The “star of Remphan” is mentioned once in the Bible, in Acts 7:43. This verse comes within Stephen’s speech to the Sanhedrin before his martyrdom. To understand the meaning of this cryptic reference, we need to examine the context, related Old Testament passages, and historical sources.
Context in Acts 7
In Acts 7, Stephen is brought before the Sanhedrin and accused of blasphemy against Moses and God (Acts 6:11-14). In his defense, Stephen gives a lengthy speech reviewing the history of Israel and God’s interactions with them (Acts 7:2-53). His climactic statement comes in verses 51-53, where Stephen directly accuses the Sanhedrin of resisting the Holy Spirit and persecuting the prophets and the Messiah.
The “star of Remphan” reference comes just before this, in verse 43. In this verse, Stephen is speaking about the Israelites’ idolatry with the golden calf at Mount Sinai (Exodus 32). He accuses them of taking along the tent of Moloch and the star of the god Remphan when they were in the wilderness. His point is that Israel has a long history of idolatry, rebellion, and rejecting God’s chosen leaders. The mention of Remphan’s star fits this theme by providing another example of Israel’s idol worship.
Old Testament Background
The reference to the star of Remphan is quoting Amos 5:26, which says: “You shall take up Sikkuth your king, and Kiyyun your star-god – your images that you made for yourselves.” Sikkuth is another name for Moloch. Kiyyun is the Hebrew name for the god that Acts calls Remphan. Remphan is likely the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew name.
Moloch was an ancient Ammonite and Canaanite god associated with child sacrifice. He was often worshipped by burning children alive as offerings. The Israelites were strictly forbidden to worship Moloch (Leviticus 18:21, 20:2-5). But there were times when they fell into idolatrous worship of Moloch, influenced by the pagan nations around them (2 Kings 23:10, Jeremiah 32:35).
Kiyyun was a Mesopotamian/Assyrian astral deity associated with the planet Saturn. The name means “steady” or “faithful.” He was viewed as a supreme god among some groups in the ancient Near East. As an astral/star deity, Kiyyun was likely associated with astrology and stargazing. The Old Testament denounced any worship of the sun, moon, and stars as idolatry.
So in Amos, both Moloch and Kiyyun are given as examples of pagan gods that Israel worshipped, despite God’s clear commands against idolatry. By mentioning them together, Stephen draws a parallel between Israel’s idolatry in the past and their rejection of Jesus in the present day.
Historic References to Remphan/Kiyyun
Outside of the Bible, Kiyyun is mentioned in ancient texts as an Assyrian deity. He appears in the writing of the astrologer Berossus and in various ancient astronomical texts. In the first century AD, he was sometimes equated with the Greek god Cronos, which is related to the Roman god Saturn.
In ancient Egyptian texts, Kiyyun/Remphan is likely referred to as Repa, Repaa, or Ropha. Repa shows up in the Amduat, an important Egyptian funerary text from the New Kingdom period. This text depicts Repa as a god with the head of an ibex who is associated with the afterlife and protection against evil spirits.
The Alexandrian Jew Philo also speaks about the worship of Kiyyun in Egypt in his work The Life of Moses. Philo records an Egyptian tradition of offering sacrifices and offerings to Kiyyun/Repa on the night of the new moon. He condemns this worship, calling Kiyyun an “arch-fiend” and accusing the Egyptians of honoring a vain idol rather than the Creator.
Scholars also speculate that Kiyyun was associated with the Greco-Egyptian god Serapis in Ptolemaic and Roman Egypt. Serapis was a hybrid Hellenistic deity intended to unite Greek colonists and native Egyptians through worship. This would further connect the worship of Kiyyun with astrology and the pursuit of hidden knowledge.
Meaning and Significance
So in summary, the “star of Remphan” refers to the Mesopotamian deity Kiyyun, a star god associated with the planet Saturn. The Old Testament denounced worshiping astral deities as idolatry. But nevertheless, some Israelites were still drawn to worship Kiyyun along with gods like Moloch.
Stephen brings up Kiyyun in his speech to accuse the Israelites of persistent idolatry. Even though God repeatedly delivered and spoke to them, the Israelites kept rejecting God’s chosen leaders like Moses and Jesus. Just as God told Moses to remove the star of Kiyyun from among the people (Amos 5:26), Stephen implies that the Sanhedrin must now reject their rebellion and idolatry by accepting Jesus as Messiah.
The mention of Remphan’s star underscores Stephen’s point about Israel’s waywardness into idolatry and false religion versus humble obedience to God’s revelation. This connection would have been very clear to the Sanhedrin, who were extremely familiar with scripture and history. Unfortunately, Stephen’s bold preaching only enraged the council, leading to Stephen becoming the first Christian martyr (Acts 7:54-60).
Other Questions
1. Were the Israelites actually worshipping this Mesopotamian star god Kiyyun?
It’s unclear if there was literal worship of Kiyyun among the Hebrews in the wilderness. Israel undoubtedly adopted idolatrous practices from nearby pagan nations at times. However, in Amos 5:26, some scholars take the mention of Kiyyun as a purely symbolic image representing Israel’s adoption of astrological practices and star worship that went against God’s commands. The reference may be more conceptual than literal.
2. Is there any archeological evidence of Kiyyun worship in the Near East?
There is limited archeological evidence directly connecting to the worship of Kiyyun. A bulla discovered in excavations at Tel Beersheba in Israel has an inscription “belonging to Kiyunu, son of Shelem.” This attests to Kiyyun being used as a theophoric name in association with the deity. But there are no extant temples or shrines specifically for Kiyyun that have been discovered yet in excavations. More evidence may emerge through future archeological digging in the region.
3. Does Kiyyun have any connection to the Mesopotamian god Enki or the Egyptian god Set?
There are some speculative theories attempting to equate Kiyyun with other ancient Near Eastern deities, especially Enki and Set. However, there is no solid evidence or ancient textual sources to directly link Kiyyun with these gods. The root meaning of Kiyyun’s name as “steadfast” or “faithful” does not closely match attributes of Enki or Set either. Their proposed connections to Kiyyun seem to be conjecture without much support from archeology or ancient texts.
4. Are there any other biblical mentions of Kiyyun’s star?
No, Acts 7:43 contains the only mention of Kiyyun’s star in the Bible. The related verse from Amos 5:26 refers to Chiun (Kiyyun) but does not include the word “star.” Chiun and Remphan do appear together in some later biblical texts like the Septuagint Greek translation and Acts. But the direct phrase “star of Remphan” is unique to Stephen’s speech in Acts 7.
5. Why would God allow idolatry like worship of Kiyyun and Moloch?
The Bible shows that idolatry was a constant struggle throughout Israel’s history. God sovereignly allowed His people to be tested by exposure to false religions and their seductive power. However, He repeatedly sent prophets and leaders to call His people back to pure worship of Yahweh alone. God permitted Israel’s failings to teach them to depend wholly on Him, not other gods or their own wisdom. His patience highlights how He is slow to anger and abounding in mercy and redemption.
Conclusion
The mysterious “star of Remphan” provides a window into the cultural and spiritual environment of ancient Israel. As Acts and Amos illustrate, God’s people faced temptations to worship false astral deities connected to nearby pagan religions. The Book of Acts shows the continuity of this problem into the early church. But God faithfully called Israel back to Himself, despite their idolatry. The message of Amos and Acts remains relevant – we must reject the false gods of our culture and worship the one true living God revealed in Scripture.