Magi
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Encyclopædia Britannica
Magi, singular Magus, also called Wise Men , in Christian tradition, the noble
pilgrims “from the East” who followed a miraculous guiding star to Bethlehem,
where they paid homage to the infant Jesus as
king of the Jews (Matthew 2:1–12). Christian theological tradition has always
stressed that Gentiles as well as Jews came to worship Jesus—an event
celebrated in the Eastern church at Christmas and in the West at Epiphany (January 6). Eastern tradition sets the
number of Magi at 12, but Western tradition sets their number at three,
probably based on the three gifts of “gold, frankincense, and myrrh” (Matthew
2:11) presented to the infant.
Adoration of the Magi, oil on wood by Perugino, c. 1496–98; …
Photos.com/Jupiterimages
The Gospel of Matthew relates how at Jerusalem they
attracted the interest of King Herod I of Judaea by
announcing Jesus’ birth: “Where is the child who has been born king of the
Jews? For we have seen his star at its rising, and have come to pay him
homage” (Matthew 2:2). Having already learned the place of Jesus’ birth from
the priests and scribes, Herod extracted from the Magi the exact date on which
the star heralding the birth appeared as confirmation of the biblical prophecy.
He then sent them to see the infant Jesus, requesting that they disclose upon
their return his exact location. They continued on to Bethlehem, where they
worshipped Jesus and offered him gifts. Warned in a dream not to return to
Herod, “they left for their own country by another road” (Matthew 2:12).
The Adoration of the Magi, oil painting by Albrecht
Dürer, 1504; …
SCALA/Art Resource, New York
Subsequent
traditions embellished the narrative. As early as the 3rd century they were
considered to be kings, probably interpreted as the fulfillment of the prophecy
in Psalms 72:11 (“May all kings fall down before him”). In about the 8th
century the names of three Magi—Bithisarea, Melichior, and Gathaspa—appear in a
chronicle known as the Excerpta latina barbari. They
have become known most commonly as Balthasar, Melchior,
and Gaspar (or Casper). According to Western church tradition, Balthasar is
often represented as a king of Arabia, Melchior as a king of Persia, and Gaspar
as a king of India.
Adoration of the Magi, tempera on wood by Gentile da Fabriano,
1423; …
SCALA/Art Resource, New York
Their
supposed relics were
transferred from Constantinople, possibly in the late 5th century, to Milan and
thence to Cologne Cathedral in the 12th century. Devotion to the Magi was
especially fervent in the Middle Ages. The Magi are
venerated as patrons of travelers; their feast day is July 23.
The Adoration of the Magi—i.e., their homage to the infant
Jesus—early became one of the most popular themes in Christian art, the first extant painting on the subject being the
fresco in the Priscilla Catacomb of Rome dating from the 2nd century. In the
Middle Ages the Adoration of the Magi was often associated with two other major
events of Jesus’ life: his baptism, during which the voice of God publicly
declared Jesus to be his son, and the wedding at Cana, at which he revealed his
divinity by changing water into wine. The three events, all celebrated on the
same feast day, were frequently represented together in the monumental
sculpture that decorated the churches of the period.
Adoration of the Magi, centre panel of a triptych by the Antwerp …
SCALA/Art Resource, New York
What are wise men (magi), anyway?
What are wise men (magi), anyway?
The Greek word Matthew uses for magi, or wise men, is mágoi: astrologers, sorcerers, or priests. In addition to the wise men of Jesus’ childhood, this word only refers to a few other people in Scripture:
- The sorcerers and dream interpreters of Babylon. Back in the book of Daniel, the Babylonian emperor has a distressing dream. He calls on his magicians to interpret the dream, but they are completely unable to do so (Da 2:2, 10). The king almost wipes them out, but God interprets the dream through Daniel, saving all the wise men of Babylon. When the Jews translated the Old Testament into Greek, they used the word mágoi for the magicians in this passage.
- A Jewish magician and false prophet named Elymus. In the book of Acts, Paul and Barnabas spread the gospel through the island of Cyprus, but Elymus opposes them. The mágos particularly tries to turn the ruler of the province away from the faith. According to Paul, this magician is “full of deceit,” a “son of the devil,” and an “enemy of all righteousness.” You can read the whole story in Acts 13:4–12.
The Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible sheds some more light on the role of the wise man:
The historian Herodotus mentions “magi” as a priestly caste of Media, or Persia, and, as the religion in Persia at the time was Zoroastrinism, Herodotus’ magi were probably Zoroastrian priests. [. . .] Believing the affairs of history were reflected in the movements of the stars and other phenomena, Herodotus suggests the rulers of the East commonly utilized the magi’s knowledge of astrology and dream interpretation to determine affairs of state.1
