With the first rays of dawn on February 1, 4 BC the Star of Bethlehem appeared. This event occurred at sunrise in accordance with the original Greek text found in the biblical Matthew. The star was the vermilion supergiant Antares - just emerging from the Moon's glare in the Bagdad sky. And the quasi-universally named Antares ("Equivalent of Mars") had an ancient twin not far off - Mars (Ares). [SkyTools CD ROM] It was the "wandering star" Mars that the Wise Men followed east.

This was during the Age of the Aries constellation, when the spring equinox Sun rose within it's borders. Aries comprised the stars of the Hebrew tribe of Judah - the tribe of the Messiah.

Mars' retrograde motion made it appear to stand still for some 5 days centered on the spring equinox. It was at full phase quite near Antares. The spring equinox is the genesis of the celestial year - a time of birth.

The apostle Paul expounded on the "UNKNOWN GOD'S" altar to the Athenians on Mars Hill (Acts 17:22-31). Next Paul went on to Corinth where there was an Antares aligned temple.

Mars makes it's closest approach on August 27, 2003 amidst pacing the Waterbearer Aquarius for 6 months. The 2003 opposition was 56 million km. away. Mars' birth star standstill averaged some 56 million miles distant. Mars has a surface of `exactly' 56 million square miles. Antares has a minimum diameter of some 560 million miles. Upon landfall Noah waited 56 days before exiting the Ark.

During the Mars Hill exposition, Paul proclaimed that the "Lord of heaven and earth does not dwell in temples made with hands.... as though he needed anything.... ". Thus the final temple is to be molded in the hearts and minds of the masses.

The Rapture will occur mid-spring, when from the northern hemisphere Antares first becomes visible in the southeastern sky. This will be 50 days after Jesus' spring day Passover crucifixion on a March 17th. This Jubilee was the first harvest festival day of the old testament - and the birth of the church. It took the Wise Men 50 days to follow Mars to it's twin birth star sign.

Bethlehem is southeast of Mars Hill in Greece. Mars is sheathed in iron of atomic weight 56.