3 Myths About the Magi

With the Christmas season upon us, what if I were to tell you that there are parts of the Christmas story concerning Christ’s birth which aren’t even true!? What I mean is that over time things have been innocently added which simply aren’t in the text of the Bible. Consider these three myths about the magi or wiseman.

Myth #1 ‘The magi followed a star that moved across the night sky guiding them all the way from their homeland to Bethlehem.’ Actually, the Bible only says that the ‘star’ (Ancient people called every point of light in the night sky a star) physically moved from Jerusalem to Bethlehem about a five mile distance. When questioned by Herod after they arrived in Jerusalem the magi said they first saw the ‘star’ when it rose and, for whatever reason, interpreted it to be a sign that a king had been born in Israel. (Being the capital where the royal palace was located, Jerusalem would have been the most logical place to go.) But it would seem that it then disappeared. I say this because if it had been physically guiding them all the way then why did they need to stop in Jerusalem and ask Herod for directions? Why hadn’t Herod and all of his officials seen it? Why did the magi need to be told by the Jewish scholars to head for Bethlehem? And why were the magi ‘overjoyed’ when they saw the star after they left Herod’s presence if it had been shining up above their heads all the time? Myth # 2 ‘There were three wisemen.’ Actually, the Bible never gives a number. There could have been three but, then again, there also could have been ten or only two. We simply don’t know. Furthermore, such prominent men bearing expensive gifts would have come with a large entourage of bodyguards and servants. It appears that this myth started because of the three gifts offered to Mary and Joseph. Myth #3 ‘The magi arrived on the night Christ was born.’ Sorry, another myth. They weren’t standing alongside with the shepherds that night as all the nativity scenes portray. The Gospel writer Matthew says they came to the ‘house’ where Jesus was. Since Herod ordered all boys two and under to be killed, Jesus must have been a toddler by that time. Conclusion None of this takes away or diminishes the importance of the Christmas story. It should simply serve as a cautionary tale of how traditions can creep into our thinking and understanding of Scripture. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

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