Exploring the Significance and Mystery of the Star of Bethlehem
"We saw His star in the east and we have come to worship Him" (Matthew 2:2). The biblical report in the Gospel of Matthew tells a story of wise men reporting to Herod about a "King" born somewhere in Judea. They were queried about the exact time this star appeared. Can we actually unlock the mystery of the world's most famous star? These questions have perplexed mankind for over two thousand years.
The Scientific and Historical Search
If this was an actual event - can there possibly be historical and scientific evidence for the Star of Bethlehem, the star followed by Magi from the east? Now, from producer Stephen McEveety (The Passion of the Christ) comes an amazing documentary on the mystical Star of Bethlehem. This presentation explores the exciting story in scripture and examines evidence for God's existence as seen in the heavens. Commentator Rick Larson walks you through Biblical, historical, and scientific clues revealing the incredible significance of this celestial event and the vastness of God's creativity.
The old carol spoke about it: "O, star of wonder, star of might, star with royal beauty bright, westward leading, still proceeding, guide us to thy perfect light." If there was a real star over the skies of Judea when Jesus of Nazareth was born, perhaps there are scientific answers to prove it. We should now be able to use our advanced computer technology to go back in time and see what happened - and discern exactly where certain stars were in the sky. Could this Star have actually existed and pointed to the birth of the Savior? Sit back, watch the heavens and see what was going on when Jesus was born.
Cinematic Interpretations: The Star of Bethlehem (1956)
This animated short tells the story of the birth of Jesus and the events that surrounded it. A nativity story animated with music performed by the Glyndeboume Festival Chorus, this film may be the 1921 "Stern von Bethlehem" by Lotte Reiniger, or a later version directed by Vivian Milroy. While watching this film I will admit that I liked the approach that director Vivian Milroy took in the visual style. The actual look of the film was quite unique as everything in the background was in color as was any actual non-living object. The actual humans were always shown in shadow only and this mixed against the colorful backdrop actually made for a good looking picture.
The Art of Silhouette Animation
Lotte Reiniger rarely chose original stories for her silhouette films. This one is no exception. What makes it exceptional is this is the earliest work of hers that I've seen in color. While people are shown in her accustomed and beautiful black figures, the angels who show up are white. The color choices suggest stained glass, evoking medieval cathedrals and well suiting the religious theme of the film. On Achemed she was using a double plane animation stand (long before Disney). She and her husband Carl Koch (who is credited on Star of Bethlehem) built all their own equipment.
The following table provides a comparison of the different ways this celestial event has been presented in the provided material:
| Approach | Key Features and Evidence |
|---|---|
| Biblical & Scientific | Uses computer technology to discern where stars were in the sky; examines Biblical, historical, and scientific clues. |
| Artistic & Cinematic | Silhouette animation with colorful backgrounds; uses the visual style of black figures against color to suggest stained glass. |
| Musical & Traditional | Performed by the Glyndeboume Festival Chorus; references to traditional carols like "O, star of wonder." |
Production and Historical Context
- Director/Producer: Stephen McEveety produced the documentary; Vivian Milroy and Lotte Reiniger are associated with the animated short.
- Technique: Shadow theater and silhouette films with characters shown in shadow against color backdrops.
- Historical Roots: Lotte Reiniger's first job was doing cut-out titles for Paul Wegener's Pied Piper of Hamlin.