OU Professor Says Ancient Text Reveals Startling Information About Magi, Star of Bethlehem

News Oklahoma ^ | 12/25/10 | Carla Hinton

[marshmallow]

University of Oklahoma professor and Harvard grad Brent Landau's new book “Revelation of the Magi: The Lost Tale of the Wise Men's Journey to Bethlehem” reveals startling details about the Magi and star of Bethlehem.

NORMAN — Many Christians can recite the basics of the Christmas story, complete with the account of the three wise men from the East following a bright star to Bethlehem.

It's essentially saying that the people who recognized the significance of Jesus were not just Jews but people from a totally different culture and a totally different religious system. One of the points I made in the book is that Christ tells the Magi that even as excited as they are that their prophecy has been fulfilled, that this is actually one of a number of occurrences in which Christ has appeared to people in the world. So, this text seems to be claiming that Christ has actually been the foundation of a number of humanity's religious revelations.”

As the story goes, the men known as the Magi find the infant Jesus in a lowly manger. They fall down and worship Him, presenting the babe with frankincense, gold and myrrh.

Brent Landau, of Norman, grew up entranced by the familiar story and the lore surrounding the star of Bethlehem.

So, he was delighted when he got the chance to translate an ancient text that reveals many details surrounding the star and the trio that offered those first gifts to the newborn Messiah.

Landau, a University of Oklahoma religious studies professor and ancient biblical languages expert, shares his findings in his new book, “Revelation of the Magi: The Lost Tale of the Wise Men's Journey to Bethlehem” (HarperOne, $22.99). The Episcopalian said the book had its beginnings in his Harvard University dissertation and then evolved into much.....

[Elsie]

The Magi did not find the baby in the manger.

"When they came to the house..."

Modern Christmas 'tradition' has scrambled the Incarnation quite a bit on the ill-informed minds of most.

[Elsie]

The magi stated they had seen the Christ, and was told by Him “This is one of many occasions on which I have appeared to the peoples of the world...”

MORMON heresy.

[Ditter]

Very interesting, thanks for posting.

[Elsie]

As one who believes that Christ did indeed manifest Himself to mankind from the beginning, in certain circumstances, this is not hard for me to believe at all.

We know...

[aruanan]

Well, as a Mormon myself, I would have to disagree with your premise. Ishmael was the father of the islamic nations. What they have become is not how they started.

Well, sure, as a Mormon yourself, you'd have to disagree or undermine the claims of your religion. This necessity, however, doesn't have anything at all to do with matters of fact. Having to cling to something with no basis in fact would explain the weakness of your historical understanding. There is no evidence that the Muslims (especially Arab Muslims) originated from Ishmael--there is, however, striking genetic evidence of relatedness between Jews that goes back to a founder from a certain region around the Tigris/Euphrates Rivers (where Abraham came from) and is shared by a small ethnic group living there now. It is an identity that is distinctly NOT Arab. If the Arabs were descended as a people from Abraham through Ishmael, there would be a similar genetic evidence and the genotype of the Jew and the Arab, having shared the same founder, would be very close. This simply does not exist.

Further, the scattering of the Jews among all nations is well documented in scripture.

You're making a fundamental error. Just because Jews were scattered among all nations, it certainly doesn't follow that Joe Smith's lively imagination (from earliest childhood) about American Indians having been the descendants of the lost 10 tribes has any validity. There is ZERO linguistic, genetic, or anthropological evidence to support such a claim. I'll make a guess and posit that, in the intervening years as people have discovered this, the claim will have been modified to say, well, yes, they were here, but they were since replaced without a trace by those we now call the American Indian. And it still doesn't demonstrate how a bunch of 19th century European-Americans thought they could have any sort of connection to those long-lost and even-more-disappeared-than-ever Jewish tribes that had made their way via some of their descendants to the New World.

[Elsie]

If he has the sons of Seth following his will, and chose to given them knowledge, who am I to argue?

And if He hasn't?

[Ripliancum]

Nice try, but this is about a document discovered in the Vatican that’s 1700 years old. Don’t you have one of your anti Mormon threads to go back to?

At any rate, it this thread is now heading in the direction I think it is, I’m out. Feel free to do what you will.

[Elsie]

Truth is eternal, and originated with God and His prophets. alone.

Fixed

[Ripliancum]

Joseph was warned in a dream, by the angel, to flee to Egypt.

The wise men were likewise also warned in a dream not to return to Herod.

[MilicaBee]

Good catch.

[Ripliancum]

...and the hijack is now complete.

Enjoy.

[Elsie]

As the story goes, the men known as the Magi find the infant Jesus in a lowly manger.

WHAT 'story'?

The SCRIPTURES say something different!

WHO had the bright idea of showing the 3 Magi (with camels no less) at the MANGER?

The BOOK does not say that!

IMAGES make a bigger mental impression than mere words.

[Elsie]

Nice try, but this is about a document discovered in the Vatican that’s 1700 years old.

See there!

The wise Catholics PROPHECIED about the HERESY of MORMONism long before it appeared on earth!

You DO believe in ongoing revelation; don't you?

[Elsie]

...and the hijack is now complete.

(Unable to compete with TRUTH... the protaganist leaves the field of battle.)

[gitmo]

The Cherokee showed the early explorers of the New World staurolite, a mineral that often forms as a cross. When they were asked why it looked like that they said a great man died across the oceans and the fairies tears turned into these stones.

[Domestic Church]

Right.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Except that “Do not do to others what you do not want them to do to you” is not what Jesus taught.

He taught “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” A commandment to actively do good rather then to just refrain from doing harm.

[TXLady]

Check out Bethlehem star.net. Also Bethlehemstarmovie.com. I have seen a program several times on the Christian channels and love the story of the nativity and the wise men as portrayed in the stars. Really interesting as to what made the star so bright.

[Netizen]

“This is one of many occasions on which I have appeared to the peoples of the world...”

Really, I don’t have a problem with it. First off, we know that the promise of Abraham was that his seed would be a blessing among every nation. Further, Israel has been scattered time and time again throughout the earth, and not just the tribe of Judah, most of which is the story and history of the Bible.

---

There is a difference between Jesus reincarnating to/in various cultures and ages/religions, and the dispersing of peoples/Israelites.

[Netizen]

I can live with that clarification.