Who were the magi? Let’s cut away a little bit of the “holiday fluff” and make an educated guess, based on ancient Jewish history. Warning—there are spoilers ahead.
The Source of the Biblical Story
Mary became the only remaining witness who saw the wise men. She must have told other believers of the angelic visits and Jesus’ birth as well. Otherwise the early church wouldn’t have known. Her testimony about these unexpected visitors is recorded in Matthew 2.
- God Himself invited the pagan magi to come celebrate the birth of His Son.
- The magi first sought “the King of the Jews” in Jerusalem.
- King Herod asked the chief priests and then gave the wise men better directions, sending them on to Bethlehem.
- Final arrival time in Bethlehem? Long after Christ’s birth.
- How can we know? Because Joseph’s family now lived in a house and when the magi came, they presented their gifts directly to the child. Jesus was a toddler.
- Another indication? Matt 2:2.”Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
- The number of wise men is unknown. One of my sources stated the early church believed there were 12.
Where Did The Magi Come From?
None were kings; instead they were likely kingly advisors, as in Daniel’s day.- Because the Jews had been exiled to Babylon, later conquered by Persia, one logical guess is the magi traveled east for several months from modern day Iraq.
- Not all Jews returned to Jerusalem 70 years later. Some stayed in Persia and knew God’s Messianic prophesies before the exile.
- Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were famous for serving the one true God, who showed great signs and wonders in Babylon centuries before.
- The travelers would have needed to gather supplies, buy expensive gifts and arrange the journey. So the preparation time might have taken several weeks.
- Jerusalem is located 2700 km / 1678.2 miles from the ruins of Babylon.
- Walking that distance through sand and rough terrain would be quite a hike.
- Ezra took 4 months to make the same journey in Ezra 7:8-10.
Joseph almost certainly used the magi’s gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to finance his family’s emergency flight to Egypt. Interestingly, the distance between Bethlehem and Egypt is 6489 KM or 4032.6 miles, almost 2 1/2 times the distance from Babylon.
The Hearts of the Magi
Here’s what strikes me. The chief priests didn’t go check out this “hot rumor” about the Jewish Messiah’s birth; an event they’d eagerly waited centuries for. And it’s only a 5 day walk from Jerusalem to Bethlehem. Yet none of the religious leaders even sent a servant.
Arrogance and superiority will cost you every time.
The magi had softer hearts. These men disrupted their normal lives and journeyed to Israel, to see the newborn King of the Jews. Nothing was certain. They only hoped their quest would be successful. Traveling through desert regions, the magi left behind work, family and a comfortable life. The round trip probably took 8 to 10 months. All because an unusual star appeared in the sky. One night was spent worshipping and rejoicing in Jesus’ birth. They gave the new King gifts and then returned home.
Yes, the magi dropped everything to go seek Him.
Wise men indeed!
All my images came from Pixabay.com, including the living Nativity scene.
Resources:
At the end of his article Who Were the Wise Men? Dr. Roger Barrier shares a condensed version of a Christmas tale by Henry Van Dyke, published in 1895.
It’s called “The Story of the Other Wise Man” and it caused me to tear up. Enjoy!
