OU Professor Says Ancient Text Reveals Startling Information About Magi, Star of Bethlehem

News Oklahoma ^ | 12/25/10 | Carla Hinton

[marshmallow]

University of Oklahoma professor and Harvard grad Brent Landau's new book “Revelation of the Magi: The Lost Tale of the Wise Men's Journey to Bethlehem” reveals startling details about the Magi and star of Bethlehem.

NORMAN — Many Christians can recite the basics of the Christmas story, complete with the account of the three wise men from the East following a bright star to Bethlehem.

It's essentially saying that the people who recognized the significance of Jesus were not just Jews but people from a totally different culture and a totally different religious system. One of the points I made in the book is that Christ tells the Magi that even as excited as they are that their prophecy has been fulfilled, that this is actually one of a number of occurrences in which Christ has appeared to people in the world. So, this text seems to be claiming that Christ has actually been the foundation of a number of humanity's religious revelations.”

As the story goes, the men known as the Magi find the infant Jesus in a lowly manger. They fall down and worship Him, presenting the babe with frankincense, gold and myrrh.

Brent Landau, of Norman, grew up entranced by the familiar story and the lore surrounding the star of Bethlehem.

So, he was delighted when he got the chance to translate an ancient text that reveals many details surrounding the star and the trio that offered those first gifts to the newborn Messiah.

Landau, a University of Oklahoma religious studies professor and ancient biblical languages expert, shares his findings in his new book, “Revelation of the Magi: The Lost Tale of the Wise Men's Journey to Bethlehem” (HarperOne, $22.99). The Episcopalian said the book had its beginnings in his Harvard University dissertation and then evolved into much.....

[Netizen]

Do you know what paraphrase means? lol

[Cvengr]

Tasting the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil reveals volumes as to our old sin nature.

We tend to leap to discern between good and evil as a mechanism for guidance rather than first relying on what He provides for us through faith in Christ. When we slide back into such separation, we surely “die”, or are “in a state of existence separated from Him”, not by His choice, but by our unfaithful choice.

[Cvengr]

It isn’t reincarnation, for our Lord Christ Jesus is Resurrected. He is very much alive today in a resurrected body as He was some 2000 years ago, except He has now ascended and is awaiting until His enemies are made a footstool unto His feet and the bringing of His bride to Him at the time chosen by the Father.

[Cvengr]

A fascinating study is to research the many revelations of God throughout Scripture and identifying which person of the Godhead is being revealed at the time. One God made known to us as three persons.

[Netizen]

I was referring to the articles suggestion that he had reincarnated several times during various ages to different cultures. Sorry I wasn’t more clear.

[Cronos]

True, there is no reference to three wise men. I, however, still believe that these were Magi — Zoroastrian priests, not Chinese. Chinese would have stood out way too much in th Middle East and the chances of them speaking a semitic language or even Greek would have been far less than the Irani world. They may have come from what is now Afghanistan or Tajikistan (i.e. Eastern Iran) as those were Indo-Greek and Greco-Parthian/ Greco-Bactrian kingdoms but no further

[Cronos]

Where there was a great wall does not indicate that this was China — it could indicate any number of walled cities. Producing silk could have been mixed up with who brought the silk — the Irani traders would be loath to say where they got the silk from, so perhaps the author thought that the traders were the producers.

[Cronos]

“several Hypostatic unions” — that is not implied in the article. several Hypostatic unions would indicate several “versions” of man-God. That may tie in to avatars of Vishnu but not to Judaic religions.

[Cronos]

"several Hypostatic unions" -- that is not implied in the article. several Hypostatic unions would indicate several "versions" of man-God. That may tie in to avatars of Vishnu but not to Judaic religions.

Stating that "Christ has actually been the foundation of a number of humanity's religious revelations.” does not indicate hypostatic union but could indicate visions etc. such as Zoroaster getting his Gathas from Ahura Mazda etc.

[Cvengr]

A number of appearances, not necessarily reincarnation.

Theologically, reincarnation is not the mechanism used by our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus, but possession of souls by fallen angels is frequently masked by claims of reincarnation. New Age appeals to claims of reincarnation as a substitute for resurrection and other appearances by the Son.

[Cronos]

It's so cool to hear stories from around the world in today's times of Christ appearing to those of other faiths, especially in the Muslim world.

huh???

[Cvengr]

Agreed.

Our Lord today is in Hypostatic Union.

Makes me ponder Jacob/Israel in the Gen 32:24 account.

[Cronos]

The Muslims of today are much different than they were a couple thousand years ago, or even earlier. Abraham was promised by the Lord that Ishmael would begat a great nation. It’s a shame what it has become.

I'm sorry, but your statements are not completely correct:

1. "Ishmael would begat a great nation" -- Ishmael was the ancestor of the Najd Arabs, maybe even of the Bedouins, but that's less likely as I consider the Bedos to be related to Midianites and descended from Abraham via Keturah.
Modern day Muslims -- 80% of these are NOT "Arabs" -- they are Pakistanis/Bangladeshis (Indic peoples), Indonesians/Malaysians (Malay peoples), Iranis, Azerbaijanis, Afghanis (Pathans), Tajiks, Uzbeks etc. (Irani peoples) and African peoples.
I put the term Arab in "" because what we call Arabs now are really not Arabs by blood -- most North Africans from Morocco to Libya are Berbers by blood, "pretending" to be Arabs. Ditto for Egyptians (Coptics), Syrians (Arameans), Iraqis (well, ok, most, but there are some who are pure-blood Arabs, the rest are older populations). Even Yemenis and Omanis are not descended from Ishmael but are different branches of Semites.

2. a 1000 years ago (1000 AD), Islam was still expansionist, it had conquered all of North Africa and the Fatimid Caliph of that time, Muawiyah had destroyed the Church of the Nativity and was persecuting Christian pilgrims and forcing conversions of Christians in Egypt and North Africa (this is what triggered the 1st crusade, a defensive move 300 years after Muslims had conquered Spain, Sicily, southern Italy, Christian North Africa, Syria etc.)

[Cronos]

"a couple thousand" --> good catch aruanan -- I read that as "one thousand" in error. 2000 years ago Islam did not exist

Rip may be falling under the lie perpetrated by Moslems that "Arabs" are who populate and populated syria, egypta, Iraq etc, but that's not true.

[Cronos]

"Ishmael was the father of the islamic nations"

That is incorrect -- the largest Moslem nations by population are:

1. Indonesia -- of Malay descent
2. Bangladesh - of Aryan descent, Indic branch
3. India -- of Aryan descent, Indic branch
4. Pakistan - of Aryan descent, Indic branch
5. Egypt - ok, some Arab blood, but mostly Coptic (which is a mixture of earlier Semitic and mostly Berber type peoples with Ethiopian type peoples)
6. IRan -- of ARyan descent, Iranic branch

The majority of Moslems are hence Aryanic peoples -- not descendents of Ishmael, not Semites

Ishmael could not be the father of all Islamic nations, he was not even the father of most Middle-Easterners but only the specific Najd/Hejaz Bedouin Arabs.

[21twelve]

Many modern-day muslims all over the world have given reports of seeing a vision of Jesus, and then converting to Christianity. IIRC, often after offering up prayers to Allah for guidance and “truth”. Of course, God knows what is in the hearts of ALL people, even if they may believe in a false god.

[Cronos]

1. Lev, Deut, Jer, Amos are not restricted to talking about "Jews" i.e. people of the tribes of Judah, Benjamin and Simeon.r
2. The "lost tribes" were hardly "lost" -- these were taken into captivity by Assyrians. Assyrian policy was to take the top "intellectuals" and ruling classes and transport them from one end of the neo-Assyrian empire to the other. The Israelites were transported to what is now northern Iraq/Western Iran to stand off against the Medes. Many did return as documented in Nahum and Maccabbees, those who remained would be absorbed into present day Iraqis and Western Iranis (more likely Iraqis and Syrians than Iranis). A few would have moved as individuals to other parts of the world -- like the families that moved to Southern India, those who moved to East AFrica etc. But there was no massive tribe-level movements.

There is absolutely no evidence: historical, archaeological or genetic for any Semites in the pre-Columbine Americas. There is adequate historical, archaeological and genetic proof for Mayans and older civilisations in the Americas that date back to way in the BC, yet none for any Semites. This is because there were no Semitic peoples in pre-Columbine Americas

[Cronos]

“striking genetic evidence of relatedness between Jews that goes back to a founder from a certain region around the Tigris/Euphrates Rivers (where Abraham came from) and is shared by a small ethnic group living there now.” —> excellent point, aruanan

[Cvengr]

Sometimes it seems Islam is better associated with Kwanzaa than Christ.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

http://tigerloaf.wordpress.com/2010/08/29/gift-of-the-magi-indian-giver/