The significance of a star in the East had only one meaning in antiquity from an observational perspective. There is no way such a description could designate a specific location in the Near East and generally speaking, the traditions of Matthew and Luke
using the infancy narratives are meant to satisfy the antecedent Jewish prophecy.
Start with a contemporary view of a star rising in the East-
https://sol24.net/data/html/SOHO/C3/96H/VIDEO/
Everything to the left of the central/stationary Sun is an evening (West) appearance while everything to the right of the Sun is a dawn (East) appearance. As the Earth runs a circuit of the Sun, the stars change position from an evening appearance to a
dawn appearance or from a West appearance to an East appearance, however, they are lost to the glare of the Sun for a number of weeks and cannot be seen.
The first seasonal appearance of a star and specifically the brightest star Sirius represented a milestone in antiquity and noted within one of the oldest traditions in the Bible as the star Mazzaroth-
" Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?. Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons? Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in
the earth?" Book of Job
The first seasonal appearance of Sirius/Mazzaroth/Sophet is the basis of all human timekeeping and far older than the Egyptian account-
".. on account of the procession of the rising of Sirius by one day in the course of 4 years,.. therefore it shall be, that the year of 360 days and the 5 days added to their end, so one day shall be from this day after every 4 years added to the 5
epagomenae before the new year" Canopus Decree 238 BC
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