Hi Mike:

I found your site by "googling" Roy Schoeman as my entry. My husband and I had the privilege yesterday of hearing Roy speak at the Magnificat Women's breakfast at the RIT Inn in Rochester, New York.

Roy signed his book: Salvation is From the Jews. The book was bought in September of 2004, after I had seen him interviewed on EWTN.

Since 1958, I have had an interest in the art of astrology, having been introduced to it by an immigrant European woman. Natalie Nuth had been a highly educated woman before the Second World War who was separated from her husband and two children. They were eventually reunited and brought to the United States by a Lutheran Aid society. Natalie told me that most Europeans put stock in the art of character interpretation carried down through the centuries in astrological lore.

As a faithful, practicing Catholic, I made many inquiries regarding the subject as I began my studies. However, I have always remained an amateur. Through the years, I have read many studies done by astronomers and other scientists about the dating of events in the life of Jesus. My main interest has been in the many natal horoscopes done regarding His birth, hence my interest in Schoeman's idea about 4 B.C. being His natal date. Many works indicate that the Chaldean Magi were influenced by the prophecies of Zarathustra, regarding a Prince to be born when certain constellations showed the time and the seasons were ripe. From all these books in my little collection, I have put together my own interpretation of an ideal time for Christ to be born.

In his book, The Dead Sea Scrolls, scholar Geza Vermes gives his interpretation of 4QMess ar, which has been called a Messianic Horoscope. Among his translations of that text is the prophecy that the Messiah would have red hair and a birthmark on his thigh, etc. Alleged witness reports to Rome say Jesus had chestnut hair. When I was at Qumran in 1989, the guide showed me a wheel, depicting the signs of the zodiac; it is now in the Rockefeller Museum in Jerusalem. Many mosaic floors of old synagogues in Israel show the horoscopic wheel as well. At Capernaum, I saw a carving of the sea-goat, symbol of Capricorn.

Two years ago, I read the very interesting book by Harvard historian T. Dooley. The book received such a favorable review in America that I ordered it from the library and was sent the Williams college copy. Morandi's Last Prophecy is a work based on the research of Dooley in Italy, regarding a notorious monk, apparently not a good astrologer, from the time of Pope Urban III. Urban eventually published a bull against the study of astrology — although he had been an advocate — before Morandi wrote a letter predicting his imminent death. Galileo had been one of the many, including the clergy, who had used the library that Morandi had amassed. Dooley suggests that this may have played a large part in Urban's displeasure about the work of Galileo.

Apparently a priest, also an astrologer, visited Morandi before the letter was circulated and told him that his calculations were wrong, and that he expected Urban to live on for 13 more years; which he did. Morandi conveniently died in prison after his arrest. It apparently was God's will that astrology be removed from universities; Colbert saw to that in Louis IV's reign. However, it might be the time and the season to reexamine it — as the New Agers consider it their study along with the Gnostic heresies. A Jesuit at St. Peter's College taught the subject for many years. I have his essay on the subject.

Astrology is not only a psychological study, but it involves math also. Alas, I am incompetent in such studies such as math and astronomy, and what I suggest in my horoscope for Jesus is a compilation of the work of others and their math using the coordinates for Bethlehem.

Hopefully you will find my studies somewhat interesting.

Respectfully,

Barbara B. Foley