BEMA Episode Link: 89: Written in the Stars
Episode Length: 44:09
Published Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2018 01:00:00 -0700
Session 3
About this episode:

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings begin the trek through the gospel narrative of Matthew and the life and ministry of Jesus, starting with a look at the story of the birth of Jesus and the visit of the Magi.

Discussion Video for BEMA 89

Prepare the Way #5: In Our Present sermon — YouTube

Men Askaenos in Antioch of Pisidia — Wikipedia

The Real Meaning of the Zodiac by D. James Kennedy

The Nativity Story (2006 film)

Picture of the Bull in the House

Transcript for BEMA 89

Notes

*Note: The following notes are handwritten by me, Adam, and I reserve the right to be wrong.

BEMA Episode 89: Written in the Stars - Study Notes

Title & Source Summary

Episode: BEMA 89 - Written in the Stars Focus: The birth narrative of Jesus in Matthew 1:18-2:12, exploring the cultural and religious context of the Magi’s visit, ancient astrology, and the rise of Mithraism in the first-century Roman world.

This episode examines the Christmas story through a first-century lens, revealing the messy, tension-filled reality of Jesus’s birth and the surprising ways God worked through pagan astrologers to announce the arrival of the Messiah. The discussion connects ancient Zodiac worship, the prophecy of Balaam, and the cultural context of shame and rejection that surrounded Mary and Joseph.

Key Takeaways

  • The Christmas story is not a sanitized fairy tale but a narrative filled with cultural shame, family rejection, and social tension
  • Mary’s pregnancy before “coming together” with Joseph created a scandal that would have brought significant disgrace to both families
  • Joseph’s decision to “divorce her quietly” demonstrates both his commitment to Torah and his desire to show compassion despite not understanding what happened
  • The Magi were likely Babylonian/Persian astrologers who combined their study of the stars with knowledge of Hebrew Scripture, particularly Balaam’s prophecy in Numbers 24:17
  • Mithraism was the fastest-growing religion in the first-century Roman Empire, and its birth narrative parallels (cave birth, shepherd attendance, cosmic significance) provide context for understanding how early Christians presented Jesus
  • God works outside the boundaries we create, using even pagan astrologers and dreams to accomplish His purposes
  • The prophecy references in Matthew (like Isaiah 7:14 about Emmanuel) are not simple prediction-fulfillment but deeper echoes showing God’s presence in oppressive circumstances

Main Concepts & Theories

1. The Messiness of the Christmas Narrative

Cultural Context of Betrothal:

  • In first-century Jewish culture, betrothal (engagement) was legally equivalent to marriage
  • Sexual relations during betrothal, while not breaking Torah law, brought significant cultural shame
  • Mary’s pregnancy would have been viewed with suspicion and disbelief by the community
  • Joseph needed a formal divorce to break the betrothal covenant, not just a canceled engagement

The Shame Factor:

  • Few people would have believed Mary’s story about the Holy Spirit
  • The family likely rejected or marginalized Mary and Joseph (evidenced by the “no room in the kataluma” - guest room, not inn)
  • In a culture of hospitality where multiple families shared dwellings, relegating a pregnant woman to the lower level with animals indicates social rejection
  • Modern Christmas celebrations sanitize this reality, removing the legitimate human tension and suffering from the story

Joseph’s Character:

  • Described as “faithful to the law” yet compassionate
  • Chose to divorce Mary quietly to preserve her dignity
  • His background is mysterious - why was he living in Nazareth when his family was from Bethlehem?
  • Possibly worked in Herod’s stone quarry near Nazareth as a tekton (builder/mason, not just carpenter)
  • His step of faith to accept the angel’s message demonstrates remarkable trust
2. Ancient Zodiac Worship and Astrology

MenEskenu and the Temple in Phrygia:

  • Ancient Phrygian temple dedicated to MenEskenu (dating to 4000-3000 BC, pre-Abraham)
  • Worship centered on the constellation Taurus and Zodiac observation
  • Stone markers around the temple showed “the bull in the house” - representing Taurus in the oikos (house)
  • Connected to spring solstice observations when the sun rose in the house of Taurus

The Discovery of Precession:

  • Around 167 BC, a Greek philosopher studying Egyptian and Babylonian records discovered that the sun no longer rose in Taurus at spring solstice but in Aries
  • This was due to the wobble of Earth’s axis (axial precession)
  • The Zodiac shifts approximately every 2,160 years as the sun rises into a new “house”
  • Ancient observers didn’t understand the astronomical mechanism but recognized the shift had occurred

Seven Wandering Stars:

  • Ancient astronomers observed that seven celestial bodies moved differently than the fixed constellations: Sun, Moon, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and possibly Uranus
  • These were connected to deity worship in the Roman world (Jupiter, Mars, Venus, Saturn)
  • The cosmic sea model: Ancients believed the sky was a watery ocean in which stars floated
3. The Rise of Mithraism

Origins and Development:

  • Emerged from the discovery of precession around 167 BC
  • Combined with Zoroastrianism from Persia (dating to approximately 700 BC)
  • Became known as Mithra in the Greco-Roman world
  • The fastest-growing religion in the first-century Roman Empire (Christianity was second)

The Mithra Narrative:

  • A powerful deity came into the cosmic universe and altered its course
  • Mithra “killed the bull” (ended the Age of Taurus) and changed the Zodiac
  • This cosmic intervention was represented by a cross - symbolizing the “tear” where Mithra entered the cosmic sea
  • Birth narrative: Mithra born in a cave, attended by shepherds
  • Had a priesthood with seven sacraments

Cultural Impact:

  • Primarily a male religion (described as “beer and brats”)
  • Drew men away from families, leaving women and children open to Christianity’s message
  • Explains why the largest growing population in early Christianity was women and children
  • Provided the cultural context that Gospel writers could leverage to present Jesus
4. The Magi and Balaam’s Prophecy

Who Were the Magi?:

  • Likely came from Babylon/Persia (“from the east”)
  • Professional astrologers and religious scholars
  • Would have had access to both ancient astronomical records and Hebrew Scriptures
  • Combined pagan astrological practices with knowledge of biblical prophecy

Balaam’s Oracle (Numbers 24:15-19):

  • Balaam was a Babylonian astrologer/prophet hired by King Balak of Moab to curse Israel
  • Instead, he blessed Israel and gave prophecies about their future
  • Key prophecy: “I see him, but not now. I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel”
  • The Magi’s statement “We saw his star when it rose” directly echoes this ancient prophecy
  • Suggests the Magi knew and studied Hebrew prophetic texts alongside their astrological observations

Astronomical Signs Around Jesus’s Birth:

  • Jesus likely born around 5-2 BC, coinciding with the end of the Age of Aries and beginning of the Age of Pisces
  • Convergence of Jupiter (king god) and Venus (mother goddess) suggested a royal birth
  • This conjunction may have occurred at the foot of Leo or Virgo (virgin) constellations
  • The Magi combined their astronomical observations with scriptural knowledge to identify the timing

The Star of Bethlehem:

  • Debate exists whether the “star” was the astronomical conjunction, a supernova, or supernatural phenomenon
  • Some interpret “the star stopped over the place” as astrological positioning rather than a literal moving star
  • The phrase could refer to seeing the star in the Zodiac aligned over the house
  • Alternative reading: The Magi arrived at the birth (not two years later) and the “house” refers to the zodiacal house
5. Prophecy and Fulfillment in Matthew

Isaiah 7:14 and Emmanuel:

  • Matthew quotes: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Emmanuel”
  • In original context (Isaiah 7), this prophecy had nothing to do with Jesus - it referred to Isaiah’s time, possibly about Hezekiah
  • Matthew, as a Jewish writer to a Jewish audience, uses deeper hermeneutical methods
  • Not simple prediction-fulfillment but pattern recognition: “Those same oppressive days Isaiah spoke about are happening again, and here is God with us”
  • Demonstrates the Jewish understanding of Scripture echoing through time rather than fortune-telling

The Deeper Agenda:

  • Matthew consistently highlights the mamzer (outcast) theme throughout his Gospel
  • Shows God working through unexpected people and circumstances
  • The Christmas narrative sets the pattern: God works outside our comfortable boundaries
6. Mark’s Gospel and the Mithra Connection

The Torn Heavens (Mark 1:10):

  • At Jesus’s baptism, Mark specifically says the heavens were “torn” (not just “opened”)
  • Echoes Isaiah’s prayer: “Lord, rend the heavens and come down”
  • Parallels the Mithra narrative of tearing into the cosmic sea
  • Signals to Roman readers that Jesus is the true cosmic intervener

The Torn Veil (Mark 15:38):

  • Traditional interpretation: The inner veil to the Holy of Holies was torn
  • Roman perspective: The only temple veil Romans would have seen was the outer one
  • According to Josephus, the outer veil displayed the Zodiac
  • Mark presents a cosmic bookend: Jesus tears into the world (baptism) and tears out (crucifixion)
  • This framing would resonate with Romans familiar with Mithraism while being meaningless if the inner veil was meant

Evangelistic Strategy:

  • Mark addresses the fastest-growing religious movement of his day
  • Presents Jesus as the true fulfillment of what Mithraism falsely promised
  • Uses their own narrative structure to communicate gospel truth
7. God Working Outside the Box

Pagan Instruments of God’s Plan:

  • God sent dreams to pagan astrologers to guide them
  • God warned the Magi not to return to Herod through a dream
  • We have no record they became believers or started churches
  • Demonstrates that God’s work is not limited to “proper” religious people or contexts

The Mamzer Theme:

  • Continues Matthew’s pattern from the genealogy
  • God works through outcasts, foreigners, shameful situations, and unlikely characters
  • The Christmas story perfectly encapsulates this: rejected by family, attended by shepherds (low status) and pagan astrologers

Examples & Applications

1. Historical Context - The Catalog/Guest Room Detail

When Luke says there was “no room in the kataluma,” he’s not describing a commercial inn being full. The word means “guest room” - the same word used when Jesus sends disciples to prepare the Passover. In a culture where hospitality was paramount and families routinely housed multiple generations in shared spaces, putting a pregnant woman in the lower level with animals was a deliberate act of social rejection. This detail reveals the real shame and isolation Mary and Joseph experienced.

2. Archaeological Evidence - The Temple to MenEskenu

The ruins in modern-day Turkey provide physical evidence of ancient Zodiac worship dating back to 4000-3000 BC. Stone markers showing “the bull in the house” demonstrate how seriously ancient peoples studied and worshiped celestial movements. This wasn’t superstitious nonsense but a sophisticated (though misguided) religious system that shaped worldviews for millennia.

3. Literary Comparison - Mithra and Jesus Birth Narratives

The parallel elements between Mithra and Jesus birth stories aren’t coincidental plagiarism but show God’s providential timing. When the Roman world was surging toward a religion promising cosmic salvation through a cave-born, shepherd-attended savior, God provided the real thing. Early Christians could say, “You’re looking for this kind of savior? Let us tell you about the true one.”

4. Astronomical Timing - The Age of Pisces

Jesus’s birth coinciding with the transition from the Age of Aries to the Age of Pisces (around 5-2 BC according to ancient astronomical records) gave astrologers a clear signal that a new cosmic age was beginning. The conjunction of Jupiter and Venus - representing king and mother goddess - at this precise moment would have been unmistakable to trained astrologers as signifying a royal birth.

5. Cross-Cultural Communication - The Torn Veil

Mark’s choice to emphasize the torn veil takes on new meaning when we recognize his Roman audience would only know the outer temple veil (decorated with the Zodiac) not the inner one. This isn’t sloppy theology but brilliant contextualization - he’s speaking their language, using imagery that would communicate “cosmic transformation” to readers familiar with Mithraism.

6. Modern Application - Reclaiming Christmas Tension

Churches that present only sanitized nativity scenes with golden straw miss the power of the story. When people experiencing family rejection, shame, unexpected circumstances, or social marginalization hear the real Christmas story - complete with scandal, rejection, and divine intervention in mess - they can see themselves in it. The sanitized version offers comfort to the comfortable; the real version offers hope to the hurting.

7. Interfaith Engagement - The Magi Model

The Magi combined their cultural knowledge (astrology) with engagement with Scripture (Balaam’s prophecy) and responded to divine revelation (dreams). They represent a model of God working through seekers who don’t fit our religious boxes. Modern interfaith dialogue can learn from this: God may be working in unexpected places, and our job is to recognize and honor that work rather than dismiss it.

Potential Areas for Further Exploration

1. Historical-Critical Study
  • Investigate the scholarly debates about Matthew’s original language (Hebrew vs. Greek) and how that affects interpretation
  • Research first-century Jewish betrothal practices and legal requirements for divorce
  • Study Josephus’s descriptions of Herod’s temple, particularly the outer veil decoration
  • Examine archaeological evidence for first-century Bethlehem dwelling structures (insulae)
2. Astronomical Analysis
  • Explore various theories about the Star of Bethlehem: planetary conjunction, supernova, comet, or supernatural phenomenon
  • Study ancient astronomical records from Babylon and Egypt regarding the precession of the equinoxes
  • Investigate the specific Jupiter-Venus conjunction around 2 BC and its visibility from different locations
  • Research how ancient astrologers calculated zodiacal ages and the beginning/end of each age
3. Comparative Religion
  • Deep dive into Zoroastrianism and its influence on Mithraism
  • Study the seven sacraments of Mithraism and their similarities/differences to Christian practices
  • Examine why Mithraism grew so rapidly in the first century and why it ultimately failed
  • Investigate the gender dynamics of first-century religions: Why was Mithraism male-only and how did this impact Christianity’s growth?
4. Textual Studies
  • Study the full context of Isaiah 7:14 and Jewish interpretive methods for applying old prophecies to new situations
  • Analyze Balaam’s four oracles in Numbers 22-24 and their role in Jewish messianic expectation
  • Compare the birth narratives in Matthew and Luke, noting what each includes/excludes and why
  • Examine how the Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) translated Isaiah 7:14 and its influence on Matthew’s quotation
5. Cultural Context
  • Research first-century shame/honor culture and its impact on Mary and Joseph’s experience
  • Study the role and status of shepherds in first-century Judea
  • Investigate Roman employment of Jewish labor in building projects (like Herod’s stone quarries)
  • Examine hospitality customs and the significance of kataluma vs. pandocheion in Greek literature
6. Theological Implications
  • Explore the “mamzer” (outcast) theme throughout Matthew’s Gospel beyond the genealogy
  • Study divine providence and God’s use of pagan cultures to accomplish His purposes
  • Examine the tension between God’s specific covenant with Israel and His universal concern for all nations
  • Investigate how the Christmas narrative challenges Western systematic theology’s tendency toward neat categories
7. Practical Application
  • Consider how to teach the Christmas story in ways that honor both its difficult cultural context and its good news
  • Develop approaches to Advent/Christmas that welcome those experiencing family rejection, scandal, or shame
  • Explore how modern Christians can recognize God’s work outside traditional religious boundaries
  • Create discussion guides for helping people engage with the messiness of Scripture rather than sanitizing it

Comprehension Questions

  1. Why was Joseph planning to divorce Mary “quietly,” and what does this reveal about both the legal situation and Joseph’s character? Answer: Because betrothal in first-century Jewish culture was legally equivalent to marriage, Joseph needed a formal divorce to break the covenant. Planning to do it “quietly” shows he wanted to obey Torah while also protecting Mary from public disgrace, demonstrating both his commitment to the law and his compassion.

  2. How did the discovery of precession around 167 BC lead to the development of Mithraism, and why is this relevant to understanding the Gospel accounts? Answer: When Greek/Babylonian astronomers discovered the sun no longer rose in Taurus but in Aries at spring solstice, they concluded a powerful deity had intervened in the cosmos to alter the Zodiac. This became Mithraism, which by the first century was the fastest-growing religion in Rome. Gospel writers, especially Mark, used Mithraic imagery (torn heavens, cosmic transformation) to present Jesus as the true cosmic savior to an audience already primed to expect one.

  3. What is the connection between the Magi’s statement “We saw his star when it rose” and the prophecy of Balaam in Numbers 24:17? Answer: Balaam, a Babylonian astrologer/prophet, prophesied “A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel.” The Magi, also from Babylon/Persia, would have known this prophecy from their own cultural heritage. Their language directly echoes Balaam’s words, suggesting they combined astronomical observation with knowledge of Hebrew Scripture to identify the timing and significance of Jesus’s birth.

  4. How does Matthew’s use of the Isaiah 7:14 prophecy about Emmanuel differ from simple prediction-fulfillment, and what does this teach us about Jewish interpretation of Scripture? Answer: Isaiah 7:14 in its original context had nothing to do with Jesus - it referred to events in Isaiah’s own time, possibly about King Hezekiah. Matthew, writing to a Jewish audience, uses deeper hermeneutical methods that recognize patterns and echoes through time. He’s saying: “The same circumstances of oppression that Isaiah addressed are happening again, and here again is God with us” - not that Isaiah was predicting Jesus, but that God’s pattern of presence in difficulty continues.

  5. Why does Mark’s description of the “torn veil” at Jesus’s death take on additional meaning when we consider his Roman audience and the outer temple veil decorated with the Zodiac? Answer: While modern interpreters assume the inner veil to the Holy of Holies was torn, Romans would never have seen that inner veil. They would only know the outer veil which, according to Josephus, displayed the Zodiac. For Mark’s Roman audience familiar with Mithraism (which involved tearing into the cosmic sea), the image of Jesus tearing the Zodiac veil creates a bookend with the torn heavens at his baptism - presenting Jesus as the true cosmic transformer who entered and exited the world by tearing through the cosmic order.

Summary

BEMA Episode 89 transforms our understanding of the Christmas narrative by stripping away centuries of sanitization to reveal the messy, tension-filled reality of Jesus’s birth. Mary’s pregnancy brought cultural shame and likely family rejection - not the golden-straw perfection of modern nativity scenes. Joseph’s compassionate response to divorce Mary quietly demonstrates both legal obligation and remarkable grace, while his acceptance of the angel’s message required extraordinary faith.

The episode’s most significant contribution is revealing how God orchestrated Jesus’s birth at the precise moment when the Roman world was surging toward Mithraism - a pagan religion based on astronomical observation and cosmic transformation. When astrologers recognized the end of the Age of Aries and the beginning of the Age of Pisces, combined with the conjunction of Jupiter and Venus, they would have seen clear signs of a new cosmic age. The Magi, drawing on both their Babylonian astronomical heritage and knowledge of Balaam’s prophecy about a star rising from Jacob, came seeking the one who would truly alter the cosmos.

This context illuminates Gospel strategy, especially Mark’s, which uses Mithraic imagery (torn heavens, torn Zodiac veil) to present Jesus as the authentic cosmic savior to a Roman audience already primed to expect one. Matthew’s genealogy and birth narrative establish his mamzer theme - God working through outcasts, foreigners, shameful situations, and unlikely characters. The Christmas story becomes not a fairy tale for the comfortable but a message of hope for those experiencing rejection, shame, and impossible circumstances.

Most profoundly, the story of God sending dreams to pagan astrologers challenges our tendency to put God in a box. The Magi weren’t converted, didn’t start churches, yet God used them and worked through them. This reminds us that God’s activity extends far beyond our comfortable religious boundaries, and sometimes the people wrestling most authentically with Scripture and seeking divine truth are the ones we’d least expect. The Christmas narrative invites us to embrace the messiness, recognize God’s work in unexpected places, and find ourselves in a story that’s always been about hope breaking into the midst of human brokenness.

Original Notes

  • The disaster that her conception would have been for Mary.
    • Joseph was trying to save face for Mary.
  • The prophecy from Isaiah
    • Is this about Jesus or is Luke alluding to something else?
  • Men Askaenos
    • Temple worship of the zodiac.
    • The wobble of the earth’s poles meant that the sun began to rise in a different “house of the zodiac” than years past.
  • Mithra
    • Wiseman/Magi from the East (from Babylon).
    • They mentioned a “rising” star as in a star rising in a new “house”.
    • Ballam prophesied that a star would rise from Israel. These Magi knew Ballam’s prophecy and they found themselves looking for a new king to be born in Bethlehem.
    • The star stopped over the “house”. This could be read as the zodiac or as though they are in the Christmas story.
  • Mark’s gospel discussing the “tearing of the heavens”.
    • Romans wouldn’t know about any veil of the temple except for the temple covering the front of the temple.
    • Josephus tells us that this specific veil was covered in stars (or the zodiac to Roman’s).
    • Roman’s, who were Mithra followers would have seen the zodiac being ripped apart implying that there was a new king and that Mithra was not it.

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