NEW TESTAMENT CHARACTERS.

THE MAGI.
In the year once known as 747 AUC but which we know as 7 BC, there was a conjunction of the planets Jupiter and Saturn in the constellation Pisces. It was visible in May, October and December and presented a brilliant spectacle in the night-sky. The following year another planet, Mars, joined this conjunction, by which time astronomers and astrologers alike were fully alerted.

Chinese records further noted the appearance of an evanescent “star” or comet. When the whole series of spectacles was repeated and observed by Kepler in AD 1603-4 this new, extraordinarily brilliant and peculiarly coloured heavenly body was visible between Jupiter and Saturn at the time of the later conjunction involving the three planets. The evidence is that this star or comet probably showed itself again in February of BC 4.

Jews were scattered both East and West of their homeland and often held in high regard, the kings of the Yemen professing Jewish faith and whether in Persia, Media, Arabia, Ethiopia or elsewhere, astrologers looked for “something to do with Israel” in a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in Pisces.

Astronomers and Astrologers were not so clearly separated then as they have since become, nor was there such antagonism between them. A party of scholars, respected, wealthy and learned, could include both. Such a party, probably after the three-planet conjunction in BC 5, determined to travel to Jerusalem to find the new king they believed had been born.

Traditionally there were three, because they brought three gifts, although the actual number is not stated. Their traditional names are pure fiction. They were not kings as such but had some VIP status or they would never have been given an audience with Herod.

Sadly naive about Herod’s character they went to his palace and enquired where the new king was born. Redirected to Bethlehem by Jewish scholars who knew the prophets well, the travellers would have been facing Bethlehem from Jerusalem at the time when the “star” last appeared - and looking in that direction it was directly ahead.

Even so, it could not have directed them to the house itself. Someone must have told them - and that takes us back to the report in Luke that “All who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.” Mary and Joseph had not been able to keep their secret, it was still the talk of Bethlehem.

The gifts of frankincense and myrrh were probably samples of their countries’ produce, though their symbolic meaning was also understood, incense for deity, myrrh for suffering. Gold was not only a royal gift, it was practical and paid for the journey to Egypt.

The bad dream which warned the wise men not to return to Herod may be seen as God’s warning, or as arising from their suspicion of Herod after meeting him, or a combination of the two. God uses human discernment. The fact is they went back to their countries and we hear no more of them.

How many are there like them? Scattered around the world, there are seekers of truth who, whatever their background, are open to hear God’s voice and follow His lead. For the rest of their lives, all the Magi knew of God’s promised Messiah was a memory of a baby. Like Abraham, they “Believed God and it was counted to them for righteousness.”