There's an awful lot of deception popularly winging its way through Christianity these days...
Not just 'these' days!
The word used in Matthew's gospel to refer to the wise men is the Greek "magoi", or the Latin "magi". "Magi" is perhaps an arcane and unfamiliar term to most English speakers. But, if you look in the dictionary, the word "magi" means sorcerers, wise men, MAGIcians, star-gazers, or astrologers. For what it is worth, you might be interested to know that "wizard", literally from the Old English "wise-ard", means "wise man". In Biblical times, magi (typically from the lands, such as Babylon, to the east of Israel) supposedly conjured the powers of the stars, sought guidance and prescience from them, and followed them. They monitored and interpreted the signs of the stars, predicted abnormal events, told fortunes, channeled deities, and were believed to tap unearthy powers.
Jeremiah notes this when he reminds GOD's people to not be concerned over the signs of the heavens because to be concerned with signs in the heavens is the practise of the heathen nations.
Jer 10:2
Thus says *YAHWEH*:
"Do not learn the ways of the Gentile Nations,
nor be concerned over the signs of the heavens.
Because, the Gentile Nations are concerned over them,
and the customs of these peoples are false."
They were not "kings from the orient", they were, by the Biblical definition, star-gazing wizards.