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The Story of The Three
Wise Men
Frosty After
Jesus was born,
wise men came to
look for Him,
from an area
which is now in
either Iran or
Saudi Arabia.
The Three Wise
Men (also
referred to as
the Three Kings,
and as the Magi)
were always a
part of the
Nativity scene.
The story of a
visit of wise
men to the
Christ Child is
told in the
bible in
St.Mathhew 2:1
tells us:
"...Now when
Jesus was born
in Bethlehem of
Judaea in the
days of Herod
the king,
behold, there
came wise men
from the east to
Jerusalem . . ."
This Bible
passage doesn't
state how many
wise men
actually came
from the east
nor does it
mention their
names or their
method of
travel. It is
only assumed
they traveled by
camel and they
could have
easily traveled
by foot. The
Bible doesn't
claim these men
to be kings,
however it is
speculated they
were at least
learned men and
perhaps even
astrologers.
Matthew 2:11
mentions three
gifts that were
presented: "...
they presented
unto him gifts;
gold, and
frankincense and
myrrh." Several
Eastern
religions have
claimed up to
twelve wise men
made the journey
to Bethlehem.
According to
medieval legend
the names of
three were
Melchoir, King
of Arabia, who
brought gold;
Gaspar, King of
Tarsus, whom
brought myrr;
and Balthasar,
King of
Ethiopia, whom
brought
frankincense.
These three
names do not
come from the
Bible and did
not appear in
Christian
literature until
five hundred
years after the
birth of Jesus.
St. Matthew 2:11
states: ...and
when they were
come into the
house, they saw
the young child
with Mary his
mother, and fell
down, and
worshipped
him..." The
statement of
coming into a
house instead of
a stable (or
cave) and seeing
a "young child,"
not a newborn,
leads one to
think that the
wise men didn't
arrive until
quite some time
after Jesus'
birth. It is
believed that
the wise men
came from the
east by
following a
bright star that
led them to to
Bethlehem.
Many believe
that these gifts
brought to the
Christ Child by
the wise men may
well have been
the origin of
our present-day
custom of gift
giving at
Christmas - or
as may religious
people believe
it it a showing
of our desire to
emulate the
unselfishness of
Christ. Whatever
the origin, the
practice has
become
universal.
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