Contents

Prologue

List of Figures and Tables

List of Other Attendants

Part 1 From Kepler to Molnar—The History of the Interpretation of the Star

Chapter 1 Kepler’s De Vero Anno (1614)

Chapter 2 The Historical Basis for the Star of Bethlehem

Chapter 3 A Critical Look at the History of Interpreting the Star of Bethlehem in Scientific Literature and Biblical Studies

Chapter 4 An Astronomical and Historical Evaluation of Molnar’s Solution

Chapter 5 Astronomical Thoughts on the Star of Bethlehem

Chapter 6 De Ster der Wijzen (1920): A Forgotten Early Publication about the Star of Bethlehem

Part 2 The Star—What, When, and How

Chapter 7What, If Anything?

Chapter 8 The Astronomical Resources for Ancient Astral Prognostications

Part 3 Ancient Near-Eastern Astrology and the Magi

Chapter 9 Mesopotamian Astrological Geography

Chapter 10 The Story of the Magi in the Light of Alexander the Great’s Encounters with Chaldeans

Chapter 11 Pre-Islamic Iranian Astral Mythology, Astrology, and the Star of Bethlehem

Part 4 Astrology in the Greco-Roman World

Chapter 12 Matthew’s Magi as Experts on Kingship

Chapter 13 Greco-Roman Astrologers, the Magi, and Mithraism

Chapter 14 The Star of Bethlehem and Greco-Roman Astrology, Especially Astrological Geography

Part 5 Astrology in the Jewish World

Chapter 15 The World Leader from the Land of the Jews: Josephus, Jewish War 6.300–315; Tacitus, Histories 5.13; and Suetonius, Vespasian 4.5

Chapter 16 Stars and Powers: Astrological Thinking in Imperial Politics from the Hasmoneans to Bar Kokhba

Chapter 17 Balaam’s ‘Star Oracle’ (Num 24:15–19) in the Dead Sea Scrolls and Bar Kokhba

Part 6 The Early Christian World

Chapter 18 The Star of the Magi and the Prophecy of Balaam in Earliest Christianity, with Special Attention to the Lost Books of Balaam

Chapter 19 Matthew’s Star, Luke’s Census, Bethlehem, and the Quest for the Historical Jesus

Chapter 20 Matthew, the Parthians, and the Magi: A Contextualization of Matthew’s Gospel in Roman-Parthian Relations of the First Centuries BCE and CE

Epilogue

Indices

1. Index of Modern Authors

2. Index of Biblical References

2.1 Jewish Scriptures

2.2 New Testament Writings

3. Index of Ancient Sources

3.1 Ancient Near-Eastern Sources

3.2 Jewish Sources

3.3 Christian Sources

3.4 Greco-Roman Pagan Sources

3.5 Papyri

4. Subject Index