Feast of the Epiphany – For Matthew, the appearance of the star at the time of Jesus’ birth and the way it guided the Magi to where he lay is an impressive confirmation of Jesus’ messianic status. If it did occur, it would indeed be that, and it would also authenticate Matthew’s reliability as historically accurate biographer.
No wonder then that a fierce debate rages among the scholars over what the star might have been. Was it a planet like Jupiter, a supernova (an exploding star), a couple of meteors, or something else? Perhaps it was a miraculous body and therefore beyond scientific scrutiny? Or should it simply be regarded as mythical?