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Ancient Document Sheds New Light on Magi Story
CathNews ^ | 12/21/11

Posted on 12/23/2011 6:28:11 AM PST by marshmallow

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1 posted on 12/23/2011 6:28:18 AM PST by marshmallow
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To: marshmallow

The rest of the article:

They are said to be the descendants of Seth, the third son of Adam, and to belong to a sect that believed in silent prayer.

Perhaps the biggest divergence from the traditional Nativity story is that according to The Revelation there were “scores” of Magi.

It gives a detailed account of their prayers and rituals.

The story relates that Seth passed down a prophecy that a star would appear that would signal the birth of God in human form. The Magi waited thousands of years until the day the star appeared.

>The Bible does not say “three” Magi. It was only assumed to be three because of the three types of gifts given.


2 posted on 12/23/2011 6:34:52 AM PST by VRW Conspirator (Neo-communist equals Neo-fascist - VRW Conspirator)
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To: marshmallow

How does it differ from Matthew? Is it Gnostic? (The Gnostics wrote fictional gospels from the eye-witness point of view of just about every character, no matter how minor.) My supposition is that if the gospel is Syriac, and the characters Chinese, the answer is likely “no,” it wouldn’t be Gnostic.

Even if it’s merely fiction, it may give rich insight into what Syriacs supposed might reasonably have happened; the magi being Chinese, instead of Babylonian presents us with the possibility of a completely different astrology.


3 posted on 12/23/2011 6:37:07 AM PST by dangus
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To: marshmallow

Were the Magi actually Aztecs?

Hmm? Now that is a long journey.


4 posted on 12/23/2011 6:39:56 AM PST by Tenacious 1 (Liberals draw conclusions on clouds with invisible ink from a unicorn horn dipped in Pixidust!)
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To: marshmallow

The Bible never says where they are from or how many


5 posted on 12/23/2011 6:41:44 AM PST by ColdSteelTalon (Light is fading to shadow, and casting its shroud over all we have known...)
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To: marshmallow

I thought they were from Orientar.


6 posted on 12/23/2011 6:43:46 AM PST by P.O.E. (Pray for America)
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To: marshmallow
The Revelation of the Magi, reputedly a first-hand account of their journey to pay tribute to the son of God,

...

It is an eighth-century copy of a story first written down nearly half a millennium earlier, less than 100 years after the Gospel of Matthew, the original source of the Bible story.

8th century, is in the nine hundreds. "Half a millenium earlier" is in the four hundreds. The event itself was a handful of years into BC.

What we have here is Christian folklore from four centuries after the fact. Interesting in and of itself, but doesn't necessarily tell us much that's accurate about the event itself. Matthew's very spare account would be more reliable, even if it wasn't inspired scripture.

7 posted on 12/23/2011 6:43:50 AM PST by Lee N. Field ("Do Not Feed The Harpies")
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To: marshmallow

Nowhere in the Bible does it say there were three wise men, only that gold, frankincense and myrrh were given to the Christ Child, who was not in the stable but in a house (Matthew 2:11).

He was probably about two years old when they arrived. That’s why Herod issued the order to kill all boys two years old and under. It would make sense that they came from a great distance, following God’s special star to guide them to Jesus.


8 posted on 12/23/2011 6:44:21 AM PST by txrefugee
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To: marshmallow

Interesting find as a work of pseudo-history.


9 posted on 12/23/2011 6:47:26 AM PST by count-your-change (You don't have to be brilliant, not being stupid is enough.)
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To: marshmallow

Where does a person go to read the original text?


10 posted on 12/23/2011 6:52:03 AM PST by Suz in AZ
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To: Lee N. Field

Eighth century would have been the 701-800 (20th Century - 1901-2000). “Half a millenium earlier” would have been 201-300.


11 posted on 12/23/2011 6:53:22 AM PST by Little Ray (FOR the best Conservative in the Primary; AGAINST Obama in the General.)
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To: marshmallow

This is available on Amazon as an audio book for $1.86.


12 posted on 12/23/2011 7:03:56 AM PST by Citizen Tom Paine (An old sailor sends)
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To: P.O.E.

Excellent.


13 posted on 12/23/2011 7:11:41 AM PST by Jedidah
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To: txrefugee

“He was probably about two years old when they arrived. That’s why Herod issued the order to kill all boys two years old and under.”

Not necessarily; Herod could easily have been just covering his bases. All Jerusalem knew that Herod was alarmed at the news of the birth of a rival king, and he would be more likely to err on the side of killing a few boys who were older than the prophesied future King than he would to to say “kill all infants not yet able to walk”.

Besides, he had already told the Magi to tell him the location of the child and they had not done so. Why would he trust their calculations of the child’s age? What if they had lied to him and the child was, in fact, older than they claimed?


14 posted on 12/23/2011 7:34:04 AM PST by Altariel (`)
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To: ColdSteelTalon

The only detail we know about them geographically is that they were “from the east”, but you are correct that Scripture never states how many wise men there were.

Very likely, there was a caravan—the wise men, their servants, etc.


15 posted on 12/23/2011 7:36:19 AM PST by Altariel (`)
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To: Altariel

If you study the scriptures, the wise men found Jesus at home - not at the stable. So, this tells us that the portrayal of the Christmas story where the wise men are at the stable is incorrect. I do believe Jesus was about 2 years old when they arrived - otherwise, the Biblical account would have used different terminology - such as baby , or babe, instead of child.


16 posted on 12/23/2011 8:05:52 AM PST by Catsrus
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To: Catsrus
Yeah, I agree with you. The nativity scenes with the wise men present are pretty, but not historically factual.
17 posted on 12/23/2011 8:12:46 AM PST by DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis (Chag Hanukkah Sameach!)
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To: P.O.E.

“I thought they were from Orientar.”

Thank you for the belly laugh! I needed it.


18 posted on 12/23/2011 8:13:06 AM PST by Twotone (Marte Et Clypeo)
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To: P.O.E.

Laughing so hard I am snorting. :)


19 posted on 12/23/2011 8:22:29 AM PST by Protect the Bill of Rights
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To: P.O.E.
They were using new Orientar navigation system. Instead of satellites; it used stars.
It would list all the nearest fig stands; and camel watering holes.
20 posted on 12/23/2011 8:26:30 AM PST by HereInTheHeartland (I love how the FR spellchecker doesn't recognize the word "Obama")
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