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When Joseph returned to the cave with a midwife, they found it filled with blinding light. The Christ child was born. The birth, hie, and death of Christ had been prophesied centuries earlier. Brethren of the Qumran priesthood even established a regular nightwatch, scanning the skies of Judea in expectation of some sign of the heavens. Although the exact birthdate of Christ remains a controversy, most theologians and scholars believe that it was sometime in the year 4 B.C. That year, according to the astrological records of the Qumran priests, 'a comet produced a heavenly spectacle,’ and there was a fiery conjunction of several planets in the zodiacal sign of Pisces. Pragmatists naturally assume that the Star of Bethlehem was that comet, and to followers of Velikovsky, it might have been the comet Venus. Jesus! appointed role seems to have been to try to lure the Hebrews ayvay from Jehovah to worship the supennind of the cosmos, the God of the Oriental IIlumined Ones. In this he failed. The Jew$ had had considerable experience with miracles and false angels, and they viewed Christ with great suspicion. The Romans who occupied Judea were still worshipping their assortment of long-haired deities, so they also frowned upon the activities of this strangely persuasive man. However, the sequence of events surrounding the death of Christ provided proof enough to sway many into Christian beliefs and lay the foundation for the great Christian religions. An eclipse of the sun threw the land into darkness as Christ hung suspended on the cross, A violent earthquake which claimed many lives followed. Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, later collected the witnesses of these events and had them dictate to scribes what they had seen. This record was sent on to Rome. Pilate eventually committed suicide. The body of Christ was placed in a cave, according to the historical records, and a huge stone was rolled in place to seal the entrance. Roman guards were stationed there to keep watch, They ao atl. ada... testified later: There was a great voice in the heavens, and they saw the heavens open, and two men descend from thence with great light and approach the tomb. And that stone which was put at the door rolled of itself and made way in part; and the tomb was opened, and both young men entered in. When therefore those soldiers saw it, they awakened the centurion and the elders; for they too were hard by keeping guard. And as they had seen, again they see three men come forth from the tomb, and two of them were supporting one and a cross following them. In other texts these two young men were described as wearing brilliantly white costumes, and the soldiers were reportedly paralysed 'like dead men", unable to move a muscle while the body of Christ was being removed. Later 'the heavens again were seen to open, and a certain man to descend and enter the sepulchre*. This certain man remained behind, for when the soldiers and followers of Christ approached the tomb, this being told them not to be