You may have sent and received dozens of Christmas cards with their images. Yet, how much do you really know about the Three Wise Men?

The three gifts they bore may represent the gifts of "Good Thoughts, Good Words and Good Deeds" - the ancient Zoroastrian motto. To see the Magi as "Kings" is to completely miss the importance of their visit to Jesus. It is the first time in the Christian Bible that Jesus is recognized as a "Savior."

A good website about the magi of the Bible is Wikipedia's page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblical_Magi Even if the Magi visit is completely legend Matthew has created a brilliant literary twist for his 1st century audience. in first chapter Matthew records Jesus' full genealogy, back to King David. Today our eyes gloss over the long genealogies of Chapter One. Yet, these were vitally important to Matthew's audience. He leaves no doubt about his beliefs on who Jesus was and what his mission was to be. The Magi are in Chapter Two confirming what Matthew states in Chapter One - that Jesus is the future ruler and savior of the world. To change the Magi and make them "kings" takes away the power of the opening book of the gospels.Mathew's first century audience would likely have laughed at a story that made the Magi into kings. However, when the kings story arises, nearly 600 years after the death of Jesus, the Magi were no longer respected - and neither were the Jews. Once Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire it became important to full full the Bible verse which says that all the kings of the earth would bow before Jesus. But, no early church historian taught that the Magi were kings rather than traveling Zoroastrian priests or missionaries. The idea of the three wise men being kings developed much later after Christianity became the religion of the Romans.

The Magi were traveling missionaries - their faith called for them to seek "saviors" and to teach that each of us is a potential savior of our world. The word "savior" had a different meaning to the Magi as it does to today's Christians.

There is some debate over whether Zoroastrian beliefs influenced Christianity - or if Jewish and Christian ideas influenced Zoroastrianism. Zarathustra's hymns predate Christianity by hundreds, perhaps thousands of years. The story of the Three Magi may help answer this debate. The story of the Magi is NOT found in any Zoroastrian text. Zoroastrians today claim little knowledge of the Magi story.





The story of the three Magi is only found in Matthew's canonical gospel. Yet, the Magi story is an early Christian belief. There are ancient drawings of the Magi on the walls of the catacombs under Rome made by Christians. This story may be in Matthew's text, written to early Jewish Christians, because of the high respect the Jews had for the Persian Magi.





For centuries astronomers and priests have debated the Star of Bethlehem. Did the Three W ise Men really follow a star to find Jesus? If so, there should be some astronomical record of such a heavenly event. Is it just a fable?



The Infancy Gospel of the Savior, Circa 300-600 AD



The Magi and Zarathustra are also mentioned in the non-canonical Arabic Gospel of the Infancy of The Savior ( http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0806.htm ) in section 7 of this early gospel it reads:



7. And it came to pass, when the Lord Jesus was born at Bethlehem of Judea, in the time of King Herod, behold, magi came from the east to Jerusalem, as Zeraduscht (Zoroaster) had predicted; and there were with them gifts, gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. And they adored Him, and presented to Him their gifts. Then the Lady Mary took one of the swaddling-bands, and, on account of the smallness of her means, gave it to them; and they received it from her with the greatest marks of honor."











The Magian Fellowship



Article By Dr. Ali Jafarey, The Zarathushtrian Assembly







Around Christmas, we hear about the "Wise Men of the East," also known as the Magi or Magians, who followed a star to Bethlehem to pay their respects to infant Jesus. They brought with them gold, frankincense, and myrrh as presents.





Let us look up the dictionary. "Magus, plural Magi, [Latin from Greek Magos -- more at magic] 1 a: a member of a hereditary priestly class among the ancient Medes and Persians b: often capital: one of the traditionally three wise men from the East paying homage to the infant Jesus 2: Magician, sorcerer" (Webster New College Dictionary). An encyclopedia has more: " followers of Zoroaster, the Persian teacher and prophet. Gradually, the religion of the magi incorporated Babylonian elements, including astrology, demonology, and magic." (Funk & Wagnalls New Encyclopedia, 1983) The word "Magi" is, therefore, linked with Zoroastrianism.





It is "Maga" in the Zoroastrian scripture. "Maga" in Avesta and "magha" in Sanskrit is derived from "maz/mah" meaning "to be great, magnanimous, liberal, generous." Maga/magha means "greatness, magnanimity, generosity." The adjective is magavan/maghavan, "great, liberal, generous, magnanimous." The Sanskrit adjective is used mostly in honor of Indira, the Rigvedic god of clouds and rains, who was "generous" in bringing riches to the Vedic Aryans by driving drought away.





Zarathushtra uses Maga for the "Fellowship" he founded through his existential philosophy and "Magavan" for every member of the "Magnanimity." The two words -- Maga and Magavan -- are mentioned for eight times in the Gathas (Maga: Songs 2:11, 11:14, 16:11, 16:16, 17.7 (twice), and Magavan: 6:7, 16:15). Zarathushtra calls his Maga as "maz, great" in two Gathic stanzas -- Maz Maga, the Great Magnanimity, Great Fellowship (2:11 and 11:14).





The gist of these stanzas is that the Great Fellowship is based on its smallest unit – family - forming unity in "weal and woe." The units make up the entire living world. It teaches radiant happiness that reaches all. A person who consults righteousness, uses his/her good mind, and lives a life of progressive peace, qualifies to be a member of the Fellowship.





In the beginning Zarathushtra prays to Ahura Mazda (the name means Wise Lord) to lead him to expand his newly founded Fellowship. Later, he is joined by King Vishtaspa and his sagacious team, and the work to promote the "Great Fellowship" gains a great momentum. Zarathushtra's "best wishes" come true when he watches the Fellowship grow far and wide.





In the west, the professional priests of Median "nation" were clever enough to retain their caste ("tribe" in the words of Herodotus), and at the same time call themselves Magu, the Median/Old Persian pronunciation of Magava(n). Magu (Magush as nominative singular masculine) was Greek into Magos with Magi as its plural.















Maga/Magos/Magi = Magnanimous/Generous







The word "magic" and other cognates, derived from Magu, show how highly learned and advanced were the Magi in their knowledge and crafts. They made non-Iranians wonder and imagine that they were watching "sorcerers" at work. This could happen to any backward people if they see modern scientific implements used by the advanced. We have many stories how people looked first at wireless, telephone, locomotive engine, train, and other inventions and imagined them to be magic and "products of the Devil." Some still do!





With the Magi's name and fame in mind, all the priests of the Babylonian and Assyrian priests of other creeds, all serving within the great Persian Empire for centuries, took the name "Magi" for themselves. It is simple to understand the rest of events, even the Three Wise Men who are said to have visited and paid their respects to the newborn Jesus. Every Magus in what we call Middle East was not Zoroastrian. He was just a "priest."





Even the very word "priest," shortened from "presbyteros," literally "elder," was originally applied to "a member of the governing body of an early Christian Church." Today most of the religious orders, including Traditionalist Zoroastrians, have "priests" for themselves. We have a few more examples in Guru, Yogi, and Mogul. Arabic "Maja»s" occurs in the Quran. It says: "Lo! Those who believe [Muslims], and those who are Jews, Sabeans, Christians, and the Magians [all four counted placed together as the People of Book], and those who are polytheists -- Lo! Allah will decide between them on the Day of Resurrection (22:17)."













Read Other Ancient Texts in Zoroastrianism













What about Fire?

Contrary to popular myth, Zarathushtrians do not "worship" fire.

Here is a picture of the sacred fire at the Dar-e-Meher in San Jose Ca.

Note how shiny everything is - to better reflect the light.





Fire is sacred because it separates humans from animals.

Both people and animals can think, reason and make tools.

But only human beings can control fire.





Zarathushtrians believe in advancing civilization.

Fire was technology given to us. It is a symbol - but not God.

It's like the wood of crucifix. Christians do not worship the wood.









The purpose of this page is to spread awareness of



the contributions of ancient Persia (modern Iran)



May there be peace on earth and good will towards all.









I am indebted to many Zoroastrian scholars who have provided me their research and good thoughts. In particular, Ali Jafarey, Dina McIntyre, Rebecca Cann, Ron Delavega and everyone at Dar-e-Meher Fire Temple in San Jose, California have been good friends and teachers to me .... Steve Williamson, © 2007





