For various paintings of the Magi go to The Magi in Art.

Who Were They?
Although they are depicted as Kings in Amahl and the Night Visitors, and are called Wise Men in many Bible translations, the Greek word was MAGOS. It is from this root that we get our word magician, but the Magi were not magicians or sorcerers, they were the scientists of the day. Not only were they not kings, but the Bible does not depict them as rich or powerful.

The real Magi were a priestly caste, one of the six tribes of the Medes listed by Herodotus before their union with the Persians under Cyrus the Great in what is now Iran. They became priests and advisors to the kings and were skilled in medicine and the natural sciences, especially astronomy. It is true they used their observations of the stars to make prophecies; any unusual occurrence in the sky could be taken as an omen of some sort.

They are also thought to have been Zoroastrian priests. About 1000 BC, Zoroaster proclaimed the religious message, "Do good, hate evil" and declared there was only one God. They emphasized good thoughts, good words, and good deeds, and thought the earth will end and all be reunited with God. Thus they had many beliefs in common with the Jews of Palestine. Zoroastrianism became the dominant religion of Persia and, as with others throughout Mesopotamia, it had the idea of a coming Messiah who would heal the world. Zoroastrianism still exists today with about 200,000 adherents world-wide. Their symbol is a spread eagle with head of bearded man.

At the time, there had been a number prophecies of the arrival of a Messiah, including the following from the Bible where the Messiah is often depicted as a king.

Isaiah 60 describes Kings marching on camels to the sunrise (i.e. east) bearing gifts of gold, spice and frankincense.
Psalm 72: 10-12 The kings of Sheba and Seba shall present their tribute and all kings shall pay Him homage, all nations will serve him. For He shall rescue the needy from their rich oppressors, the distressed who have no protector.
Micah 5: 2-4 But you, Bethlehem in Ephrathah, small as you are among Judah's clans, out of you shall come forth a governor for Israel; ... He shall appear and be their shepherd in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall continue, for now His greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth; and He shall be a man of peace.

Thus the world was waiting, and the Magi, expecting the appearance of a king, and noting an unusual star, followed it to Bethlehem.

Note: There were other predictions of rulers to come that some have interpreted to mean Jesus but they were really in other contexts. Tacitus Histories 5:13, Josephus Wars of the Jews 6:5,4, and Suetonius Life of Vespasian 4:5 all reported on the belief that a ruler of the earth would come from Judea. However, these were all made after the birth of Jesus and referred to Vespasian who was governor of Judea and later became the emperor of Rome and hence the ruler of most of the known world.

Their Names and Origins
Because there were three gifts, most have assumed that there were three wise men. However, other legends say there were anywhere from two to twelve. The Bible says only that they were "from the East" and later returned to "their own country". Thus they were not from Judea where Christ was born. The early Church fathers did not call them Kings; that came much later (about the eighth century). Also later they were given the names Caspar (Kaspar), Melchior and Balthasar, and in the twelfth century they became saints. They are described as follows: Melchior was old and short with gray hair and a long beard and brought gold or the treasures of Alexander the Great and the ornaments the Queen of Sheba had offered in Solomon's temple. He came from Arabia or China or Nubia. Caspar was young, in his twenties, tall and beardless and brought frankincense. Balthasar was middle-aged, dark with a new beard and he brought myrrh. He came from Sheba (Saba) or Ethiopia. They later came to represent the three ages of man (young, middle age and old) and three regions of the known world, Europe, Africa and Asia.

At least these are among the descriptions in Western Europe, but the names are not Persian. Other countries had their own sets of names and dominions. Although they are not mentioned in the Qur'an, the story is well-known in Arabian countries, where they have Arabic names.

The Star and The Journey
In an age which was powerfully influenced by strange events which were regarded as omens, stars played a prominent part. When a strange star appeared to a world (not just the Jews) waiting for a deliverer it drew particular notice. Such stars were also reported in connection with leaders such as Alexander the Great and Augustus Caesar.

Much has been written about the Star of Bethlehem. Briefly there are two camps: it was a miraculous event or it was a natural event. Many explanations for the latter have been proposed, some suggesting it was a comet (as often depicted in paintings), and Halley's comet made an appearance in 11 BC. Others suggest a conjunctions of two or more planets. In 7 BC there was a conjunction of Saturn (protector of the Jews) and Jupiter (planet of the Kings) which fit the prophecies. (In spite of the later dating convention of BC and AD, we know that King Herod the Great died in 4 BC, and Jesus was born during his reign.) From 5 BC to 2BC the star Sirius was unusually brilliant and rose at sunrise, i.e. in the east.

As years passed, the tales of the star and the journey of the Magi became more and more elaborate. The original Magi were probably not wealthy and could have traveled alone and by camel, but by the time they became kings they would have used horses and been accompanied by large retinues. This is how they are usually depicted in Renaissance art. In either case, if the star did not arise until the actual birth of Jesus, it would have taken them three or more months to reach Bethlehem. However, the Western Church celebrates their arrival on January 6, twelve days after Christmas. Would the baby still be lying in a manger in a shed as is usually depicted, although Matthew tells of the house where they found him?

In some stories they journeyed together from the east, in others they came separately and did not meet until they were almost to their goal.

The culmination of the growth of the legends can be found in the fourteenth century story told by the monk John of Hildesheim in his History of the Three Kings excerpts of which follow.

There was in the Kingdom of Ind a tall hill called the Hill of Vaws, or the Hill of Victory. On this hill were stationed sentinels of Ind, who watched day and night against the Children of Israel, and afterward against the Romans. ...

Now in the time when Balaam prophesied of the Star that should betoken the birth of Christ, all the great lords and the people of Ind and in the East desired greatly to see this Star of which he spake; and they gave gifts to the keepers of the Hill of Vaws, and bade them, if they saw by night or by day any star in the air, that had not been seen aforetime, that they, the keepers, should send word to the people of Ind. ... So they ordained twelve of the wisest and greatest of the clerks of astronomy, that were in all that country about, and gave them great hire to keep watch upon the Hill of Vaws for the Star that was prophesied of Balaam.

Now, when Christ was born in Bethlehem of Judea, His Star began to rise in the manner of a sun, bright shining. It ascended above the Hill of Vaws, and all that day in the it abode without moving, so that when the sun was hot and most high there was no difference in shining betwixt them. But when the day of the nativity was passed the Star ascended up into the firmament, and it had many long streaks and beams, more burning and brighter than a brand of fire ... .

Now, when the three worshipful kings, who at that time reigned in Ind, Chaldea [Iraq], and Persia, were informed by the astronomers of this Star, they were right glad that they had seen the Star in their days. Thus these three worshipful kings, Melchior, Balthazar, and Jasper [the Star appeared to all three at the same time], though each of them was far from the other, and none knew of the others' purpose, decided to go and seek and worship the Lord and King of the Jews, that was new born, as the Star announced. So each king prepared great and rich gifts, and trains of mules, camels, and horses charged with treasure, and together with a great multitude of people they set forth on their journeys.

Now, when these three kings left their own kingdoms, the Star went before each king and his people. When they stood still and rested, the Star stood still; and when they went forward again, the Star always went before them in virtue and strength and gave light all the way. ... These kings rode forth over hills, waters, valleys, plains, and other different and perilous places without hindrance, for all the way seemed to them plain and even. And they never took shelter by night nor by day, nor ever rested, nor did their horses and other beasts ever eat or drink till they had come to Bethlehem. And all this time it did seem to them as one day. ...

When the three blessed kings had come near to Jerusalem, ... these three glorious kings, each with his host and burdens and beasts, met together in the highway without the city of Jerusalem. And, notwithstanding that none of them ever before had seen the other, nor knew him, nor had heard of his coming, yet at their meeting each one with great reverence and joy kissed the other. So afterward, when they had spoken together and each had told his purpose and the cause of his journey, they were much more glad and fervent. So they rode forth, and at the uprising of the sun, they came into Jerusalem.

So then these three worshipful kings, when they were come into the city, asked of the people concerning the Child that was born; and when Herod heard this he was troubled and all Jerusalem with him, and he privately summoned to him these three kings and learned of them the time when the Star appeared. He then sent them forth, bidding them find the young Child and return to him. Now when these three kings were passed out of Jerusalem the Star ... went before them till they were come to Bethlehem. Now, the nearer the kings came to the place where Christ was born, the brighter shined the Star, ... And they rode through the streets till they came before a little house. There the Star stood still, and then descended and shone with so great a light that the little house was full of radiance; till the Star went upward again into the air, and stood still always above the same place. And the three kings went into the little house and found the Child with his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him, and offered him gifts.

The Gifts
Matthew lists three gifts, the same ones which are found in the Old Testament prophecies: gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Gold is a traditional present for a King, and the Magi were looking for the king of the prophecies. It symbolizes virtue.
Frankincense is associated with priests and symbolizes prayer. The smoke of the incense is said to reach heaven. It foretells resurrection and ascension. It is the resin from a tree which grows naturally only in the south of the Arabian peninsula, around Yemin. In Biblical times it was then sent across to Gaza by camel. Used in perfumes, some thought it had healing properties. Herodotus said two and a half tons were used every year at one festival in Babylon. It was introduced to Europe by Frankish crusaders, hence its present name.
Myrrh symbolizes suffering and death and foretold the death of Christ. It was burned at Roman funerals to mask the odor of burning corpses and was also used in embalming. A red-brown resinous material, the dried sap of a tree, its oil has a sharp, somewhat bitter odor. It was often used with frankincense, especially in Chinese and other medicines and is also a powerful antiseptic. Native to Somalia and eastern Ethiopia, in ancient times it was worth more than its weight in gold and five times as much as frankincense. Today it is used in modern toiletries such as toothpaste and lotions.

While these were gifts suitable for a king, were they appropriate for a poor carpenter and his family? We are not told what happened to them. They could have been used to finance the trip to Egypt. One legend says the gold was stolen by two thieves, the two later crucified next to Jesus.

John of Hildeshein continues:

And you shall understand that these three kings had brought great gifts from their own lands, rich ornaments and divers golden vessels, and many jewels and precious stones, and both gold and silver, -- these they had brought to offer to the King of the Jews. But when they found the Lord in a little-house, in poor clothes, and when they saw that the Star gave so great and holy a light in all the place that it seemed as though they stood in a furnace of fire, then were they so sore afraid, that of all the rich jewels and ornaments they had brought with them, they chose from their treasures what came first to their hands. For Melchior took a round apple of gold in his hand, and thirty gilt pennies, and these he offered unto our Lord; and Balthazar took out of his treasury incense; and Jasper took out myrrh, and that he offered with weeping and tears.

And now after these three kings had worshiped the Lord, they abode in Bethlehem for a little space, and as they abode, there came a command to them ... that they should not return to Herod; and so by another way they went home to their kingdoms. But the Star that had gone before appeared no more.

What Happened Later?
The Bible is silent on what happened to them after they returned to their own country. Some claim they returned home, gave up their professions, gave away all their money and went to spread the Gospel. In one version, the Apostle St. Thomas baptized them forty years later in India. In another they met in AD 54 to celebrate Christmas, and all soon died and were buried in the walls of Jerusalem.

Marco Polo claimed he was shown their bodies near Tehran, Persia, in the 1270s. There were three very large and beautiful monuments, side by side, and above them there was a square building, beautifully kept. The bodies were still entire, with hair and beard remaining. Among other sites claimed as their burial place is the Monastery of St. Paul of Mount Athos, Greece where they were placed in a fifteenth century golden box. St. Helena, mother of Constantine and discoverer of the True Cross, is most associated with their remains having found them in Yemen or in Persia or in several other places. Helena brought the bones to the Hagia St. Sophia in Constantinople (Istanbul). Later they were moved to Milan, Italy, and then, by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I (Barbarossa) in three ships to Cologne, Germany. They were placed in a golden shrine which is still to be seen behind the high altar of the cathedral. The Shrine is 43"x60"x87" and is made of wood with gold and silver overlay and with over 1000 jewels and beads. The Cathedral we see today was started in 1448 to do the remains proper honor; it was not finished until 1880. It is the largest Gothic structure in northern Europe and the most visited building in Germany. The tomb was opened in 1864, and the bones of three bodies were found which could be reassembled almost completely. They were then wrapped in white silk and returned to the shrine. In 1906 some of bones were returned to Milan and are in an urn above the altar of the Three Kings. A later study of the skulls (seen with crowns in the shrine) showed that indeed one was young, the second middle aged and the third old as the Magi are described in the legends (see above). In Amahl Menotti has Kaspar as old and deaf, but this is a memory from his childhood, not from the legends.
See (http://www.archaeology.org/online/reviews/threekings/)

John of Hildesheim again:

When, after many days' journey over perilous places, they had come to the Hill of Vaws, they made there a fair chapel in worship of the Child they had sought. Also they agreed to meet together at the same place once in the year, and they ordained that the Hill of Vaws should be the place of their burial. So when the three worshipful kings had done what they would, they took leave of each other, and each one with his people rode to his own land rejoicing.

Now, after many years, a little before the feast of Christmas, there appeared a wonderful Star above the cities where these three kings dwelt, and they knew thereby that their time was come when they should pass from earth. Then with one consent they built, at the Hill of Vaws, a fair and large tomb, and there the three Holy Kings, Melchior, Balthazar, and Jasper died, and were buried in the same tomb by their sorrowing people. Now after much time had passed away, Queen Helena, the mother of the Emperor Constantine, began to think greatly of the bodies of these three kings, and she arrayed herself, and, accompanied by many attendants, went into the Land of Ind. And you shall understand that after she had found the bodies of Melchior, Balthazar, and Jasper, Queen Helen put them into one chest and ornamented it with great riches, and she brought them into Constantinople, with joy and reverence, and laid them in a church that is called Saint Sophia; and this church the Emperor Constantine did make, -- he alone, with a little child, set up all the marble pillars thereof.

Now, after the death of the Emperor Constantine a persecution against the Christian faith arose, and in this persecution the bodies of the three worshipful kings were set at naught. Then came the Emperor Mauricius of Rome, and, through his counsel, the bodies of these three kings were carried to Italy, and there they were laid in a fair church in the city of Milan. Then afterward, in the process of time, the city of Milan rebelled against the Emperor Frederick the First, and he, being sore beset, sent to Rainald, Archbishop of Cologne, asking for help. This Archbishop with his army did take the city of Milan, and delivered it to the Emperor. And for this service did the Emperor grant, at the Archbishop's great entreaty, that he should carry forth to Cologne the bodies of the three blessed kings.

Then the Archbishop, with great solemnity and in procession, did carry forth from the city of Milan the bodies of the three kings, and brought them unto Cologne and there placed them in the fair church of Saint Peter. And all the people of the country roundabout, with all the reverence they might, received these relics, and there in the city of Cologne they are kept and beholden of all manner of nations unto this day.

Thus ends the legend of these three blessed kings, — Melchior, Balthazar, and Jasper.

The King James Bible used "wise men", possibly for political motives, as same word could also mean sorcerer and thus have a bad connotation

The location of Sheba has long been debated. It is usually said to be in either southern Arabia or in Ethiopia in eastern Africa. However ruins in other countries have also been claimed as Sheba, including in Somalia, Sudan, Eritrea, Iran and even Zanzibar

Bethlehem is six miles south of Jerusalem. Jacob buried his wife Rachel there (Gen 48:7). David tended this father's flocks there as a boy (1 Samuel 17:12), and it was his family home (1 Samuel 20:6). The lineage of Jesus is traced back twenty-eight generations to Abraham through David. It was there that the Jews expected the savior of the world to be born.

Judah was one of the twelve sons of Jacob who descendants formed the twelve tribes of Israel. When the Israelis returned to Palestine from Egypt, they divided the land among the various tribes. Both Jerusalem and Bethlehem are in the territory of the tribe of Judah.

No one knows the actual date when Christ was born. Several hundred years later, the Western Church chose December 25 as the date to celebrate it and January 6 as Epiphany, the day he was shown to the Magi. The dates differ in the Eastern churches.

This is an anachronism and misunderstanding. The story of Balaam and his ass is found in the Book of Numbers. This was written about the sixth century BC but the events described occurred about 1200 BC. "A star shall come out of Jacob and a scepter will rise out of Israel. It shall crush the foreheads of Moab and break down all the sons of Sheth. Edom shall be dispossessed." It is a prophecy of war against two later neighboring enemy neighbors of the Israelites.

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Revised November 2007
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