WHO WERE THE MAGGI THAT CAME TO VISIT JESUS
The chapter 2 of
the Gospel of Matthew tells us about certain ‘Maggi’ that went to worship Lord
Jesus after He was born (Matthew 2:1-2).
The Bible does
not specify their number, but the tradition that they were three, was born from
the number of presents they gave the Lord, when they met Him; gold, frankincense
a myrrh (Matthew 2:11).
It is assumed
they arrived around two years after the Lord was born, since they found Him
living in a house (Matthew 2:11), and the children that King Herod killed were
up to two years old, ‘according to the time’ he was given by the Maggi (Matthew
2:16).
THE MAGGI
The idea that
they were three and that they were kings is only based on folklore. The Bible
calls them ‘Maggi’ that came from the East (Matthew 2:1), obviously referring
to the Iranian Priestly Zoroastrian class, who held that name on the ‘East’ of
Judah.
Zoroastrianism, is
a Henotheistic faith born from the ancient Vedic religion of the Arians, that followed
the teachings of Zoroaster, who lived around 500 years before Jesus, and who held
similar ideas to Judaism, like the supreme good, a ‘Messiah’ (Saoshyant),
personal moral freedom, and eternal punishment and rewards in the afterlife,
however still holding to other Vedic beliefs.
Zoroastrianism
became the official faith of Persian empire, and that gave way to a priestly
class, called Maggi, which should not be confused with the later western
magicians who practiced only sorcery and witchcraft.
The Persian
Maggi were in charge of performing the ceremonies described in the Avesta, that
contains the teachings of Zoroaster. They were mostly inspired in the old Vedic
ceremonies, and as part of their rituals and theology they practiced astrology,
which at the time was mixed with astronomy, which only became a separately
discipline much later.
They must have
been familiar with the Jewish scriptures (Matthew 2:2), and by constant
watching of the skies and constellations for their own purposes, they
discovered the star that guided them to Lord Jesus.
They came to
worship Jesus because they knew He was someone important from God, whom they
called Ahura-Mazda; and because in their religion, they worshipped minor
deities and demigods, inferior to their main eternal deity.
WHAT
HAPPENED TO THEM
The Bible does
not tell us what happened to them afterwards, saved that once it was revealed
to them in a dream not to reveal Jesus’s place to Herod, they ‘returned to
their own country’ (Matthew 2:12). But many legends grew in devoted people
about them. However, one thing we can be sure of. NOBODY who has an encounter
with JESUS is ever the same again.
For this reason,
it is almost certain, that they were changed after seeing Lord Jesus, speaking to
his parents, and being guided by God through the star to Him.
Most probably,
they became Christians and went back, like the Ethiopian of Acts, to preach
Christianity to their homeland.
Omar Flores.
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