The earliest known depiction of the magi is this mid-third-century C.E. fresco decorating the Catacomb of Priscilla, one of Rome's oldest Christian cemeteries. [Scala/Art Resource, NY]
Posted on 11/07/2011 7:10:10 PM PST by SunkenCiv
The Bible tells us very little about the magi. Their story appears but once, in the Gospel of Matthew (2:1-12), where they are described as mysterious visitors "from the east" who come to Jerusalem looking for the child whose star they observed "at its rising." After meeting with King Herod, who feigns an intention to worship the child but actually plans to destroy him, the magi follow the same star to Bethlehem. There, upon seeing the baby Jesus and his mother Mary, the magi kneel down and worship him, presenting him with their three famous gifts -- gold, frankincense and myrrh. Then, without reporting to Herod, they depart for their homeland, never to be heard from again.
(Excerpt) Read more at bib-arch.org ...
The earliest known depiction of the magi is this mid-third-century C.E. fresco decorating the Catacomb of Priscilla, one of Rome's oldest Christian cemeteries. [Scala/Art Resource, NY]
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Geeeez! I have to buy the magazine to be able to finish the rest of the article.
I had always thought that they were Chaldeans, who had the prophecies of Daniel, and were able to calculate the exact date from the Decree of Cyrus, the Mede.
But I have no idea if that was provable.
Thanks TC.
It’s true, unless we are subscribers, we’ll have to go that route, or subscribe.
You see, now this is what seriously p*sses me off.
Yeah, I can see how they want to be sensitive to other people's beliefs -- by p*ssing on mine in the process.
But for Heaven's sake! We're talking about three figures from the Nativity story decorating a catacomb in a Christian cemetery in Rome! If they're reading this far, how much offense are they going to take from "A.D."???
BAR Magazine ... LOL
That’ll get your attention when it’s on the bookshelf at the store.
I really like THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY.
One of the more interesting theories about the Magi is Chuck Missler’s, which IIRC is that Daniel had been the chief of the Magi when he was in Babylon. As a result the Magi preserved his writing including his prophesies, which they used as a guide nearly 500 years later.
see post #12
See? You don’t have to buy that magazine after all.
Wow. Saving this list!
That might be were I heard it because I love Chuck Missler, so it may not have been my own idea, but one I heard from him.
It makes sense because Daniel was the Head of the Chaldeans while he was alive. It would not be surprising that Daniels life and prophecies would be remembered and followed by the Chaldeans into Jesus’s day.
Thanks! I just watched the video. Very interesting.
Thank you for showing that. I haven’t seen it before and really am glad to have seen it.
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Biblical Predictions As To The Time Of Messiah’s (Jesus’) Coming...........
4.Messiah must come 483 years after a specific date in Daniel’s time. This definite prediction as to the exact time of the coming of Messiah is one of the most wonderful prophecies in the entire Bible. It establishes the date of Messiah’s advent almost 500 years before He came. Here is the prediction:
“Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks; the streets shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for Himself; and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary” – Dan. 9:25, 26.
The date of the “commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem” was the decree by Artaxerxes in 444 B.C., granting permission to the Jews to return to Palestine and rebuild the city of Jerusalem (see Neh. 2:1-8).
The Hebrew word translated “weeks” in the Scripture quoted above (Dan. 9:25, 26) means “sevens” or heptads, and is used for years. (See Lev. 25:8; Gen. 29:27-28). In other words, the “seventy sevens” that are prophetically determined on Israel and on the holy city, with specific events (vs. 24), is a period of 490 years. This period is divided into 3 sections: (1) Seven “weeks”, or seven sevens of years – the 49 years the prophet allotted for the rebuilding of Jerusalem under the leadership of Nehemiah and Ezra and those associated with them. History tells us it took 49 years to do this rebuilding job; (2) A second period of 62 “weeks”, or 434 years, which would bring the time to Messiah; (3) The 70th “week”, a period of seven years some time after the coming of Messiah.
We now are especially interested in the period “from the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem” to “Messiah the Prince,” which totals to a period of 483 years. Sir Robert Anderson in his book, The Coming Prince, figured it out, and gave the world his findings. We quote from the facts he presents:
He starts with March 14, 444 B.C., the date of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem (some authorities differ as to the exact date, the dates given ranging from 454 to 444 B.C., within a ten-year period. In any event, the 483 years that begin with this event bring us to the time of Jesus); and he ends the period with Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem (which he believes was the official presentation of Messiah as “Prince” to Israel. Cf. Lk. 19:38-40 with Zech. 9:9). After careful investigation and consultation with noted astronomers, he gives these startling findings: From 444 B.C. to 32 A.D. is 476 years; 476 x 365 is 173, 740 days; from March 14 to April 6 (the day of Christ’s triumphal entry) is 24 days; add 116 days for leap years, and you get a total of 173, 880 days. Since the “prophetic year” of the Bible is always 360 days, the 69 “sevens” of this prophecy in Daniel (69 x 7 x 360) is 173, 880 days! And so, the time given by Daniel from the “commandment to restore and build Jerusalem” to “Messiah the Prince” comes out perfectly – to the very day!
This is a genuine prophecy, as detailed as a road map, with no taint of ambiguity; and it is a prediction that can be proven true. It is a sign that points unerringly to Jesus of Nazareth who was “Messiah the Prince, ” who was “cut off” (by a violent death) but not for Himself. When Jesus began His public ministry, He said significantly, “The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand” – Mark 1:15. Messiah must be born at some time; it might have been in any century, in any year; but with absolute certainty the exact year, the very month of a notable event in His life, is foretold.
It is most remarkable that within a generation of Christ’s sufferings on the cross the temple was destroyed, the Jewish priesthood ceased to exist, the sacrifices were no longer offered, the Jews’ genealogical records were destroyed, their city was destroyed, and the people of Israel were driven out of their land, sold into slavery, and dispersed to the four corners of the earth! Since those dreadful national judgments fell on Israel, it has been utterly impossible for a “Messiah” to come with proper “credentials,” such as the Old Testament demands, and such as Jesus of Nazareth presented.
(The above information was taken from Fred Meldau’s Messiah in Both Testaments, pages 29-35).
http://www.campuschristians.info/articles/biblicalpredictions.html
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