mystery of the Star of Bethlehem… rooted in a careful consideration of the relevant biblical material and is, I believe, able to explain everything said about the Star in a natural and compelling way and in harmony with current astronomical knowledge.”
It must be said at the outset that Nicholl is not presenting his case as if it is a fact that can be proven but rather a pretty convincing possible explanation that can be supported in a lot of ways. This is not a salvation issue and so we are allowed freedom of conscience in this area and can disagree lovingly.
Nicholl spent a decade of his life studying and researching for this book, communicating with some of the foremost astronomers and theologians. What he puts forth is not a willy-nilly conspiracy theory but a fascinating and historical account.
I will also say at the outset that this is not a light read. It’s a beautiful book with a hard cover, glossy pages, and color pictures, but the two columned text and detailed footnotes do make it read like a textbook.
I hope that he puts out a more condensed version because I think a lot of people won’t give this one a chance or find it too cumbersome.
I found it really interesting but it did feel too long and repetitive in parts. Not to mention there was quite a bit of technical language or charts or sections that I was just not going to understand. I am planning to link some videos at the end of this review that he’s put out to make sure I understood what I was supposed to and to get some visuals. Even with all the pictures, it is hard to visualize the 3D reality of what he describes especially considering the different planes that earth and the comet orbited on and the spinning of the earth, etc.
The Scripture passages he draws heavily from are:
- Matthew 2
- Revelations 12: 1-5
- Numbers 24:17
- Psalm 2:8-9
- Isaiah 7-12; 60: 1-6
I think my favorite chapters were ‘The Celestial Wonder’ and ‘Tracking the Comet'. The former talks about some astronomical things that are pretty amazing in conjunction with the Revelation passage. The latter helps understand the possible course of the comet and the timing of the Magi’s travels and visit to Jesus which is the relevant ‘Nativity’ aspect that many theories differ on.
I’m obviously not the best person to try to summarize this book but based on my amateur reading, here are a few of the main things I gathered from the book that I felt were significant.
The questions that must be asked are: what made this star so special or unique that it would have gotten the Magi’s attention and triggered them to travel hundreds of miles to worship a baby? And what would have happened to cause Herod to be so worried about Jesus and to take the Magi’s visit so seriously if he hadn’t also seen what the Magi saw and knew it to be significant?
Nicholl proposes that this long-period comet (aka unlike Halley’s comet that visits every 75 years) would have likely been visible for over a year (which is similar to the Halle-Bopp comet which was visible for 18 months.)
The Magi would have seen the comet appear “at its rising” (appearing after being obscured from the sun— it rises in the east in conjunction with the sun and is at it’s most productive, brightest, largest point) and been keeping an eye on it.
Thus, they would have seen it on the move throughout the constellations. Based on the time of year and a bunch of astronoical data, the comet would have been coming toward earth in the ‘womb’ of the constellation Virgo (the virgin).
This is where the Revelations passage comes into play. Nicholl poses that these verses are highlighting the “celestial drama” that was playing out in the sky as it was on earth— the virgin (Virgo) giving birth to a king (the comet). The path of the comet would have been getting closer, larger, and brighter, appearing to descend out the womb as if being birthed.
[Sidenote: I thought it was weird how he kept taking about the vaginal opening as if it was such an obvious point in the constellation. Some of his description of this phenomenon was possibly too detailed, but I understood what he was getting at]
Also part of this celestial play is the constellation Hydra which is right next to Virgo. Based on the Revelation passage, Hydra is the part of Satan waiting to ‘devour’ the child and ‘sending a third of the stars to earth)— a meteor storm.
All of this would truly be a sight to behold and a hard sign to miss!
Even though astrology as a belief system is a myth, it’s cool that God would have put these signs in the heavens (from Creation) to play out in a way that the people would have understood and interpreted as a sign ushering in the Messiah.
The Magi, most likely aware of the prophecies and having gained insight from the local Jewish community, would have helped them to interpret the celestial happenings as significant and the precursor to Jesus’ birth. Their gifts of gold and frankincense (Isaiah 60) and myrrh (Isaiah 53) “imply that by the time they arrived in Judea, they believed that the one whom they were going to see was royal and divine, and yet was destined to be killed and buried.”
They would not have waited long to travel. Their journey would have taken about 30ish days. And so they would have most likely seen a 1-2 month old baby Jesus.
Herod would have been worried because the brightness and activity of the comet would have been seen by Herod and all of Jerusalem and in those times comets were often bad omens to kings of their death or loss of power. When the Magi came to him it was confirming his worst fears. But because he ascertained the time from the Magi of when they first saw the star (which could have been over a year) Herod then planned to kill babies 2 and under based on the potentiality that the child was born when the star first appeared.
As I was reading this book it became very apparent how little I actually knew about space stuff. I started to question if even knew what a comet was.
Fear not, he goes into much detail about what a comet is (an icy dirtball) and the various characteristics and measurements of comets. How when a comet comes into contact with the sun, the sun burns the gases of the comet’s head (the coma) causing its brightness and creating the ‘tail’ of the comet (which is always on the opposite side of the sun no matter which direction the comet is going).
Based on our knowledge of astronomy, most of the other theories of the star can be ruled out because either they don’t match up with Matthew’s account and timing of Jesus’ birth, or because they can’t do what this star did— like move from the eastern to the southern sky in a matter of a couple months or appear suddenly and for a long period of time.
I’m sure my brief summary has brought up questions or doubts from you, which is natural. But if it interests you, check out the book and you’ll see everything that he studied to come to these conclusions.
And if Nicholl’s conclusion is actually how it happened, it definitely even surpasses the idea of a ‘miracle’ star that God just randomly put in the sky. God’s sovereignty and power is clearly at display in this book and it reminds me how small I am and how big God is.
Another reason why this matters is because, as Collin states in one of the videos, “it underlines the historical reliability of the Gospel because no one could have invented such an unusual star.” Scripture tells us that the heavens declare the glory of God and in one of the most important times of history— God coming to earth, our Savior King— the heavens did pour forth speech in a spectacular way. It’s more evidence to support the reliability and historicity of Scripture.
Did I fully comprehend everything I read? No. The glossary in the back was helpful and I am very aware of what heliacal means, but there is much I’m sure I didn’t grasp. Can I prove anything he wrote wrong? Also no.
I can’t think of a good reason why he would go through all the work and effort and years of studying and writing this book if he knew he couldn’t intelligently defend it. Unless he’s insane. And based on its promotion by many other scholars in both theology and astronomy and my own take having read the book and watched videos of him presenting— he is not insane.
If someone puts forth compelling evidence to contradict his conclusions, I will listen and think about it, but until then I will not let my lack of astronomical knowledge and reactionary disbelief/surprise keep me from believing him.
I find this book compelling and trustworthy, yet I also know we will never on this side of heaven exactly what happened so there will always be an aspect of speculation. And that’s okay.
This book brings new life and perspective to the Nativity story that we’re all so familiar with. I would recommend this book if you’re interested in learning more about that. If you’re too intimidated by the length or technicality, keep an eye out for a condensed version or at least watch the videos because I think you’ll find them really interesting to think about!
My original blog post has the aforementioned video links.
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December 26, 2021
I was skeptical about this book, but it was fascinating.
(A little repetitive, and a little over my head at times, but I could follow well enough despite a very limited knowledge of astronomy.)
I think even if you come out of this not convinced by every single detail (I wasn't necessarily), it's very worthwhile to have a comprehensive picture of what the Magi might have seen and why they might have interpreted it the way they did. This book portrays the event as a legitimate historical occurrence that deserves to be taken seriously, and I have a much greater appreciation of its significance now.
Also, I didn't plan to read this over Christmas, that's just how it worked out, but it made for surprisingly great Advent reading. Especially alongside Advent 2021: The Everlasting Light. If you're looking for something to read during Advent that's much more the scholarly type than the devotional type, I can recommend this one.
(A little repetitive, and a little over my head at times, but I could follow well enough despite a very limited knowledge of astronomy.)
I think even if you come out of this not convinced by every single detail (I wasn't necessarily), it's very worthwhile to have a comprehensive picture of what the Magi might have seen and why they might have interpreted it the way they did. This book portrays the event as a legitimate historical occurrence that deserves to be taken seriously, and I have a much greater appreciation of its significance now.
Also, I didn't plan to read this over Christmas, that's just how it worked out, but it made for surprisingly great Advent reading. Especially alongside Advent 2021: The Everlasting Light. If you're looking for something to read during Advent that's much more the scholarly type than the devotional type, I can recommend this one.
December 7, 2021
Yeah, I suppose it probably was a comet. Just like the book title says.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 25, 2015
Fascinating book and incredibly well-researched. I would have given it 5 stars but it is a little bit repetitive and cumbersome at times. Nevertheless, the overall argument is very compelling, intriguing, and consequently, this book is hard to put down!
August 2, 2017
Dr. Colin Nicholl was one of my favorite professors in Seminary, filled with integrity, lively and excited and deeply knowledgeable, and here he writes an engaging, thought-provoking book about a subject I've thought very little about in the past. I'm not sure exactly what he winds up proving, but the journey is an interesting one that might pique your interest in both astronomy and Biblical interpretation.
Previous to this book, the only thing I'd ever encountered about the Star of the Magi was The Star of Bethlehem DVD by Frederick Larson, which I found compelling. Dr. Nicholl disagrees with Larson's conclusions in this book, in a way that I found compelling. Frankly, I am not in a position to judge between theories of astronomical phenomena. I'm a pastor, and my training is in Biblical interpretation.
And I found Dr. Nicholl's Biblical interpretation fascinating. He opened new insights into Revelation 12, Numbers 24, Isaiah 7 and 9, and even Matthew 1-2 that I had never considered. At times, in reading along, I thought to myself that Dr. Nicholl's interpretation was novel and something I'd never heard of, but then he would come back to it and connect it to standard Hebrew exegesis, showing that this interpretation was indeed one the Magi, and Herod, and Matthew, could have known. I'm still thinking it all through, but it seems well-founded.
As far as the astronomy goes, like I said, I'm no astronomer. It feels to me like Dr. Nicholl parsed the Biblical text, came up with parameters that a comet would need in order to fulfill the details specified in the text, and plugged that into astronomy software - then was astonished to find that the software produced a cometary phenomenon that matched the Biblical data. The one thing that mitigates against that feeling of mine is that Nicholl worked closely with several prominent comet specialists in the production of his research. But again, I don't have the knowledge or specialty to be able to evaluate Dr. Nicholl's conclusions. At best though, what Dr. Nicholl has shown is that his speculation is plausible. There is no outside evidence for the existence of this comet, beyond the text of Matthew.
That said, Dr. Nicholl makes the case that this is not nothing. That the data that Matthew gives is sufficient (with the assistance of Revelation 12) to construct a plausible path for a comet to take that would give rise both to the Magi's interest in Babylon AND to their entire journey to Jerusalem, to Bethlehem, and to the specific house where Jesus lay. Plausible speculation, but the only evidence for it is written in the Bible itself.
The book itself is beautifully produced. Dr. Nicholl's wife, Sirscha, produced scores of beautiful and helpful illustrations, and there are woodcuts and paintings and charts and photos galore. The book teaches its material well - as I would expect from Dr. Nicholl. The paper is thick and luxurious, the cover is gorgeous, it's a handsome volume that is a delight to read.
Bottom line? It may not prove as much as Dr. Nicholl seems to believe that it does, but it lays out a plausible line of thinking that connects a LOT of dots along the way. It was a joy to read, and made me want to run outside, look up at the sky, and worship the Creator. Not a bad day's work, that.
EDITED: After having the chance to talk with Dr. Nicholl personally, he was able to graciously correct my understanding of his argument. Dr. Nicholl did not collect data from Matthew 2, plug that into astronomical software, and get a comet that met the parameters set out in Matthew 2. What he in fact did is nothing short of astounding. Working with astronomers, he determined the parameters of a comet meeting the description in Revelation 12, plugged THOSE into astronomical software, and got out a comet that did all the things described in Matthew 2! I am sorry that I didn't understand this on my first read-through of the book, but WOW. That's astonishing, and it pulls Dr. Nicholl's thesis out of the realm of plausible speculation and firmly into the realm of DISCOVERY. Consequently, I am revising my rating from 4 stars to 5. And wow. Again, wow.
Previous to this book, the only thing I'd ever encountered about the Star of the Magi was The Star of Bethlehem DVD by Frederick Larson, which I found compelling. Dr. Nicholl disagrees with Larson's conclusions in this book, in a way that I found compelling. Frankly, I am not in a position to judge between theories of astronomical phenomena. I'm a pastor, and my training is in Biblical interpretation.
And I found Dr. Nicholl's Biblical interpretation fascinating. He opened new insights into Revelation 12, Numbers 24, Isaiah 7 and 9, and even Matthew 1-2 that I had never considered. At times, in reading along, I thought to myself that Dr. Nicholl's interpretation was novel and something I'd never heard of, but then he would come back to it and connect it to standard Hebrew exegesis, showing that this interpretation was indeed one the Magi, and Herod, and Matthew, could have known. I'm still thinking it all through, but it seems well-founded.
As far as the astronomy goes, like I said, I'm no astronomer. It feels to me like Dr. Nicholl parsed the Biblical text, came up with parameters that a comet would need in order to fulfill the details specified in the text, and plugged that into astronomy software - then was astonished to find that the software produced a cometary phenomenon that matched the Biblical data. The one thing that mitigates against that feeling of mine is that Nicholl worked closely with several prominent comet specialists in the production of his research. But again, I don't have the knowledge or specialty to be able to evaluate Dr. Nicholl's conclusions. At best though, what Dr. Nicholl has shown is that his speculation is plausible. There is no outside evidence for the existence of this comet, beyond the text of Matthew.
That said, Dr. Nicholl makes the case that this is not nothing. That the data that Matthew gives is sufficient (with the assistance of Revelation 12) to construct a plausible path for a comet to take that would give rise both to the Magi's interest in Babylon AND to their entire journey to Jerusalem, to Bethlehem, and to the specific house where Jesus lay. Plausible speculation, but the only evidence for it is written in the Bible itself.
The book itself is beautifully produced. Dr. Nicholl's wife, Sirscha, produced scores of beautiful and helpful illustrations, and there are woodcuts and paintings and charts and photos galore. The book teaches its material well - as I would expect from Dr. Nicholl. The paper is thick and luxurious, the cover is gorgeous, it's a handsome volume that is a delight to read.
Bottom line? It may not prove as much as Dr. Nicholl seems to believe that it does, but it lays out a plausible line of thinking that connects a LOT of dots along the way. It was a joy to read, and made me want to run outside, look up at the sky, and worship the Creator. Not a bad day's work, that.
EDITED: After having the chance to talk with Dr. Nicholl personally, he was able to graciously correct my understanding of his argument. Dr. Nicholl did not collect data from Matthew 2, plug that into astronomical software, and get a comet that met the parameters set out in Matthew 2. What he in fact did is nothing short of astounding. Working with astronomers, he determined the parameters of a comet meeting the description in Revelation 12, plugged THOSE into astronomical software, and got out a comet that did all the things described in Matthew 2! I am sorry that I didn't understand this on my first read-through of the book, but WOW. That's astonishing, and it pulls Dr. Nicholl's thesis out of the realm of plausible speculation and firmly into the realm of DISCOVERY. Consequently, I am revising my rating from 4 stars to 5. And wow. Again, wow.
July 23, 2016
Enlightening the Nativity Story
The editorial reviews of The Great Christ Comet: Revealing the True Star of Bethlehem promised a Biblical detective story of great scholarship yet uncommon accessibility. As a high school educated plumber I can tell you the praise for this book was not exaggerated. The author Colin Nicholl makes a compelling and detailed case for his theory that the “star” which guided the magi to Jerusalem and then on to Bethlehem and the baby Yeshua was in fact a comet.
Mr. Nicholl lays out his case for the great “Christ Comet” in twelve fascinating chapters full of interesting details and unique observations. I especially enjoyed learning about the nature of comets and how, historically speaking, they have been viewed as both a harbinger of doom and blessing.
In chapter 4 in Evaluating the Major Hypotheses, Mr. Nicholl shows why in his opinion the leading theories on the Star of Bethlehem do not measure up to a reasonable evidentiary standard. I found myself agreeing with many of his points in this chapter.
Although I do believe Mr. Nicholl’s made a great case for the star of Bethlehem being a comet there were several aspects of his arguments I disagree with or felt needed further Scriptural support. In fairness to those who have not read the book please note that I will be discussing details of Mr. Nicholl’s thesis that may constitute a spoiler. Many chapters of Mr Nicholl’s books reads like an investigative thriller so be forewarned.
My disagreements or area’s which I felt needed further clarification revolve around the following:
1. Dating the Messiah’s nativity
2. The assumptions regarding the Magi’s journey & Herod’s actions
3. The Messiah as the “light of the world”
* * *
Dating the Messiah’s Nativity
In the book Mr. Nicholl’s makes the case that celestial phenomenon in Revelation 12 and the nativity details of Matthew 1 & 2 lead to the conclusion that in the fall of 6 BC a comet interacted with the constellation Virgo with the result that Babylonian “mai” set out on a journey to find a Jewish King/Messiah.
The 6 BC date is problematic for several reasons. Luke 3 tells us that Yeshua was about thirty years old in the 15th year of Tiberius. Historically speaking, there are two ways to date the reign of Tiberius. One method reckons the fifteenth year of Tiberius from his sole rule beginning August 19 of 14 AD. The other, a provincial method, reckons the fifteenth year of Tiberius from his joint rule with Augustus beginning January 16th of 13 AD. Depending on which method used Yeshua’s 30th year fell in either 27 or 29 AD. This places the birth of Yeshua in 4 BC or 2 BC. Of these two dates the 4 BC has the most reasonable Biblical evidence supporting it. Thus the theorized celestial events of 6 BC are two years early to describe the actual events.
In a related aspect of dating the nativity, Mr. Nicholl’s theorizes that Babylonian magi, after observing the celestial phenomena set out to Jerusalem in search of a Jewish King, in part, because of their knowledge of the Jewish texts of Numbers 24 and Isaiah 7. I think it is worth noting that a more likely reason for their quest may have been related to one of the most famous Babylonian “master” magi of all, namely Daniel (Dan. 4:9).
Daniel was in fact the master magi at the height of Babylon power and he was also a man of great influence during a portion of the subsequent Persian empire. Surely Daniel’s prophecy of 70 Weeks would have played some role in the timing of the magi’s journey to Jerusalem. In fact a reasonable case can be made that Daniel 9:25 dates the conception/birth of Yeshua to winter of 5BC and the fall of 4BC respectively.
* * *
The Magi’s Journey
Mr. Nicholl theorizes that the Christ Comet’s interaction with the constellation Virgo represented the conception and actual birth of Yeshua. Further that these celestial events were the catalyst for the Magi’s journey to Jerusalem. I quote from page 167-168 :
“In light of this, it is natural to interpret the opening scene in the celestial nativity play as a conception scene,…
Consequently, in light of the fact that verses 2-5 [Matt.] portray Virgo as having become pregnant, there is good reason to wonder if the Moon’s presence in the celestial scene on September 15, 6 BC, detailed in verse 1, would have been interpreted as suggesting that Virgo had at that auspicious moment conceived her special child.”
Concerning the Messiah’s birth Mr. Nicholl continues on page 222:
“To those interpreting what they saw through the grid of messianic prophecy, it seemed that the Messiah was born at this very time. The birth was probably on or around October 20, 6 BC, which equates to Tishratu 6 in Babylon and Heshvan 5 or 6 in Judea (depending on whether the new crescent Moon was observed in Judea on the evening of October 14).11 Both Matthew and Revelation imply that the heavenly birth coincided with Jesus’s birth on earth.”
I believe it is possible that the Magi, if a comet appeared as Mr. Nicholl’s proposes, may have interpreted it as a sign of the birth of the Jewish Messiah. But based upon the Biblical chronology and the fact that this celestial sign only included a pregnancy of just over a month, I do not think the proposed Christ Comet’s interaction with Virgo represented the literal conception and birth of the Messiah. The Biblical fact that Herod inquired of the magi about the specific date when the sign appeared and then later killed the innocents of two years old and younger would support the 4 BC date as the literal birth of the Messiah and the celestial phenomena of 6 BC as merely a sign portending the coming birth. The magi’s delay in setting out for Jerusalem may have had something to do with their understanding of Daniel 9 or some other unknown variable.
* * *
The Light of the World
At various places in this book Mr. Nicholl’s explores the Messianic “light” motif as it relates to Yeshua and the likelihood that the prophetic passages of Numbers 24 and Isaiah 7 speak to a comet as a symbol of their fulfillment. I think he makes some wonderful points with a couple of caveats. First, I have a hard time seeing Isaiah’s son Mahershalalhashbazas as a partial fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14.
Second, Mr. Nicholl on page 256 states that Yeshua’s statement that “I am the light of the world”, took place during the Feast of Tabernacles, I believe is incorrect. The events described in John 8-10 take place after the 8th day of Tabernacles. John 10:22 fixes them nearly three months later during the Festival of Lights or Dedication (Hanukah). When Yeshua declared He was the “light of the World” he was using the festival of Hanukah to emphasis his point. In Biblical symbolism, the Feast of Tabernacles represent s the birth of the Messiah and His past and future “dwelling” with mankind.
* * *
In summary I think Mr. Nicholl’s interpretation of the events related to the star of Bethlehem has merit in so far as they may have been a sign or the sign which prompted the Magi to journey from the Babylon to Jerusalem. I do not believe the Bible’s own internal chronology supports the position that these events describe the actual events of the Messiah nativity in 6 BC in the month of Heshvan. The prophecy of Daniel 9 and the New Testament chronology provide reasonable and factual grounds to show that Yeshua “tabernacled” with mankind in the 7th month of 4 BC.
In conclusion, Mr. Nicholl’s thesis that the “Christ Comet” was the celestial phenomenon which heralded the history changing events of Yeshua’s birth is a fascinating and educational exploration of the subject which will surely influence the discussion in the years to come. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in furthering their understanding of events surrounding the “star” of Bethlehem and the birth of Christ.
The editorial reviews of The Great Christ Comet: Revealing the True Star of Bethlehem promised a Biblical detective story of great scholarship yet uncommon accessibility. As a high school educated plumber I can tell you the praise for this book was not exaggerated. The author Colin Nicholl makes a compelling and detailed case for his theory that the “star” which guided the magi to Jerusalem and then on to Bethlehem and the baby Yeshua was in fact a comet.
Mr. Nicholl lays out his case for the great “Christ Comet” in twelve fascinating chapters full of interesting details and unique observations. I especially enjoyed learning about the nature of comets and how, historically speaking, they have been viewed as both a harbinger of doom and blessing.
In chapter 4 in Evaluating the Major Hypotheses, Mr. Nicholl shows why in his opinion the leading theories on the Star of Bethlehem do not measure up to a reasonable evidentiary standard. I found myself agreeing with many of his points in this chapter.
Although I do believe Mr. Nicholl’s made a great case for the star of Bethlehem being a comet there were several aspects of his arguments I disagree with or felt needed further Scriptural support. In fairness to those who have not read the book please note that I will be discussing details of Mr. Nicholl’s thesis that may constitute a spoiler. Many chapters of Mr Nicholl’s books reads like an investigative thriller so be forewarned.
My disagreements or area’s which I felt needed further clarification revolve around the following:
1. Dating the Messiah’s nativity
2. The assumptions regarding the Magi’s journey & Herod’s actions
3. The Messiah as the “light of the world”
* * *
Dating the Messiah’s Nativity
In the book Mr. Nicholl’s makes the case that celestial phenomenon in Revelation 12 and the nativity details of Matthew 1 & 2 lead to the conclusion that in the fall of 6 BC a comet interacted with the constellation Virgo with the result that Babylonian “mai” set out on a journey to find a Jewish King/Messiah.
The 6 BC date is problematic for several reasons. Luke 3 tells us that Yeshua was about thirty years old in the 15th year of Tiberius. Historically speaking, there are two ways to date the reign of Tiberius. One method reckons the fifteenth year of Tiberius from his sole rule beginning August 19 of 14 AD. The other, a provincial method, reckons the fifteenth year of Tiberius from his joint rule with Augustus beginning January 16th of 13 AD. Depending on which method used Yeshua’s 30th year fell in either 27 or 29 AD. This places the birth of Yeshua in 4 BC or 2 BC. Of these two dates the 4 BC has the most reasonable Biblical evidence supporting it. Thus the theorized celestial events of 6 BC are two years early to describe the actual events.
In a related aspect of dating the nativity, Mr. Nicholl’s theorizes that Babylonian magi, after observing the celestial phenomena set out to Jerusalem in search of a Jewish King, in part, because of their knowledge of the Jewish texts of Numbers 24 and Isaiah 7. I think it is worth noting that a more likely reason for their quest may have been related to one of the most famous Babylonian “master” magi of all, namely Daniel (Dan. 4:9).
Daniel was in fact the master magi at the height of Babylon power and he was also a man of great influence during a portion of the subsequent Persian empire. Surely Daniel’s prophecy of 70 Weeks would have played some role in the timing of the magi’s journey to Jerusalem. In fact a reasonable case can be made that Daniel 9:25 dates the conception/birth of Yeshua to winter of 5BC and the fall of 4BC respectively.
* * *
The Magi’s Journey
Mr. Nicholl theorizes that the Christ Comet’s interaction with the constellation Virgo represented the conception and actual birth of Yeshua. Further that these celestial events were the catalyst for the Magi’s journey to Jerusalem. I quote from page 167-168 :
“In light of this, it is natural to interpret the opening scene in the celestial nativity play as a conception scene,…
Consequently, in light of the fact that verses 2-5 [Matt.] portray Virgo as having become pregnant, there is good reason to wonder if the Moon’s presence in the celestial scene on September 15, 6 BC, detailed in verse 1, would have been interpreted as suggesting that Virgo had at that auspicious moment conceived her special child.”
Concerning the Messiah’s birth Mr. Nicholl continues on page 222:
“To those interpreting what they saw through the grid of messianic prophecy, it seemed that the Messiah was born at this very time. The birth was probably on or around October 20, 6 BC, which equates to Tishratu 6 in Babylon and Heshvan 5 or 6 in Judea (depending on whether the new crescent Moon was observed in Judea on the evening of October 14).11 Both Matthew and Revelation imply that the heavenly birth coincided with Jesus’s birth on earth.”
I believe it is possible that the Magi, if a comet appeared as Mr. Nicholl’s proposes, may have interpreted it as a sign of the birth of the Jewish Messiah. But based upon the Biblical chronology and the fact that this celestial sign only included a pregnancy of just over a month, I do not think the proposed Christ Comet’s interaction with Virgo represented the literal conception and birth of the Messiah. The Biblical fact that Herod inquired of the magi about the specific date when the sign appeared and then later killed the innocents of two years old and younger would support the 4 BC date as the literal birth of the Messiah and the celestial phenomena of 6 BC as merely a sign portending the coming birth. The magi’s delay in setting out for Jerusalem may have had something to do with their understanding of Daniel 9 or some other unknown variable.
* * *
The Light of the World
At various places in this book Mr. Nicholl’s explores the Messianic “light” motif as it relates to Yeshua and the likelihood that the prophetic passages of Numbers 24 and Isaiah 7 speak to a comet as a symbol of their fulfillment. I think he makes some wonderful points with a couple of caveats. First, I have a hard time seeing Isaiah’s son Mahershalalhashbazas as a partial fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14.
Second, Mr. Nicholl on page 256 states that Yeshua’s statement that “I am the light of the world”, took place during the Feast of Tabernacles, I believe is incorrect. The events described in John 8-10 take place after the 8th day of Tabernacles. John 10:22 fixes them nearly three months later during the Festival of Lights or Dedication (Hanukah). When Yeshua declared He was the “light of the World” he was using the festival of Hanukah to emphasis his point. In Biblical symbolism, the Feast of Tabernacles represent s the birth of the Messiah and His past and future “dwelling” with mankind.
* * *
In summary I think Mr. Nicholl’s interpretation of the events related to the star of Bethlehem has merit in so far as they may have been a sign or the sign which prompted the Magi to journey from the Babylon to Jerusalem. I do not believe the Bible’s own internal chronology supports the position that these events describe the actual events of the Messiah nativity in 6 BC in the month of Heshvan. The prophecy of Daniel 9 and the New Testament chronology provide reasonable and factual grounds to show that Yeshua “tabernacled” with mankind in the 7th month of 4 BC.
In conclusion, Mr. Nicholl’s thesis that the “Christ Comet” was the celestial phenomenon which heralded the history changing events of Yeshua’s birth is a fascinating and educational exploration of the subject which will surely influence the discussion in the years to come. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in furthering their understanding of events surrounding the “star” of Bethlehem and the birth of Christ.
December 15, 2015
Colin R. Nicholl, The Great Christ Comet: Revealing the True Star of Bethlehem (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2015).
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This review originally appeared at InfluenceMagazine.com.
In The Great Christ Comet, Colin R. Nicholl argues that the Star of Bethlehem was not, in fact, a star. Instead, as the title suggests, it was a comet, “undeniably the single greatest comet in recorded history.” To reach this conclusion, Nicholl blends a close reading of the Bible with careful attention to the astronomical record. The result is one of the most intriguing books you will read this year.
Nicholl joins a long tradition of scholars who have written about Bethlehem’s star. Through the centuries, they have proposed a variety of answers to the question of its nature. Some have proposed that it was a star, of course. Others, the triple conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in Pisces in 7 B.C. Occultations of Jupiter in Aries in 6 B.C. is a more recent suggestion, as are either a nova or supernova. Meteors get mentioned. Some think it may have been a supernatural phenomenon such as a mystical vision or an angel. Skeptics dismiss it entirely as a myth.
By contrast, Nicholl affirms the historicity of the Gospel account of Jesus’ birth. He further argues that a comet can account for the star’s seemingly erratic behavior, appearing first in the eastern morning sky, then months later in the western and southern evening skies. Depending on the observer’s perspective, he points out, a comet can appear to stand still over a particular location as its speeds toward the nighttime horizon.
Nicholl does more than suggest that the Star of Bethlehem was a comet on grounds of biblical exegesis. Using up-to-date astronomy software, which is able to reconstruct the nighttime sky in the past and project it for the future, Nicholl runs the numbers and concludes that the Star of Bethlehem must have been a very particular kind of comet:
Such a comet could account for the seemingly erratic behavior of Matthew’s star. In fact, its behavior was not erratic at all, but rather the predictable movement of an astronomical body along a predefined trajectory.
The question is, why would the Magi interpret such a comet as signifying “the one who has been born king of the Jews” (Matthew 2:2)? To answer that question, Nicholl turns to Revelation 12:1–5, a passage depicting a war in heaven between “a woman clothed with the sun” and “an enormous red dragon.” Commentators have long noted that this is a depiction of cosmic warfare between the devil and the woman’s offspring, that is, Jesus Christ (Revelation 2:5; cf. 2:26–27; 19:15; Psalm 2:9). Nicholl argues that it is also a memorial of the nighttime sky around the time of Jesus’ birth. In other words, it describes the alignment of the stars at a particular point in time, with the constellation Virgo being the semeion or “sign” of the “woman.”
I won’t recapitulate that entire argument here, interesting though it is. Instead, I will simply note that using Revelation 12:1 this way helps Nicholl arrive at a date: September 15, 6 BC. According to his astronomy software, on this date, “the Sun, making its way through Virgo, was located over her womb, while the Moon was under Virgo’s feet.” This was also the date of the Jewish New Year, which Babylonian astrologers would have known because of the Jewish diaspora in that region.
If a comet appeared in Virgo’s midsection or “womb” after this time, Babylonian astrologers might have interpreted it as the omen of a royal Judean birth. Nicholl writes:
Interestingly, according to Nicholl’s astronomical calculations, the comet would have descended below Virgo on October 20, 6 BC, suggesting the actual birth of the royal baby. At some point after this, he argues, the Magi left on their weeks-long journey to Judea. Matthew 2 records what happened when they arrived.
I cannot say that Nicholl’s cometary hypothesis has settled the question of the Star of Bethlehem’s nature once for all. Other than Matthew 2 (and possibly Revelation 12), extant historical records, which are admittedly spotty, make no reference to this comet. Nicholl’s use of Revelation 12 to establish a timeline is without doubt fascinating, but not the only — or even most obvious — way to read that passage. And the reconstruction of the comet’s duration, size, magnitude, and trajectory is conjecture, though a mathematically informed one.
Still, Nicholl has provided an intellectually rigorous account of the Bethlehem star that honors the historical accuracy of the Bible even as it uses complex scientific calculations to outline its hypothesis. The Great Christ Comet thus provides plenty of grist for the mill for people with interests or training in the Bible and astronomy, not to mention the relationship of faith and science. (His publisher, Crossway, is a well-known conservative evangelical company, and his theology is in line with theirs.) Plus, the book is beautifully printed, with excellent charts and graphs scattered throughout to illustrate the points of Nicholl’s argument.
In sum, The Great Christ Comet is a fascinating book, very well worth reading.
-----
P.S. If you found my review helpful, please vote “Yes” on my Amazon.com review page.
This review originally appeared at InfluenceMagazine.com.
In The Great Christ Comet, Colin R. Nicholl argues that the Star of Bethlehem was not, in fact, a star. Instead, as the title suggests, it was a comet, “undeniably the single greatest comet in recorded history.” To reach this conclusion, Nicholl blends a close reading of the Bible with careful attention to the astronomical record. The result is one of the most intriguing books you will read this year.
Nicholl joins a long tradition of scholars who have written about Bethlehem’s star. Through the centuries, they have proposed a variety of answers to the question of its nature. Some have proposed that it was a star, of course. Others, the triple conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in Pisces in 7 B.C. Occultations of Jupiter in Aries in 6 B.C. is a more recent suggestion, as are either a nova or supernova. Meteors get mentioned. Some think it may have been a supernatural phenomenon such as a mystical vision or an angel. Skeptics dismiss it entirely as a myth.
By contrast, Nicholl affirms the historicity of the Gospel account of Jesus’ birth. He further argues that a comet can account for the star’s seemingly erratic behavior, appearing first in the eastern morning sky, then months later in the western and southern evening skies. Depending on the observer’s perspective, he points out, a comet can appear to stand still over a particular location as its speeds toward the nighttime horizon.
Nicholl does more than suggest that the Star of Bethlehem was a comet on grounds of biblical exegesis. Using up-to-date astronomy software, which is able to reconstruct the nighttime sky in the past and project it for the future, Nicholl runs the numbers and concludes that the Star of Bethlehem must have been a very particular kind of comet:
…a narrowly inclined, retrograde, long-period comet that, around the time of its close perihelion, rose heliacally and thereafter crossed the Sun-Earth line to be on the western and eventually the southern side of Earth.
Such a comet could account for the seemingly erratic behavior of Matthew’s star. In fact, its behavior was not erratic at all, but rather the predictable movement of an astronomical body along a predefined trajectory.
The question is, why would the Magi interpret such a comet as signifying “the one who has been born king of the Jews” (Matthew 2:2)? To answer that question, Nicholl turns to Revelation 12:1–5, a passage depicting a war in heaven between “a woman clothed with the sun” and “an enormous red dragon.” Commentators have long noted that this is a depiction of cosmic warfare between the devil and the woman’s offspring, that is, Jesus Christ (Revelation 2:5; cf. 2:26–27; 19:15; Psalm 2:9). Nicholl argues that it is also a memorial of the nighttime sky around the time of Jesus’ birth. In other words, it describes the alignment of the stars at a particular point in time, with the constellation Virgo being the semeion or “sign” of the “woman.”
I won’t recapitulate that entire argument here, interesting though it is. Instead, I will simply note that using Revelation 12:1 this way helps Nicholl arrive at a date: September 15, 6 BC. According to his astronomy software, on this date, “the Sun, making its way through Virgo, was located over her womb, while the Moon was under Virgo’s feet.” This was also the date of the Jewish New Year, which Babylonian astrologers would have known because of the Jewish diaspora in that region.
If a comet appeared in Virgo’s midsection or “womb” after this time, Babylonian astrologers might have interpreted it as the omen of a royal Judean birth. Nicholl writes:
…the Magi probably came to the conclusion that the great leader whose birth was being so dramatically announced in the heavens was the Messiah based on a number of key prophecies in the Hebrew Bible—particularly, Numbers 24:17; Isaiah 7:14; and 9:2. Together, these texts disclosed the identity, nature, destiny, and general location of the newborn.
Interestingly, according to Nicholl’s astronomical calculations, the comet would have descended below Virgo on October 20, 6 BC, suggesting the actual birth of the royal baby. At some point after this, he argues, the Magi left on their weeks-long journey to Judea. Matthew 2 records what happened when they arrived.
I cannot say that Nicholl’s cometary hypothesis has settled the question of the Star of Bethlehem’s nature once for all. Other than Matthew 2 (and possibly Revelation 12), extant historical records, which are admittedly spotty, make no reference to this comet. Nicholl’s use of Revelation 12 to establish a timeline is without doubt fascinating, but not the only — or even most obvious — way to read that passage. And the reconstruction of the comet’s duration, size, magnitude, and trajectory is conjecture, though a mathematically informed one.
Still, Nicholl has provided an intellectually rigorous account of the Bethlehem star that honors the historical accuracy of the Bible even as it uses complex scientific calculations to outline its hypothesis. The Great Christ Comet thus provides plenty of grist for the mill for people with interests or training in the Bible and astronomy, not to mention the relationship of faith and science. (His publisher, Crossway, is a well-known conservative evangelical company, and his theology is in line with theirs.) Plus, the book is beautifully printed, with excellent charts and graphs scattered throughout to illustrate the points of Nicholl’s argument.
In sum, The Great Christ Comet is a fascinating book, very well worth reading.
-----
P.S. If you found my review helpful, please vote “Yes” on my Amazon.com review page.
December 27, 2017
I’m not normally one who’s overly concerned for detailed theories to ‘explain’ biblical events, but the many positive reviews f this book inspired me to give ‘The Christ Comet’ a shot.
In broad brush strokes, Nicholl’s argument for a comet being the sign the Magi saw and followed to Bethlehem is persuasive. His critique of other proposal is instructive, and is very helpful in showing the weakness of popular theories such as the planetary conjunctions. His investigation of other ancient comet records, demonstrating their incompleteness gives ballast to his argument.
The downfall of the book is Nicholl’s confidence in his theory, and his dependence on what I would say is not the most obvious reading of Revelation 12. As I mentioned at the start, I don’t generally don’t give too much weight to claims by the likes of archeologists that they have proved or disproved various biblical claims—all to often more evidence, or another reconstruction of the same evidence comes along soon enough to refute the claims.
The latter chapters of the book are a hard slog. You need an interest and some knowledge of physics and astronomy to even get a handle on the detail. For me, it was a case of ‘I’m glad someone has thought about this’.
In broad brush strokes, Nicholl’s argument for a comet being the sign the Magi saw and followed to Bethlehem is persuasive. His critique of other proposal is instructive, and is very helpful in showing the weakness of popular theories such as the planetary conjunctions. His investigation of other ancient comet records, demonstrating their incompleteness gives ballast to his argument.
The downfall of the book is Nicholl’s confidence in his theory, and his dependence on what I would say is not the most obvious reading of Revelation 12. As I mentioned at the start, I don’t generally don’t give too much weight to claims by the likes of archeologists that they have proved or disproved various biblical claims—all to often more evidence, or another reconstruction of the same evidence comes along soon enough to refute the claims.
The latter chapters of the book are a hard slog. You need an interest and some knowledge of physics and astronomy to even get a handle on the detail. For me, it was a case of ‘I’m glad someone has thought about this’.
January 14, 2025
Difficult book to find. Only available in hardcover, not available through my county libraries.
The Star of Bethlehem is the most famous astronomical event in human history. The author asks the question 'What exactly was it?" I have often wondered what it would take for a group of pagan astrologers/astronomers in Babylon to look into the sky and say 'There is the sign that the Messiah to the Jews has been born, and we need to take a 6 week journey to go see Him.' It would have to be something stupendous.
The author's answer meets all the astronomical criteria to be scientifically legitimate. Astronomers who have reviewed his work find no error with his calculations, and his hypothesis meets the criteria to match what Matthew described in his Gospel.
My trouble with this work is that other than Matthew, Josephus, and Philo, we don't have any confirmation of such a spectacular sight. No Babylonian, Egyptian, or Chinese records mention such a sight. The second half of the book goes on and on describing the characteristics of something whose existence we cannot confirm.
I am definitely intrigued by the author's reasoning, but not totally sold on it.
The Star of Bethlehem is the most famous astronomical event in human history. The author asks the question 'What exactly was it?" I have often wondered what it would take for a group of pagan astrologers/astronomers in Babylon to look into the sky and say 'There is the sign that the Messiah to the Jews has been born, and we need to take a 6 week journey to go see Him.' It would have to be something stupendous.
The author's answer meets all the astronomical criteria to be scientifically legitimate. Astronomers who have reviewed his work find no error with his calculations, and his hypothesis meets the criteria to match what Matthew described in his Gospel.
My trouble with this work is that other than Matthew, Josephus, and Philo, we don't have any confirmation of such a spectacular sight. No Babylonian, Egyptian, or Chinese records mention such a sight. The second half of the book goes on and on describing the characteristics of something whose existence we cannot confirm.
I am definitely intrigued by the author's reasoning, but not totally sold on it.
December 23, 2019
A very interesting read. There is a great deal of scientific data in this book to back up Nicholl's theory that the Star of Bethlehem was a comet. That data was of utmost importance for showing that the star didn't have to be a completely miraculous one off event, rather just a miraculous use of the laws of nature set in place by our Creator God, who knew the fullness of time and set all things in motion from the beginning.
Very intriguing was the drawing in of Revelation 14 to the account of the Magi and the Star from Matthew. While having seen the account from Revelation as a representation of the birth of Jesus before, I had never considered how it might also have had its place in the stars of the heavens as the Bethlehem Star of the Magi must have!
Very intriguing was the drawing in of Revelation 14 to the account of the Magi and the Star from Matthew. While having seen the account from Revelation as a representation of the birth of Jesus before, I had never considered how it might also have had its place in the stars of the heavens as the Bethlehem Star of the Magi must have!
January 20, 2018
I was hoping for a book that would explore the plausibility of the Christmas star being a real star or a miracle. This book does that. And so much more. I feel bad giving this book 3 stars. It is clearly well and thoroughly researched. But I was looking for a book that was more amateurish. This is clearly a book for experts or readers who have a firm foundation in astronomy. The first few chapters were Great Barrier Reef t I ended up skimming through the second half; it was way above my head.
February 24, 2020
A dear friend loaned me this book at a very emotional time in her life. I determined to read it no matter what.
But I’ve already told her that I read it for her, not for its content. The author is a biblical scholar who delved into astronomy to figure out that the most famous star was, in fact, a comet.
Apparently biblical scholars approach evidence in a way very different from an historian. I believe, therefore the evidence should prove me right.
But I’ve already told her that I read it for her, not for its content. The author is a biblical scholar who delved into astronomy to figure out that the most famous star was, in fact, a comet.
Apparently biblical scholars approach evidence in a way very different from an historian. I believe, therefore the evidence should prove me right.
December 23, 2021
An excellent book, beautifully presented and very scholarly whilst also accessible. But it's way too repetitive and did not need to be as lengthy. The thesis is ultimately simple and the science easy enough to explain... the author is clearly a great thinker and writer, and I found the conclusion very convincing. Only one star lost for the repetition, which was distracting.
December 18, 2024
So, I'm convinced it was a comet. This is a comprehensive case for that theory. Nicholl is exhaustive in his astronomical research as well as historical sources making reference to what they saw in the sky around the time of Christ's birth. At any rate, I appreciate the work, but was pretty bored in reading it. A 20 page journal article would have done just as well for me.
November 7, 2017
I'm currently reading this book and it is fascinating. I was originally planning on just speed reading it but I'm finding it to be a page-turner. I want to read it thoroughly. The scholarship is outstanding and the argument is compelling.
January 18, 2020
A very detailed analysis. It seems like the author expects both criticism and deep analysis of the topic and therefore carefully and meticulously discusses it.
Unfortunately the book is simply not very enjoyable, especially the second half, for this reason.
Unfortunately the book is simply not very enjoyable, especially the second half, for this reason.
December 6, 2020
Conclusively demonstrates that the star of Bethlehem was a comet. Less convincing in its arguments regarding the comet's behaviour based on Revelation 12 and there are, in my view, strong arguments against reading the Apocalypse in this way.
November 25, 2020
Technical and academic in form, but worth taking your time to read slowly and enjoy the supremacy of God over nature.
August 24, 2018
The most fascinating and well-researched theory that I have seen for what the Star of Bethlehem could have been. However, the book's greatest strength is also its weakness as it drags on for too long and was rather repetitive and could have been much shorter (a fault of the editor perhaps?). Nevertheless, it is still a captivating read and one can skim through the repetitive or overly-detailed parts.
October 14, 2015
It's been more than 10 years since I last sat in a college classroom. However, as I began reading Colin R. Nicholl's latest work The Great Christ Comet, I easily fell back into the role of a student. Drawing from his training as a Bible scholar and his belief in the inerrant truth of scripture, the author established, from the outset, that the Bible would be the foundation for his argument. That is to say, the Word of God was the plumb line by which all subsequent theories and conclusions would be vetted. I found this approach to be incredibly refreshing and faith building!
Evidence to indicate the Bethlehem Star was actually a comet is presented methodical, exhaustively, and with supportive historicity. As mentioned, scripture was the launch point for this book. Nicholl opened with careful examination of Matthew 2:1-18 (the Magi's Messianic visit) in order to establish a timeline of events and to validate the reliability of the recorded account. He then expands the scope of supportive data to include Old and New Testament Prophecy, a brief history of astrology in the ancient world, and pertinent details from Jewish and Babylonian history. When the astronomical details are presented, I felt indebted to Nicholl for sharing the wonder of his findings in an approachable fashion. To this end, the inclusion of numerous charts, diagrams, and graphic overlays made it easier for a layman, like myself, to understand the scientific vernacular. In conclusion, The Great Christ Comet was far more than an academic text, it was also is a worship-inducing unveiling of biblical mysteries.
I received this book from Crossway for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Evidence to indicate the Bethlehem Star was actually a comet is presented methodical, exhaustively, and with supportive historicity. As mentioned, scripture was the launch point for this book. Nicholl opened with careful examination of Matthew 2:1-18 (the Magi's Messianic visit) in order to establish a timeline of events and to validate the reliability of the recorded account. He then expands the scope of supportive data to include Old and New Testament Prophecy, a brief history of astrology in the ancient world, and pertinent details from Jewish and Babylonian history. When the astronomical details are presented, I felt indebted to Nicholl for sharing the wonder of his findings in an approachable fashion. To this end, the inclusion of numerous charts, diagrams, and graphic overlays made it easier for a layman, like myself, to understand the scientific vernacular. In conclusion, The Great Christ Comet was far more than an academic text, it was also is a worship-inducing unveiling of biblical mysteries.
I received this book from Crossway for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
January 20, 2016
The astronomy part was fascinating; the conclusions at times made perfect sense, and at others seemed a bit far-fetched. Towards the end I got a bit lost trying to follow his logic, but overall it was interesting. It did raise far more questions in my brain, then answers.
2016 Reading Challenge: Book About the Natural World
2016 Reading Challenge: Book About the Natural World
December 11, 2015
Interesting. Compelling.
January 18, 2019
Disappointing. He concludes that the existing historic records of comets unfortunately omit his proposed Christ comet.
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