First Iranian Wise Men who visited New Born Jesus

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M. Saadat Noury
by M. Saadat Noury
23-Dec-2010
 

 

The Three Wise Men were always a part of the Nativity scene. Here is the story of Bible, as appeared in St. Matthew 2:1, about the visit of wise men to the new born Jesus:

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together the entire chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: 'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.'" Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another path.

This Bible story does not tell how many wise men actually came from the east nor does it mention their names or their method of travel.  It is only assumed they traveled by horse and they could have easily traveled by foot.  The Bible doesn't claim these men to be kings. Their identification as kings in later Christian writings is linked to Old Testament prophesies such as that in Isaiah 60:3, Psalm 72:10, and Psalm 68:29, which describe the Messiah being worshipped by kings. This interpretation was however challenged by the Protestant Reformation.

The Conventional Version of the Bible Story
In the conventional version of the Bible story, the three wise men or magi (Magi is a term derived from Greek meaning a Zoroastrian priest) who were named as Gaspar (aka Caspar, Gathaspa, Jaspar, Jaspas), Melchior (aka Melichior, Melchyor), and Balthazar (aka Balthasar Bithisarea, Balthassar) started the gift-giving custom of Christmas by bringing gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the Christ child on Epiphany, the day on which the infant was presented. The three magi have been described not only as wise men, but also as Iranian kings or Persian priests or Iranian astrologers. It should be noted that the visit of the Magi is commemorated in most Western Christian churches by the observance of Epiphany, 6 January. The Eastern Orthodox celebrates the visit of the Magi on 25 December.

The Tomb of Three Wise Men in Iran
Marco Polo claimed that he was shown the three tombs of the Magi at Saveh south of Tehran in the 1270s. Marco Polo was a Christian merchant from the Venetian Republic who wrote the book of Il Milione, in which he introduced Europeans to the Middle East, Central Asia and China. In his book, he wrote that, “In Persia is the city of Saba, from which the Three Magi set out and in this city they are buried, in three very large and beautiful monuments, side by side. And above them there is a square building, beautifully kept. The bodies are still interred there, with hair and beard remaining”.

The Bible Story in Persian Poetry
As already noted, according to the Gospel of Matthew, the Magi found Jesus by following his star, which thus traditionally became known as the Star of Bethlehem. In his poem entitled as the Birth of Jesus Christ (in Persian: Milaad-e Isaa Masih), the late Iranian poet Mehdi Hamidi Shirazi (1914-1986) referred to that star the visit of three Wise Men to the new born Jesus. The Persian Text of that poem reads as follows:

میلاد عیسی مسیح و دیدار سه ایرانی
 
به فرمان خدا از دختر بکر
هویدا گشت نوری ، شادی افزا

درخشان کوکبی از زادن او
به بام آسمان ، برداشت آوا

چو ایرانی بدید آن اختر پاک
فراز چرخ چون خورشید عذرا

دوید آن سو، که آنجا شاد و خندان
بدارد هدیه های خویش اهدا: دکتر مهدی حمیدی شیرازی

Merry Xmas & Happy Holidays!

Manouchehr Saadat Noury, PhD

References
Brown, R. E. (1977): The Birth of the Messiah: A Commentary on the Infancy Narratives in Matthew and Luke. London: G. Chapman, UK
Powell, M. A. (2000): "The Magi as Wise Men: Re-examining a Basic Supposition", New Testament Studies. Vol. 46
Saadat Noury, M. (2010): Various Articles on the History of Iran and First Iranians.
Wikipedia Encyclopedia (2010): Online Articles on Biblical Magi.

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more from M. Saadat Noury
 
Rea

My apology to you, S. Noury

by Rea on

The story of M. Polo and the city of Saveh has been known in the West for so long. The rest is my ranting.


M. Saadat Noury

BTW: What is Poetry?

by M. Saadat Noury on

Poetry is just the evidence of life.  If your life is burning well, poetry is just the ash.  ~Leonard Cohen
Poetry is a deal of joy and pain and wonder, with a dash of the dictionary.  ~Kahlil Gibran
Ink runs from the corners of my mouth
There is no happiness like mine.
I have been eating poetry.
~Mark Strand, "Eating Poetry," Reasons for Moving, 1968
Poetry is what gets lost in translation.  ~Robert Frost
Imaginary gardens with real toads in them.  ~Marianne Moore's definition of poetry, "Poetry," Collected Poems, 1951
A poem is never finished, only abandoned.  ~Paul Valéry

More: What is Poetry


Rea

FR

by Rea on

I must've misread it.

Would this Macedonian song repair my mistake ?

The Greeks have been giving them a hard time. Yet Macedonians are part of my peoples. Part of that incredible Yugoslav diversity that is no longer. The diversity that I regret so much.

Briefly, I don't like Greeks nowadays. Ufff, shame on me.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHKVLko9SXQ


alimostofi

Rusta

by alimostofi on

Poetry is man's rebellion against being what he is.  ~James Branch Cabell

Ali Mostofi

//www.alimostofi.com

 


Farah Rusta

Thanks for the sock Rea

by Farah Rusta on

I guess my sense of humor is drying up otherwise you wouldn't ask the question you asked. If anyone it is His Holiness Mr Mostofi who believes Khomeini is a holy figure, this is what he claimed:

That means that everyone is unique and special and holy just like Jesus Christ."

 Perhaps someone could translate these Rumi verses for Mr His Holiness Mr Mostofi:


از قیاسش خنده امد خلق را                  کو چو خود پنداشت صاحب دلق را 

کار پاکان را قیاس از خود مگیر                گر چه باشد در نوشتن شیر شیر  

 

FR


alimostofi

The Chinese Moslems say

by alimostofi on

The Chinese Moslems say their prayers in Persian, not Arabic. Mani's thoughts are there, before Salman plagiarized it all and put it all in Koran. Try telling the Moslems in Mecca that. lol

Ali Mostofi

//www.alimostofi.com

 


yolanda

.......

by yolanda on

It is true that long time ago many Persians went to China and settled down there and married local people....there are 10 million Moslem Hui people in China, who are the direct descendants of silk road travellers (Persians and Arabs).......

There is a ruined Zoroastrian temple in Tashkurgan, China......

 


alimostofi

Many Iranians fled to China,

by alimostofi on

Many Iranians fled to China, so a lot is there in Pamir, in various towns Shahrs.

The maths was done at main observatory was The Throne of Solomon, aka Takht-e-Taqdis or Atashkadeh Azar Goshasp

Yeah, the Chinese get a lot of credit for ancient stuff that was done in old Iran. Like Yin and Yang, and their childish Astrology.

We can't prove it all because Salman burnt it all, and of course dared not to mention the true Astrologers in his Koran.

Ali Mostofi
//www.alimostofi.com

 


yolanda

.......

by yolanda on

US Navy changed "Persian Gulf" into "Arabian Gulf".....now this Okie professor changed the origin of Magi from Iran to China.......that is too much! I think the guy just wanted to sell his book, so he has to make an outlandish claim.....

Thank you, Dr. Noury, for your great blog! Many People posted this blog on face-book also! It is awesome!


M. Saadat Noury

Some Responses

by M. Saadat Noury on

The author likes to thank all who visited this thread, and his special thanks go to Dischanted, Escape, Mehman, Yolanda, Ali Mostofi, Lady Rusta, and Rea for their recent comments which were all interesting and valuable.

Dear Mehman:
Thank you for your kind comment and the link. As you may have already noticed, there was not any significant supportive evidence for the claim that those Magi were Chinese. It sounds nonsense as other sources on the Internet claiming the Magi were Arabs and traveled by camels!
Please take it easy and simply ignore all of them!

PS: Read more on Three Wise Men


Rea

Farah R.

by Rea on

Are you serious about Khomeini being a holy person? Because they'd seen his face on the moon, or what ?

As far as the 3 Zoroastrians are concerned, there was the fourth one as well. Father Xmas, according to Russians. Living in the Far North, he was 33 yrs late. Well, it happens.

Now, there are historical accounts about Mohammed, I agree with wholeheartedly. Much less so about Jesus. But does it make the former any holier ?

With due respect, I give you Nobel's socks. ;o)


alimostofi

Well Rusta, the media can do

by alimostofi on

Well Rusta, the media can do the same to anyone, including you.

Ali Mostofi

//www.alimostofi.com

 


Farah Rusta

I don't know about me Mr Mostofi ...

by Farah Rusta on

but I am sure Khomeini was, to many millions, a very special, as well as a  holy, person. Clearly you see yourself in the same light!

I suggest you give yourself a break from "star gazing" and read my last post on Dr  Saadat Nouri's other blog to see how Rumi lines up the Sayochants!

 //iranian.com/main/blog/m-saadat-noury-85

 

FR


alimostofi

Rusta: As I wrote, everyone

by alimostofi on

Rusta: As I wrote, everyone is special and unique, including you and Khomeini.

Ali Mostofi

//www.alimostofi.com

 


Farah Rusta

Funny enough Mr Mostofi ...

by Farah Rusta on

some thirty years ago millions of Iranians thought the same as you do. A unique and special man turned up from a far way land who happened to be holy too! And, wait a minute, his name was Ruhollah, the title of Jesus!!

 

And the rest as we all know is history! 

 

FR


alimostofi

And the most important

by alimostofi on

And the most important message written is that Christ said he had appeared many times. This is what Sayaoshants are.

But these space time moments are all part of the Precession of Equinoxes or Ages. You can glorify with religious symbolism. We all have unique space time signatures, and we all have a mixture of hard and soft aspects.

In the past people looked at the planets and thought that a Stellum was better than any other planetary combination. That is what we had over Bethlehem, a Stellum.

There are Stellums all the time. Stellums are just one of the many Astrological patterns. We can discover more about the Universe with the better measuring devices. That means that everyone is unique and special and holy just like Jesus Christ.

Ali Mostofi

//www.alimostofi.com

 


yolanda

.......

by yolanda on

It is very hard for me to believe that the Magi were from China......The  word "Magi" is not a Chinese word.....if it is true that the Magi were from China......why the book "Revelation of Magi" was written in Syriac, not Chinese? So, the magi were Chinese Zoroastrian astrologers? Ethnic Chinese?

This magi book currently ranks #40 on Amazon and was published less than 2 months ago.....

but I have to say that I believe in Marco Polo more than I believe in this University of Oklahoma professor...

Thank you, Mehman, for posting the video.....I watched 3 times!


Mehman

Ostad Nouri

by Mehman on

 

I just found this link, hope it helps:

//news.yahoo.com/video/world-15749633/mystery-of-the-magi-23613928

 

 


Mehman

Can't believe it!

by Mehman on

Madam,

Do you plan to ramshackle our faiths in this holy night... by showing us these heretical movies?

 

Merry Christmas!


Farah Rusta

We believe in what we need to believe in

by Farah Rusta on

One of the strongest critique of humans belief systems was delivered in a controversial film which caused an almighty stir in the Christian world back in 1988.  Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ may have been a fictitious and certainly an anti-Gospel narrative of Jesus's story but it planted a strong seed of doubt in the heart of Christian belief that may well be applied to all other religions. 

The film based on a novel written by Nikos Kazantzakis describes a Jesus who, while on the crucifix, is tempted by Satan (disguised as an angel of God) to have a normal human life as a reward for his sufferings. Jesus, thinking that this was God speaking to him accepts the offer, is de-crucified and continues a normal life surrounded by wives and his children. Until one day while passing through a town's sqaure he comes across a man named Paul (according to Gospels Jesus and St. Paul never met each other). Here I invite you to watch the following clip which describes what happens next. Pay attention to the conversation between Paul and Jesus (watched by the Satan appearing as an angelic girl) that follows after Jesus protests to Paul's sermon and calls him a lier.  

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJvRdwqctn0 

 

FR


alimostofi

Astrolabe is better than

by alimostofi on

Astrolabe is better than GPS

Ali Mostofi

//www.alimostofi.com

 


Escape

Do you know the story of the Stone given to the Magi's?

by Escape on

  In return for the gifts to Jesus,the Magi's were given a stone.On the return home,one of them decided to throw the stone away.When he did,it hit the ground and burst into fire.


Disenchanted

3 kings with GPS is the most convincing :-)

by Disenchanted on

 

     In Jesus we find someone whose time of birth, location of it and above all nature of it is ambiguous! There are few times and places mentioned in records! Even there is talk of many "Jesus"es. And then the idea that he was the son of god. But wait he was god himself!! Sorry you admit it's a bit confusing! Of course a personality like that can not have a normal death either. So we wonder what happened to him at the end. Did he die? Resurrected?!

    and of course mystery lives on as many of us expecting him to return! :-) Of course not sure when! I hardly find any matter in history to this degree confusing and full of contradictions and nevertheless people of good intention have flocked by billions to embrace such a myth! As one said: The master fallacy of human mind is believing too much!

Happy holidays and best wishes for everyone!

Here is an old note of mine (sorry for typos there). It should read "of deity and diaherra":

//iranian.com/main/2007/diety-and-diarrhea-0


Farah Rusta

Well, I hope you are convinced Disenchanted!!

by Farah Rusta on

I am afraid I am not! To start with there is no historic evidence apart from that which is presented in the four canonical gospels to corroborate the existence of a man with all the attributes that Jesus of Nazareth possessed. Therefore the whole story surrounding Jesus is a matter of belief and faith and not fact. As a footnote I must point out the contrast with the story of Muhammad which, barring the traditional religious fantasies, has been a subject of historical research and documentation by both the western and eastern historians.  

As for Jesus's birth first the Gospels remind us that he was born while the shepherds were in the fields tending to their flocks.  This couldn't have happened in Winter time and even Christian scholars suggest that his birth has more likely taken place during the Spring.  

But let me offer you a most plausible explanation about the Star of Bethlehem and its guiding powers. I am not surprised that the three kings pinpointed Jesus's birth place. Remember in the year  1 BC the earliest version of GPS devices had just been released and the three kings being well off had bought the first one! The star of Bethlehem must  have been the satellite guiding their GPS device. They must have entered the latitude and longitude of the village in Bethlehem in their GPS (how they knew it we don't know but must something to do with being Zoroastrian) and the rest was easy! To work out the distance based on latitude and longitude is very easy too (Mr Mostofi is too modest to tell us).  Just look at et Java scripts in this link. Simple!

//www.movable-type.co.uk/scripts/latlong.html

 =========================================

My apologies to Dr Nouri for a little Christmas humor.

FR  



alimostofi

disenchanted you obviously

by alimostofi on

disenchanted you obviously think that people have not thought like you have.

Scientific thinking and logic was the Iranian way. We did not believe in mumbo jumbo. Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds, are not just three cute phrases. They explain a process of practical reasoning and application in the the here and now.

The here and now on this planet have space time coordinates. You must have heard of the words longitude and Latitude. Well those are the tools that are used to locate any spacial phenomenon.

I am not going to teach you all that.

Ali Mostofi

//www.alimostofi.com

 


Disenchanted

Well, I don't know about Scholars!

by Disenchanted on

 

     Respectfully, my friends libraries are full of nonsense written by so called scholars throughout the history. Again, if you present Rostam story as art and fiction that is admirable but if you believe in it as fact that is absurdity!

So goes with the story of "immaculate conception" and its offshoots like the 3 wise men etc! People who argue about the identity of wise men or their origin and their graves, is like getting in argument over how Santa can come through chimney without getting dirty etc! It's just nonsense! People grow up and realize Santa Claus is just fiction! I guess we can have scholarship on Santa!

As one really wiseman once said: We have two choices when it comes to the miracle stuff...

  1- we have to believe all laws of nature was suspended.

or

  2- we say some ignorant, ill informed, individual or group made up the story or flatly lied 

  Frankly, I will choose the latter! :-)

and to Mr. Mostofi, The story has it that the wise men found the location of the birth (not the time) by following a star (Bethlehem star). Now that is BS! No celestial event can pin point anything on earth. It's just not possible with laws of geometry and optics!


yolanda

....

by yolanda on

Hi! Dr. Noury,

    Thank you for the article link...I book-marked the article....very interesting. I am disappointed that Magi's remains are not in Saveh anymore.......at least I hope the empty gravesite can be marked.....I am sure tourists will flock there......Did Iranian government make effort to locate Magi's tomb? It should be a very interesting archaelogical research project. I wonder who else has seem Magi's tomb besides Marco Polo? Any other record of Magi' tomb? I hope the gravesite can be located in the future!

Thank you again for the great blog!


alimostofi

Halabi Qureshi and Salman

by alimostofi on

Halabi Qureshi and Salman Parsi tricked the people by telling them that they could turn day into night, when there was an Eclipse on that day. Salman then declared that HQ was a Mohammad.

The Precession of Equinox did not start in the 7th Century AD. These are measurable facts and have nothing to do with what you believe.

The invasion of the Arabs with the help of Salman the Apostate is mentioned. And so is their departure.

Ali Mostofi

//www.alimostofi.com

 


Mehman

Madam,

by Mehman on

Your faith is exhilarating. You are like my mom, or rather my mom is like you... Both faithful ladies... I appreciate both of you.

 

Your ashless (bi Ash) son,

 

Mehman


M. Saadat Noury

Dear Ms Farah Rusta

by M. Saadat Noury on

Thank you for your first comment. Please view my reply as already posted to "Dear yolanda".