Stars and Powers: Astrological Thinking in Imperial Politics from the Hasmoneans to Bar Kokhba

When it comes to Jewish and Christian knowledge and practice of astrology, as well as to the interpretation of the Star of Bethlehem in (inter)religious communication, I suggest an indirect line of argument. There is no evidence of serious astrological theory in Jewish and Christian milieus before the third century; astrology was an elite discourse, and only Jews who were immersed in Roman intellectual culture had sufficient education to explicitly use astrology. We can demonstrate that Herod—and to a certain extent also Josephus Flavius and Philo of Alexandria—had knowledge of astrology and access to the highest educated levels of the astrological craft. Herod most likely used this knowledge and applied it in his political strategy; therefore, we can interpret his actions in the light of the astrology of his time.
When it comes to the Hasmoneans and other Jewish groups, including the early Jesus communities, the case is different. We can better speak of astral symbolism in this case, which at times was merged with some rudimentary knowledge of astrological theory; it was only from the third century on that this knowledge became more common among Jews and Christians.