On the Star by Pseudo-Eusebius of Caesarea

Standard abbreviation: On the Star

Other titles: none

Clavis numbers: ECCA 280; CPG 3507

Category: Infancy Gospels

Related literature: Protevangelium of James, Revelation of the Magi

Compiled by: Eric M. Vanden Eykel, Ferrum College ([email protected])

Citing this resource (using Chicago Manual of Style): Vanden Eykel, Eric M. “On the Star by Pseudo-Eusebius of Caesarea.” e-Clavis: Christian Apocrypha. Accessed DAY MONTH YEAR. https://www.nasscal.com/e-clavis-christian-apocrypha/on-the-star-by-pseudo-eusebius-of-caesarea.

Created September 2023.

1. SUMMARY

On the Star is a short text featuring the Magi and the star that they followed to Bethlehem. It is extant in Syriac and exists in a single manuscript (from the fifth or sixth century CE) housed in the British Library. The author writes pseudonymously, in the name of Eusebius of Caesarea, and purports to be compiling their account from biblical and non-biblical sources.

The narrative begins with a description of a series of power struggles in the region. Of particular significance is the conflict between Moses and Balak, the king of Moab. Balak hesitates to engage Moses in battle due to Moses’ remarkable military successes, including his triumph over the Pharaoh and his armies. Moses, it seems, is invincible, and even nature appears to be on his side. In response, Balak summons the prophet Balaam with the hope that Balaam can confront Moses on his behalf.

Balaam is summoned from eastern Mesopotamia. He knows that his words will be ineffective against Moses and his armies, and he comes to Balak under the condition that he will deliver whatever message is given to him by God. Balaam tells Balak that armies will come forth from Macedonia to defeat the Assyrians. “After this happens,” he says, “then shall rise the Star out of the children of Jacob, whom you wished to keep in darkness; and the Head shall arise in Israel, to come and destroy the one you sent after me; and he shall destroy their mighty men, and shall subdue the whole seed of Seth, the son of Adam.” Upon hearing this, Balak sends warning to the king of the Assyrians in order to curry favor with him. The warning becomes part of their archives and is passed down through the years, from one king to the next.

The Assyrians watch and wait for the fulfillment of Balaam’s oracle for generations. Their kingdom passes to the Babylonians, the Medes, and finally to Cyrus and the Persians. All of these people continue to watch for the fulfillment of the oracle. In the wake of the military campaigns of Alexander the Great, the Persians become convinced that the time for the oracle’s fulfillment is at hand, so they fix their attention on the skies in eager anticipation of the star’s appearance.

The awaited star eventually appears after generations of kings have passed. The author describes the star as a supernatural and intensely bright celestial phenomenon, which outshines all other stars in the heavens. Notably, it is visible only in the east, to those who were vigilant in their watch.

In response to this extraordinary event, the Persian king prepares elaborate gifts and dispatches the Magi, referred to as “worshippers of fire,” to follow the star. Uncertain of their destination, they journey westward and arrive in Jerusalem. Their presence terrifies the city’s residents, and the star’s light is hidden as they enter through the city gates. However, the star reappears as they depart Jerusalem and leads them to a cave in or near Bethlehem. There, they present their gifts to the infant Jesus and bow in adoration. After spending the night in Bethlehem, the Magi depart at daybreak, following the star eastward back to their homeland. Upon their return, they recount their journey to the Persian king, and their account is recorded and preserved in the archives.

At this point the focus shifts to Mary and Joseph, who decide to move “to a foreign country” out of fear of Herod as well as the scribes and Pharisees. They move to Galilee after four years with the five sons of Joseph’s first wife (here named Hannah). Here there is a gap of approximately 16–17 lines in the Syriac text that appear to have been excised purposefully, for reasons unknown. The text ends with a brief epilogue explaining the motivations behind its composition, as well as an attribution of authorship to Eusebius of Caesarea.

Named historical figures: Abimelech, Abraham (patriarch), Adam (patriarch), Ahab, Ahaz, Alexander (the Great), Andronicus, Aristobulus, Arnon, Arsun, Artachshasht, Asa (king), Athaliah, Augustus (emperor), Azarias (youth in the oven), Azur/Oded, Balaam, Balak, Cambyses, Cyrus, Daniel (prophet), Darius, David (king), Eglon, Ehud, Eli, Eliashib, Enoch, Ezra, Fulgus, Gideon, Hadrian, Hananiah, Hannah (wife of Joseph), Hercules, Herod (the Great), Hezekiah, Isaiah (prophet), Jael, Jehoram, Jephthah, Jeremiah (prophet), Jeroboam, Jesus Christ, Jethro, Joash, Job, Joseph (of Nazareth), Josiah (king), Jotham, Kenaz, Lot, Magi, Manasseh (king), Mary (Virgin), Menachem, Moses (patriarch), Nimrod, Noah (patriarch), Onias (high priest), Othniel, Rebecca (matriarch), Samson (judge), Sanballat, Saul (king), Seth (patriarch) Severus, Shem (patriarch), Shimshai, Sihon (king), Sisera, Solomon (king), Tola, Uzziah, Xystus (bishop), Zippor.

Geographical locations: Achmethan, Arabia, Babylon, Bethlehem, Canaan, Cilicia, Daphne, Ephesus, Galatia, Galilee, Gedar, Hesbon, Jahaz, Jerusalem, Mesopotamia, Moab, Nineveh, Og, Palestine, Persia, Petra, Phoenicia, Pontus, Rekem, Sihon, Sodom, Syria,  Tyre, Urem.

2. RESOURCES

3. BIBLIOGRAPHY

3.1 Manuscripts and Editions

3.1.1 Syriac

London, British Library, Add. 17142 (5th/6th cent.) ~ British Library

Wright, William. “Eusebius of Caesarea On the Star.” Journal of Sacred Literature, series 4, 9 (1866): 117–36 (Syriac text); 10 (1866): 150–64 (English translation).

3.2 Modern Translations

3.2.1 English

Wright, William. “Eusebius of Caesarea On the Star.” Journal of Sacred Literature, series 4, 9 (1866): 117–36 (Syriac text); 10 (1866): 150–64 (English translation); audio (available HERE).

3.3 General Works

Debié, Muriel. “Suivre l’étoile à Oxford: inédits sur la venue des Mages.” Pages 111–33 in Malphono w-Rabo d-Malphone: Studies in Honor of Sebastian P. Brock. Edited by George Kiraz. Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias, 2008.

Hannah, Darrell D. “The Star of the Magi and the Prophecy of Balaam in Earliest Christianity, with Special Attention to the Lost Books of Balaam.” Pages 431–62 in The Star of Bethlehem and the Magi: Interdisciplinary Perspectives from Experts on the Ancient Near East, the Greco-Roman World, and Modern Astronomy. Edited by Peter Barthel and George van Kooten. Leiden: Brill, 2015.

Ricoux, Odile. “L’étoile apparue aux Mages et la Vierge à l’Enfant: analyse des traditions.” Pages 523–35 in Pensée greque et sagesse d’Orient homage à Michel Tardieu. Edited by Mohammad Amir-Moezzi. Turnhout: Brepols, 2009.

Witakowski, Witold. “The Magi in Syriac Tradition.” Pages 809–43 in Malphono w-Rabo d-Malphone: Studies in Honor of Sebastian P. Brock. Edited by George Kiraz. Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias, 2008.