is followed by a New Church, signified by the New Jerusalem. Alternative interpretations A number of Bible scholars consider the term Wormwood to be a purely symbolic representation of the bitterness that will fill the earth during troubled times, noting that the plant for which Wormwood is named, Artemisia absinthium, or Mugwort, Artemisia vulgaris, is a known biblical metaphor for things that are unpalatably bitter. Chernobyl Due to the Ukrainian word for Artemisia vulgaris being chernobyl (), many have used the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986 as definitive proof that the prophecy in the Book of Revelation is correct. The verses referring to a "star falling down and turning the waters bitter" are interpreted as the radioactive fallout from the disaster poisoning the environment around Chernobyl, leaving it uninhabitable. In the town centre of Chernobyl, there is the Wormwood Star Memorial, which depicts an angel blowing a trumpet, recalling the biblical prophecy. References External links Revelation 8:11 The name of the star is called Wormwood Angels in Christianity Astronomical myths Book of Proverbs Book of Revelation Individual angels New Testament words and phrases Prophecy in Christianity Water and religion