[VOA]

DE SAM LAZARO: Persia was the home of the Magi, the biblical Three Kings who
greeted the infant Jesus but who, Parsis say, actually came in search of a
Zoroastrian Messiah.

Maybe, maybe not.
There is also speculation that the Magi were influenced by the Jews in Babylon
(e.g., Daniel) and thus were pre-loaded with the idea of a great figure to be born
in Israel...only awaiting some astrological sign to send them on their trip.

[Alberta's Child]

What's quite interesting is that their is no basis in scripture for the notion that there were THREE wise men. There is no mention of just how many there were . . . I guess it was always assumed that there were three simply on the basis of the number of gifts they brought (gold, frankincense, and myrhh).

[Freedom Dignity n Honor]

Xerxes at least had a palace in Susa aka Shushran, Iran. I think I got the spellings right.

Darius may have used that palace, too, I'm not sure.

I've been there and seen the purported tomb of Daniel.

Anyway, it was interesting being in the same city, on the same streets where Daniel, Xerxes, Esther and others walked.