NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., Dec. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- With an ancient Roman coin he
bought at a New York coin show Michael Molnar, a computer programmer with a
doctorate in astronomy, says he has identified the Star of Bethlehem as
Jupiter.
    Molnar was able to determine with the coin the date of the star's
appearance.  He realized that the Romans put the astrological sign of
Aries on the coin to represent Judea which they took over in AD 6.
Molnar explains his findings in his book, The Star of Bethlehem: The
Legacy of the Magi ($25, Rutgers University Press, 800-446-9323).
    "My fellow astronomers looked for spectacular planetary alignments,
blazing comets, and exploding stars," says Molnar.  "I stumbled on the
answer from a Roman coin that I bought for $50.  Aries on the coin showed
me where the Star of Bethlehem appeared."
    With that important clue about Aries he figured that a special celestial
event in Aries showed the Wise Men that a king was born in Judea.  Molnar
then researched what happened in Aries that attracted the Wise Men.
    "Jupiter was the star of kings," says Molnar.  "And everybody knows from
the Bible that the star rose in the east, which is exactly what Jupiter
did in Aries on April 17, 6 BC.  This date agrees very well with
estimates of Christ's birth."
    Molnar's findings have been hailed by other astronomers as an important
milestone in understanding what happened in the sky over Bethlehem two
millennia ago.
    "Molnar's Star of Bethlehem is a fascinating contribution," says
Professor Owen Gingerich, a leading authority on astronomy history at
Harvard University.  He calls Molnar's book, "the most original and
important contribution of the entire twentieth century" to understanding
the Star of Bethlehem.
    The Star of Bethlehem: The Legacy of the Magi, $25, Rutgers University
Press, 800-446-9323, is also available from retail bookstores and
Amazon.com.

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