Legend Of The Magi

Today, priests, scholars and astrologers are referred as 'The Magi'. The word 'Magi' came into existence from ancient church traditions. The Three Kings, or The Wise Men, credited with the original legend of Magi, form a vital part of the nativity scenes across the world. These men were guided by the Lord who showed them the position of the divine star to help them in their search for baby Jesus. As years passed by, this legend laid grounds for many traditions and, towards the third century, these Three Wise Men came to be seen as kings. Later, in the 6th century, they were named as Bithisarea, Melichior and Gathaspa. The Magi are said to have brought beautiful gifts to the infant baby Jesus. Since these men were from different cultures, they brought varied gifts like jewelry, myrrh and frankincense for the new born King. These three men were referred to as the 'Wise Men From The East' in the New Testament. They travelled on camels and were highly regarded in Jerusalem. Want to know more as to how they reached the stable where Jesus was born? Scroll further to read the legend.

Story Of The Three Wise Men
According to the Legend of the Magi, there were three of them. They were so famous that even King Herod of Judea came to know about them. Herod was the king at the time of Jesus's birth and was cruel, evil, oppressive and a Jew-hater; he took immense pleasure in torturing his Jewish subjects. Herod had a very suspicious behavior and troubled his people by imposing heavy taxes on them. Once he came to know of the distinguished visitors who entered his kingdom, he consulted his priests to gather more information about the prophecy of the past which made reference to the birth of the Saviour in Bethlehem. It was prophesied that Christ would be the future ruler of Israel. So, Herod welcomed the Three Wise Men to his court and told them that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. Herod instructed them to go in search of the child and to inform him once the baby was found so that he could come over and worship the child.

The Magi followed the directions given by the King and followed the divine star to reach Bethlehem. When they reached Bethlehem, the Magi found Virgin Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus there. Mary had given birth to baby Jesus in a lowly stable where people had then gathered to get a glance of the new born king. The Three Wise Men bought him gifts of gold, myrrh and frankincense. That night as the Magi slept, they had a dream in which the Lord directed them not to go back to Jerusalem and inform the King about the baby. Instead, they were asked to inform Mary and Joseph to move from Bethlehem with the Holy child until the death of King Herod. So, the Magi took a different route and returned home and Joseph and Mary went to Egypt. Herod, who was very cruel, had ordered to kill all the children who under the age of two, across his kingdom.

Hence, the Magi didn't just pamper Jesus with their expensive gifts, they also gave Jesus the ultimate gift-the gift of life. No wonder the Magi are still revered all around the world.