Speaking of astrology, it seems apt to mention that many astrologers, astronomers, and Bible scholars do not believe that Jesus was born on December 25th. They think he was born in the spring. Astronomer Michael R. Molnar has written a book called “The Star of Bethlehem:The Legacy of the Magi”, in which he proposes that Jesus was actually born in 6 BC, on April 17th!

“Molnar shows how various factors in Greek astrology converge to form a regal chart,” says this website devoted to Vedic Astrology. (Vedic Astrologers sometimes spend as much time verifying birth times as they do interpreting data or forecasting trends.)

I find this birth date for Jesus significant (and amusing) in large part because, well, if you must know, I was born on April 17th! And it’s been a wonderful day for me in most of the places I’ve lived. Some irises are coming in, and lily of the valley blossoms are not far from the surface of the moist, spring soil. The sun is beginning to feel warm on your skin. It’s a really nice time in Southern Israel too. Here’s an Israeli website that reveals temperatures in April ranging from sixty-eight to eighty five degrees down by the Dead Sea.