Archeoastronomers think this about the why and how of the magi’s reaction to the greatest conjunction. This once in a recorded history planetary event took place in the constellation of Pisces.
For centuries previous to this, the ancient Persians had closely associated the constellation of Pisces with the Jewish people.
Around 500 BC, the Jews were coming to the end of a long period of exile in captivity in Persia. A key event at that time was a significant Jewish rebellion against a murderous rogue faction in the Persian nobility. This rebellion was eventually viewed by both Persians and Jews as a kind of liberation and unity event. The Jews celebrate the rebellion to this very day, in their very important feast of Purim.
In this video, presenter Frederick Tamagi explores why the magi may have viewed the planetary conjunction as being logical.