The Bible In Paintings, #22: MAGI FOLLOW THE STAR TO BABY JESUS

c.2,200 BC - c.95 AD | by the Father, Son & Holy Spirit

[Hebrews 11:6]

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THE MAGI

FOLLOW

THE STAR TO

BABY JESUS

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MATTHEW 2
New International Version, emphases added
Abrdgd: the complete text is in your Bible

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Resources to CLICK:
To read MATTHEW 2 in full
To hear MAX McLEAN reading it
To hear a DRAMATIZATION of it
To see an ANIMATION of
Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John

Harmony of the Gospels

5
B. C.
Bible Timeline

		THEIR JOURNEY

MATTHEW Chapter 2

1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

by GISLEBERTUS
"It is from a capital in St. Lazare, Autun, France.
It depicts an angel lightly touching the hand of a Magus,
who is slowly waking up. With the other finger,
the angel points to the star."

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1 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by JAMES TISSOT
"The Magi Journeying"

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2 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by BENOZZO DI LESE DI SANDRO GOZZOLI
"The Journey of the Magi to Bethlehem"

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3 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by JEN NORTON
"Following A Higher Power"

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4 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by JAMES EDWIN MCCONNELL
"The Three Wise Men"

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5 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by CATHY BAXTER
"The Wise Men Looking for the Star of Bethlehem"

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6 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by MICHAEL TOREVELL
"Wise Men Came from the East"

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7 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by SARAH BATALKA
"Holy Night"

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8 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by SYDNEY GOODWIN
"Three Wise Men"

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9 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by RICHARD HOOK
"The Three Kings"

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10 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by JANE TATTERSFIELD
"The Three Kings"

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11 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by JANE TATTERSFIELD
"The Three Kings"

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12 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by JANE TATTERSFIELD
"Three Kings"

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13 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by DOUGLAS RAMSEY
"Wise Men from the East"

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14 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by GUSTAVE DORÉ
"The Wise Men Guided by the Star"

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15 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source

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16 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source

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17 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source

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18 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source

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19 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source

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20 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source

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21 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by ELIHU VEDDER
"Star of Bethlehem"

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22 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by BERNARDO PARENTINO
"Procession of the Magi"

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23 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by IAN HERRIOTT
"The Three Kings"

24 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by STEFANO DI GIOVANNI
"The Journey of the Magi"

25 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by BENOZZO GOZZOLI, 1461
"Procession of the Youngest King"

26 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by AUGUST VON WÖRNDLE, 1852
"Journey of the Magi with their Retinue"

27 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source

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28 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by WILLIAM BRASSEY HOLE
"Wise Men Enquiring of the Birth of the King of the Jews"

		BEFORE HEROD

7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

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29 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by JAMES TISSOT
"The Magi in the House of Herod"

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30 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
"Magi Before Herod"

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31 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source

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32 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by MATTEO DI GIOVANNI, 1490
"The Magi Before Herod"

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33 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
"Herod the Great Receives the Magi"

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34 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source

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35 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by J. LE BRETON
"Three Wise Men Visit King Herod"
Cathédrale d’Amiens, France

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36 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source

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37 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
St Michael's, Cornhill, London, England

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38 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
"The Three Magi before King Herod"
Salerno ivory

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39 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
"The Magi before Herod"
Troyes Cathedral, Champagne, France

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40 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source

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41 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
"The Magi before Herod"
Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome, Italy

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42 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
"The Visit of the Magi to Herod"

→ a n d... f i n a l l y ←

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CELTIC WOMAN: HOME FOR CHRISTMAS
LIVE FROM DUBLIN, 2012
"We Three Kings"

[null and void]

Seeking seems sufficient. Some day I’ll tell you a story about that.

[Hebrews 11:6]

I was hoping you would show us the chapel. What is meant by a “fresco cycle”? Does it show a sequence of events?

[etabeta]

In this case, the narrative of one event painted on contiguous walls. Other places have a fresco cycle based on the life of Jesus, or other Saints.

[Hebrews 11:6]

Seeking seems sufficient.

I am the one guy you absolutely cannot try that on:

Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

[Hebrews 11:6]

Thank you. And thus the dawn....

[Hebrews 11:6]

There are carefully-done studies to determine which non-humans are smartest which have ranked ravens as being first. Poe would agree.

[Red Badger]

Black birds, in general, are very smart..................... And good at basketball.............

[etabeta]

#34 is a mosaic in the beautiful St. Mark's Basilica in Venice, part of more than 8000 square feet of decorations covering the inside of the Basilica.

[etabeta]

The symbolism of the Magi gifts. Scholars think that these three were chosen for their special spiritual symbolism about Jesus himself: gold representing his kingship, frankincense a symbol of his priestly role, and myrrh a prefiguring of his death and embalming. There are also other interpretations.

[Hebrews 11:6]

WOW! Just WOW!

I just gots to know:
Assuming mosaic tiles of 1/2" square, then a square foot contains 24x24=576 tiles, x 8,000 sq ft = 4,608,000 tiles.

[Hebrews 11:6]

The interpretation you cited is the one I always run across. But, beyond their symbolism, they also had practical significance, as Red averred.

[etabeta]

Doh! I need another cup of coffee, I did not have the sound turned on because I was on the telephone with my sister. Very beautiful, Mary-Lou! Thank you.

[spankalib]

#21, Elihu Vedder, is very imaginative.

I looked up some info on him. His parents were cousins (!) and some of his works are in the Library of Congress (on the walls).

Check out his "Corrupt Legislation" if you like symbolism:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elihu_Vedder#/media/File:Corrupt-Legislation-Vedder-Highsmith.jpeg

[etabeta]

Construction of the Church began in 1063. Over centuries there were modifications and transformations. Some mosaics date from 1073, others from the 17th and 18th centuries, with the oldest on the façade, on the main portal. It is a great display of Byzantine splendor.

[Hebrews 11:6]

[Hebrews 11:6]

Christian church-builders certainly took the long view back then, with main construction durations often exceeding a century. Jesus couldn't return with all that enthusiastic erecting underway!

[null and void]

YMMV.

Your experiences and abilities are different than mine.

I don’t think us discussing why you can perceive things I cannot will be any more productive than it would be for you insisting that red and green are different colors to a colorblind man who desperately wants to believe they are.

I do appreciate your thoughts and prayers and concern. But my spiritual view is metaphorically shades of blue, yellow, and grey, where you see the full spectrum in all its glory.

We simply don’t have common ground for discussion on this particular point.

[null and void]

Fresco is painting on fresh (fresco) plaster, the still damp plaster readily absorbs the paint, giving a much more durable image than one merely daubed on the surface.

I think it also adds a certain sense of depth and has a more vivid pallet, but what do I know?

[null and void]

Or that...

[Hebrews 11:6]

As you wish. You know I am always here for you.

Just know this: if you do indeed earnestly seek Him, He will find you:

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened."