Tag Archives: Babylon

Who Were The Wise Men From the East?

Wise Men or Sorcerers?

The word for ‘wise men’ in the Greek is magian, [#3097]. It is translated ‘wise men’ in the KJV, RSV, and NKJV. In the NIV it is translated magi and in the Amplified it is translated ‘astrologers.’

This same Greek word is also found in Acts 8:9 and 13:6, speaking of sorcerers. We know that sorcery was strongly condemned by the Old Testament law, and was dealt with accordingly by Peter, Paul and Barnabas. Yet, do we have ‘sorcerers’ witnessing to Jesus and being led of God in Matthew 2? I think not!

Astronomers or Astrologers?

This confusion in translating the words here reflect the common error of equating ‘astrology’ with ‘astronomy.’ ‘Astronomy’ is the science of studying the patterns and movements of the heavenly bodies for the purpose of time-telling and for global positioning, whereas ‘astrology’ is the practice of witchcraft and sorcery, often using what they call the ‘zodiac’ to make predictions and false prophecies. They are as different as daylight and darkness.

When God created the sun, moon and stars He said:

“Genesis 1:14-18 KJV – 14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:

15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.

16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: [he made] the stars also.

17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, 18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that [it was] good.”

We can note that Herod “gathered all the chief priests and scribes together” to find out where the Christ should be born. From this we know that this knowledge was expected of them. Throughout the Old Testament, the priests and scribes were learned in time-telling for the purpose of keeping the Sabbaths, feasts, and holy days. This required a precise understanding and knowledge of the movements of the heavenly bodies; they were scientists, astronomers, not astrologers. This same knowledge of the time-telling heavens was also the means for global positioning in navigating the deserts and oceans.

Was Babylon ‘The East’?

So we see that these “wise men” from “the East” also were trained in this same priestly knowledge and knew the Biblical prophecies of the time of the arrival of the Christ Child. How did they know these things?

It seems clear that they were from the Jewish colony in Babylon. After the Babylonian captivity, a remnant of the Jews returned to rebuild Jerusalem and occupy the land until Christ should come. This remnant may have been only ten percent, and the ninety percent stayed in Babylon, among which, some were priests and scribes, often called “sages” or “wise men” by the Pharisees. These would have also been familiar with the Jewish Scriptures of the Old Testament and their prophesy of the coming of the Christ Child.

Babylon was “the East” in relation to Judea. It was approximately 500 miles east of Jerusalem. So the “wise men from the east” could well refer to those who came from Babylon. They were not astrologers, practicing some kind of occult sorcery, but rather were students of the Scriptures, worshipers of God, and astronomers, knowing how to read the time-telling and global positioning heavens. So they recognized from the stars that the Christ had come, and were able to navigate the desert by following that star. And they were able to evade Herod by hearing and obeying the directions of God.

Wise Men From The East – Matthew 2:1-12

In the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him,’” Matthew 2:1b-2, KJV.

Who were these “Wise Men from the East”?

The Greek word here translated “wise men” is from magos, defined by Strong’s Concordance as “an Oriental scientist; by implication, a magician: – sorcerer, wise man.” Yet, in this instance, Strong’s concordance seems to be in error.

In historical context of the times they were not “Oriental scientists” nor magicians, but rather the sages from the Jewish colony in Babylon, east of Jerusalem.

The Babylonian Jews

This colony of Jews had remained in Babylon dating from the captivity when Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem and Judea in 605 BC. Although a remnant of them had returned to Palestine after seventy years, as prophesied, the majority of them had remained in Babylon and prospered as international merchants. This large colony, although in disobedience to God, continued to call themselves “Jews” and their priests and Rabbis maintained a strong school of Biblical studies. It was here that they began to re-interpret the Scriptures to conform to their situation without a temple and without the land. These interpretations later became known as their ‘traditions’ which developed over time into the doctrines of the Pharisees, the supposed “oral law” and the written Babylonian Talmud.

They called these scholars sages, that is, “wise men.”

In Babylon these sages were the Biblical scholars, or intelligentsia, of their colony and they claimed for themselves the authority of interpretation. They knew the written Scriptures and the priestly lore of the time-telling heavens. Thus they would have been able to determine which astronomical events would mark the time foretold for the birth of the Messiah.  It was these men who understood that it was time for the “King of the Jews” to be born. Thus, they would have recognized the “star” that announced this event.

They became “believers.”*

These particular “wise men” probably were sincere in their desire to worship the new-born Messiah, Matthew 2:2, 11. They were truly guided by their knowledge of the Scriptures and of the stars and had the spiritual insight to hear and obey the warning of God, (vs. 12). They were, therefore, the first, or among the first, Jewish converts to Christianity and bore a powerful witness to the deity of Jesus Christ. When they returned to Babylon, they would have announced the “Good News” that the Messiah had indeed been born in Bethlehem of Judea, as foretold by the Prophets.

Thus it is much more likely and more in keeping with the Biblical record that these men were Jewish priests and Rabbis from the colony in Babylon, about 500 miles east of Jerusalem, than to think that they were “Oriental scientists or magicians”.

*Acts 12:17 reports that Peter left Jerusalem and “went into another place.” It may have been that Peter went to this colony in Babylon and established a Church there, I Peter 5:13.

“Wise Men” From the East

Matthew 2:1-12.

“Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.”

Who were these “Wise Men from the East”? The Greek word here is from magos, defined as “an Oriental scientist; by implication, a magician: – sorcerer, wise man. [1]

In historical context of the times, however, they were not “Oriental scientists,” nor magicians, but rather the ‘sages’ from the Jewish colony in Babylon, about 500 miles east of Jerusalem. There was still a strong colony of Jews in Babylon dating from the captivity when Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem and Judea in 605 BC. Although, after seventy years, a remnant of them had returned to Palestine, the majority of them remained in Babylon and prospered as international merchants, even in the successive empires that ruled this area.

‘Sages’ Were Wise Men

These were not astrologers, enchanters, practicing astrology, magic and witchcraft as did the Babylonian magos. Certainly not. These were astronomers, having the wisdom of the movements of the heavenly bodies for the purpose of telling time and location. When God created the lights of the heavens, Genesis 1:14-15, they were for the purpose of giving light upon the earth, to divide the day from the night and for signs of seasons, and for days, and for years. God gave the knowledge of these movements to Adam and they were passed down through the generations to the priestly class. This was astronomy, the farthest thing from astrology.

In Babylon, the Jews considered their ‘sages’ to be ‘wise men,’ but not astrologers. These ‘sages’ were the Biblical scholars, or intelligentsia, of their colony. They knew the priestly lore of the time-telling heavens, for determining the times by reference to the stars was one of the duties of the Hebrew priesthood. By reference to the stars, they were to announce the Sabbaths, New Moons, (months), the times for the feasts, and the Sabbatical and Jubilee years. They would then have been able to determine which astronomical events would mark the time foretold for the birth of the Messiah. Thus, they would have recognized the “star” that announced this event. They were expecting it.

These particular ‘wise men’ probably were sincere in their desire to worship the new-born Messiah, Matthew 2:2, 11. They were truly guided by their knowledge of the Scriptures and of the stars and had the spiritual insight to hear and obey the warning of God, (vs. 12). They were, therefore, among the first Jewish converts to Christianity and bore a powerful witness to the deity of Jesus Christ. The very heavens had  declared it unto them, (Psalm 19:1-4). When they returned to Babylon, they would have announced the “Good News” that the Messiah had indeed been born in Bethlehem of Judea, as foretold by the Prophets, and announced by the time-telling heavens.

This scenario would have been much more in keeping with the Biblical record than to think that these ‘wise men’ were “Oriental scientists or magicians”. These men were aware of the message from the stars that the time had come and their Messiah had been born. Matthew 2:10: “And when they saw the star they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.”

[1] Strong’s #3097.