[freedom44]

Herodotus Description of the Magi

Herodotus, who lived in the fifth-century before Christ, the celebrated ancient Greek father of "history-writing" (historiography), and the chronicler of the Greco-Persian wars, provides us with some very valuable historical information concerning that ancient class of people known as the Magi. Thus it is clear that by the time of the birth of Christ, Magi were an already well-established and ancient caste of people. He explains that Magi (Old Persian "Magu")*, originated from Medes (today's northern Iran), and were an elite class or caste of Medes within the Persian empire. After an unsuccessful attempt to gain political control of the empire, the Medes turned from politics to piety, becoming the teachers and illuminators of the Persians, specialising in the interpretation of dreams. Herodotus also informs us that Magi also assumed priestly functions with Persian society. This means that Magi would have been Zoroastrian priests (at that time Zoroastrianism was the dominant religion of Persia). Indeed without them no official sacrifice could be offered in Persia.

Merry Christmas!

[TexasTransplant]

No they were Black Africans bringing Quwanza gifts and ears of Corn. They had this funky three colored flag and were really down on the man!

(really... sarcasim... really, no flames on this one, unless you believe they really were Black Aficans, bringing KAwanza gifts)

[Just Lori]

he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under

Innocent babies murdered 2,000 years ago. Evil has been around for a long long time, and it is with us today. If we don't fight it, we will allow it to overtake us.

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

[Khurkris]

I pretty much came to this conclusion quite a few years ago. No problem for me.

[RepublicanReptile]

The Magi were, as I recall, astrologers, so I am sure they
were on the lookout for something of great signifigance in that area, and they found it. Many people think that the Star of Bethelehem was the Hale Bop comet, which is why a lot of crazy people committed suicide and tried to " go to the comet" a few years back.

[Netizen]

wise men from the Greek
3097 magos mag'-os
1) a magus
a) the name given by the Babylonians (Chaldeans), Medes, Persians, and others, to the wise men, teachers, priests, physicians, astrologers, seers, interpreters of dreams, augers, soothsayers, sorcerers etc.
b) the oriental wise men (astrologers) who, having discovered by the rising of a remarkable star that the Messiah had just been born, came to Jerusalem to worship him
c) a false prophet and sorcerer

Magi ma-gi n.pl., sing. -gus [magus, magician] Douay Bible the wise men who came bearing gifts to the infant Jesus. (source: Webster's New World Dictionary)

Simon Magus, the Samaritan wizard.

Jeremiah 10
2 Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.
3 For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.

We're not supposed to be concerned with 'signs' of heaven.

Deuteronomy 18
9 When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.
10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch.
11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.
12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.

Isaiah 2
6 Therefore thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob, because they be replenished from the east, and are soothsayers like the Philistines, and they please themselves in the children of strangers.

Yahweh forbid the interpretation of signs for this sort of predictive purpose. It would have been divination to interpret the appearance of stars as omens of extraordinary events, births of royalty, or even messiahs. Yet, we are to do that which Yahweh/G-d forbids???

[oprahstheantichrist]

To me, the most curious thing is, how did they know what the star signified? If the Hebrew Scriptures did not prophecy the appearance of a star with the arrival of The Messiah, where did their information come from ("We have seen His star in the east...")?

I've read speculation that perhaps the prophet Daniel had foretold the star to his Babylonian contemporaries in the days of the captivity, but I don't know that there's a shred of evidence to support that.

[RaceBannon]

There is nothng in the Bible as to the identity of these men.

But they could be Persian, I will accede that.

They could also be Assyrian, though, we just dont know.

They could even be Indian...or Mongol...

[LS]

The "wise men" did not visit Bethlehem. They saw the "young child" (note, not the same word as "babe") in the "house" (note, not "inn" or "manger" or "stable"). The "kings" (which is the appropriate translation) saw Jesus in Nazareth, not Bethlehem, and, by the way, Jesus was only in Bethlehem for a night or two, because shortly thereafter He was in Jerusalem for the official Jewish ceremonies, THEN the Holy Family went to Nazareth THEN they fled to Egypt.

[marron]

I am intrigued by the thought that the Magi may have been zoroastrians, as I am intrigued by the fact that Cyrus was referred to by the hebrew writers as "righteous" in a way that foreigners usually were not.

I am also intrigued by the possibility of cross-fertilization between the hebrews and the zoroasters which may have occurred as a result of the babylonian exile.

[Fiddlstix]

BTTT