What if the “Star of Bethlehem” wasn’t what you think it was?

In this Christmas-themed episode of the Buried Bible Podcast, Dr. Mark Chavalas dives into Matthew 2 and the famous story of the Magi and the Star—but through the lens of the ancient world. Who were the Magi really? Why does Matthew use language that sounds… astrological? And why would these men go to Jerusalem first instead of Bethlehem?

🔥 In This Episode:

➡️ Why the term “Magi” changes meaning over time (priests, diviners, even “sorcerers”)

➡️ What Matthew’s phrase “in the East / in the rising” could imply

➡️ The historical anchor: Herod’s reign and why Jesus’ birth is often placed before 4 BC

➡️ How Roman and Jewish sources show horoscopes and portents were taken seriously in the ancient world

➡️ Why the Magi may have “seen” the star on paper, not in the sky (and what that means)

Mentioned / Referenced in the Conversation:

Matthew 2

Micah 5:2 (and Matthew’s use of it)

Acts 8 (Simon “Magi”)

Josephus (Herod dates; references to “magi/magician”)

Suetonius (Augustus, Nero, Titus)

Dead Sea Scrolls references to horoscopes/divination textsEd Yamauchi, Persia and the Bible

Francesca Rochberg, The Heavenly Writing (and related scholarship)

Michael Molnar, The Star of Bethlehem: The Legacy of the Magi

#BuriedBiblePodcast #Magi #StarOfBethlehem #Matthew2 #BibleHistory #AncientNearEast #BiblicalStudies #ChristmasEpisode #jesusbirth