The Gifts of the Magi?
What caught my interest is that according to the article, only the New Testament's Gospel of Matthew mentions the arrival of foreigners who bore gifts, and in the original Greek, the visitors were described as "magoi" (in Latin, "magi"), from which the word "magic" is derived.
While there seems to be little that’s documented about the visitors, they are the three "kings" that we now sing about in Christmas carols and the mainstay of Christmas pageants that star children in churches everywhere. They are also the basis of the "Feast of Epiphany" that's celebrated on January 6th by many Christian denominations.
The article states that the "magi" could have been astrologers or priests from a Persian caste. Somewhere in time, the "magi," with their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, became described as “kings.” And apparently, there’s no mention of numbers.
So if you find yourself singing "We Three Kings" this holiday season, you can remind yourself of the "magicians" who played a part in the Christmas story.
Comments
So true they were lead by a star. Isn’t interesting the true magic in life is the virgin birth and resurrection of Jesus Christ. More proof exists for it than many thousands of things yet It is hard for so many to believe in the magic of it!
So, where could I find this article on the Magi? It sounds interesting.
— Alan
The article appeared in my local paper in Southern California (San Gabriel Valley Tribune). I did search for it on the web but unfortunately, could not find a copy of it. -Wayne
You might peruse Adrian Gilbert’s “Magi”, a compendium of fact and spectulation. Such as the “relics” (i.e. bones) of the Magi are buried in the Cathededral in Cologne, Germany.