spamandham

I am interested in the history behind the visit of the magi in the birth story of Jesus. I have seen claims that the entire birth story is astronomical allegory, and that the 3 kings refer to the belt of Orion. Does anyone have any mainstream references regarding this?

Toto

Last thread on the magi mentions this but does not go into it.

You realize that the original story does not mention THREE kings - just magi or kings bearing three gifts. The 3 comes from folk interpretations.

The three stars in the belt of Orion are sometimes referred to as the three magi, but I don't know when that arose.

mountainman

In order to do justice to this question you need to know
two separate things:

1) The chronology and its history for the Parthian (then Sassanian)
civilisations, and its monotheistic religious evolution out of
which --- at the appointed time --- is has been purported
there occurred a said journey/pilgrimage by three magi.


2) The chronology and the history for the writing, assembling,
transmission, and first actual binding of all the books of the bible
in which we are to infer the birth story of Jesus is recorded.

Both of these issues are interesting in their own right.

Chili

So why would they call it Epiphany? and not Magi-claus? or something like that.