Magi and the Nativity Star? (MERGED threads)

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I sense that you intend to make some sort of “point” to us, or you are leading up to it.
Do you have some theory you are trying to advance? There is reliable scholarship regarding the Magi. Do you believe you have something new to add?
If so, what?
 
From your answers I realized that my question was not precise. Sorry. What I meant was: where were the Magi when they saw the Nativity star for the first time? And my answer is: possibly they were near Jerusalem.
 
From the EWTN Library, a portion of an article by Hans-Joachim Kracht:

*The Evangelist Luke tells of the simple local shepherds of Bethlehem who found Jesus lying in a manger.

Matthew, on the other hand, tells the story of Wise Men, people of high rank who arrive from the East, from afar, following a star. They have also been called “astrologers” (“μαγοι” in Greek), Magi kings and the “Three Kings”.

Their coming from the “East” (Mt 2:1) makes one think of Persia, where the Parsee priests of Zoroaster encouraged the interpretation and deification of stars.

But according to Scripture (cf. Dt 2:2-10), the land they came from might well have been Babylon, Arabia or Syria. “Wise”, therefore, is also a definition of the “foreigners” who had come from afar to worship the newborn Jesus.

Drawing inspiration from Psalm 72[71]: “The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts; the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute” (v. 10); and from Isaiah (60:6): “All from Sheba shall come bearing gold and frankincense, and proclaiming the praises of the Lord”, popular tradition has transformed the three experts in astronomy into three kings of different ages and provenance.*
 
AIR said:
From your answers I realized that my question was not precise. Sorry. What I meant was: where were the Magi when they saw the Nativity star for the first time?** And my answer is: possibly they were near Jerusalem**.
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You are wrong and Scripture shows that you are wrong.
 
captainrick said:
Their journey took a long time, so I would say - hundreds or thousands of times, right?
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I agree with you that “their journey took a long time”, but according to Matthew they saw the Nativity star two times: the first time they “saw his star when it rose” Mt.2:2 and the second time “they saw the star” Mt 2:10 standing “over the place where the child was” Mt 2:9.

Merry Christmas
 
I agree with the translation but not with the interpretation. The Magi from the East arrived in Jerusalem. They first saw the star when it rose. But at this moment they were not in their country but near to Jerusalem. Matthew does not write that they followed it to Jerusalem. When the Magi came to Jerusalem and met Herod the star was invisible. They could not show it to the king and the king could ascertain from them only the time of the star’s appearance.
 
AIR said:
I agree with the translation but not with the interpretation. The Magi from the East arrived in Jerusalem. They first saw the star when it rose. But at this moment they were not in their country but near to Jerusalem. Matthew does not write that they followed it to Jerusalem. When the Magi came to Jerusalem and met Herod the star was invisible. They could not show it to the king and the king could ascertain from them only the time of the star’s appearance.
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Nonsense. You are trying twist Scripture to suit your own inaccurate private interpretation.
 
pianistclare said:
\Post # 12
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Of course, I’ve read it. In the post you quote Hans-Joachim Kracht’s article with his interpretation, namely: “Matthew …tells the story of Wise Men…who arrive from the East, from afar, following a star”. But Matthew doesn’t say that the Magi followed a star coming to Jerusalem. Read my post # 18 .
 
AIR said:
Of course, I’ve read it. In the post you quote Hans-Joachim Kracht’s article with his interpretation, namely: “Matthew …tells the story of Wise Men…who arrive from the East, from afar, following a star”. But Matthew doesn’t say that the Magi followed a star coming to Jerusalem. Read my post # 18 .
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:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:
 
I tend to think they came from Arabia. Egypt is South, Babylon is North, and from Israel East would be skewed towards the South because of the location of the Sunrise (being North of the Equator).

It would also lend to the Queen of Sheba visiting Solomon, when she brought gifts. Spices, Gold, and Precious Stones.
 
AIR said:
Of course, I’ve read it. In the post you quote Hans-Joachim Kracht’s article with his interpretation, namely: “Matthew …tells the story of Wise Men…who arrive from the East, from afar, following a star”. But Matthew doesn’t say that the Magi followed a star coming to Jerusalem. Read my post # 18 .
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What then were they following to Jerusalem? Gut feeling?
 
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