Who were the Magi?
Magi from the east came to Jerusalem saying, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and have come to worship him” (Matthew 2:1-3).
The glory of the night sky is clustered and scattered in dazzling white light like diamonds upon dark velvet. The shadows of the travelers shift and turn across the obscure landscape as they follow the star— an animated star, an intentional light. Twinkle, twinkle little star; how I wonder what you are. “Who brings out the stars one by one? God calls them all by name. Because of the greatness of his might and the strength of his power, not one of them is missing ” (Isaiah 40:26).
Context: What did the original audience know and understand?
The ancient Middle East was well aware of the heavenly lights and codified their presence in the second millennium BC. "Magi" refers to a priestly caste from the Persian Empire, specifically associated with the Zoroastrian religion, known for their deep knowledge of astrology and religious practices. The term originates from the Old Persian word "magu" meaning "powerful" or "priest,” often considered "wise men" who interpreted celestial signs and were involved in important rituals and court matters. Babylon was also known for its astrologers or astronomers. In Nebuchadnezzar’s courts they were called magi (Dan. 1:20, 2:2, 2:27). By the first century the Babylonian and Persian empires were gone. The Seleucids had taken over the area they once ruled. In time they too disappeared, giving way to the Parthian empire. By this time the word magi had a more general meaning, referring to people who had special knowledge in the magic arts. Because of this “magi” is often rendered “wise men” in English translations.
Who were the magi?
The biblical account specifically states they “came from the east.” We know they were not Persian or Babylonian because those empires no longer existed. From the perspective of Palestine (so named by the Romans in 63 BC) “the east” meant “the east side of the Jordan River,” referring to the Jordanian deserts that connect with the deserts of Arabia. The magi were likely from the kingdom of Nabataea, east of Palestine, and the court of King Aretas IV (ca. 9 BC – AD 40) in Petra. They had longstanding ties to Herod the Great whose mother was Nabataean. As king of Judea, he maintained political relations with Nabataea. Aretas IV even gave one of his daughters to Herod’s son, Antipas for a wife. The Nabataeans were renowned traders, who amassed great wealth by controlling many of the trade routes along the Incense Road, from Arabia through their capital of Petra and on to the coastal port of Gaza. Along this route, they transported frankincense and myrrh from places, such as Yemen, in Arabia, to the Mediterranean. In fact, when Christ was born, Nabataea held a virtual monopoly on the frankincense trade. Early Church Fathers, such as Clement of Rome and Tertullian associated Arabia with the land of myrrh and frankincense. Nabataean’s also had access to gold, both through trade and because it was native to their territory. They had a significant grasp of astronomy and used it for directions as they traveled through vast deserts by night to avoid the heat of the day. A new and unique star would have caught their attention.
What was the star?
Through the years there have been many hypothetical explanations, whether natural, astronomical, or astrological, of the nature and behavior of the so-called star of Bethlehem. Most biblical commentators support a supernatural approach and declare it “miraculous” without further comment. With the supernatural in mind what if the wise men were led to Bethlehem, not by light from space, but by light from heaven? One explanation suggests the star was an opening in the dimensional boundary that separates heaven and earth; it was a tear in the fabric of heaven. This perspective fits well with the first century concept of time and the veil between dimensions, topics I’ve addressed in previous posts. John Chrysostom (fourth century AD) shared the view that it was not a common star but an invisible power transformed into this appearance. The proposal of a tear in the veil between heaven and earth is consistent with other biblical accounts. When Jesus was baptized, heaven was opened (Matt.3:16; Mark1:10; Luke3:21). When Saul met the Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus, “suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him” (Acts9:3). Luke’s account of the birth of Christ includes shepherds, angels praising God, and the glory of the Lord shining all around them— reminiscent of creation when “the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? (Job 38:7). The Bethlehem star assuredly would have glowed with the glory of heaven marking the place where creator God entered his creation in an astonishing way.
Historical Progression: In the 1920s a British scholar, EFF Bishop, visited a Bedouin tribe in Jordan. This Muslim tribe bore the Arabic name al-Kokabani. The word kokab means “planet” and al-Kokabani means “those who study/follow the planets.” Bishop asked the elders of the tribe why they called themselves by such a name. They replied that it was because their ancestors followed the planets and traveled west to Palestine to show honor to the great prophet Jesus when he was born. This supports Justin Martyr, a Palestinian Christian writing in the middle of the second century, who claimed that the Magi came from Arabia. For two-thousand years Palestinian Christians worshipped in Bethlehem. As recently as two decades ago Christians comprised 85 per cent of the inhabitants of Bethlehem. Persecution by those who long ago abandoned the mantle of “the people of God” has dwindled their number to 20 per cent.
The bible does not number nor name the wise men. The presumption in Western tradition has typically been that the reference to three gifts implies three givers; but some Eastern traditions have insisted there were twelve. Various traditions about their names have arisen. The common Western tradition has identified them as Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar. One popular legend has portrayed Caspar as a king of India, Melchior as a king of Persia, and Balthazar as a king of Arabia. In the East, however, other names for the Magi appear. Many Syrian Christians call them Larvandad, Gushnasaph, and Hormisdas. Ethiopians name them Hor, Karsudan, and Basanater, while Armenians call them Kagpha, Badadakharida, and Badalilma.
Conclusion: Gentiles and Jews worshipped the babe in Bethlehem. It was a family reunion of sorts. Both traced their lineage back to Abraham. The Nabateans the descendants of Esau; the Judeans the descendants of Jacob. The land their fathers received as an inheritance from God was no longer uniquely their own. But the God who gave it had come to dwell with men, not in a place, but in the person of Jesus Christ. Immanuel, God with us, signaled by a star.
Sources: Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes, Kenneth Bailey; Hard Sayings of the Bible, Kaiser, Davids, Bruce, Brauch; https://biblearchaeologyreport.com/2022/12/22/who-were-the-magi/; https://www.equip.org/articles/the-star-of-bethlehem/; https://www.stcatherinercc.org/single-post/2020/01/01/where-do-we-get-the-names-of-the-three-magi ; https://youtu.be/p0Ktr3kX3tc?si=nvcvkmkRRoyPukiN