The Mystery of the Magi: Mistery “king star”; “El Dio de Los Tres Reyes Magos”

When the Christ child was born in a humble stable in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago tonight, shepherds may have first witnessed the coming of the Messiah, but it’s the three eastern travellers who followed that heightened the Nativity’s significance.

Call them the Three Wise Men, the Three Kings of the Orient, the Magi - but who were they?

It’s one of the Nativity’s greatest mysteries and the subject of constant conjecture. The Book of Matthew states they came to Jerusalem to worship the Christ child, navigating by way of a bright star. They may have been Median or Zoroastrian priests from Ancient Persia who were proficient at astrology.

The ambitious King Herod, wary of predictions that a child saviour would usurp his throne, plotted to trick them into revealling the location of the baby Jesus. The three travellers eventually found the child in Bethlehem, presenting Him with gifts. An angel then warned the three men of Herod’s evil intentions, prompting them to return home by a different route. Mary and Joseph fled with Jesus to Egypt, thus escaping the massacre of all the newborns in Bethlehem.

Where did these mysterious travellers hail from? While many countries have laid claim to the Magi, three lead the pack of contenders: Persia, Babylon or Arabia. Byzantine art depicted them as wearing Persian dress, supporting the view that they were from Persia. Most theories support the contention that they were astrologists (”watchers of the sky” in the old texts), astronomers or priests. Persia had the most advanced science in the region.

Babylon was also a hot bed for astrological activity with its scientists meticulous in the research of celestial phenomena. The Book of Daniel notes the Magi held rank in the Babylonian court.

The gifts given by the Magi denote that they heralded from the Arabian peninsula. Sheba, a country in southwest Arabia, is known to have traded gold and jewels with Mediterranean countries. It was ruled by priest-kings who worshipped the stars.

The notion that the Magi were kings is an incorrect assumption. It is derived from the belief that their coming was prophesied in Psalm 72 which stated: “The

kings of Tarshish and the isles shall bring gifts; the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.” In the 2nd century, the theologian Tertullian remarked that they were regarded as “almost kings.”

In the 6th century, the Roman Catholic church probably designated the Magi as kings in the belief that the Christ child must be visited by royalty. The modern-day belief is promoted heavily by “We Three Kings,” the popular carol written in 1857 by Henry Hopkins Jr.

Yet, another account claims that one of the Magi came from China. Liu Shang, the chief astrologer during the Han dynasty, is said to have discovered a new star which he called the “king star.” He disappeared from the Imperial court for two years shortly after the star was discovered. Chinese Christians today interpret this to mean that Liu Shang ventured down the Silk Road to Bethlehem.

While they have been given many names, the Magi were designated as Gaspar (or Casper), Melchior and Balthasar, in an early 6th century Greek manuscript from Alexandra. Another 8th century Latin text uses the same names, gives details on their clothes but has them coming from Syria. In some parts of the world, they go by different names. Ethiopian Christians call them Hor, Karsuhan and Basanater, while Syrian Christians call the Magi Larvandad, Gushnasaph and Hormisdas - names which are Persian sounding.

In the West, the Magi still go by Gaspar, Melchior and Balthasar. Most theologians accept that Balthasar was an African or Moor. Melchor is largely seen as the elder statesman of the group, while Gasper was the youngest.

They probably crossed the Syrian desert lying between the Euphrates River and Syria, then moved on to Damascus and then southward along what is today called the Great Mecca trail. This means Jordan and the Sea of Galilee was to their west until they crossed a fiord at Jericho. If they came from Persia, which is the most popular theory, this journey covering a distance of 1,200 miles would have taken a year by camel.

If you believe the pageant version of the Nativity, the Three Wise Men showed up the same night as the birth. However, it’s widely believed they came weeks, perhaps months, afterward. One theory holds that they may have visited Jesus two years after his birth, as there is mention in ancient texts of Herod ordering the deaths of children two years and younger. It is also plausible that when the Magi visited, Joseph, Mary and Jesus were no longer in Bethlehem. It is possible the family travelled to Jerusalem 40 days after the birth and were staying in Zacharius or Elizabeth’s house when the Magi came knocking. According to scripture, upon seeing Jesus, the three men fell down in joyous praise.

The Wise Men then presented Jesus with three gifts - gold (a precious alloy), frankincense (perfume) and myrrh (anointing oil). Scholars debate whether the gifts were medicinal or materials, but each had symbolic value. Gold was kingship on earth, while frankincense represented the priesthood. Myrrh symbolized death. They contrasted greatly with the Jewish tradition of offering sheep. It is believed the three gifts were consigned to a golden case in the monastery of St. Paul on Mount Athos. They were given to the monks in the 15th century by Maro, daughter of the king of Serbia. They were part of relics housed in the Holy Palace of Constantinople, where they have been on display since the 4th century.

The scriptures say the Three Kings returned home by a different route, having been given an angelic warning about Herod. Not much is known about their fate afterward.

One of the kings, possibly Balthasar, was baptized by St. Thomas on the way back to India. The path of history has left some clues.

In 1270, Marco Polo claimed he was shown the three tombs of the Magi when he visited the village of Saveh, located south of Tehran. Polo noted this in his diaries, later translated to say: “In Persia in the city of Saba, from which the Three Magi set out and in this city they are buried, in three very large and beautiful monuments, side by side. And above them there is a square building, beautifully kept. The bodies are still entire, with hair and beard remaining.”

It’s widely believed the remains of the Magi lie not in some desert tomb, but within the walls of one of Europe’s greatest cathedrals. The Shrine of the Three Kings is a reliquary that sits behind the high altar of Germany’s Cologne Cathedral. These relics of the Magi were first discovered by Saint Helena on her pilgrimage to Palestine. She took them to Constantinople, but they were later moved to Milan, Italy in the year 344.Then in 1164 they were given to the Archbishop of Cologne. The famous medieval goldsmith Nicholas of Verdun began work on the shrine in 1180. Containing gold sculptures of the apostles, prophets and scenes from the life of Christ, the shrine was completed by 1225.

In order to house these relics, construction on the cathedral began in 1248 and wasn’t completed until 632 years later. Today, it is the largest Gothic cathedral in northern Europe.

On July 20, 1864, the shrine was opened and the remains of the Three Kings were discovered. The bodies had been covered in old, moulded bandages. Experts reassembled the bones estimating that one king was in his early youth, the second in early manhood, and the third was advanced in age. The bodies were wrapped in white silk and returned to the shrine.

The visit of the Magi is widely celebrated worldwide. Every year Catholics and other Christian churches observe the Epiphany on January 6, called “Three Kings Day.” In Germany, the event is called the “Dreikonigfest.”The initials of the Magi are drawn in chalk on doors in Germany, while chalk and salt is brought to the church to be consecrated.

Throughout the Spanish-speaking world, it is celebrated as “el Dio de Los Tres Reyes Magos.” On the eve of Three Kings Day, children put out their shoes for the Wise Men to fill with gifts on their way to Bethlehem. They leave a treat for the camels in their caravan. In Milan, city residents hold a medieval costume parade in early January to celebrate their role in the story.

And what a story it was.