Was the STAR of Bethlehem a comet?

Nope, sorry, the post was quite clear as to what was meant. All you're doing is providing opportunity for it to be denied when the intention was clear. Please don't put words in others mouth that weren't there, it's a bit disingenuous and dishonest.

Well God led people out from bondage of Egypt with a cloud by day and fire by night, led the magi with a star, three different ways he guided.

when Herod heard the child was born in Bethlehem I think he assumed the child was living in Bethlehem as well with the child’s parents. I don’t think he knew Joseph and Mary lived in Nazareth. the scriptures speak of the child born in Bethlehem not so much on Joseph and Mary and their place of residency.

i'm just telling you how i understood what he said --

this part:


subject of the sentence is Mary & Joseph. it's Joseph & Mary who were in Bethlehem "for the census/taxing" and they "didnt ((sic)) even have anywhere to stay" -- all i did is presume we're still talking about Mary and Joseph when he says "they wouldn't have stayed there for 2 years" -- looks like same "they" to me, not switching to talking about the mages.

for sure Lanolin is the only one who can definitely tell us what he means to say; this is just how i read it; i took it to mean he thinks it would be odd for the couple to have remained in Bethlehem that long. looking at Matthew 2 tho i think there's room in the account ((whether that's the right interpretation or it isn't, separate question)) for them to have went back to Nazareth, and the mages to have gone there, not Bethlehem at all.

Herod could of been just covering the bases so to speak, as in Jesus might have been 1 1/2 year old or a year etc, to be sure Herod had all the children under 2 years old killed.

the thing that is not quite spelled out is when the magi saw the star in the east scripture does not say at that same time Jesus was born. so it might be sort of guessing for they could have been shown the star then they started traveling and it was months later Jesus was born and the star reappeared to guide them to the house.

on traveling from town to town, people in those days did ride horses, camels, donkey, rode in carts etc.
A ride to Jerusalem from Nazareth wouldn’t take that long on a donkey faster than walking though even walking would be a 3 or 4 days journey covering 20 to 25 miles a day. that was quite normal in those days to travel around either on foot or other means on a daily bases. I don’t see no problem with them heading home for 30 days after the census and the birth, then going back to Jerusalem 40 days after the birth to present Jesus in the temple.

Yes thats what i mean thanks...(btw i'm a she not a he, but no worries)

Thats doesnt make sense though only if the Magi went to Nazareth not Bethlehem, but its quite clear that they went to Bethlehem...and Mary and Joseph fled Bethlehem to egypt, they wouldnt have gone back to Jerusalem or Nazareth, they are not on the way to egypt are they. In gospel according to matthew anyway. Also it does say 2:1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem...
Not meaning the same day he was born but soon after, so if you could explain the timeline perhaps in an easy to understand chronology..? Its just puzzling to me and i cant make sense of it, did they go from bethlehem to egypt, or did they go from bethelehem to nazareth to jerusalem and then to nazarth again, where does egypt fit in to all of this?

No were it says the star led them to Bethlehem, but it does say the star led them to a house, their house not in Bethlehem not in Egypt but Nazareth, the same place they lived when the angel came to Mary and told her she shall bare a child by the Holy Spirit. it’s not no mystery I think you have convinced yourself that since Herod said go to Bethlehem that is where they went And not grasping the fact it was the star that led them in another direction.

To have all that happened only in Bethlehem, then one would have to explain getting in the magi during this time beLow the purification.

for the magi after they left the house an angel came and told Joseph to take Mary and the child to Egypt and they left for Egypt.

After they finish what was required of them in the temple you will read below the last verse they went back home to Nazareth. Luke 2:39

Lk2:21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived.
Lk2:22 When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord
Lk2:23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord"
Lk2:24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: "a pair of doves or two young pigeons."
Lk2:25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
Lk2:26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ.
Lk2:27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required,
Lk2:28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
Lk2:29 "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace.
Lk2:30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
Lk2:31 which you have prepared in the sight of all people,
Lk2:32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel."
Lk2:33 The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him.
Lk2:34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against,
Lk2:35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too."
Lk2:36 There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage,
Lk2:37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.
Lk2:38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

Lk2:39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth.

Oh ok...so they were told to go to Bethlehem but found them in Nazareth is that what you are saying? But then Matthew 23:20-23 suggests they only went to Nazareth after it was safe to come out of Egypt, but they couldnt go into Judea. Still not making sense sorry LPT.

Bethelehem is south of Jerusalem and Nazareth is waaay in the other direction.

If you want head back to page 3# I posted the verses from the two books as they read in tandem.

where was Mary in what town when the angel visit her and said she would be with child?

there are a few verses that are either not quite translated properly from the original and or out of sync Matt 2:23 is one.

Matt 2:23 is narrative and is basically saying what Luke 2:39 is saying

Lk2:39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth.
Mt2:23 and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: "He will be called a Nazarene."

the verse below mt2:1 is narrative as well pretty much like me saying after I was born during the time my dad was in the navy I was in the 7 grade how old was I?

It is speaking of a time frame longer than a day or two but many months later
Mt2:1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem

Jesus travelled to Sidon and tyre areas in Syria, all around Galilee, up and down the Jordan, all over Judea, travelled to China and back, you think there is a issue with the wise men on horseback going to Nazareth really huh...

Can you please just explain in plain english the travel route of Mary and Joseph when they had Jesus sorry, and when the wise men met them. Since you seem to know. Thanks.

most people say there was a big bright star that could
be seen from everywhere. There is no scripture to
substantiate that. The wise men were astrologers and
they were follow their star. To any other humans, it was
just a star. Later scripture has Herod calling the wise men
back to tell him when Jesus was born. Herod was right in
the area, would he not have seen a bright start himself.

Also later in scripture in Luke's gospel, it says that angels
came to make the shepherds aware of the birth. They too
were right there, would they have not seen a large bright
star. People have wasted far too much time trying to figure
this issue out when scripture does not sustain any theories
The way that issue began was that after the event, artists
started painting pictures with a big bright star hovering over
Jesus. Thus people put an artist's rendition into scripture. As
well in Genesis for years and years people said Adam ate an
apple. I found no version of the Bible that said it was an apple.
It merely said fruit. Some artist in doing a painting of the garden
of Eden chose an apple and them other artists just followed. It
could have been but could haven been a peach too. That is what
happens if we take things too literally..

Born in Bethlehem stayed days in Bethany with relatives until all the requirements of the law forfilled the family returned to Nazareth. Then a 1 1/2 later wise men arrive in Jerusalem saying they have seen a light object in the east the moment of the holy conception had happened. then sent to Bethlehem by Herod to find child thinking the family lived in Bethlehem but the light object reappeared and the magi followed the light and the light led them to their house in Nazareth.