The names of the Magi do not appear in the Bible. Where ,when and who started to use them? Were they really three? What region or country did they come from?

Enrique

-- Enrique Ortiz (eaortiz@yahoo.com), December 25, 1999

Answers

Enrique, my pastor wrote this in last weeks bulletin:

"The Magi were the first Gentiles to believe in Christ, and were guided by a mysterious star which led them from the East to the village of Bethlehem, where they found the Infant Jesus. They were called "sages" or "wise men" in the New Testament, but the idea that they were kings first appears in Christian tradition in the wriings of Tertullian, who called them "fere regis", or "almost kings". This became generally accepted by the sixth century, because of the implication of Psalm 72, which speaks of the kings of Tarshish, Arabia, and Saba, "who shall bring presents". The New Testament say nothing of how many there were, although the traditional number of three was first ascribed by Origen, based upon the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Their names (Gaspar, melchior, and Balthasar) are first mentioned in the sixth century, and are also included in the writings of the Venerable Bede. In the Middle Ages the Magi were venerated as saints, and their relics are enshrined in the cathedral in Calogne. But what do the Magi teach us? Surely, the overwhelming lesson is the absolute importance of complete and utter adoration. These three had travelled great distances, and risked both physical danger and the wrath of Herod himself, just to kneel before the Incarnate Word of God. All we need to do is to go to the nearest Catholic Church, where the same Christ waits for us in the tabernacle.

-- Hope in San Antonio (danielpm@stic.net), January 03, 2000.

Hope, thank you for your very good answer. We catholics should always look for a better understanding of our faith. That way we will not be just repeating over and over again what we were taught whether in Catechism classes when we were young or in the preaching of our pastors, but getting a personal conviction through prayer and constant study about our faith.

Enrique

-- Enrique Ortiz (eaortiz@yahoo.com), January 05, 2000.

Hope,

Thanks! Good post.

Frank

-- Someone (ChimingIn@twocents.com), January 08, 2000.

Hope, meditating on the Gospel text about the Magi, I came to two conclusions: here is the first sign that Jesus came not only for the people of Israel, but for all mankind. How different the attitude of the magi and the attitude of the priests and scribes: these last, as the posts in the roads, just pointed where Jesus could be found, but they didn't move an inch looking for him. I also suppose the magi were the first missionaries: surely they enthusiastically told the people back home what they had found in Bethlehem!!!

Enrique

-- Enrique Ortiz (eaortiz@yahoo.com), January 08, 2000.

If anybody thinks that this matters, in the book "The Travels of Marco Polo" it discusses how when Marco Polo, the explorer who went to China, passed through Persia, he found a place called Saveh or Saba where people said the Magi came from. Email me for any additional info.

-- William Brently (luckychris77@hotmail.com), December 17, 2002.

I have been doing Magi research again, and would venture to mention that Armenian tradition, as well as a book written by Marco Polo, names the three wise men as Balthaser, Gaspar, and Melchior. Hope this helps, email me for more info.

-- Chris Slavens (slavewriter@hotmail.com), December 22, 2003.