From ancient times comets seen as bright stars in the sky were taken as signs of momentous happenings on Earth – portents of changes of power in government. The Star of Bethlehem was not a customary event, but an unexpected appearance indicating that it had special significance.
The Chinese called these stars ‘broom stars’ due to their shape. For one of these comets that appeared in 524 BC the Chinese account said that it was a ‘new broom’ that would sweep away traditions and the old order of things.
In the ancient world of the West, a star appearing and shining brightly was seen as a sign that a great king had been born. Pliny the Elder (Natural History 11,23) records that Caesar Augustus dedicated a temple to a comet that appeared during the athletic games he sponsored in 44 BC. Caesar Augustus later reigned the Roman Empire from 27 BC to 14 AD. He had coins minted in 18 BC with a comet above his head with eight rays. This shows that comets were viewed as a good sign.
It was only later, maybe after 1066, that some started to see comets as omens of destruction. Some English monks described the appearance of Halley’s Comet in 1066 in these terms, while the Normans proudly had it embroidered onto the Bayeux Tapestry.
A comet standing over a city was sometimes likened to a sword pointing down. Bethlehem was to experience both the birth of a king, and the sword of blood shed.
Merry and True 