-Tenny, Merrill C., ed. Pictorial Bible Dictionary. Nashville: The Southwestern Company, 1968, Page 501.
-Religion for Breakfast: The 3 Wise Men: Ancient Magicians?
-Reasons to Believe: 28:19 Episode 49
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I just saw a sermon on it and the guy seemed to know what he was talking about. They were astrologers probably from Persia.
The light they followed was not a star. It could not have been as it moved or stayed in one place rather than move as the stars do.
They definitely were from the East of Bethlehem, and I might add, they were not kings. Also one of them was not a Sub-Saharan African as is often shown.
It is quite an interesting read.
I have to share something here. My wife is from Mexico. Her English is really good but one thing she says every Christmas is “the three wise guys.”
I try to explain to her what “wise guy” means in English but she doesn’t quite get it and I am usually laughing too hard to make my point clear.
After 26 Christmases it just sort of is.
They were wise enough not to tell you.
The Bible tells us.
January 6 2019
The Epiphany of the Lord
Reading 1
Is 60:1-6
Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come,
the glory of the Lord shines upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth,
and thick clouds cover the peoples;
but upon you the LORD shines,
and over you appears his glory.
Nations shall walk by your light,
and kings by your shining radiance.
Raise your eyes and look about;
they all gather and come to you:
your sons come from afar,
and your daughters in the arms of their nurses.
Then you shall be radiant at what you see,
your heart shall throb and overflow,
for the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you,
the wealth of nations shall be brought to you.
Caravans of camels shall fill you,
dromedaries from Midian and Ephah;
all from Sheba shall come
bearing gold and frankincense,
and proclaiming the praises of the LORD.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13.
R. (cf. 11) Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts;
the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute.
All kings shall pay him homage,
all nations shall serve him.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
Reading 2
Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6
Brothers and sisters:
You have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace
that was given to me for your benefit,
namely, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation.
It was not made known to people in other generations
as it has now been revealed
to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit:
that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body,
and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
Alleluia
Mt 2:2
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Mt 2:1-12
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,
in the days of King Herod,
behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,
“Where is the newborn king of the Jews?
We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage.”
When King Herod heard this,
he was greatly troubled,
and all Jerusalem with him.
Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people,
He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea,
for thus it has been written through the prophet:
And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
since from you shall come a ruler,
who is to shepherd my people Israel.”
Then Herod called the magi secretly
and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance.
He sent them to Bethlehem and said,
“Go and search diligently for the child.
When you have found him, bring me word,
that I too may go and do him homage.”
After their audience with the king they set out.
And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them,
until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.
They were overjoyed at seeing the star,
and on entering the house
they saw the child with Mary his mother.
They prostrated themselves and did him homage.
Then they opened their treasures
and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod,
they departed for their country by another way.
History of the Magi: Who were the Wise Men?
Why “Celebrate” Christmas—and the Epiphany?
On Christmas and Epiphany
Happy Epiphany! ...sort of
6th January, The Epiphany of Our Lord
St. John Chrysostom's Homily for the Feast of the Theophany (Catholic/Orthodox Caucus)
Wise Men from the East and the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord [Ecumenical]
Ancient Document Sheds New Light on Magi Story
The Epiphany of the Lord
Straight Answers: Who Were the Magi?
OU Professor Says Ancient Text Reveals Startling Information About Magi, Star of Bethlehem
The Gift of the Magi
Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh On the Feast of the Epiphany
FEAST OF THE EPIPHANY (THEOPHANY) OF OUR LORD - January 6, 2010
New security as pope leads Mass for Epiphany
The Magi and the Star -- Epiphany Explored
Three Kings festivities in full swing around [Puerto Rico]
"A strange mingling of light and shadow..." On the Feast of Epiphany
Wise Men from the East -- Epiphany
The Feast of the Epiphany
The Magi and the Star
The Secret Life of the Magi Kings [Epiphany]
Wise Men from the East [Ecumenical - with a question]
Feast of the Epiphany (2)
Feast of the Epiphany (1)
Epiphany (when the Gentile visitors brought gifts) [Ecumenical]
Twelfth Night [Eve of the Feast of the Epiphany]
A Christmas Pilgrimage (maintaining Christmas until Epiphany)
Christmastide and Epiphany
Epiphany Revealed (Did the Wise Men Really Have Names?)
For the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord 'Three Kings' Seek, Find, and Worship the Lord
The Universal King
Helena's (Mother of Constantine) Epiphany Meditation
EPIPHANY - THREE KINGS - January 6 (Holy Day of Obligation)
The Epiphany of the Roman Primacy
Thousands watch teens dive for the cross in Tarpon Springs
The Season of Epiphany
Tarpon Springs Celebrates Epiphany
100th Epiphany Day Event Will Be Global Celebration
Patriarch Adds To Epiphany Pomp
Ready for "Little Christmas"?
The Magi and the Host
Another Christian Holiday Celebrated
Christmas and Epiphany
India's Zoroastrians and the Three Kings for Jesus
Journeying with the Magi
Who Were The Magi?
Were the Magi who visited Jesus -- Persian?
The Journey of the Magi
Lost me at the end.
Jesus has risen.
Jesus is not gone.
Epiphany has been removed from many secular calendars the reason might be because the Roman rite since the 2nd Vatican changed the observance to the first Sunday after New Years formerly known as The Feast of Circumcision. Despite this I encourage its observance knownas the 12th day of Christmas.
On This “Little Christmas”
January 6th
Once Upon a Time and not too long ago
The Twelfth Night Of Christmas
was celebrated with a ball
From the the Day of Babes Birth
and the 11 thereafter
kith and kin were paid a visit
and friends from far and near
once were paid a call
So on this day I pray
in the spirit that this date recalls
Let the gift of homage of kings gain
in the spirit
of the days this season yet remain
ere it wanes
Be thine Blessings Great
and misfortunes thee none befall
http://www.theusmat.com/natdesk.htm
An interesting meditation I found several years about about the Wise Men and the symbolism of their gifts to Jesus.
http://www.bswett.com/1960-12Myrrh.html
MYRRH IS MINE — A Christmas Dream
(probably from hearing “We Three Kings of Orient Are” by John H. Hopkins, and wondering what kind of idiot would take myrrh to the birth of a king.)
Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume,
Breathes a life of gathering gloom;
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying,
Sealed in a stone-cold tomb.
My front yard Nativity doesn’t have any wise guys.....because they weren’t there. Still shocks some people to learn that.
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They were Melchior, Gaspard, and Balthasar. Everyone knows that!
Very informative. Thank you.
1. Astrologers had to be astronomers to calculate the ephemerides.
2. The star is thought by some to be an uncommon planetary configuration, incorporating a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, connoting royalty and power.
Thank you. Merry Christmas.
Thank you for this post.
Merry Christmas! He is Born!
On the front lawn, a wife asked her husband why he had folks dressed up as first responders in their nativity scene.
Husband responded, “The bible says that the three wise men came from afar.”
Who were the wise men? They were NOT Democrats or RINOs...
A great post and it gives a great explanation.