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One of the most fascinating groups of people in the entire Bible are the Magi. They have captivated the imaginations of Christians throughout the years and stories continues to be told that try to expand upon their brief appearance.
Here are six fast facts that give you a brief overview of who they are and what we know about them.
1The magi only appear in the Gospel of Matthew
Only Matthew narrates the arrival of the Magi, also called "wise men:"
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem. (Matthew 2:1)
2The magi came years after Jesus' birth
It is generally believed that the Magi arrived between 1 and 3 years after Jesus' birth, making it more likely that the Holy Family returned to Nazareth, instead of staying in Bethlehem (where they had traveled to register for the census). This also corresponds to the fact that King Herod slaughtered male children two years old and under.
3We don't know how many magi came
As quoted above, the Gospel narrative simply states that, "wise men from the East" came to adore the newborn King. Tradition claims there were three, based on the fact that they gave Jesus three gifts. However, we simply don't know, and it could have been a large caravan of travelers.
4We also don't know their names
Fr. Dwight Longenecker, in his book The Mystery of the Magi, explains that the names by which we know the Magi came much later in history :
The Excerpta Latina Barbari composed in Alexandria, calls them Bithisarea, Melichior and Gathaspa or as we know them, Balthasar, Melchior and Caspar. Two centuries earlier a Syrian writer named them Hormizdah, King of Persia, Yazdegerd, King of Saba and Perozadh, King of Sheba. In contrast, Syriac Christians named the Magi, Larvandad, Gushnasaph, and Hormisdas. Ethiopian Christians called them Hor, Karsudan, and Basanater, while the Armenians said they were named, Kagpha, Badadakharida and Badadilma.
The names weren't written in the Bible, and so early Christians assigned names to the Magi to try and flesh out the story.
5We don't know if the magi were "kings"
Again, while tradition has claimed the Magi were "three kings," the biblical account does not mention anything about kingship.
6The magi were led by a star
The Gospel of Matthew is clear that the wise men were led to Jesus by a star they saw in the sky. It's unclear what the Magi actually saw, but many astronomers believe that there was some celestial object or phenomenon that did in fact lead them.
