Posted on 12/25/2017 10:17:56 AM PST by blam
"Oppenheimer’s theory is that “ … the roots of the great flowering of civilisation in the fertile crescent of the Ancient Near East lay in the sinking shorelines of Southeast Asia. The Sumerians and Egyptians themselves wrote about the skilled wise men from the East, a fact often dismissed as the embellishment of a fertile imagination.” Purely as an aside, the infertility of the minds of some researchers protecting true knowledge can surely be offset against a true opposite, the imaginative minds of some lawyers in their role as protective inquisitors in an open court in the nations of the Anglo-West. "
Because of this prejudice, most scholars never did the necessary research to “sift out the historical element buried beneath levels of legend,” he says.
that statement could apply to any archeological area, the further back in time one goes, the stronger the prejudice.
Wise Men or just three pretty smart guys?
Which reminds me of the Pontius Pilate controversy. There is no contemporary mention of Pontius Pilate except in the Gospels. That led some “scholars” to conclude that he did not exist...that he was made up just to move the story along.
Then in 1961 the Pilate stone was found. There is now no doubt that Pontius Pilate existed, and that he was prefect of Judaea. Of course we Christians knew that all along.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilate_stone
I have never seen any evidence — in Scripture or otherwise — that there were exactly three Magi.
Well the wise men said they “saw his star in the east”.. The Nabateans were in the west so they could not have seen his star in the East. But Greeks and Egyptians could...
It was some wise guys from Sicily.
This will drive the Atheists and Agnostics heads as to . GOOD!!!
You are correct. There is no evidence that Mary traveled to Bethlehem on anything but her on two feet either.
We assume that because the magi brought three gifts, that there were three of them. It’s more likely that there was an entire caravan for safety.
Me too. The number is not given. Since they were bearing three gifts, I guess many have assumed there were three, each bearing one gift. But the bible does not say.
See the ‘The Star of Bethlehem’ on youtube. The Chaldean wise men did visit Yeshua on this date, when Yeshua was about two years old.
Yeshua was born on Yom Teruah, Day of Trumpets, 3BC. Some think the signs preceded Him and He was actually born later during the same Fall Feast time-frame, on the 1st day of Feast of Booths.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncoC9ZX2C6Y
Take a look at my post #7 here. It too should give the atheists and agnostics something to think about.
I recall having heard that Eastern churches have a tradition that there were 12 Magi.
Perhaps an Eastern Orthodox or similar FReeper could confirm.
Many also think the Chaldeans, were from the lineage of the Sages, started by Daniel. Daniel’s wealth was specificially stored in order to deliver it to the new born King, when the star sign announced His birth. It took time to actually launch the expedition and for it to travel there.
My bet is still with the magi being from the vicinity of Iraq/Persia rather than the Nabataeans living “next door”.
I agree. They may have come with a small army, which is why Herod didn’t mess with them. Who knows for sure, but you are right. There is nothing anywhere, that indicates there were only 3 of them.
Here is some related very good news:
(Freepers with high school students, take note!)
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