[soc.religion.christian] The 3

muttiah@cs.purdue.edu (Ranjan Samuel Muttiah) (08/29/89)

Where did the three kings on Jesus' birth come from ?  Did they
come to observe an astronomical event or did they specifically come to
see Jesus ?  Was a supernova/comet expected at that time ?

[Read Mat. 2.  They came from "the East", presumably Persia, since
both the word "magi" and their astrological orientation seem to fit
Persians.  Mat. implies that they had seen a "star", and expected to
find that some great king had been born.  So I'd say they came
expecting to find some person, but not specifically Jesus.  --clh]

rock@sun.com (Bill Petro) (09/01/89)

muttiah@cs.purdue.edu (Ranjan Samuel Muttiah) writes:


>Where did the three kings on Jesus' birth come from ?  Did they
>come to observe an astronomical event or did they specifically come to
>see Jesus ?  Was a supernova/comet expected at that time ?

THE WISE MEN

"We Three Kings of Orient Are..." so the song goes, but already it has
made at least three errors.  First, how many wise men made the trip to
Bethlehem is not known.  And they were not "kings".  And they did not
come from as far away as the "Orient", that is, the Far East.  Some
confusion naturally arises over how they could have seen the star in
the East and arrived in Jerusalem, unless they had started in the
Mediterranean!  Matthew 2:2 reads, "We saw his star in the east, and
have come to worship him".  The ambiguity can be cleared up by
understanding the sense as "We saw his star when we were in the east
and have come from the east to worship him".  Tradition, of course, has
placed their number at three, probably because of the three gifts of
gold, frankincense, and myrrh, the assumption being one gift-one
giver.  But some earlier traditions make quite a caravan of their
visit, setting their number as high as twelve.  The term "magi" is
usually translated wise men, astrologers, or magicians (the word
"magic" comes from magi).  "The East", has been variously identified as
any country from Arabia to Media and Persia, but no further east.

All evidence points to Mesopotamian or Persian origins for the magi,
who were an old and powerful priestly caste among both Medes and
Persians.  These priest-sages, extremely well educated for their day,
were specialists in medicine, religion, astronomy, astrology,
divination, and magic, and their caste eventually spread across much of
the East.  As in any profession, there were both good and bad magi,
depending on whether they did research in the sciences or practiced
augury, necromancy, and magic.  The Persian magi were credited with
higher religious and intellectual attainments, while the Babylonian
magi were sometimes deemed imposters.  The safest conclusion is that
the Magi of Christmas were Persian, for the term originated among the
Medo-Persians, and early Syriac traditions give them Persian names.
Primitive Christian art in the second-century Roman catacombs of
Pricilla dresses them in Persian garments, and a majority of early
church fathers interpret them as Persians.  Indeed, the reason invading
Persians spared the Church of the Nativity in 614 was because they say
a golden mosaic over the doorway, depicting the wise men in Persian
headdress.

                    Bill Petro, your friendly neighborhood historian


     Bill Petro  {decwrl,hplabs,ucbvax}!sun!Eng!rock
"UNIX for the sake of the kingdom of heaven"  Matthew 19:12

dmb@uunet.uu.net (David Babuder) (09/01/89)

  Why do you think there were three kings?  There were three gifts, however, I 
believe that the number of kings is unspecified; although, it would seem to
take more than three kings to cause the town to take notice (Matt 2:3). 
  The text of Matt 2:2 indicates that they were looking for the person with a
very specific title ... and Herod, Matt 2:3, did not meet the requirements!
So I would say that they were looking for a specific person, even though they
did not know the specific name.  Perhaps they had the prophecies of Isaiah.
  Just food for thought - Dave.

kutz@cis.ohio-state.edu (Kenneth J. Kutz) (09/01/89)

In article <Aug.29.02.40.59.1989.20790@athos.rutgers.edu>, muttiah@cs.purdue.edu (Ranjan Samuel Muttiah) writes:

> Where did the three kings on Jesus' birth come from ?  Did they
> come to observe an astronomical event or did they specifically come to
> see Jesus ?  Was a supernova/comet expected at that time ?

Matthew Chapter 2:2 states the intentions of the wise men.  These wise
men had come to worship the child, certainly unusual for men of such
stature.  Herod, upon hearing the news from the wise men inquired as to
where the Christ was was to be born (verse 4).  I believe these wise
men undoubtably came to worship the messiah.

Wise men still seek him.


-- 
  Kenneth J. Kutz		  Internet 	kutz@andy.bgsu.edu         
  Systems Programmer		  BITNET   	KUTZ@BGSUOPIE              
  University Computer Services    UUCP     	...!osu-cis!bgsuvax!kutz   
  Bowling Green State Univ.       US Mail   238 Math Science, BG OH 43403

mike@unmvax.cs.unm.edu (Michael I. Bushnell) (09/20/89)

In article <Sep.1.02.50.08.1989.18378@athos.rutgers.edu> rock@sun.com (Bill Petro) writes:

>"We Three Kings of Orient Are..." so the song goes, but already it has
>made at least three errors.  First, how many wise men made the trip to
>Bethlehem is not known.  And they were not "kings".  And they did not
>come from as far away as the "Orient", that is, the Far East.

The term "Orient" does not refer to merely the Far East.  It refers to the 
East in general.   Webster's Second Unabridged defines the word as simply
"East".  The New Webster's Dictionary says "The east:  contrasted with the
occident; the eastern hemisphere; (cap.) the countries to the east and 
southeast of the Mediterranean."  The word comes from the Latin "oriens"
meaning east, which comes from the verb orior, "to rise" (in other words,
where the sun rises).  

This is not bizarre usage.  Orient has always referred to people from Asia
and northeastern Africa.  The status of Russia is in some geographic doubt.

I once spoke to a Turk who was quite offended that he was not "oriental" when
he went to the orientel students' group here on campus.  The group went so
far as to change its name to say "Asian", when it was pointed out that the
Near East is part of Asia as well.

I guess you'll have to change your essay to read "at least two errors".



-- 
    Michael I. Bushnell      \     This above all; to thine own self be true
LIBERTE, EGALITE, FRATERNITE  \    And it must follow, as the night the day,
   mike@unmvax.cs.unm.edu     /\   Thou canst not be false to any man.
 Telephone: +1 505 292 0001  /  \  Farewell:  my blessing season this in thee!