The Three Kings

The Three Kings

The Magi (/ˈmædʒaɪ/ or /ˈmeɪdʒaɪ/; Greek: μάγοι, magoi), also referred to as the (Three) Wise Men, (Three) Kings, or Kings from the East, were in Christian tradition, a group of distinguished foreigners who visited Jesus after his birth, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. They are regular figures in traditional accounts of the nativity celebrations of Christmas and are an important part of Christian tradition.

The Gospel of Matthew, the only one of the four Canonical gospels to mention the Magi, states that "they" came "from the east" to worship the Christ, "born King of the Jews." Although the account does not mention the number of people "they" or "the Magi" refers to, the three gifts has led to the widespread assumption that there were three men. In the East, the magi traditionally number twelve. Their identification as kings in later Christian writings is probably linked to Psalms 72:11, "May all kings fall down before him".