Although they are often called the 'Three Kings', the Bible does not say how many there were, or that they were kings. One theory is that they might have been Kings of the Yemen, as during this time the Kings of Yemen were Jews. Three is only a guess because they brought with them three gifts: but however many there were of them, they probably would have had many more servants with them.
They were certainly men of great learning. The word Magi comes from the greek word 'magos' where the english word 'magic' comes from. Magos itself comes from the old persian word 'Magupati'. This was the title given to priests in a sect of the ancient Persian religions such as Zoroastrianism.
Today we'd called them astrologers. Back then astronomy and astrology were part of the same overall studies and 'science' and went hand in hand with each other. The magi would have followed the patterns of the stars religiously. They would have also probably been very rich and held high esteem in their own society and by people who weren't from their country or religion.
They had seen an unusual new star in the sky, and knew that it told of the birth of a special king in Israel. No one really knows what the new star in the sky was, and there are many theories including comets, supernovas, a conjunctions of planets or something supernatural! Find out more about the star in the Star of Bethlehem page in the Christmas Customs section.
The Magi would have known about the prophecies of a special Jewish Savior also known as the Messiah from when the Jews had been held captive in ancient Babylon several hundred years before. What matters is the gift I have for you. My gift is the gift of my son, myself. My gift is the hope of the world. My gift is the gift of grace. While you were still a sinner, Jesus was born into this world, died for your sins and was resurrected to give you power.
I know how important it is to give the right gift. Many of us are anxious and eager to say just the right thing with our gift. In the midst of choosing and wrapping, pause. Remember that our heavenly father has a gift for you. His gift is worth more than all the gold, all the frankincense and all the myrrh in the world. It's not a gift you can buy. This gift can only be received. Friday, November 12, Log in. Toggle navigation. Horoscopes Reviews TV Listings.
Contact Us. Whatever happened to the presents from the wise men? Posted Friday, December 20, am. Get the best of The Sumter Item in your inbox. Frankincense is the sap from a tree of the same name that dries into lumps of gum resin and is used as incense. It was so valuable that only the very wealthy could afford to use it. Frankincense was considered to be a medicinal substance that cure a wide variety of ailments, but its most common use was as incense.
Throughout ancient times, many cultures used incense in their worship, as the rising smoke was a great representation of prayers rising to heaven. In the old testament, frankincense is mentioned as one of the four components of the sacred incense burned by Jewish priests in the Sanctuary. The gift of frankincense to Jesus by the magi would have signified his divinity and his future as high priest.
Its great value also made it an excellent gift for the new king. Myrrh is not a substance that is used today, but in biblical times it was considered just as valuable as gold. Like frankincense, it is the sap from a myrrh tree, dried into a gum resin. It was probably used mostly as a painkiller as well as a treatment for sores, coughs, infections, and worms.
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