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EDITORIAL INFORMATION

This book is brand new research. This historical and astronomical research is why many planetariums (well over 600 in the United States alone) are now showing what was astronomically happening at the period of Jesus' nativity. Correctly, they do not make judgments on these phenomena. Planetariums are scientific establishments and are not intended to give opinions on historical or biblical matters. But they are aware of the fascinanting and spectacular astronomical relationships that were occurring in 3 to 2 B.C. Since these celestial occasions were so remarkable, many planetariums have considered it worthwhile to show this new research to the general public because of the widespread interest in this period of time in the history of western civilization.

(Extracted from the back cover).

GENERAL TABLE OF CONTENTS

-Table of Contents.

-1- A new Star in History.

-2- Who Were the Wise Men?

-3- Was the Star a Real Star?

-4- The Star of Bethlehem.

-5- Jupiter--the Planet of the Messiah.

-6- That Dark Decade in History.

-7- Astronomy and the Death of King Herod.

-8- The Lunar Eclipse of Josephus.

-9- The War that No One Can Find.

-10- The Two Governorships of Quintilius Varus.

-11- The Census of Quirinius.

-12- The Chronology of Josephus.

-13- The Time of Jesus' Birth.

-14- The Birth of Jesus and the Day of Trumpets.

-Appendixes.

-Scholarly Notations.

-Select Bibliography.

OUR REVIEW

The exact date of the birth of Jesus Christ has always been a mystery which has raised passions all over the world. Martin, in his book, utilizes his vast knowledge on ancient history and astronomy to date this event in the most precise way possible, using to this end all available information about the so-called Star of Bethlehem. Certainly, the author undertakes an exhaustive research, discarding one by one the astronomical phenomena (conjunctions, eclipses, etc., the latter being easy to check by means of computer programs) described in the documents that can or can`t help us to place such a date. In this way, Martin concludes that Christ was born in the year 3 before our age, precisely on September 11th. To prove that, he leans on all sorts of rigurous means.

This book is then fully immersed in the scientific and astronomical methodology which tries to approach from yet another viewpoint the religious and spiritual events to Mankind. For some, to prove the real existence of certain phenomena in the sky that may justify their being included in the Holy Books and their relationship with the specific fact of the Nativity is a great support to the general credibility of such books as the Bible. For others, however, this very same proof will suggest how prone to suggestion the ancient primitive peoples were to the events (natural, and some times periodical) of the cosmos, which will but increase their scepticism. Somehow or other Ernest L. Martin has helped us to get to know much better how the sky was 2000 years ago and how it was recorded for posterity.