What were the Three Wise Men's occupation? Eastern Tradition identify them as Balthazar, Melchior, and Gaspar. Their presence and gifts show the kingship of Jesus as well as predict his sorrow and death. Others have associated them with Christs role as priest, prophet and king.
Full Answer
Why do we assume that there were three wise men?
Answer: We assume that there were three wise men because of the three gifts that were given: gold, incense, and myrrh (Matthew 2:11).
How many “wise men” were there?
How many “wise men” were there? The Bible does not say, and traditions about their number vary. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, “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.”
Who were the Wise Men in the Bible?
These wealthy travelers were on the opposite end of the social and economic scale as the shepherds who had visited Jesus right after his birth. Many characters in Scripture go unnamed. They all point to Jesus Christ, the manifestation of God's love for the human race. The Bible is a book about Jesus. There is a message in the title "Wise Men."
Where did the wise men come from?
Their countries of origin were listed as either Arabia or Ethiopia, Persia, and India respectively. But this text did not appear until the 700s and gives no origin for the names it lists. Many documents record that the wise men returned, either to their homelands singly or together to India.
What were the three wisemen jobs?
The wise men, or magi, were astrologers, the astronomers of their day, and probably came from Babylon. They may even have been descendants of Daniel. There were many signs in the sky in 3 and 2 BC related to the constellations of Leo and Virgo, and the planet Jupiter.
What is the role of the Three Kings?
According to the Gospel of Matthew, the men traveled for 12 days by following a star in the desert that led them to baby Jesus in a manger. The three kings represented Europe, Arabia, and Africa, and their coming together was symbolic of unity. The gold offered by one is an acknowledgment of Jesus's royal standing.
Who or what do each of the three kings represent?
Each one represents one aspect of Jesus. Gold represents his kingship, frankincense was a symbol of his priestly role and myrrh, an anointing oil used in preparation for a burial, which prefigures his sacrificial death.Dec 21, 2017
What are the 3 Magi names?
Later commentators proposed that they represented the three known continents: Europe, Asia, and Africa. From a wide assortment of names suggested for the Magi, those that eventually prevailed were Gaspar (or Caspar), Melchior, and Balthasar.
Was there a fourth wise man in the Bible?
Story. The story is an addition and expansion of the account of the Biblical Magi, recounted in the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. It tells about a "fourth" wise man (accepting the tradition that the Magi numbered three), a priest of the Magi named Artaban, one of the Medes from Persia.
What did Mary and Joseph do with the gold frankincense and myrrh?
An alternative tradition holds that Mary and Joseph used the gold to pay for the stable, the frankincense to perfume it and the myrrh as an ointment for the new-born baby.
How much was the gold frankincense and myrrh worth?
Equivalent to today's prices, a pound of frankincense was worth $500 a pound, and a pound of myrrh was $4,000. Today, each are priced at approximately $15 a pound. However, the value of a pound of gold was valued at $600, and in today's market, a pound of gold could cost 10 times that amount.Dec 22, 2020
What is myrrh a symbol of?
The myrrh, I decided, represents the power of Jesus. He not only had power to turn stones into bread, but he had the power to turn death back into life. He had power over womb and tomb. The wise men's myrrh was about that power over death.Nov 29, 2008
What food is eaten on Three Kings Day?
Rosca de reyes (also known as Roscón de reyes) is a Spanish and Latin American dessert bread traditionally served on Three Kings Day, which is celebrated on January 6th.Jan 5, 2015
Were there 3 Kings in the Bible?
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 or sometimes Ethiopia, Melchior as a king of Persia, and Gaspar as a king of India.
What gifts did the 3 Kings bring to Jesus?
The wise men brought gold, frankincense and myrrh to the newborn king. Gold, of course, was valuable as currency. Frankincense is a valuable perfume. Myrrh is a precious ointment often used in the burial process.Dec 20, 2019
What are the three wise men's names in Spanish?
Learn about the three wise men — Melchor, Gaspar, and Baltasar — and other Spanish Christmas traditions.
Who are the three wise men?
Three Wise Men. Jack Zavada is a writer who covers the Bible, theology, and other Christianity topics. He is the author "Hope for Hurting Singles: A Christian Guide to Overcoming Life's Challenges.". The Three Kings, or Magi, are mentioned only in the Gospel of Matthew 2:1-12.
How many wise men were there in the Bible?
Few details are given about these men in the Bible, and most of our ideas about them actually come from tradition or speculation. Scripture does not say how many wise men there were, but it is generally assumed there were three since they brought three gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh .
What are the gifts of the Three Kings?
Three Gifts From Three Kings. The gifts of the Three Kings symbolize Christ's identity and mission: gold for a king, incense for God, and myrrh used to anoint the dead. Ironically, the Gospel of John states that Nicodemus brought a mixture of 75 pounds of aloe and myrrh to anoint Jesus’ body after the crucifixion .
Why did God honor the wise men?
God honored the wise men by warning them in a dream to go home by another route and not to report back to King Herod. Some Bible scholars think Joseph and Mary sold the wise men's gifts to pay for their trip to Egypt to escape Herod’s persecution . The Three Kings With Herod. SuperStock / Getty Images.
Where did the three kings come from?
Matthew says only that these visitors came from "the east.". Scholars have speculated that they came from Persia, Arabia, or even India. They doggedly followed a star that led them to Jesus.
Who were the three kings?
The Three Kings were among the wisest men of their time . Discovering that the Messiah was to be born, they organized an expedition to find him, following a star that led them to Bethlehem. Despite their culture and religion in a foreign land, they accepted Jesus as their Savior .
What did the 3 kings do to prove Jesus was the Messiah?
As real men, the three kings confirmed ancient prophecies about Jesus being the Messiah, and as symbols, they showed that he came to save all people, rich and poor, learned or unschooled, from anywhere in the world. These wealthy travelers were on the opposite end of the social and economic scale as the shepherds who had visited Jesus right ...
Who wrote the book The Wise Men?
Author Brent Landau turned the document into a book. The story is told from the point of view of the the wise men. In this story, there are twelve, not three, wise men and they come from a land called Shir which is thought to be China.
Where in the Bible does it say the wise men came?
In the New Testament of the Bible, Matthew related the coming of the wise men to Bethlehem. Matthew 2:1 reads “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem.”. Nowhere in this report of the coming of the wise men are they named or counted.
What were the names of the magi?
The text is copied from a Greek scroll written about 500 A.D., which no longer exists. The names were Bithisaria, Melichior, and Gathaspa, names which have changed over the centuries to Balthasar, Melchior, and Gaspar.
Who were the magi?
We will never know for certain who the magi were, whether they were priestly astrologers from Persia or diplomats from Nabatea or from countries much farther away. There is some evidence that a Tamil king, named Perumal, from what is now Sri Lanka, is also a candidate for membership among the magi.
Who defeated Frederick Barbarossa?
The Lombard League, led by Milan, defeated Emperor Frederick Barbarossa’s attempts to regain the Italian crown. But Frederick had enlisted the help of the archbishop of Cologne, who had recaptured Milan. In payment, Frederick sent the sacred bones of the magi to Cologne where a cathedral was built to house them.
Who brought back the magi?
The bones of the magi. Despite the lack of documentation, the people of that time accepted many tales as factual. St. Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine of Rome, traveled to India two hundred years after they died and brought back the bodies of the magi.
Where did the magi go to find Jesus?
He told them to go to Bethlehem and find this child. Then he asked them to report back to him so that he could go and honor the new king as well. These apparently politically naive magi went on to Bethlehem and determined that the Star was directly over a house. Inside they found the baby Jesus and his mother, Mary.
What are the three wise men?
5 Common Myths about the Three Wise Men Story. Everyone knows the legend of the three wise men's visit to Bethlehem as retold every Christmas. Three Arabian princes followed a star to find baby Jesus, wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. They presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Who were the magi in the Bible?
Kings were in the habit of gathering the best and brightest into an advisory body of wise men, stargazers, and dreamers. Magi are consulted in the Book of Daniel, and by Pharoah in the time of Joseph. The Greek word magi indicates these men were astrologers and interpreters of omens—following a star and dreaming dreams.
What kind of horse did people in northern Arabia use?
However, people in northern Arabia typically only rode Arabian horses. At the time of Christ’s birth camels were used as pack animals, but wealthy travelers used the more comfortable and swift horse. Photo courtesy: ©Thinkstock.
Who is Dwight Longenecker?
Dwight Longenecker is a parish leader, award-winning blogger, and speaker. A graduate of Oxford and Bob Jones University, he has written sixteen books on different aspects of religion. He is the author of a new book , Mystery of the Magi: The Quest to Identify the Three Wise Men, available in bookstores now.
What are the three gifts that Jesus gave to him?
Myth #1: There were three wise men. We have no idea how many there were. This was assumed because three gifts were given to Jesus: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. However, we don’t know the quantity of those gifts, or even if Jesus was only given one of each. There is no way to know how many.
Where did the wise men come from?
In fact, the wise men came days, months, or possibly even years later. That is why Matthew 2:11 says the wise men visited and worshiped Jesus in a house, not at the stable. We know that the magi were wise men from "the East," most likely Persia, or modern-day Iran. This means the wise men traveled 800 to 900 miles to see the Christ child.
How many wise men were there in the Bible?
However, the Bible does not say there were only three wise men. There could have been many more. Tradition says that there were three and that their names were Gaspar/Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar/Balthazar, but since the Bible does not say, we have no way of knowing whether the tradition is accurate. It is a common misconception that the wise ...
What did the Magi do?
So, the magi were men who 1) read and believed God’s Word, 2) sought Jesus, 3) recognized the worth of Christ, 4) humbled themselves to worship Jesus, and 5) obeyed God rather than man. They were truly wise men!
How far did the wise men travel to see the Christ child?
This means the wise men traveled 800 to 900 miles to see the Christ child. Most likely, the magi knew of the writings of the prophet Daniel, who in time past had been the chief of the court seers in Persia. Daniel 9:24-27 includes a prophecy which gives a timeline for the birth of the Messiah.
Where did the disciples go to pray concerning the birth of Christ?
They followed God’s guidance joyfully ( Matthew 2:10 ). When they arrived in Bethlehem, they gave costly gifts to Jesus and worshiped Him.
What are the three gifts that the Three Givers give?
Several traditions place their number at three, with the conjecture of three gifts for three givers: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. But some earlier traditions make quite a caravan of their visit, setting their number as high as twelve.
Who were the Magi of Christmas?
The Persian magi at least were credited with higher religious and intellectual attainments, while the Babylonian magi were sometimes considered impostors. The safest conclusion is that the Magi of Christmas were Persian. Indeed, the term originated among the Medo-Persians, and early Syriac traditions give them Persian names.
Why did the Sassanian army defy the Holy Land?
However, they desisted at Bethlehem because they recognized the images of their ancestors, the Magi, above the entrance to the Church of the Nativity in Persian headdress.
