Monday, January 15, 2024

1500s The Adoration of the Magi

 Giorgio Vasari (Italian artist, 1511–1574) Adoration of the Magi

The only reference to these 3 men from the East in the Bible is in Chapter 2 of the Gospel of Matthew, & they’re not called “wise men,” or “kings.” There’s also no mention of how many men were there. It only describes “some men from the East” & “visitors from the East.” 

The Gospel of Matthew is the only one of the 5 gospels in The New Testament of the Bible to mention the Magi. Matthew 2:1–2 has it that they came "from the east" to worship the "king of the Jews." The gospel does not mention the number of Magi. Still, most western Christian denominations traditionally portray them to have been 3 in number, based on the biblical statement that they brought 3 gifts.