Matthew 2:1 - Arrival of The Magi

Arrival of The Magi

The word magi originally referred to Zoroastrian priests in Persia, but by the time this gospel was written it had come to mean anyone who dabbled in the occult arts such as magic, astrology, and dream interpretation. Since the chapter later refers to their interest is stars it is likely magi here refers to astrologers. The KJV translation as "wise men" is considered by modern scholars as quite inaccurate, mostly motivated by the desire not to imply any support for the arcane arts. Also note that Matthew never says how many magi there are, just that there are more than one. Traditions such as the magi being kings and having names developed later. There are many different translations of the word found, such as wise men and astrologers. The only other place the word occurs in the New Testament is at Acts 13:6 and Acts 13:8. The magi in question is a negative figure and the word is more often translated as magician or sorcerer.

The phrase "from the east" is the only information Matthew provides on where the magi came from. Many scholars have theorized about where this east might be. Traditionally the view developed that the magi were Persian or Parthian, and art works generally depicted them in Persian dress. The main support for this is that the first magi were from Persia and that land still had the largest number of them. The interest in astronomy leads some to believe they were from Babylon, which was the centre of astrology at the time. The oldest attested theory, dating from 160 AD, is that they were from Arabia. This fits with the gifts they brought, which come from that part of the world. Brown comments that the author of Matthew probably didn't have a specific location in mind and the phrase "from the east" is for literary effect and added exoticism.

See also: The Journey of the Magi, Three Wise Men