Star of Bethlehem

Definition: The Star of Bethlehem comes from the Gospel of Matthew:

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east, and have come to worship Him." (Matt. 2:1-1)

The Star of Bethlehem may have been a star, a nova, a comet, or a the conjunction of planets that created a bright light in the sky. It may be a fiction made up by the author of the Gospel of Matthew.

The Star of Bethlehem is taken by Christians to be a miraculous sign portending the birth of the Messiah or Christ. It is believed to have led the magi from the East (from the area that is now Iran or Iraq) to Bethlehem.

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Also Known As: Christmas Star