Star of Bethlehem

The Star of Bethlehem was a star which, in the New Testament account of Jesus's birth, heralded his arrival and guided the Magi to the stable where he was born (Matthew 2.1-12).

Various astronomical explanations have been advanced for the Star of Bethlehem, with a number of events known to have happened around the time of Jesus' birth (which has itself not been pinpointed) although none have emerged as a front-runner. Possible candidates include:

• A conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in 7 BC or that of Jupiter and Venus on June 17, 2 BC
• Halley's Comet, which made an appearance around 11 BC
• A supernova

It is also quite possible that the star was entirely mythological. Legend had it that the birth of Mithradates and Alexander Severus were both associated with the appearance of special stars.

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The star-of-Bethlehem is also a perennial plant native to southern Europe. Its genus is Ornithogalum, of the family Liliaceae. Growing from a bulb, it has grasslike basal leaves and a slender stalk, up to 30 cm tall, bearing clusters of star-shaped white flowers striped with green. There are numerous members of the genus, of which O. umbellatum is perhaps the best-known.