Posted by Portnoy [GLamotta] on March 27, 1999 at 19:58:16 {boLUiPtahc8aWnkQcPYgMW4MSSTtTA17s}:
Were the astrologers God's secret agents?
I've often wondered about the astrologers from the East who were led by a star to find Jesus after which they did obeisance to him and gave him gifts. Just where do these star-gazers come into the picture as far Jehovah's organization is concerned?
This is of particular interest since the exposure of the VAT4956 and the SK400 astronomical text references to the 529BCE chronology. That is, it seems highly convenient that with such an effort to revise the ancient chronology and cover all their tracks in every area, including banking documents, business records on clay tablets, all their narrative history records, and especially the astronomical texts, that they'd risk encrypting references to the original chronology in what ends up being two of the most well-known and important ancient astronomical texts used for dating yet discovered.
It is so astounding, however, one wonders if it wasn't arranged by god to end the chronology debates once in for all during modern times. Thus, the astrologers link. Just what relationship did the Creator have with some of these astrologers or "star gazers." These professional astrologer-priests are the ones who recroded and were involved with all the astronomical data going on at Babylon. The SK400 and VAT496 documents were created during the Seleucid Period, some 200-300 years before the Messiah was born in 2BCE.
For the spiritually minded, of course, following the chronology debates of late, the friendly link with the astrologers seems all too convenient. That is, what if they were inspired to hide these references to the original chronology to prove the Bible's chronology true in the modern era? Seems plausible. But especially since we have some unexplained show-up of these astrologers from the East into Palestine to witness the advent of the "king of the Jews" guided by a star, no less.
We may never know, but certainly the strange alliance between God and the astronomer-priests would afford some influence with creating ancient texts, sufficient, of course, to preserve true chronology if thought necessary.
If the astronomer-priests were inspired to sabbotage these astronomical texts, it certainly has worked in a major way since because of these two texts, we have direct references to the 37th year of Nebuchadnezzar II in 511BCE and his 7th year in 541BCE, both establishing the 19th year of Nebuchadnezzar in 529BCE and the 1st of Cyrus in 455BCE, the correct date for the beginning of the "70 weeks" prophecy.
The discovery of these references a so profound and so final, it's hard to believe God didn't have something to do with it. For sure, no one can deny there was some influence among these Babylonian astronomers since those of the 1st century got a chance to meet the young Messiah fortold by a "star."
Of note, Jehovah has always seemed to be connected with some odd priest here and there. Let's not forget the most famous one, Melchizedek, a king and "priest" of the Most High whom Abraham tithed. What was that all about? I guess the "Lord sure does work in mysterious ways...."
Just some trivia....
Portnoy