In message . com,
writes
It is an historical fact that Herod died in April of 4 BC (3 B.C.E.)
One, AND ONLY ONE, Star of Bethlehem commentator found an astronomical
configuration
that, he thought, MAY have been the Star of Bethlehem but it occured in
1 BC. This commentator
then deduced that Josephus (ancient historian) made a transcription
error and wrote 4 BC instead of 1 BC.
Very poor scholarship.

Herod's death was marked by a lunar eclipse (April 13th 4 BC)


Could that be a myth, or just an association of two important events?
I doubt Shakespeare was wholly original in writing "the heavens
themselves blaze forth the death of princes" :-)