The Wise Men

Who ever said there were three of them? Or that they were at the stable with the shepherds? Or that they were even kings? A popular Christmas carol makes its vote clear: "We three kings of Orient are bearing gifts..." The Bible, however, never refers to the Mgi as kings, and they most likely journeyed from Persia rather than from what we now think of as the Orient.

Now, before you saw the crowns off your Nativity figurines, you should understand that certain Old Testament prophecies suggest this interpretation. However, when Matthew tells the story, he never calls them kings - and he doesn't call them by name, either.

The Gospel of Matthew refers to these travelers as "wise men" or "Magi," translated from the Greek word magoi - from which we get our word magician. But don't think card tricks and bunnies pulled from top hats here! These magicians were priests, powerful men of great wealth who counseled the kings of the Medo-Persian Empire.

So where did the "three wise men" story get started? That's likely a presumption based on the fact that three gifts were presented to Jesus. Which brings up yet another misconception. The Magi were not even present in the original manger scene. By the time they brought their baby shower gifts to the party, Jesus was probably close to two years old.

And what strange gifts they were!

Gold? Frankincense? Myrrh? A gold rattle, perhaps, or a little gold baby spoon. But who would bring spices to a toddler? Let's see if we can clear that one up.

Gold signified royalty and acknowledges Christ as the King of kings Frankincense was used in worship and denotes the deity of Jesus. Myrrh was most commonly used in preparation for burial and represents the death of the Son of Man, who would rise to sit at the right hand of the Father as the Son of God.

Who would give such strange gifts to a baby? Wise men would.