Did you know that the Magi were likely Zoroastrian priests or “wisemen”?
They were not Jews and not Christians(obviously)
Zoroastrianism is a monotheistic religion of service of the Good and opposition to the Evil with angels,Judgement day and a Coming Saviour.
What do you know about Zoroastrianism(Mazdaism or Parseeism)
Comments (17)
Yes, they were sometimes referred to as “astrologers” as well. Christianity has some “traits” of Zoroastrianism- those you mentioned are the major traits.
Did these wise men believe that the earth was flat? Not very wise were they ?
Yes I knew that! I am a Zoroastrian myself. If you are interested or have any questions, please feel free to ask me and I’ll ask my priest and I’ll answer your question.
Yes. But I know little about Zoroastrians.
I think the story of the “Three Magi” is just one detail of a legend. None of it actually happened as described in the Gospels.
The “Magi” were inserted into the fable so that they could perform the function of reporting back to Herod re: the birth of the “Messiah,” so that Herod could order his “massacre of the innocents,” of which there is not a single record anywhere outside of Matthew. This gave the “Holy Family” the excuse of fleeing into Egypt. Matthew was concerned to show that the life of Jesus was a sort of fulfillment in miniature of the entire history of the Jewish people; hence Herod’s massacre reflects Pharaoh’s similar slaughter of the Hebrew firstborn, while Jesus escapes into Egypt, whereas the Hebrews had fled from Egypt. All part of a legend, kids, and it has nothing to do with history.
And now thumb me down as is proper.
The real point is the story reveals that they knew of the birth from far away. How then did the story not make it to writing until a hundred years after the fact?
The magi were Asian magicians & astrologers,and were presumed wise,because of their theoretical and sometimes accurate reading of the stars and planets.
They were,indeed wise enough to know that someone very special had just been born.
Considering all the Judaism borrowed from Zoroastrianism, it seems fitting, doesn’t it?
The Magi were a monastic group setup by Daniel to count down the timing of the Messiah’s coming according to the prophecy given him in Daniel 9.
Zoroaster never prophesied to prove his sect was of God.
There is much of Zoroastrianism in Christianity.
Pharoah wasn’t a Christian either but his actions caused the faithfulness of God to shine forth.
Yes. I knew that. So, is that a problem or are you suggesting that we should all convert?
Yes, I’d heard about this. Also, Magi is short for a word that meant magician, which obviously has nonChristian, and nonJewish, implications. Also, that star led these men to Herod first, and when they told Herod about their errand, Herod wanted them to come back after they’d found Jesus. They were warned, though, not to go back to Herod, and then Herod did his evil deed with all the male babies under 2 years old. All things considered, it only makes sense that God didn’t have anything to do with that star. The common people, to whom Jesus was coming, were not astrologers, so an angel (or was it more than one) came to tell the shepherds.
here’s a good site about Zoroastrianism
http://www.ishwar.com/zoroastrianism/
This may or may not help you… The 3 or so Eastern astrologers, soothsayers, or what have you who came to pay homage to the baby God Jesus Christ were practicing a sin that in the Bible carries the death sentence when caught! But since they were looking for Jesus in the stars it is OK! (Bible Ethics 101) These Heathen kings were very stupid! They came all the way to the Royal Palace of King Herod the Roman client King of the Jews to ask him candidly, “where is the newborn king of the Jews?… for we have seen his star in the East” and so on… BTW, this newborn king is the rightful king of the Jews!
God had to protect baby Jesus and told the Magick kings not to go back to King Herod, but to sneak out of Judea without telling anybody (Bible Ethics 101). King Herod got mad and sent his troops with a royal order to slaughter all the Jewish baby boys up to 2 years of age. God said that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins. A lot of innocent blood was shed at the birth of Jesus Christ!
The Jewish mothers who lost their babies were so upset that not even the God the Holy Ghost could comfort them. They “refused to be comforted!” (Mat 2:18) Today, no honest Christian cares about them! God comes up in a dream to Saint Joseph and tells him to wake up and take the baby Jesus Christ and scram to the forbidden land of Egypt over 100 miles away in the middle of the night. The Jews were not supposed to return to Egypt ever again!
Jeremiah 42:18-19 (NIV) This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘As my anger and wrath have been poured out on those who lived in Jerusalem, so will my wrath be poured out on you when you go to Egypt. You will be an object of cursing and horror, of condemnation and reproach; you will never see this place again.’ “O remnant of Judah, the LORD has told you, ‘Do not go to Egypt.’ Be sure of this: I warn you today
So when King Herod is exterminating all the Jewish baby boys in Judea it is OK to flee for cover to the friendly Nation of Egypt! God makes the rules as we play the game (Bible Ethics 101)
Christians pirated some Pagan holidays for the celebration of the birth of God the Son Jesus Christ otherwise they would have no celebration! If it wasn’t for Santa, the Christmas season would be a total flop! Santa gets 99% of the Christian attention!
Under the kings of the Achaemenian line the religion founded by Zoroaster became one of the great religions of the ancient East. But it shared the fate of the Persian monarchy, it was shattered, though not overthrown, by the conquest of Alexander during which the vast part of its sacred scripture, The Avesta, was destroyed. It had a revival and some of its notions contributed to the manichean heresy of early christendom. Zoroastrianism was essentially crushed by the advance of Islam which rose in the east.
The sacred books of Parsees, or Zoroastrians, and the main source of our knowledge concerning the religious and spiritual life the ancient Persians.
The few Zoroastrians who stood firmly by their faith were oppressed and persecuted. Some remained, and were scattered throughout their native land; but the majority took refuge in India, where their descendants, the Parsees, are found even at the present day.
No Father of the Church holds the Magi to have been kings.
Neither were they magicians: the good meaning of magoi, though found nowhere else in the Bible, is demanded by the context of the second chapter of St. Matthew. These Magians can have been none other than members of the priestly caste .
The religion of the Magi was fundamentally that of Zoroaster and forbade sorcery; their astrology and skill in interpreting dreams were occasions of their finding Christ.
From Persia, whence the Magi are supposed to have come, to Jerusalem was a journey of between 1000 and 1200 miles. Such a distance may have taken any time between three and twelve months by camel. Besides the time of travel, there were probably many weeks of preparation. The Magi could scarcely have reached Jerusalem till a year or more had elapsed from the time of the apperance of the star.
In the fourth century the Churches of the Orient celebrated the sixth of January as the feast of Christ’s Birth, the Adoration by the Magi, and Christ’s Baptism, whereas, in the Occident, the Birth of Chirst was celebrated on the twenty-fifth of December.