Just who were the three wise men from the East? (2024)

FAQs

Who are the three wise from East? ›

They have become known most commonly as Balthasar, Melchior, and Gaspar (or Casper). According to Western church tradition, Balthasar is often represented as a king of Arabia or sometimes Ethiopia, Melchior as a king of Persia, and Gaspar as a king of India.

The Gospel of Matthew (2:1–12) speaks of Magi, or wise men, who followed a star from the East to Bethlehem in search of a newborn king. There they found Mary and the baby Jesus and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

The Magi appear solely in the Gospel of Matthew, which states they were "wise men" who came "from the east" to worship the "king of the Jews". Little is known of the magi apart from the Matthean account.

Later tellings of the story identified the magi by name and identified their lands of origin: Melchior hailed from Persia, Gaspar (also called "Caspar" or "Jaspar") from India, and Balthazar from Arabia.

Three wise men, or Magi as they were known, whose names were Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar, traveled a far distance to pay homage to Christ. They brought with them fine gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Three Kings Day, or El Dia de Reyes, remains an important holiday for Catholics.

A few weeks – or perhaps even months - after the birth of Jesus, Matthew records the events surrounding the visitors from the east. He refers to them as the 'Magi', meaning 'wise men'. We are not told how many Magi there were.

The wise men arrive in Jerusalem from an unnamed location “in the East,” led by a star and in search of a new king. They make their way to Bethlehem, where they bow before Jesus and offer gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

As the stories developed it became accepted truth that the magi were kings, that they rode camels, that there were three of them, that they came from India, Arabia, and Africa and that they were named Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar.

Matthew 2:11 is the eleventh verse of the second chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. The magi, dispatched by King Herod, have found the small child (not infant) Jesus and in this verse present him with gifts in an event known as the Visit of the Wise Men.

Her age during her pregnancy has varied up to 17 in apocryphal sources. In a large part, apocryphal texts are historically unreliable. According to ancient Jewish custom, Mary technically could have been betrothed at about 12, but some scholars hold the view that in Judea it typically happened later.

What gift did Melchior give to Jesus? ›

Melchior was often referred to as the oldest member of the Magi. He was traditionally called the King of Persia and brought the gift of gold to Jesus. In the Western Christian church, he is regarded as a saint (as are the other two Magi).

That is why the word magi was corrupted through history into the English word magic or magician which is a synonym for sorcerer. Nevertheless, the magi were originally a pagan, priestly tribe of people from the Medes and Persians for which there are many historical references to confirm this.

Thus, it is written in Matthew chapter 2, “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, saying, 'Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

The wise men arrived bearing three gifts, namely gold, frankincense and myrrh. The term "wise men" is perhaps the best English equivalent of the Greek word for Magi. The magi were a Median Kurdish priestly caste or tribe who rose to prominence in ancient Persia (today's Iran).

The 'Three Wise Men' were Barend Biesheuvel, former Prime Minister of the Netherlands and sometime Member of the European Parliament, Edmund Dell, former British Minister for Trade, and Robert Marjolin, former Vice-President of the European Commission.

Israel's greatest kings were Saul, David, and Solomon. Each rose like a brilliant meteor in a clear sky.