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Three Wise MenThe Three Wise Men, also known as the Three Magi or the Three Kings, traditionally refer to the astrologers from the east, mentioned in the New Testament, in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter two, although the number of them is not given. There, they follow the star of Bethlehem to appear before Jesus as a child, noting that they observed His star in the east and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The number of gifts has led to the representation in art and literature of there being the same number of Wise Men.
They first visit Herod, asking where the new king can be found; Herod sends them to Bethlehem, and asks that they return when they have found him. The Magi, however, are warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, and their failure to report back leads directly to the massacre of the Holy Innocents. The visit of the Magi to Jesus as a child is commemorated on the Christian observance of Epiphany. This visit is frequently treated in Christian art and literature as The Journey of the Magi. The Three Wise Men frequently appear in Nativity scenes and other Christmas decorations; they are featured in the Christmas carol We Three Kings. An apocryphal tradition in the West gives them the names Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar; other cultures have different names. Artists have also used the theme to represent the three ages of man. Since the Age of Discoveries, they also represent three parts of the world. Balthasar is thus represented as a young African or Moor and Caspar may be depicted with distintive Oriental features. The Journey of the Magi has been a popular topos in Christian art. A Shrine of the Three Kings at Cologne Cathedral exists in Cologne, Germany. According to tradition, it contains the bones of the Three Wise Men. In the movie Ben-Hur, Balthasar is an old man who goes back to Palestine to see the former child Jesus become an adult.
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from Wikipedia and from ShiningRise.com
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