Mystery of the Magi: The Quest to Identify the Three Wise Men

by Dwight Longenecker

"How utterly refreshing and encouraging to read Fr. Longenecker's extraordinary ruminations on something we all thought we understood, and obviously hardly begin to understand, until now. That he has dug so deep--so we can see things we have never seen before--is a testament both to his archaeological implacability and genius and to the happy fact that God has hidden endless treasures in the Scriptures for our benefit. --Eric Metaxas, New York Times bestselling author of Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy and Martin Luther

Modern biblical scholars tend to dismiss the Christmas story of the "wise men from the East" as pious legend. Matthew's gospel offers few details, but imaginative Christians filled out the story early on, giving us the three kings guided by a magical star who join the adoring shepherds in every Christmas creche.



For many scholars, then, there is no reason to take the gospel story seriously.
But are they right? Are the wise men no more than a poetic fancy?

In an astonishing feat of detective work, Dwight Longenecker makes a powerful case that the visit of the Magi to Bethlehem really happened. Piecing together the evidence from biblical studies, history, archeology, and astronomy, he goes further, uncovering where they came from, why they came, and what might have happened to them after eluding the murderous King Herod.

In the process, he provides a new and fascinating view of the time and place in which Jesus Christ chose to enter the world.

The evidence is clear and compelling. The mysterious Magi from the East were in all likelihood astrologers and counselors from the court of the Nabatean king at Petra, where the Hebrew messianic prophecies were well known. The "star" that inspired their journey was a particular planetary alignment--confirmed by computer models--that in the astrological lore of the time portended the birth of a Jewish king.

The visitors whose arrival troubled Herod "and all Jerusalem with him" may not have been the turbaned oriental kings of the Christmas carol, but they were real, and by demonstrating that the wise men were no fairy tale, Mystery of the Magi demands a new level of respect for the historical claims of the gospel.

Genres: Religion, Catholic, Christmas, Nonfiction, Christianity, History, Theology

210 pages, Hardcover

Published November 6, 2017

About the author

Dwight Longenecker was brought up an Evangelical, studied at the fundamentalist Bob Jones University, and later was ordained an Anglican priest in England. After ten years in the Anglican ministry as a curate, a chaplain at Cambridge, and a country parson, in 1995 Dwight was received into full communion with the Catholic Church. He has published in numerous religious magazines and papers in the UK, Ireland, and the USA, writing on film and theology, apologetics, Biblical commentary and Catholic culture.

Reviews

[Celia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dwight Longenecker is a a married Catholic priest. I learned this from his Goodreads biographical paragraph.

"Dwight Longenecker was brought up an Evangelical, studied at the fundamentalist Bob Jones University, and later was ordained an Anglican priest in England. After ten years in the Anglican ministry as a curate, a chaplain at Cambridge, and a country parson, in 1995 Dwight was received into full communion with the Catholic Church."

The auhtenticity of the magi story has been a topic near and dear to his heart for a few years.

From his Author note:

"The idea for Mystery of the Magi first appeared when Dr. Matthew Bunson asked me to write an article about the origins of the wise men for Catholic Answers magazine. I was aware of the opinions of the academics that the Magi story was either a fantasy, or that the Magi (if they existed) were Zoroastrian priests from Parthia.

I wondered, however, if there might be more than meets the eye, and I asked whether the Old Testament prophecies about the Magi might indicate their origin."

Here is what I learned.

Father refers to the Magi story as related in the gospel of Matthew. It does not name the Magi; it does not say they rode camels; it merely says they came 'from the East'. Seems that over the years the Magi story was embellished to the point of craziness by many, but especially the Gnostics.

So....

Father answers the questions:

Were there Magi? Father believes there IS historical data to support their existence.
Where did they come from? Arabia, not Persia
What was the 'star'? A comet or a planet?
Was Paul influenced by the Magi of Petra?

My favorite chapter is Chapter 12 in which Father takes the simple story of the Magi in Matthew's Gospel and disects it line by line. If you read nothing else in this book, read that. I believe the chapter stands on its own.

5 stars

[Steven R. McEvoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have followed Father Longenecker on social media since I started blogging 15 years ago. I have picked up a few books that he has written, and a few that he has contributed to. I became aware of this volume after reading From Afar by Roger Thomas. And though that volume is fiction and this one non-fiction they are great compliments to each other. I picked this book up based on the title and author. I did not even read the description. When I started reading I thought ‘wow this is some great history and research’ and then I realized the whole book is history. It was an absolutely fascinating book to read. Once I got going, I could hardly put it down. I read it over 4 days because things were busy at work. And now a week later I am still thinking about it often. The chapters in the volume are:

Introduction
The Three Wise Men: Facts or Fairy Tale?
Is the Bible True?
Matthew: Man of History
Fantastic Flights of Fantasy
Sages and Stargazers
The Riddle of the Nabateans
The Middle Eastern Melting Pot
Prophecies or Predictions?
The Herod Connection
The Three Treasures
The Star of Bethlehem
Wise Men from the East
What Happened to the Wise Men?
Conclusion
Why Does It Matter?
Acknowledgments
Bibliography
Notes

This is one of those books that I was blessed to have read. And one that I cannot stop talking about. I have recommended it to about 2 dozen people through email, live chats, or calls. And if it were not 2020, and I wasn’t working from home that number would be tripled.

The book examines prejudices on both sides of the field. And then goes into a deep dive on historical sources, pilling the threads and string until a tapestry is revealed that leads to only one real possible conclusion of who the Magi really were.

This book is a mix of theology, history, archeology, and to be honest pure genius. This volume would be an excellent read during Advent over Christmastide, or to be honest at any time. I read it just before Advent and it has really help set the tone going into that season this year for me. There was not anything to non like in this volume. The information is presented in an engaging manner. It goes deep into the history and politics of the region and time. This book will help you see the Magi in a new light, and you will likely consider them in a new way going forward.

Another great aspect of this work is the examination of different theories regarding the star of Bethlehem. Longenecker presents a number of theories that might account for these events. And he presents both pros and cons of the theories.

This book is masterfully researched. It was written as part of a personal quest to understand, and to know. Longenecker really wanted to know and he dug and dug until he found what might have been. Stripping away the fantastical latter addons to the story and looking at the account from Matthew and using it as a basis for the research he has written a book that is both well researched and easily accessible. It is a volume that high school students could engage with. And the older you are and more you have read the deeper you will be able to go with this material.

This is an excellent read. And one I am certain will bless any reader. I would encourage you to give this a read and see where it leads you.

Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books by Father Dwight Longenecker.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2020 Catholic Reading Plan!

[Jeff Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first I wasn't much interested in Fr. Dwight Longenecker's new book I thought I already pretty well knew the subject. I knew about the mythic accumulations that have built up on the story.

Still after seeing some reviews I was intrigued. So I made this one of my Audible picks this month.

While again I knew some of the basic outline regarding what we didn't know about these men of indeterminate number, I didn't realize how much we could know about them. In many ways this book is almost like a detective novel. Shifting the facts to see our way forward.

I liked just about everything regarding the presentation of this information. For one it is totally engaging and it takes a deep dive into the information we have from the Gospel of Matthew and uses the tools of history to give us a fuller context. I liked that he allows for multiple interpretations of the information. That while he lays a solid case for where these Magi came from, he is presenting a case and wants to know more himself. This book really lets you see the Magi in a new light and to have a much better historical context.

There was also some coverage regarding various theories regarding the Star of Bethlehem and it does a good job of covering in summary form some of these theories. The only weakness I found in this was a dependence of Herod the Great dying in 4 BC which has been commonly held. This dating is important in regards to various theories based on astronomy. Jimmy Akin has a good article regarding this dating which puts he death a couple years later ("Jesus’ birth and when Herod the Great *really* died").

Thoroughly enjoyable read.

[Br. Thanasi (Thomas) Stama · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting research and conjecture on the origins of the Magi in St. Matthew's Gospel.

For any one who is serious about their faith journey in Christ, they should read this book.

[Joseph R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of three camel-riding kings from distant lands following a moving star into Bethlehem where they worship an infant in a stable is both popular to the general public and scoffed at by historians and biblical scholars. It sounds too fantastic and theatrical. Is it just a fun story to make Jesus look more divine, like Santa Claus lets us give presents to each other or the Easter bunny lets us eat lots of chocolate?

The original text in Matthew's Gospel is very spartan, with few details about who these men were and what motivated them. Longenecker's book is an investigation of the story of the Magi, trying to find the kernel of truth buried under layers of elaboration and fabrication. He describes how the story had details misconstrued or added. For example, the Magi are simply described as "from the East" which for Israel would mean Arabia. As the center of Christianity moved north, "The East" was more naturally Persia, which had a strong tradition of astrologers and sages. Of course, astrologers and sages could be found at virtually any court of any country at that time. Also, the Magi are never numbered in the Gospel, only that they brought three gifts. It might be natural to assume three gifts meant three gift-givers but the text doesn't say that. The text doesn't mention camels either though it does mention the Magi meeting the mother and Child in a house, not a stable.

After identifying the source of the many elaborations around the Magi story, Longenecker digs into the economic and political history of the time to search for a more plausible explanation of the Gospel text. Relatively recent archaeology (the last hundred years or so) has uncovered the Nabatean kingdom based out of Petra. The ruins of Petra are not very far from Jerusalem (100 miles in a straight line). The Nabatean trade routes ran through Judea, so they would be wise to have good relations with the neighboring kingdom. King Herod was a prickly fellow, who had played both sides of the Caesar vs. Antony and Cleopatra war and was certainly willing to betray anyone who had betrayed him. The king of Nabatea probably wouldn't go to celebrate a new king of the Jews (just to be safe) but surely he'd send envoys with gifts. When the Magi found out their mistake (i.e. the new king was not from Herod's line), they wisely went home by another route to avoid an awkward and possibly life-threatening encounter.

Longenecker goes into more detail that is fascinating and persuasive. The most persuasive part is how Longenecker acknowledges his work is speculative, i.e. it's based on both facts and logical guesses based on those facts, so new information could change things. He insists on the importance of getting facts because the gospels do record actual history (though that is not their intended aim) and the historicity of the New Testament is part of the truth of the Christian faith.

The book is a quick read (about 200 pages, including the notes, index, and bibliography) and is written for a non-academic audience. Reading this is well worth the time and especially good for the Christmas season.

Highly recommended.

[Coleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Were there really Magi, or every Christmas do we just use an exciting legend to add to our annual Santa celebration? Longenecker believes that the Magi story is historically correct, even if some parts of various folk's Christmas displays are not.

The book took me longer than I would have expected to read, mainly because my Biblical and historical background of the pre-Christ era is not as good as it should be. But Longenecker is meticulous in explaining each issue of the query piece by piece. Someone with more knowledge of the era would have understood better than I. And although I questioned as I went along, not knowing if I was questioning because I didn't understand, or if I didn't believe it to be true, I was persuaded.

The best chapter, I thought, was the last one, and If I had known, I would have started with reading it first! That is, Does if even matter if the Magi is really historically accurate / or What does it matter if it is true or not?

This book was selected for one of my Religious Book Discussion Groups that has not yet had the discussion, but which is scheduled shortly - so I may update my review.

[Michael Ritchie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Though I am an atheist, I was raised Catholic (and for good or bad, you never really get rid of that) and I occasionally read pop theology and religious history. This book is a mix of the two genres and it looked interesting, but it was a big disappointment. The author, as he readily admits, is an amateur scholar (and, I would venture to say, an amateur writer as well, as the style--if not the content--seems pitched at a high school level). Instead of giving us a book about the mystery and magic of the Magi story, his main point is to prove that the wise men, who only get a brief mention in the gospels, were real, were Nabateans, came from Northern Arabia, and had good reason to pay a visit to the Christ child. Had this been a chapter or two in a longer book about the biblical basis of Christmas lore, it might have worked fine. But at book length, his hobby horse becomes tedious, his main points made over and over. He did a lot of research, though I think it's telling that almost every illustration in the book is credited to Wikipedia Commons. The author is so concerned with trying desperately to prove that the Magi story might be true that he misses the aspects of wonder and awe that have kept this myth alive.

[Justin Nichols · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.8/5– Dwight Longenecker makes as close to an airtight case for the identity of the wise men as one can make, especially for a view that goes against traditional thought or general public belief about them. He did a wonderful job building up to his assertions that the magi were [most likely more than 3] diplomats on horses who had solid Jewish and astrological understanding sent to King Herod by King Aretas IV from the Nabatean kingdom just to the southeast of Jerusalem.

We can get sooooo stuck in thought with myths and embellished traditions passed down to us for decades or centuries or even millennia that we stop asking good questions and seeking to find the true answers. I can’t live like that. I have to know what’s real and get through the layers of what’s been fabricated or embroidered over the years. Deconstruction should turn into reconstruction, but with proper building blocks and of course always keeping Christ as the cornerstone.

Stuff like this—and this terrific book— fascinates me to no end. It’s always fun revisiting stories and aspects of my faith that have varying conclusions than I was originally taught them. Good work, Mr. Longenecker. Your results seem spot-on and even your speculations at the end are good fodder for contemplation and research and discussion.

Definitely going to recommend this book to others. (I already have actually. A buddy of mine is going to get it from the library after I raved about it to him the other night.)

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5- While I disagree with the author’s take about why certain gospels were excluded and why lack of credit is granted to them, I appreciated all his research into tracking down the Wise Men. This has been an interest of mine for some time but could not find any books on the matter. There is so much research that has gone into so many stories of the Bible (Noah’s Ark, Mary Magdalene etc) but why not them? I did find some parts to be a little repetitive but very much appreciate his efforts and his open mindedness regarding the topic.

[Melisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think that this book was a great in depth dive into the true historical and biblical basis for the magi story. I like how he used historical facts to prove that the story is entirely possible. Yet, he also used history, science, and the tracking down of elaboration trends to show how the tale has grown past it's truth. I did find some of it to be very repetitive, and not needed. I would recommend it to anyone interested in the true story of the wisemen.

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting historical search for the identity of the wise men in the Christmas story. It's inconclusive, but helps sift out the myth from the substance.

[Chris J · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book can feel a bit "inside baseball" at times, but if you have a real interest in learning who some say the magi really were, this is an interesting read. I learned a lot, to be sure.

[Manny · Rating 5 out of 5]

More precisely, four and a half stars. This is a book that locates the historical roots of the story that has become the legend of the three “wise men/kings” who come to the nativity of Christ offering Him gifts. Mind you, what is in the Bible, more precisely, the Gospel of Matthew, is not the legend. The legend has been built up from elaborations and folklore, built up so much that hardly anyone believes the legend. But the Biblical story is there in Matthew, and so what are we to make of it?

Fr. Dwight Longenecker—the author is a Roman Catholic priest—breaks down the parts of what is actually in the Bible and finds their historical basis, and in so doing saves the story for we believers. What seemed like a made up story made it real for me, and in that reality it deepened my faith. Truth be told, I'm not keen on hagiographic stories, including saints' lives. The legend of the Magi went beyond hagiography.

So Fr. Longenecker goes on to show the Magi were not from Persia or some disparate region of the world. They were not kings. And they probably didn’t even ride camels. So who were these mysterious men who have been linked to the exotic? Were they exotic? Yes, but not in ways you expect. Read the book. It was methodically argued and quite compelling.

[Peter · Rating 1 out of 5]

A fun read, but not helpful in understanding the Magi. Because the author is not a biblical scholar, he somewhat struggles when using the tools of exegesis. Sadly Longenecker fumbles around in astronomy and astrology yet still writes that a star can guide to a particular house. It appears Longenecker is not a biblical linguist and this is a major flaw in any biblical study.
This book certainly re ignited my interest in the Magi, and I am grateful to Fr. Longenecker for this. And I did enjoy his writing style.
I don’t know if any serious catholic NT scholar will reference this book in future works. But I doubt it.

[Shawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Convincing & cogent enough: Magis from “Nabatea” not Persia. The writing itself wasn’t anything great or outstanding, a lot of speculation, it doesn’t take itself serious but more as from an amateur biblical scholar point of view, and this works out fine. A good book.

[Kerry · Rating 1 out of 5]

He may be right. Perhaps three (or so, we can't be sure) magi visited a house in humble Bethlehem, and a star or some other astrological convergence (appreciated by the gnostic few) acted as a guide, essentially invisible to the unenlightened. And perhaps "east" really meant "south" to first-century Judeans, and Nabateans were excessively, compulsively, invested in the political succession of the nearby Jewish monarchy.

Or not.

I am not a theologian and can not marshal a corresponding number of fawning compliments from the Christian community who believe Longnecker hit the mark. And my credentials pale before that of a graduate of Oxford University, a priest, and a public speaker of all things religious. But I have a feel for conjecture being recast as indisputable fact and can note when lapses in logic are inserted to bolster an argument. None of that requires an advanced degree or title in Theology.

Matthew's account of the Nativity is frustrating. It is profoundly short on specifics, which, over centuries, has resulted in numerous embellishments and reformulations. How many magi arrived in Bethlehem? Matthew doesn't say. Who were they? Where were they from? Matthew's response ("from the East") isn't much more descriptive than "over yonder." It's unlikely the visitors are Jews themselves (reasonable, but not certain). They first enter Jerusalem (why?), asking for the whereabouts of the "King of the Jews," even though the man they stood before, Herod the Great, might have considered the position to be filled. They followed a star, for a while, anyway. Who else could see that same star? Why didn't credulous masses besiege little Bethlehem?

There's room for speculating, and that's what has happened. It's what Longnecker did, too, though he claims his research is not speculation but stands as definitive proof of the magi and who they were.

If I had my way, public schools would be mandated to teach young students in the 4th grade the meaning of verisimilitude, followed by annual reinforcement. Though educated in the Humanities at two universities, I did not come to appreciate the definition of that word until my sixth decade of life. Either mastery of the ability to discern verisimilitude wasn't taught, or I wasn't listening.

Verisimilitude (Definition #2: Dictionary.com): something, as an assertion, having merely the appearance of truth.

Longnecker's book is rich in verisimilitude, assertions being touted as proofs. He augments his prose with language that urges the reader's unquestioning acceptance: "obviously," "certainly," "without a doubt," along with an uncomfortable number of "must-haves." He castigates doubters with such phrases as "the conclusion that the wise men came from northern Arabia becomes unavoidable" (p. 137). He even berates his predecessors, including the far more disciplined Raymond Brown, by claiming, "The fact is that scholars have not done their homework." His firm conclusion is, "All of the evidence now points to the Nabatean origins of the wise men of Bethlehem." (p. 127). All of the evidence?

For a thorough indication that Longnecker has not sifted "all the evidence," pick up Brown's The Birth of the Messiah (Doubleday, 1999) and notice the book's heft. Its hundreds of citations and its extensive bibliography indicate it was he, not Longnecker, who dutifully took his work home. Brown even addresses counter-arguments in this edition. I see none of that with Longnecker. To diminish the scholarship of others with such trite dismissiveness while promoting one's own perspectives is indicative of hazards ahead.

Longnecker asserts that he can prove there were magi, that they did visit Bethlehem, followed a star-ish entity, and were invested in finding the King of the Jews.

Question: did Jesus ever consider himself to be the King of the Jews? I don't find much evidence that he did. The books of John and Mark mention such references, but they were uttered almost exclusively by Gentiles (Roman soldiers, Pilate). Matthew has his magi looking for a King of the Jews, but show me where Jesus identifies himself as such or sought the title. At the time of the Nativity, Jesus couldn't explain his connections (or lack thereof) to Jewish royal succession.

Longnecker is particularly intent on telling his audience the magi were Nabateans. He assures his readers this is so while dismissing all other suggestions. He notes that the Nabateans left no written records of themselves, though a quick search indicates they made inscriptions, carvings, and sculptures. Only from other writers in contact with the Nabateans do we learn much about them. That doesn't phase Longnecker as he impresses his notions of what the Nabatean royalty, clergy, and (supposed) magi thought and acted upon. A singular carved figure is held as proof that Babylonian-influenced magi were abundant in Nabatea, now steeped in centuries of ancestral affiliation with Jews and, therefore, undoubtedly transfixed upon any updates regarding the King of the Jews (p. 69). Nabatean obsession with the Jews is not claimed by them, but Longnecker takes great pains to convince his readers it must be so.

Klaus Conrad proposed the term apophenia in the late 1950s. It is, he said, the "unmotivated seeing of connections [accompanied by] a specific feeling of abnormal meaningfulness." Longnecker uses a single carving of a late Babylonian king found in Petra, assumed to be Nabonidas, to justify an Eastern influence in Arabic Nabatea. Then, one zodiac carving is offered as further "proof" of a Nabatean interest in astrology, and it is this preoccupation that will be necessary to elucidate because, after all, the primary "influencer," the star, still requires explanation.

To this day, proof of a guiding star eludes unimpeachable physical or historical explanation, though many have tried. It is accurate to say there is no overall agreement. Longnecker proposes that the star was not a physical event (mostly) but an astrological insight. He needed to portray Nabateans as invested in astrology. The artifact Longnecker references as proof of this is a stone zodiac traced back to the second century CE (well past the Crucifixion) when Nabatea was, or was about to, fall under complete Roman domination. A Nabaean interest in astrology might have been present around the time of Jesus' birth, and though this artifact is interesting, it can't be used as proof. Apophenia, maybe: proof, nope.

And don't forget the target. Here is Longnecker's theory: God wishes to manipulate foreign (Gentile) men with appeals to their affinity for astrology (a practice God loathes: Isaiah, Chapter 47; Deuteronomy, Chapter 18) to interpret and follow a peculiar set of esoteric heavenly arrangements, then trot away (no camels) in search of a being who will never claim to be the Jewish monarch they seek.

Okay.

And to illustrate the leaps in logic Longnecker foists upon the reader, consider this: "But nowhere in Matthew's account is there any mention of a long-distance trek, nor does he say they traveled through foreign territory" (p, 106).

I underlined the passage and made my margin note "true enough." But I hadn't read what he would say next. "They came a comparatively short way to a destination familiar to them on roads that were well known."

Verisimilitude.

The most simple logic tells us that if you note the absence of something, it in no way justifies its opposite. Can we claim that since we have no physical evidence of Big Foot, therefore he must exist? Matthew did not say the magi came from a long distance. That doesn't imply their trek was a short one! It simply means Matthew didn't say! He just didn't say!

I don't want to address how Longnecker tries to convince us that "East" really means "South."

The book is titled "The Mystery of the Magi," and I wish Longnecker had stuck to that theme. Matthew's account, though beautiful in its own way, is a mystery - sparse and ill-defined. It invites investigation but, even more, lures writers and readers into speculation and elaboration. I am no different. I contributed to the reams of embellishments with my novel, WE THREE. My story, with its premise that the men from the East didn't have any certainty about who they would meet, or where, is admittedly fiction.

Longnecker's claim to have solved the mystery and that the proper characters are factually identified is arrogant and thinly, if not incorrectly, justified. If Longnecker had been more intellectually humble and accurate by saying his conjectures are interesting and provide a path for further investigation, I would be so much more supportive.

If there were magi, they may have come from Nabatea in search of the next King of the Jews.

Or not.

[Amy Moritz · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was the Feast of the Epiphany and there was a good homily that talked about the sign of the star and how signs change. And it really got me thinking. And as 2022 is my year to work on creativity, I stared to play with this concept, and of the magi, in my writing. And as I'm also reading Amanda Gorman's work, which is poetry steeped not only in examining our lives but amazing research details, I decided to do a bit of research on the magi.

And so I ended up reading this on my Kindle through Libby (thank you again, Buffalo & Erie County Public Library).

This book is a really good survey of some of the scholarly research done on the subject of did the magi really exist and if so who were they. Longenecker has a theory and his book is basically a thesis on proving his theory. It's not an incredibly deep read, which is fine. Because I found out there is plenty available for me if I wanted to go deep. But I really just wanted a good overview. And Longenecker is persuasive in his argument about who he thinks the wise men are.

One of the most important things I thought about from this book is how we often read meanings into things. The story in the Bible (only in the Gospel of Matthew) is very bare boned yet tradition has embellished it greatly.

"When it comes to Christmas stories, the historical and factual are mixed with the magical and mysterious." (Much like our family stories, may I note)

"While [Modern Christians] may not accept the ornate gnostic embellishments, their understanding has been colored by centuries of legend and myth for which there is no evidence. Consequently, academics have been skeptical about the historcity of the Magi story."

There are three criterion Longenecker discussed early on which I found noteworthy:

criterion of dissimilarity -- doing something that clashes with the religion, customs, and mores of theology would make people uncomfortable, which would make the story more authentic.

criterion of embarrassment -- something that is/was embarrassing is more authentic

criterion of cultural and historical congruency -- fits with the times. political, historical, geographical, cultural

The tradition is that the Magi were Persian, but Longenecker sees that as unlikely. The magi influence in Persia was at a low point and they where hemmed in by Roman military, making it uneasy to travel. They also were unlikely to have motive or means for the journey.

The Nabatean kingdom -- the theory that Nabatean and Jewish religions share the same ancient roots, shared ancestry.

There was an historical basis for the magi and his theory is that the wise men were diplomats from the Nabatean court of King Aretas IV. Herod was old and dying. The Nabateans shared ancestry with neighboring Jews and cultural, historic, religious and economic interest in an heir of Harod. Harod was in with the emperor Caesar Augustus. The Nabatean king Aretas IV was not. Aretas was building an alliance with Harod and this would be part of the traditional royal protocal.

"They believed the whole of creation was an interlocking system and by studying one part you could discern the hand of God in another."

[Jason Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely an interesting book. I found it engaging and I now want to do further reading on the subject, and I give any book that meets that threshold high marks. It did leave me with a number of questions, though. For example, one element of Fr. Longenecker's argument about the origin of the magi depends partly on Matthew's Gospel having been written prior to AD 70. Certainly it may have been (I'm inclined to think so myself), but that is certainly not a consensus view among New Testament scholars. Also, his final chapter about St. Paul's theological and philosophical influences was fascinating, but again, how well does his thesis hold up in light of serious scholarship? Maybe very well, but I'm not sure of that.

On the other hand, I do like books like this that are written by "amateurs." I don't view that as necessarily a bad thing. Lots of drivel gets written, to be sure, but in this case we have a trained Catholic priest, who therefore does have some graduate level training in the Bible and Christian history. He also, of course, brings decades of his own personal study to the task. And I know the author to be a serious person. I do a lot of personal study of the Bible and Church history myself, and I'd like to think I might be able to put forward an idea here or there that isn't totally ridiculous!

So, I eagerly await further discussion and writing by serious scholars and historians. Has Fr. Longenecker pulled together a valid, defensible theory for understanding the magi and the interplay of the Essenes with early Christianity, etc., or has he stretched the facts a bit too thin? Hopefully, time will tell. Regardless of the outcome, I'm grateful to Fr. Dwight for the entertaining, thought-provoking read.

[Kenneth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an awesome read if, like me, you are into biblical studies and ancient history. Fr. Longenecker sets out the results of his investigations into the cultural background of the Jews and Nabataeans and I think, argues quite persuasively that the "wise men" were from the court of King Aretas IV of the Nabataean kingdom, lying directly east of Judea and Jerusalem (in today's Kingdom of Jordan - their capital was at Petra, whose spectacular ruins are today in southwestern Jordan). These Magi were not Persians - the word "magi", while of Persian origin, had long been used by the first century B.C. to describe those who were soothsayers, astrologers, and the like, of any ethnicity. One of the theories surrounding the Star was that this was actually a conjunction of the planet Jupiter and the moon in the constellation of Aries in 7 B.C. Jupiter was astrologically associated with royalty and the sign of Aries in the zodiac was associated with Judea and the Jews. Aretas IV would have wanted to acknowledge the birth of new royalty in Judea to keep on good terms with King Herod (because Nabataean trade routes to the port of Gaza passed through Herod's territory), hence the magi going initially to Jerusalem. Herod of course had no knowledge of any such birth but he had recently killed two of his own sons whom he accused of wanting to overthrow him and a new birth would have suggested a new plot to him, so he instructed the Wise Men to find the child and report back to him. The Wise Men proceeded to Bethlehem and found Jesus his parents in a house by then, but did not return to Herod.

There is so much more that the author goes into that is quite absorbing. Highly recommended!

[Patrick O'Hannigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This myth-busting book makes a wonderful Advent read, and Fr. Dwight Longenecker's enthusiasm for his own archeological and scriptural detective work is contagious. I came away from the book convinced that its thesis about the Magi being envoys from the Nabatian kingdom of King Aretas IV has considerable merit.

Longenecker's insights about the politics and economics of the ancient Middle East are fascinating. A chapter on the Star of Bethlehem starts muddled by dint of having to sift through half a dozen theories in as many pages, but eventually makes the case for the star (or planet or comet) being one of several significant astronomical events that the wise men viewed through a well-developed astrological and cultural lens.

Fortunately for all concerned, Longecker understands myth-busting as a handmaid of Truth rather than as a label that iconoclasts give their temper tantrums. The infancy narrative in the Gospel according to Saint Matthew is ultimately strengthened and deepened by this informative work.

The only missed opportunity here (it seems to me) is that although he's writing for non-specialists, Longenecker never explains the wiggle room in what became the divide between BC and AD notation. It's all well and good to point out that Jesus was born during the reign of Herod the Great, but lay readers may do double-takes if they know Latin abbreviations well enough to wonder why "Anno Domini" usage apparently suffers from a five- or six-year rounding error.

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is something that is really fun about digging behind ancient stories to find out the truth behind them. Several years ago, this led to a fascinating episode of Nova featuring Dr. Robert Ballard, of Titanic fame, searching the Black Sea for Noah's Ark. Fr. Longenecker's work on the story of the Magi from St. Matthew's Gospel is impressive and certainly provides a lot of food for thought, both for devotion and for preaching.

Fr. Longenecker dives deep into the historical situation, context, and political background of Palestine and the Imperial frontiers to try to piece together exactly who the Magi were, where they came from, and why they came to Judea looking for the Messiah in the first place.

While these things are very technical questions, Fr. Longenecker presents them with well paced prose which he uses to great effect, keeping the reader interested with brief chapters and really interesting arguments and evidence. This is an interesting book not only for religious people and those interested in Biblical history, but if you're interested in the history of the Ancient Near East or the Roman Empire there's plenty here for everyone.

[Rick Taglieri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would have preferred to give this book 3 1/2 stars. Four stars if it had included better maps and a chart of rulers and family relationships. First, I must admit to being a big fan of Father Longenecker’s blogs. The history about the origins of Magi as a class is quite interesting.While the evidence he presents for his theory isn’t conclusive; his conclusions about the Magi’s origin and journey it persuasive and is quite worthy of serious consideration. The biggest stretch in his arguments comes in the last few chapters in the book wherein the Magi flee Herod by going north to Damascus; and then tying that into Paul’s theology, 35 years later.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly researched and very enjoyable. Father Longenecker first walks through the common legends surrounding the magi from Matthews Gospel and the origins of those tell take legends. He then walks you through Matthew's short account, and through historical, economic, biblical, political, and astronomical research, seeks to untangle the true identity of the wiseman. I really appreciated Fr. Longenecker's clear writing, traffic critiques, thorough research, and candid explanations where his fact finding ended and speculation began. A good read for anyone interested in history, biblical roots, or who wants to better understand the wise men's place in Christmas tradition.

[Oscar Rodriguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book is a great investigation about the reality that the Bible offers in the passage of the Epiphany of the Lord. The initial chapters hooked me up, since all the reflections about finding the truth and learning to distinguish what it is and what is not was enlightening. Specially since in our times many people tend to take Bible stories as pure fantasy. It was a fascinating ride and hopefully a start for other researchers to take this subject more seriously. It is very recommended to those people who, like the Magi, want to deepen their knowledge about the truth and growing in their faith.

[John E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Historically Accurate

In this age virtually all literature and television shows examining the birth of Christ dismiss the stories of His birth in Luke and Mathew as myths created in an effort to support the Old Testament prophesies. “Mystery of the Magi” is a pleasant contrast. The author provides a historical basis for the visit as well as tracing their origin. The book also discusses explanations for the Star of Bethlehem which is supported by theories and studies by well respected astronomers. This book should be included in every Church library.

[Emmy]

Stopped reading this one somewhat early because I couldn't figure out the author's intentions. The opening couple of chapters felt like a game of "Will I or Won't I?" Like, "Skeptics say that the wise men did not exist. Believers are afraid that to admit they didn't exist might jeopardize their whole religion. But, I'm afraid they weren't real...Unless they were???"

Maybe I missed something, but I felt like the author was teasing me, keeping me guessing when I just wanted to get to the facts... and in the end, I wasn't interested in playing around.

[Jaime K · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of Jesus, including with the Magi, is a bundle of traditions, legends, and people. Father Longenecker parses through Matthew's story and historical knowledge to learn the truth.

The gnostics greatly influenced the story as we know it, but the truth is more complex. We learn about when and how Matthew was likely written.
We learn the Magi were likely from Nabatea, especially with the area's connection to the Jews and what "East" meant in Israel.
We read of the astronomical and astrological influences of that time.

Chapter 12 puts a lot in perspective.

[Jeffrey Kahl · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book had some interesting insights, but I found his historical reasoning and his biblical exegesis to be unconvincing in many places. In my opinion, he also introduces historical details that are not really central to his claim.

For a much more carefully-reasoned and succinct treatment of this topic, I recommend the early chapters of “Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes” by Kenneth Bailey.

[Ted Scofield · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intriguing book that reads like a detective story! Forget everything you think you know about the "three wise men." Dwight Longenecker cuts through the legend and investigates the simple story Matthew recorded in his biography of Jesus. His conclusions are compelling, logical and fascinating. Five stars!

[Michael Laflamme · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great job.

For years the ideas behind the Magi and the Christmas Star have troubled me. Who were these people? What signs were they following? It was a cunundrum inside a mystery and I discovered that books about the issue were countless, but only deepened the quandary. Father Longenecker goes a long way towards a solution. Great book.