Who Were the Magi? Each year as we approach the holiday season, our preparations for (Christmas) include revisiting the events surrounding the birth of Our Lord. Bethlehem, the shepherds, and the angels are all familiar to us. But not much is generally known about the mysterious Magi who came to worship the infant Jesus. The following background may be helpful to stimulate conversations around the fireplace, as our thoughts turn to this incredible event from which we measure our very calendar. Traditions Most of what we associate with the Magi is from early church traditions. Most have assumed that there were three of them since they brought three specific gifts. (But the Biblical text doesnt number them.) They are called Magi from the Latinized form of the Greek word magoi , transliterated from the Persian for a select sect of priests. (Our word magic comes from the same root.) As the years passed, traditions became increasingly embellished. By the third century, they were viewed as kings. By the sixth century they had names: Bithisarea, Melichior, and Gathaspa. Some even associated them with Shem, Ham and Japheth, the three sons of Noah, and thus with Asia, Africa, and Europe. A fourteenth century Armenian tradition identifies them as Balthasar, King of Arabia; Melchior, King of Persia; and Gasper, King of India. (Relics attributed to them emerged in the fourth century and were transferred from Constantinople to Milan in the fifth century, and then to Cologne in 1162, where they remain enshrined today.) These are all very interesting traditions, but what do we really know about the Magi?
Posted on: Sun, 14 Dec 2014 18:39:57 +0000
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