We Three Kings?

The book of Matthew mentions wise men or magi who came and visited the young Jesus. They’re usually depicted as three kings arriving on camels the night of Jesus’ birth after following a star. But what do we really know about these men?

Well, the word Matthew uses for “wise men” probably refers to a class of men from Persia, who interpreted special signs. So, they weren’t kings, but they did hold an important position.

Now, we don’t know how many wise men there were—the Bible doesn’t say. But most people think there were three because they brought three gifts.

So how did they know to follow the star? Well, that’s for tomorrow!

Dig Deeper

• We Three Kings
• Visit of the Magi