European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 25, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday. December 25, 1985 the stars and stripes Page 7 were 3 Wise men guided by Halley s Comet big Iii i film. Occupied West  a Neu Truluc illogical evidence Indi catch Jesus May have been Burn in late summer or Early fall of the sear 12  thai Itie Star that led the three Wise men to Bethlehem was  s Cornel. Although the theory would dash traditional Christian beliefs about the timing of Jesus birth biblical scholar Jim Fleming said at least the location of his birth near the present Day Church of the nativity in Bethlehem appears to be Correct. Fleming a native of East Meadow . Lectures on historical geography and archaeology at hebrew University in Jerusa Lem. He is the Dean of the Jerusalem Center for biblical studies a non profit education Al Institute. He founded the non denominational Cen Ter 10 years ago to offer Bible courses for protestant ministers roman Catholic priests and Lay teachers. Scholars in the 4lh Century used new testament references to choose dec. 25. The year i a d. As the birth Date of Jesus. But it appears they made a mistake in guessing the 42-year-old Fleming said during a seminar with students and journalists. U was sponsored by the government press office in cooperation with the ministry of religious affairs Fleming said his theory about the timing of Jesus birth is based in part on an unpublished work by Jerry Vardaman. Professor of archaeology at the Cobb Institute of archaeology Al Mississippi state University instar Villa miss. Modern scholars have found evidence indicating that Jesus was born before 1 /v.d., including a reference in the Book of mat inc that says King a scrod was alive Al the time of the Messiah s Binh. Fleming said. Herod is believed to have died in 4 ., he said. In addition Fleming said scholars recently have found thai the census which the Book of Luke said brought Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem probably w As conducted in 12  A Tablet known As the Camilius Mccun dus inscription discovered 300 years ago in Lebanon has recently been deciphered and scholars found that a census was ordered by Quirinius the governor of Syria in 12 ., Fleming said. Vardaman interviewed by Telephone concurred  Fleming s interpretation of his work. He added that the Camilius secundus inscription Tablet is now in  .11 the Venice museum. The Book of Luke Sas the census thai sent Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem was carried out while jul irinus was i Vernoi. According to Luke the couple rave led from Narcih. Where they lived to Sci hic hem. Joseph s Home town and n  there that Jesus was born. Fleming said the traditional dec. 25 birthrate was probably wrong because of inc reference in Luke to shepherds m the Fields near Bethlehem being the first to learn a new King had been born Fleming said shepherds locks were nut permitted on Fields after they were plumed in october or november to allow the Winter Rains to soak into the parched ground. However shepherds were encouraged to Grac their sheep in late summer add Early fall to eat the stubble of sown crops and Fertilise the Fields Fleming said. Thus it is More Likely he said that Jesus was Burn sometime Between late july and Early october. Fleming added that he believed the Star of Bethlehem was an Early visitation of Halley s Comet. The Comet which returns every 75 Sears a Sims visible in about 12 ., according to calculations by the Jet propulsion Laboratory of Pasadena. Calif. According to inc Book of Matthew the Wise men reported the Star appealed to them twice which would tit inc appear ances of Halley s Comet. The Cornel is Visi ble for several weeks before it passes behind the Sun and then reappears. Fleming said that the Wise men s impression thai the Star painted the Way to Bethle hem might have come from the ail of Hal Ley s Comet. The traditional site of Jesus birth is marked by a Silver Star inside the Grotto of the Church of the nativity. Although the Star May not Mark the exact fixation Flem ing said Jesus was probably born near the Silc of the Church. Archaeological evidence shows inc Church first erected in the 4th Century is on the Edge of biblical Bethlehem where an inn could have been located he said. Bethlehem today is a mixed moslem and Christian town of 50,000 on inc West flank of the Jordan River which Israel captured from Jordan during the l%7 Arab israeli War. Manger Square in Bilhl chem As seen from the he Fry of he Church of he nativity. Tiny prisoner spending Christmas without parents Stockholm Sweden up the Best Christmas present 3-year-old Kaisa could Hope for this year is to be with her  a Christmas family gathering is not to be for the world s youngest political prisoner and estonian refugees Valdo ran Perc 21, and his wife Leila Miller. 24.Kaisa was left behind when her parents fled from Estonia 16 months ago. They have vainly begged the soviets to let their daughter join them in so  pleas have been made on Kaisa s behalf. The committee to free Kaisa Rand Pere. A  group with affiliates in Brazil England and Norway has led the cry with petitions signed by tens of  . Congressmen and Many International politicians have written to soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev asking for immediate action to reunite the family. Pics ident Reagan has applauded inc committee s actions and pledged his sup port while accusing she soviet Union of breaching the Helsinki accords which Call for the unification of families. We will continue to press the soviet authorities to live up to their obligations under the Helsinki Linal act Reagan has , a former assistant Justice min ister for Estonia and a senior official of inc communist parly s youth Wing defected w Ith his celebrated pop Singer wife while on vacation in Finland on aug. 5, 1984. They slipped across to Sweden where they were granted immediate political Asylum although the soviets had granted them temporary exit visas Kaisa. Then i 3 months old was not allowed to leave. She stayed in the care of Miller s Mother. Lilja Ursi Iula. Soviet officials in Stockholm have been quoted As saying inc couple had Only themselves action until Jan. 17. Conti then set a hearing for Jan. 10 on the Union s discriminate n claims. The five Sorters who inspect and package new coins into collector cases have worked from 12 to in cars at the local mint and have received High or satisfactory ratings the Union said. They were sent notices dec. 2 that their Vork As Coin Sorters was unacceptable Arti they would be fired within 3u Days because they could not meet a recent quota sunward of packaging 500 Coin sets per shift. Dryovage said. Dene Essner. Assistant director of the mini said in Washington that the five did not come close to the minimum quota set for employees despite the mini working with them fur a car. A lovage argued  the Law requires the government to accommodate their handicaps. She said it could be done by placing them in other departments