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About this Event
Why do the gospels of Matthew and Luke use astrological language in stories about the birth of Jesus? Enjoying great popularity in the early centuries of the first millennium C.E., Hellenistic astrology inspired parallel iconographies among Pagans, Jews, and Early Christians. In those days, religious cults competed for new followers through the use of symbolic distillations of fashionable “star prophecies,” religious interpretations about precession of the Earth’s equinoxes, and constellation references to calendrical periods of cultic significance. Astrological symbols on ancient coins and artifacts illuminate reasons for differences between the gospels of Matthew and Luke. Further, Early Christian language and symbols about the Christmas Star and the Sign of Jonah suggest lost mysteries describing the astrological path for Spirit to return to God.
The Romans minted coins related to the Christmas Star beginning in 6 C.E. for approximately three centuries. The coins served as marketing literature for emerging Christian movements in the East. Christian understanding about these coins even caused a mix-up between the gospels of Matthew and Luke, making a twelve-year difference between the gospels in identifying the date of the birth of Jesus. With an appreciation of the origins of this story, it also becomes possible to discover the astrological origins of the “Sign of Jonah” and perceive its use referring to astrological ascent in Early Christian iconography.
David Wray is one of the founders of the Writing Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he was awarded the highest literary prize at MIT. Funded by a career as a Program Manager for early internet companies (Bolt, Beranek, and Newman, Inc.), he privately pursued interests in numismatics, history, and archaeology, eventually retiring from hi-tech and dedicating his efforts toward researching the complex story of the origins of Christianity.
As a numismatist—a coin collector—who has traveled the world pursuing interests in history, Wray was invited to join the Society Historia Numorum (SHN). A Boston collectors' organization with a particularly distinguished membership, the SHN served as a mechanism for engaging in numismatic research with other collectors—historians, archaeologists, and writers—exploring the connections between artifacts and history, and publishing his research in numismatic literature.
Please join us for a special presentation by author & scholar David Wray illustrated with rare treasures from his own extensive collection of ancient coins, followed by a signing of his book
In-person and Zoom tickets available. This event will be recorded. Please email events@prs.org or phone 323-663-2167 with any questions.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Philosophical Research Society, 3910 Los Feliz Boulevard, Los Angeles, United States
USD 15.00 to USD 45.00