Tracing the Legendary Journey of the Magi: From Persia to Cologne
Summary
- 0 – Introduction: The Magi in the Synoptic Gospels.
- 1 – The Magi in apocryphal texts.
- 2 – The number and names of the Magi.
- 3 – How long did the journey last?
- 4 – The Magi and symbolism. Steganographic writing of the myth.
- 5 - The star at the origin of the myth.
- 6 – Hypothesis of a Nova or Supernova: E-A and the fish-man.
- 7 – Hypothesis of the celestial conjunction.
- 8 - Where was the cave of the Nativity located?
- 9 – Who were the Magi in reality.
- 10 – Developments of the Italian story.
0 – Introduction: The Magi in the Synoptic Gospels
Once, around the time of Epiphany, I wondered who the Magi were, what their names were, and most importantly, where the information about them originated. It seemed logical to think that the information came from the Gospels. But I was mistaken: among the Synoptic Gospels, only the Gospel of Matthew in chapter 2 (verses 1-2), incidentally at the beginning, states that among others, the “Magi” who came from the East arrived at the Nativity cave. The text of Matthew literally states "Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea during the time of King Herod. Some Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem and asked ..."
The Gospel according to Matthew does not provide further details. In practice, we neither know their names nor how many there were; the only thing Matthew implies is that there were more than one (some Magi).
The evangelists Luke and Mark do not mention the episode, and John does not deal with the infancy of Jesus.
Thus, in the Synoptic Gospels, this appearance is merely hinted at without further exploration. It has been observed that there was probably a form of self-censorship in the canonical texts, as the adoration of Christ by the "Μαγοι"—a type of sorcerers like the infamous Simon Magus (defeated by Peter as told in the Acts of the Apostles)—would have been unacceptable.
Indeed, from a historical perspective, the story begins far back in the lands of Persia, involving a priestly caste, stars announcing a miraculous birth, and three people (kings?) who set out to venerate him.
1 - The Magi in Apocryphal Texts
Given the limited information in the canonical Gospels, it seemed logical to turn my attention to the Apocryphal Gospels, which are generally richer in details about the birth and childhood of Jesus, as well as aspects of His private life that are usually overlooked.
However, the search was not particularly rewarding. Nevertheless, the outcome was as follows:
I consulted 14 series of texts, of which seven do not address the topic at all (Gnostic Gospels; Armenian Apocryphal; Chartres manuscript; Apocryphal Gospel of Thomas; C11 Arabic Manuscript from the Ambrosian Library; Arabic-Latin version of the story of Joseph the Carpenter; Coptic version of the Story of Joseph the Carpenter).
Among the remaining seven groups of texts, I must distinguish 5 series of texts from which only conflicting or incomplete information can be derived:
- The Bodmer Papyrus (concerning the birth of Mary) mentions in chapter 41 (verses 8-15) with these words: “And behold, Joseph prepared to go to Judea. – And a great tumult occurred – in Bethlehem of Judea. For there had arrived Magi asking: ...” and again in chapter 42 (verses 8-9): “The Magi, seeing that he was – with his mother Mary, - took gifts out of their packs – gold, frankincense, and myrrh ...” and they are simply named in 42.16 – 17; this text suggests they were three in number.
- The Protoevangelium of James, chapter 21.1 states: “Then Joseph prepared to depart for Judea. In Bethlehem of Judea, there was a great commotion, for there had come Magi who said, 'We have seen his star in the East and have come to worship him'.”
- Hereford Codes (H) and the Arundel Codex (A): These texts, largely overlapping, mention the episode in chapters 86, 90, and 92, providing the only indication of the gifts and, hence, indirectly of the number.
- From the so-called Arab Gospel of the Infancy, we gather an interesting and historically accurate detail that deals with the episode in chapters 7.1 and 8.1; [7.1] "Magi came to Jerusalem, as Zaradusht (Zoroaster) had predicted, bringing gifts: gold, incense, and myrrh" while the following chapter 8.1 adds no information about their origin, names, or number.
- The so-called Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew addresses the episode in chapter 16.1, albeit placing it at a different time. "After the second year, the Magi came from the east to Jerusalem bringing great gifts."
Finally, we have two groups of texts that are most intriguing:
- The "Book of the Cave of Treasures" (an Arabic-Syriac apocryphon) and a later text, the "Historia Trium Regum" by JOHN OF HILDESHEIM, which combines texts and fragments—of unknown origin—about the Magi into a single narrative.
- The "Book of the Cave of Treasures" informs us that the Magi were "kings, sons of kings" [information of dubious value: see further]. Conversely, in the "Armenian Gospel of the Infancy," it specifies a family relationship ("... these Magi were three brothers...") and also provides their names [see further].
Both texts essentially confirm the Bodmer Papyrus [Chapter 42], which, without revealing their number, contained precise references to the number of gifts given by the Magi.
2 - The Number and Names of the Magi
This number (the number "3") should nonetheless be accepted with some reservation. Among esoteric scholars, the number three is known to have a greatly symbolic value, indicating the whole of humanity, or, if you prefer, the three human races derived from the sons of Noah: Semitic, Hamitic, and Japhetic, from Shem, Ham, and Japheth respectively.
There is another possible explanation. In ancient Egypt, the number three, Khem, was connected to lunar movements and signified "the manifestation in the world of the real from the transcendent One," which, as Mattera clarified, refers to the transcendent deity becoming immanent; a concept linked to the epiphany of Christ, God made man.
The issue of the name is no less important.
Among the "people of the book" (Jews and Arabs), the "name," or rather the knowledge of the name, held great magical significance, as a form of possession. This is demonstrated by the biblical episode in which the Elohim invite Adam to name all living beings (signifying man's dominion over other beings).
Perhaps even more clearly demonstrated by another episode, where Moses encounters the burning bush. When Moses asks "Who are you?" he is not seeking the revelation of the trinitarian nature included in the answer "I am who I am," but is actually attempting to take possession of the "name" of the being hidden in the fire.
But let's return to the Magi.
In the modern world, they are known by the names GASPAR, MELCHIOR, and BALTHAZAR, although it must be said that not everyone agrees.
The people of Milan, for example, have venerated them under the names of RUSTICO, ELEUTERIO, and DIONYSIUS.
What evidence do we have?
In a Coptic monastic complex in Egypt, images of the Magi are accompanied by the names Gaspar, Melchior, and Bathesal.
Melchior would have been the eldest of the three: his name would derive from the Aramaic Melech (lord, king).
The name Balthazar would derive from the mythical Babylonian king Balthasar, which generically repeats, in the name, the region of approximate origin. Finally, Gaspar, Gasparre, whom the Greeks called Γαλγαλαθ, would correspond to the lord of Sheba.
Marco Polo also mentions the Magi in "The Million" and, rightly, traces them back to Persia.
The Venetian explorer connects the Land of the Magi to that of the Sabaeans when he states that "... in Persia is the city called Saba from which three kings departed to worship God when he was born..."
However, a careful examination of the text has led scholars to conclude that Marco Polo's citation is not correct. The traveler was not referring to "Saba" (which would have been located in Ethiopia), but to "Sawah" in Persia. Other scholars, however, identify the starting city of the pilgrimage as "Ubar".
3 - How long did the journey last?
The journey of the Magi to Bethlehem would have lasted 13 days. But even on this point, there is no consensus of views.
It has been said that 13 days would not have been sufficient to cover the distance between Iran and Palestine by camelback.
It should be noted that the number 13, like many other elements of this story, has an esoteric meaning.
13 is a number sacred to the lunar deity, and in this sense, it was transferred into the legend. It is true that the number 13, an element of sacredness, was subsequently demonized based on considerations foreign and contrary to those that had determined its ancient sacredness.
Thirteen became the number of companies in which there was a sacrificial lamb and a traitor: with Judas, the company of the apostles numbered 13 components, and this circumstance appeared and will reappear in popular myths.
The belief was still alive at the end of the first millennium AD. When the legend of Camelot was formed, among the 13 were the knights of the Round Table, King Arthur playing the part of the lamb while Mordred played that of the traitor.
But there’s more, as the Anglo-Saxon tradition considers the number thirteen to be unlucky, and even today, in the United States, building “floors” often skip the thirteenth floor.
4 - The Magi and symbolism. Steganographic writing of the myth
Someone (like Romanazzi) has pointed out that, in such an esoteric complex, symbolism plays an absolutely primary role.
In other words, the matter revolves around a complex of symbols that are not limited to the numerical aspect particularly dear to Eastern esotericism (think of the Kabbalah and, in general, Jewish esotericism).
Upon reflection on many other aspects, I believe that no one considers the New Testament passages as examples of historical writing. Even though history often serves as a backdrop, sacred writing aims to exalt the sacredness of Christ's figure through the memory of his works – whether the writing belongs to the synoptic gospels or partly to the apocrypha.
Based on this school of thought, there are those who have denied any historical validity to the episode of the “Magi,” and to the connected “Massacre of the Innocents,” as both lack any historical evidence or proof.
Apart from the possibility of considering the two episodes as poetic elements of the text, it is much more likely that the author or authors were influenced, consciously or not, by the possibility of creating a "prior" historicity, configuring Romans and Jews as the villains of the time who were destined to act as foils to the inherently good characters (the shepherds and the Magi).
Let us not forget that in the Nativity story there is another element of steganographic writing of dubious placement when connected to sacred worship.
Consider the "cave" element (and, alternatively, the "stable") – where Jesus was said to be born or laid down. The cave is indissolubly linked to the womb (of the Lunar Goddess) as well as to chthonic cults.
Consider the cult of Proserpina, who is reborn in spring, emerging from Hades to bring life to spring, and numerous deities—or demigods—are born in a cave: Minos, Dionysus, Mithras.
On the other hand, the manger in Christian iconography was nothing more than an element of an animal shelter.
5 - The Star at the Origin of the Myth.
And now we come to the element of the star, which similarly unites the various versions of the myth.
We have seen that the wise men – magi or magicians – invariably wonder and ask, "..where is the born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East and have come to worship him..".
It is pointless to repeat well-known arguments about the magical-esoteric significance of the "Star": it suffices to consider that the celestial bodies, penetrating with their light into the darkness, become expressions of the eternal struggle between light and shadow, between good and evil. The ancients were more sensitive than we are to the symbolic aspects inspired by celestial phenomena. Among these, the appearance of a comet was perceived as a "prodigium" that literally announced and revealed divine will (the Etruscan diviners knew something about this).
For Matthew, the appearance of the "Star" is directly related to the birth of Christ.
But there's more because all the great deities of antiquity are, in some way, linked to the stars (one could simply think of the zodiac, which was already millennia-old at the time).
The stars in some way govern the fate of men and not by chance the Egyptian pharaoh was called "star of Egypt" (Tutankhamun, was the "Star of the Southern Sky," today known as the "Southern Cross").
Scholars, in an attempt to provide a historical basis for the story, have not so much debated the meaning as the phenomenal reality of the star that guided the Magi to the fateful "Cave."
In reality, it is a bit difficult to regard as merely symbolic an event of such magnitude: after all, three characters who—kings or not—had undeniable importance on the social plane had set out to traverse half of the known world!
Personally, I am convinced that the star was a real event that alone constitutes the key to understanding the entire story because of its reality: it is, in other words, that objective element around which the myth is created. And that will lead us to surprising results.
Indeed, various hypotheses have been formulated to explain in real terms an astronomical phenomenon today measurable in space and time.
Generally, the passage of a comet is favored. But which comet?
There is talk of Halley's comet, whose period, orbit, and times of passage in view of Earth are perfectly known by astronomers. And here begin the problems for Halley; it has a constant period and reappears punctually every 76 years.
At this point, it is easy to calculate that it passed through Earth's horizons around 12 BC.
But this date does not coincide with the one in which Dionysius Exiguus sets as the maximum limit for the nativity.
6 - Hypothesis of the Nova or Supernova: E-A and the Fish-Man
For some, it was a "Nova" or "Supernova", a phenomenon of extraordinary brightness, visible for a long enough period to light the path of the three Magi from Persia to Bethlehem.
Moreover, such an episode would not be unprecedented. As explained by MICHANOWSKI—an Assyriologist and astronomer—the explosion of another Supernova ("Vela X" which occurred around 4000 BC, in the midst of protohistory) is believed to have given rise to the myth of E-A, the supreme Sumerian deity (later Assyrian).
It is worth dwelling on the myth of E-A, because, as we will see, although it is not acceptable as an explanation for the coming of the Magi, it has significant connections with our case.
E-A was the lord of Ab-zu [Sumeria] and, objectively explained the continuum of ocean and celestial vault located south of Mesopotamia, in the Persian Gulf. One of his epithets was Ha-Han, which meant "fish-man"; it could also be written as Han-Ha (fish of the sky). E-A, in other words, was a maritime deity, also identified by the name of Mul-Nun-Ki (Vela X), lord of the southern constellations who settled in the Ocean after he had killed Apsu. Here E-A's wife bore Marduk.
For ZECHARIA SITCHIN, the comet would have crossed the orbit of Mars (Marduk) which would have impacted it, deviating it from its orbit with such force that a fragment (Apsu) was detached. The phenomenon would have been visible to the naked eye in the southern hemisphere (Persian Gulf) during the 6th millennium BC.
Obviously, it is not possible to assume Vela X or the celestial story of Marduk-Apsu as the Star of the Magi due to the significant difference in dating. However, I was saying that there is an ideal link between the myth of E-A and that of the Magi that makes me think of a different solution which, in any case, prompts reflection.
Perhaps it is no coincidence that early Christians recognized each other with a code sign where one would trace a semicircle in the dust that the other would complete by crossing it with another semicircle, thus forming the sign of a Fish whose Greek name (ιχθυσ), was an acronym for Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior (ιησυσ χριστοσ τεου υιοσ σωτηρ).
Nor is it a coincidence that the attribute of the Nazarenes (inhabitants of Nazareth, but also followers of Jesus) was a word that meant "little fish."
Moreover, upon entering Jerusalem, Christ was greeted with the cry of "oannes," which later became Hosanna perhaps by a transcription error. The Oannes, incidentally, were the gods of Middle Eastern populations who were depicted as half men and half fish! (like E-A).
7 – Hypothesis of the Astral Conjunction
One of the hypotheses that today enjoys greater credibility is that of an extraordinary planetary conjunction.
More precisely, it refers to the Jupiter-Saturn conjunctions observed in the sign of Pisces between Jupiter and Saturn from May 29 to December 4 of 7 BC.
8 - Where was the cave of the Nativity located?
It seems there is no certainty in this story.
For example: where was the cave of the Nativity located? Among the Synoptics, the evangelists Luke and Matthew place it in Bethlehem; Mark and John in Nazareth.
In reality, Bethlehem, the city of Christ's birth, would correspond to Bethlehem of Galilee, a village a few kilometers from Nazareth. This would reconcile the differences between the evangelists. However, Saint Jerome reminds us that in Bethlehem, the deity Adonis-Tammuz, a tree-related god linked to the cave and the cycle of death and resurrection, which inevitably recalls the earthly story of Jesus, was worshipped from time immemorial.
On the other hand, the story of Christ, entirely enveloped in symbol and mystery, cannot be separated from the solar and arboreal cults that from the very protohistory (see E-A) populated the world of men.
Consider, for a moment, the date of December 25th as the day of Jesus' birth. This was a convenient date, or if you prefer, a compromise chosen for the messianic nativity. December 25th had the advantage of recalling the solar origins of the myth without being confused with them; it was, in other words, close enough to the 21st (the day of the Winter Solstice) without being conflated with the "dies natalis solis" (for example, of Mithra). In this way, it was ensured that "a god born of a Virgin at the winter solstice and resurrected at the spring equinox" became the equivalent of the solar deity.
9 – Who were the Magi in reality?
In this gigantic complex of symbols and endless mysteries, one remains to evaluate the only objectively assessable historical element: that concerning the actual reality of the Magi. They were indeed Magi, representatives of a class from ancient Persia.
For the rest: it is not certain that those involved in the Nativity were Kings, nor where they ended their existence after returning to Persia.
Let's start by saying that the characters from the Gospel of Matthew and the apocrypha were not kings but wise men who certainly enjoyed a significant privileged position. The esteem they were held in was the sole cause of their regal attribute.
In other words, we are talking about a class or social stratum typically Iranian; they were probably shamans linked to the worship of the stars and perhaps priests of the Iranian god Ahura Mazda.
As wise men—as dictated by the science of the time—they were also Astronomers - Astrologers. This wisdom was renowned in antiquity to the extent that the Greeks knew them as μακοι or μαγοι (or, again, Μαγουσαιοι); but their fame went far beyond to the point that the Arabs, in the 7th century, called them Magiu or Hashishin, Yâtucân in India.
For the rest, it appears they were not buried, not even in Persia, but in a single tomb in Constantinople.
It is at this point that the Milanese story of the Magi begins. In Constantinople, Eustorgio, the future bishop of Milan, received their mortal remains from Emperor Constantine (325 AD) on the occasion of his episcopal investiture.
The fact remains that the remains of the Magi were kept in what was officially called "Sepulchrum Trium Magorum" in S. Eustorgio, from 325 to 1164.
Legend has it that the bearers of the Sarcophagus, when they arrived in Milan, succumbed to fatigue and were unable to carry the heavy burden beyond Porta Ticinese, and Eustorgio authorized the burial on the spot.
I wonder: why do they appear on the evangelical scene permeated with a different type of culture (Jewish)?
I believe this happened for two reasons.
First, the Jewish culture was itself imbued with esoteric mysticism and thus ready to receive a message that, in substance, had identical characteristics even though it came from elsewhere.
Indeed, even on the Iranian ideological front, there were very strong tendencies and motivations for the expectation of the advent of a Sausyant, the Universal Savior foretold by the stars.
The Sausyant was the envoy of the God Mithra, and was shared by both Mithraism and Mazdeism to be identified with the future Buddha, the Bodhisattva Maitreya of Indian culture.
These ideas were amplified by the Roman legions (between the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC) and spread throughout the entire Empire so much so that Mithraic and Iranian cults existed up to Caledonia to the point where Bussagli identifies, in the sign of the Bodhisattva, the genesis of the Grail.
But by the 4th century BC, the idea of the Savior had spread well beyond these borders: Maitreya had become Miroku in Japan while in the West it had merged with the Οξυαρτεσ of DIODORUS SICULUS and CTESIAS and Uxyat-Ereta in Iran.
The idea of a divine savior thus also entered the Islamic world, and the Zoroastrians are mentioned in Surah 22, verse 17 of the Quran among the followers of the Scriptures, that is, among the "People of the Book."
The oldest part of the Avesta thus became part of the Revelation alongside the Pentateuch and the Quran, the apocryphal Acts of the Apostles (in particular the Cave of Treasures, and the Arabic Gospel of the Infancy of Jesus which I have already mentioned) as stated by the Arab historian al-Tahari (848-923).
The complexity of these events, combined with the inevitable contradictions faced by those attempting a historical reconstruction, has recently led some researchers to pursue a new path.
This is the case with Giuseppe Badalucco in Edicola Web (The Mystery on the Internet). He starts from the consideration that the canonical Gospels were composed between 50 and 100 AD by "authoritative members of the early Christian community, with the intent of highlighting a set of historical and theological truths about the figure of Jesus Christ, accompanying the chronicle of the life of the Messiah with the first elements of Christian doctrine which were subsequently developed at the time of the birth of Christian theology."
Naturally, the development of this theory unfolds through the analysis of the texts of Matthew (1, 18-25; 2, 1-12; 13-15; 16-18, and 19-23) and Luke (1,1-4; 26-38; 39-45; 2, 1-7; 8-20; 21-24; 28-38; 39-40).
The premise and the analysis conducted lead the author to conclude that the Magi "are symbolic figures representative of the Pagan world (Gentiles) that approaches and will be converted to the faith in Christ, the only Savior."
10 – Developments of the Italian story
We have already seen that Italy was not unrelated to the adventurous story of the Magi through its first Bishop, Saint Eustorgio. His Milanese church in the High Middle Ages was a ceaseless destination for pilgrims who wanted to venerate the legendary relics.
In 1162, Frederick Barbarossa, victorious over the Milanese, decided to transfer the alleged relics to Cologne. Various historical figures requested their return, without success: Ludovico il Moro (in 1494) with the authoritative help of Pope Alexander VI. Subsequent unsuccessful attempts were made by Philip II of Spain, Pius IV, Gregory XIII, and Federico Borromeo. Only Cardinal Ferrari, in 1903, managed to obtain some small bones that are still kept above the Altar of the Magi in Sant'Eustorgio.
Unfortunately, the relics have also disappeared from the Cologne Cathedral, which was destroyed during a bombing raid in World War II.
