The biblical Magi, also referred to as the Three Wise Men or Three Kings, were – in the Gospel of Matthew and Christian tradition – distinguished foreigners who visited Jesus after his birth, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. They are regular figures in traditional accounts of the nativity celebrations of Christmas and are an important part of Christian tradition.
KD: It looks like we could have similar style art dated tremendously different from one another. It could be that we are talking 15-17th centuries for all of them. And it just could be that we are talking about Scythia here.
- Matthew is the only one of the four canonical gospels to mention the Magi. Matthew reports that they came "from the east" to worship the "king of the Jews". The gospel never mentions the number of Magi, but most western Christian denominations have traditionally assumed them to have been three in number, based on the statement that they brought three gifts. In Eastern Christianity, especially the Syriac churches, the Magi often number twelve. Their identification as kings in later Christian writings is probably linked to Psalm 72:11, "May all kings fall down before him."
- Biblical Magi - Wikipedia
- The Three Magi, Byzantine mosaic c. 565, Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, Ravenna, Italy (restored during the 18th century).
KD: It looks like we could have similar style art dated tremendously different from one another. It could be that we are talking 15-17th centuries for all of them. And it just could be that we are talking about Scythia here.