Star of Remphan

The “Star of Remphan” is a phrase found in the New Testament in the Book of Acts (Acts 7:43), where Stephen references Israelite idolatry while quoting from earlier Hebrew scripture traditions. The phrase is associated with a form of astral worship condemned in the biblical narrative.

The reference traces back to a passage in the Book of Amos (Amos 5:26), which exists in slightly different forms in the Hebrew Masoretic Text and the Greek Septuagint. In the Septuagint version, the deity is rendered as “Rephan” or “Remphan,” while the Hebrew text uses the name “Chiun.”

Scholars generally interpret Remphan/Chiun as an astral or planetary deity associated with ancient Near Eastern religious practices. One common interpretation links this figure to the planet Saturn, which was worshipped in various ancient cultures under different names and symbolic representations.

The “star” mentioned in Acts is not described as a physical object but is understood as a symbolic reference to idolatrous worship practices involving celestial bodies. Such practices were criticized in the prophetic literature of the Hebrew Bible.