The Wise Men as a Symbol of Christmas

Wise Men

The following text is drawn from our featured Christmas book and is also available for free as audio.

Most people suppose that the Wise Men were three in number, were kings and were from the Orient — though none of these descriptions are given in the biblical narrative. The Christmas carol “We Three Kings of Orient Are” is the most likely source for perpetuating these popular, but probably erroneous, beliefs about the Wise Men.

First off, the number of Wise Men that made the trip to Bethlehem is not known; no number is mentioned in the biblical account . The western tradition of three Wise Men is likely rooted in the fact that they delivered three gifts (gold, frankincense, and myrrh). Eastern tradition, on the other hand, holds that there were 12 Wise Men. In early drawings of the Nativity (found in Roman catacombs), some show two Magi, some show four. Their actual number is simply unknown.

So were these Wise Men kings? The Greek New Testament refers to the Wise Men as magoi, most often translated as “magi, wise men, astrologers or magicians.” There is no indication that these men were kings. Most likely, the Wise Men of the Nativity story came to be referred to as kings (and also depicted as riding camels) because of a prophecy written approximately 700 years before the birth of Jesus. The book of Isaiah records:

“Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. . . . A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord.”

The mention of gold and frankincense immediately brings to mind the gifts of the Wise Men, and it is reasonable to apply the prophecy to the Nativity story. Though Isaiah’s words do not require that the gifts come from kings, it is quite possible that the Wise Men were sent as ambassadors of a king or kings. However, they were not kings themselves.

So where did the Wise Men come from? The Bible tells us that they came from the East. Most scholars agree that they came from the Near East, either Babylon or Persia, not as far east as the Orient. Either way, the Wise Men would have traveled a great distance to see Jesus. It would have been a 540-mile trip from Babylon and much farther from Persia. So why would they journey so far to pay homage to a Jewish king? This question is most easily answered if we consider the possibility that the Wise Men could trace some of their beliefs back to a Jewish man named Daniel (as in Daniel and the lion’s den).

The Bible records that Daniel served as a “wise man” in Babylon during the reign of several different kings. In the sixth century BC, when Nebuchadnezzar ruled Babylon, Daniel proved to be the only one who could interpret a significant dream. As a result, the king declared, “Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings,” and he made Daniel ruler over the province of Babylon.

Later, when Darius the Mede gained control of the Babylonian empire, some of his administrators plotted against Daniel and ultimately had him thrown into the lion’s den. When Daniel escaped unharmed, King Darius declared, “I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. For he is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end.” The Bible tells us that Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and also during the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

In summary, the God of Daniel was well known to kings of both Babylon and Persia. It is not difficult to imagine that the wise men of these regions would also have held Daniel in high regard and would have paid attention to his prophecies. Remarkably, over 500 years before the birth of Jesus, Daniel outlined the details of the specific time in history that the Messiah would come. Had the Wise Men been familiar with this prophecy, they would have known the very generation in which to look for the birth of the King of the Jews. Interestingly, Suetonius (a Roman historian), recorded that in the 1st century, “There had spread all over the East an old and established belief that it was fated for men coming from Judea at that time to rule the world.”

Back to Main Christmas Symbols Page.

We welcome your questions and feedback. If you are seeking information on the Wise Men that is not found on our website, please contact us.