Interesting - I'd heard of other evidence for a major cosmic event around that time being discovered in other cultures, but never the planet alignment theory. Definitely plausible.

I have thought that the wise men were astrologers from Persia, and the 'star', was Jupiter somewhere in the 'house' of of Judea. They didn't know about planets. They are called planets from the greek for wandering star.
When they turned up in Judea they knew there was going to be a king around somewhere, but they asked the scholars of Israel where there was likely to be one. They checked out the prophecies and narrowed it down to Bethlehem. Then they just followed the shepherds.
I'd also wondered why they bought gold, frankincense and myrrh.
I think it was frankincense for birth, gold for life, and myrrh, an ingredient used in embalming, for death.

Uh, is it just me, but how can a star guide anyone to a "place"? It can guide one in a specific direction, but the point of destination would be an impossibility.

For instance, look at any given star directly overhead. Go a hundred miles in any direction and it's STILL overhead.

the phenononm of the star was a marking of the begining of the age of pisces which was the time of the coming of jesus to show an example to humanity
It is now the age of aquaris since roughly 2000
the age of aries was marked by the old testament and wars and a authoratarian god
the next stage of evolution was the age of pisces when jesus was born hence the significance of the symbol of the fish and the star marking the beginning of a new astrological/evolutionary phase
the age of aquarius is to do with an age of community
I read all this in a few different books
by diana cooper and m. scott peck

It's a myth, folks. If there were three men they came to town on some other business. There was no tax on newborns imposed by the Romans. Enjoy the myth and have a good time but don't stuff it down anyone elses throat.

Experts believe it may have well been the alignment of Venus and Jupiter,

Is this even possible, at night? When you are on the side of earth facing AWAY from the sun? How could you see the alignment of these two planets, since Venus is closer to the sun than Earth and Jupiter is farther away?

It was nearly forty years ago when I read about a speculation that it was a Mars/Jupiter/Saturn conjunction, so the idea's been floating around for a while.

Jupiter and Venus can appear in conjunction or near-conjunction when the latter is at its extreme eastern or western elongation.

Mankind always wants to think they have a scientific answer for every thing. No, it was not Jupiter and venus. It was satin the devil. The real invisible spirit creature that very few people actually believe in. Believe it or not, that is your answer.

It was a wandering UFO.

Stuff THAT in your throat and... uh... swallow it.

Lies created the star of bethlehem

this might explain and make it clear
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_of_Bethlehem

I read somewhere, and validated it through an astronomy program, that the "three kings" is the three stars in Orion's belt, which are still called the "three kings" even today. These three stars point at Sirius, the brightest star in the heavens, directly over the spot in which the sun rises at the Winter Solstice. Today, it is slightly off but very, very close. This explains the myth through ancient astronomy.

It's explained very well in Zeitgeist the Movie.

@AcesLucky

Thanks, that's where I saw the information. I couldn't quite remember where I came across that tidbit of info.