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The Magi were, according to the Gospel of Matthew, a group of wise men who came from the East to pay homage to the infant Jesus when he was born at Bethlehem. In Western Christianity, they are often referred to as Melchior of Persia, Caspar of India, and Balthazar of Arabia. The Latter is often depicted as the Black King.

< Events : Journey of the Magi -- Adoration of the Magi -- Relics of the Magi >

< People : Mary of Nazareth -- Joseph of Nazareth -- Jesus of Nazareth -- Amahl -- Herod the Great >

< Fiction : Magi (art) -- Magi (cinema) -- Magi (literature) -- Magi (music) >

Overview

The episode of the Adoration of the Magi is narrated only in the Gospel of Matthew. The legend of the Magi originated from the merging of traditions about "wise men from the East" with the memory of the appearance of Halley's Comet in October 12 BCE (and again in January 66 CE). "Wise Men from the East" had the reputation of interpreting the exact meaning of exceptional astronomical phenomena, like the appearance of a comet, which were believed to announce exceptional historical events, like the birth of a new King.

Later Christian tradition embellished the episode, and a series of legends began to flourish about the identity and whereabouts of the "three" Magi, who were described as "kings" coming from the East. By the 5th-6th century, they emerged among the most popular characters in the Gospel and in Western Christianity were referred to as:

• Melchior of Persia (also Melkon, Melichior),
• Caspar of India (also Gaspar, Jaspar, Kaspar, Gathaspa), and
• Balthazar of Arabia (also Balthasar, Balthassar, Bithisarea, Patisar).

According to the 12th-century Vita Eustorgi, the bishop of Milan St. Eustorgius obtained permission from the Emperor to transfer to Milan the remains of the three Magi, which in the fourth century had been "discovered" by St. Helena and taken to the Church of St. Sofia in Constantinople. In 1164 Milan was looted by Federico Barbarossa and the remains of the Magi was transferred to the Cathedral of Cologne where they are still preserved. See Relics of the Magi.

Around 1370 Johannes of Hildesheim in his Historia Trium Regum collected all traditions about the Magi into a long and detailed narrative, which became standard in Western Christianity. The work enjoyed great popularity and was translated into German, Dutch, French, English and Danish. At the end of the 15th century, the Historia de gestis trium regum would be among the first printed books--Mainz [Germany]: Johann Guldenschaiff, 1477 [1478, 1486]; Cologne [Germany]: Bartholomaeus de Unkel, 1481; Modena [Italy]: Dominicus Richizola, 1490; and in English translation, London [England]: Wynkyn de Worde, 1499.

Magi, in ancient sources

Gospel of Matthew

Mt 2:1-12 (NRSV) -- [1] In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, [2] asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." [3] When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; [4] and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. [5] They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: [6] 'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.'" [7] Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 8 Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." [9] When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. [10] When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. [11] On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. [12] And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

Cf. Protoevangelium of James

[21] And, behold, Joseph was ready to go into Judea. And there was a great commotion in Bethlehem of Judea, for Magi came, saying: Where is he that is born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and have come to worship him. And when Herod heard, he was much disturbed, and sent officers to the Magi. And he sent for the priests, and examined them, saying: How is it written about the Christ? Where is He to be born? And they said: In Bethlehem of Judæa, for so it is written. And he sent them away. And he examined the Magi, saying to them: What sign have you seen in reference to the king that has been born? And the Magi said: We have seen a star of great size shining among these stars, and obscuring their light, so that the stars did not appear; and we thus knew that a king has been born to Israel, and we have come to worship him. And Herod said: Go and seek him; and if you find him, let me know, in order that I also may go and worship him. And the Magi went out. And, behold, the star which they had seen in the east went before them until they came to the cave, and it stood over the top of the cave. And the Magi saw the infant with His mother Mary; and they brought forth from their bag gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned by the angel not to go into Judea, they went into their own country by another road.

External links

• Wikipedia

Additional Bibliography

• Schwab, Gustav, Johannes von Hildesheim. Die Legende von den heiligen drei K�nigen: Aus einer von Goethe mitgetheilten lateinischen Handschrift und einer deutschen der Heidelberger Bibliothek bearbeitet und mit zw�lf Romanzen begleitet (Cotta, Stuttgart, 1822).
• Flo�, Heinrich Joseph, Dreik�nigenbuch: Die Uebertragung der hh. Dreik�nige von Mailand nach K�ln (Verlag der M. DuMont-Schauberg’schen Buchhandlung, Cologne, 1864).
• Horstmann, Carl, The Three Kings of Cologne: An Early English Translation of the Historia trium regum by John of Hildesheim (Tr�bner, London, 1886 [= Early English Text Society: Original Series, nr. 85]).
• Dieterich, Albrecht, “Die Weisen aus dem Morgenlande”, Zeitschrift f�r Neutestamentliche Wissenschaften und Kunde der Urchristentums, 3 (1902), 1-14.
• Jackson, A.V. Williams, “The Magi in Marco Polo and the Cities in Persia from which they came to worship the Infant Christ”, Journal of the American Oriental Society, 26 (1905), 79-83 [JSTOR link].
• Kehrer, Hugo, Die Heiligen Drei K�nige in Literatur und Kunst, 2 vols. (Seemann, Leipzig, 1908/09) – reprinted in 1976 by Georg Olms Verlagsbuchhandlung (Hildesheim).
• Miles, Clement A., Christmas in Ritual and Tradition, Christian and Pagan (T. Fisher Unwin, London, 1912 [reprinted in 1976 as Christmas Customs and Traditions: Their History and Significance by Dover Publications, New York]).
• [Anon.], “The Magi, or Three Wise Men”, English Mechanic and World of Science, 98 (1914), 586.
• Monck, W.H.S., “The Magi, or Three Wise Men”, English Mechanic and World of Science, 99 (1914), 13-14.
• Carfax, ?., “The Magi and Astronomy”, English Mechanic and World of Science, 98 (1914), 14.
• Scheepstra, Trijntje Jantine Annette, Van den heilighen drien Coninghen: Middelnederlandse teksten (J.B. Wolters, Groningen, 1914).
• Vitti, A., “Apocryphorum de Magis enarrationes”, Verbum Domini, 7 (1927), 3-13.
• Leclercq, H., “Mages”, in: F. Cabrol & H. Leclercq (eds.), Dictionnaire d’Arch�ologie Chr�tienne et de Liturgie (Letouzey et An�, Paris, 1931), vol. 10, cols. 980-1067.
• Messina, G., “Ecce Magi ab Oriente venerunt (Mt 2,2)”, Verbum Domini, 14 (1934), 7-19.
• Mak, Jacobus Johannes, Het Kerstfeest: Ontstaan en verbreiding, viering in de middeleeuwen (Nijhoff, The Hague, 1948).
• Mak, Jacobus Johannes, Middeleeuwse Kerstvoorstellingen (Het Spectrum, Utrecht, 1948).
• Philippen, Jos, Kerstmis en Driekoningen in de Beeldende Kunsten (Pro Arte, Diest, s.a. [1949]).
• Vezin, Gilberte, L’adoration et le cycle des Mages dans l’art chr�tien primitif: �tude des influences orientales et grecques sur l’art chr�tien (Presses Universitaires de France, Paris, 1950).
• Olschki, Leonardo, “The Wise Men of the East in Oriental Traditions”, in: W.J. Fischel (ed.), Semitic and Oriental Studies: A Volume presented to William Popper, Professor of Semitic Languages, Emeritus, on the Occasion of his Seventy-Fifth Birthday, Oct. 29, 1949 (University of California Press, Berkeley, 1951 [= University of California Publications in Semitic Philology, nr. 11]), pp. 375-395.
• Kirschbaum, E., “Der Prophet Balaam und der Anbetung der Weisen”, R�misches Quartalschrift, 49 (1954), 129-171.
• Freeman, M.B., John of Hildesheim: The Story of the Three Kings (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1955) – reprinted in 1978.
• Marsh-Edwards, J.C., “The Magi in Tradition and Art”, Irish Ecclesiastical Record, 85 (1956), 1-19.
• Richards, H.J., “The Three Kings (Mt. ii. 1-12)”, Scripture, 8 (1956), 23-38.
• Mann, C.S., “Epiphany: Wise Men or Charlatans?”, Theology, 61 (1958), 495-500.
• Harris, Sylvia, “The Historia trium regum and the Mediaeval Legend of the Magi in Germany”, Medium aevum, 28 (1959), 23-30 [Periodicals Archive Online link].
• Denis, A.M., “L’adoration des mages vues par S. Matthieu”, Nouvelle revue th�ologique, 82 (1960), 32-39.
• Bruns, J.E., “The Magi Episode in Matthew 2”, Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 23 (1961), 51-54.
• Galbiati, Enrico, “L’adorazione dei Magi”, Bibbia e Oriente, 4 (1962), 20-29.
• Johannes von Hildesheim: Die Legende von den Heiligen Drei K�nigen (Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich, 1963).
• Ristow, G�nter, Die Geburt Christi in der fr�hchristlichen und byzantinisch-ostkirchlichen Kunst (Bongers, Recklinghausen, 1963 [= Iconographia ecclesiae orientalis, nr. ?]).
• Schnitzler, Hermann & Bloch, Peter, Der Meister des Dreik�nigenschreins: Ausstellung im Erzbisch�flichen Di�zesan Museum in K�ln 11. Juli bis 23. August 1964 (Erzbisch�flichen Di�zesan Museum, Cologne, 1964).
• Weis, A., “Drei K�nige (Anbetung und Zyklus der Magier)”, in: E. Kirschbaum (ed.), Lexikon der christlichen Ikonographie (Verlag Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau, 1968), vol. 1, cols. 539-549.
• McNamara, M., “Were the Magi Essenes?”, Irish Ecclesiastical Record, 110 (1968), 305-328.
• Kalokyres, K�nstantinos D., To astron tes Bethleem eis ten Byzantinen technen; eikonographike hermeneia/The Star of Bethlehem in Byzantine Art; Iconographic Interpretation Greek and English ([s.i.], Thessaloniki, 1969).
• Mu�oz Iglesias, Salvador, “Les mages et l’�toile”, Assembl�es du Seigneur, s�r. 2, 12 (1969), 19-31.
• McNally, R.E., “The Three Holy Kings in Early Irish Latin Writing”, in: P. Granfield & J.A. Jungmann (eds.), Kyriakon: Festschrift Johannes Quasten (Aschendorff, M�nster in Westfalen, 1973), vol. 1, pp. 667-690.
• Hofmann, Hans, Die Heiligen Drei K�nige: Zur Heiligenverehrung im kirchlichen, gesellschaftlichen und politischen Leben des Mittelalters (R�hrscheid, Bonn, 1975 [= Rheinisches Archiv: Ver�ffentlichungen des Instituts f�r geschichtliche Landeskunde der Rheinlande an der Universit�t Bonn, nr. 94]).
• Zehnder, Frank G�nter & Schlagenhaufer, Martina (eds.), Die Heiligen Drei K�nige: Darstelling und Verehrung. Katalog zur Ausstellung des Wallraf-Richartz-Museums in der Josef-Haubrich-Kunsthalle K�ln (Wallraf-Richartz-Museum, Cologne, 1982).
• Duchesne-Guillemin, Jacques, “The Wise Men from the East in the Western Tradition”, in: J. Duchesne-Guillemin (ed.), Papers in Honour of Professor Mary Boyce (E.J. Brill, Leiden, 1985), vol. 1, pp. 149-157.
• Jong, Martien Jacobus Gerardus de, Vrede ende vrolicheyt: Kerstfeest in de middeleeuwen (Uitgeverij de Prom, Baarn, 1985).
• Aus, R.D., “The Magi at the Birth of Cyrus, and the Magi at Jesus’ Birth in Matt 2:1-12”, in: J. Neusner et al. (eds.), New Perspectives on Ancient Judaism (University Press of America, Lanham [MD], 1987), vol. 2, pp. 99-114.
• Kolks, Zeno G.M. & Weggen-de Bos, Monique, Een stal in Bethlehem: Nederlandse kerstvoorstellingen uit kerkelijk bezit (Stichting Matrijs, Utrecht, 1989).
• Yamauchi, Edwin M., “The Episode of the Magi”, in: J. Vardaman & E.M. Yamauchi (eds.), Chronos, Kairos, Christos: Nativity and Chronological Studies Presented to Jack Finegan (Eisenbrauns, Winona Lake, 1989), pp. 15-39.
• Buhler, Stephen M., “Marsilio Ficino’s De stella magorum and Renaissance Views of the Magi”, Renaissance Quarterly, 43 (1990), 348-371 [JSTOR link].
• W�stefeld, Wilhelmina C.M., Koers, Niels H. & Caron, Marlies L., Rondom Kerst: Prentkunst uit eigen bezit (1475-1750) (Rijksmuseum Het Catharijneconvent, Utrecht, 1990).
• Wood, J., Themes in Art: The Nativity (Scala Publications/R�union des Mus�es Nationaux, London/Paris, 1992).
• Johnson, P. & Troiano, E., The Roads from Bethlehem: Christmas Literature from Writers Ancient and Modern (Westminster/John Knox, Louisville, 1993).
• Harries, Richard, A Gallery of Reflections: The Nativity of Christ (Lion Publishing, Oxford, 1995).
• Roll, Susan K., Toward the Origins of Christmas (Kok Pharos Publishing House, Kampen, 1995 [= Liturgia condenda, nr. 5]).
• Trexler, Richard C., The Journey of the Magi: Meanings in History of a Christian Story (Princeton University Press, Princeton, 1997).
• Matthews, J. & Matthews, C., The Winter Solstice: The Sacred Traditions of Christmas (Quest Books, Wheaton [Ill], 1998).
• Bussagli, Marco (ed.), I tre Saggi e la Stella: Mito e realt� dei Re magi (Il Cerchio Iniziative Editoriali, Rimini, 1999).
• Gulevich, Tanya, Encyclopedia of Christmas: Nearly 200 alphabetically arranged entries covering all Aspects of Christmas, including Folk Customs, Religious Observances, History, Legends, Symbols, and Related Days from Europe, America, and around the World (Omnigraphics, Detroit, 2000).
• Powell, M.A., “The Magi as Kings: An Adventure in Reader-Response Criticism”, Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 62 (2000), 459-480.
• Crump, William Drake, The Christmas Encyclopedia (McFarland & Company, Jefferson/London, 2001).
• Jong, Martien Jacobus Gerardus de, Kerstfeest in de middeleeuwen: Geschilderd & geschreven (Davidsfonds, Louvain, 2001).
• McGowan, A., “How December 25 became Christmas”, Bible Review, 18 (2002), nr. 6, 46-48 & 57-58.
• Hegedus, Tim, “The Magi and the Star in the Gospel of Matthew and Early Christian Tradition”, Laval th�ologique et philosophique, 59 (2003), 81-95 [??? link].
• Panaino, Antonio, I Magi evangeleci: Storia e simbologia tra Oriente e Occidente (???, Longo, 2004).

External links