Let's continue the interesting story started in the previous article.
And let's try to find out who the magicians are, who they were and what they did.
There are also many hypotheses. Authoritative scientists who consider the Bible a historical source, tend to believe that the magi were real historical characters. However, the biblical story romanticized their image.
Other historians categorically deny this opinion, relying on the fact that it is in no way possible to refer to the Bible. Since this book is more of a work of art than a document.
To begin with, we have no reason to consider the wise men who followed the Bethlehem star to be purely folklore characters. Moreover, their behavior fits perfectly into the general picture of religious beliefs and political intrigues of the time.
Ancient historians describe the Magi (in Greek and Latin texts - Magi) as an aristocratic priestly caste in Ancient Persia, similar in many respects to the Brahmins in modern Indian society. The Magi were the heirs of the Chaldean sages of Ancient Babylon, whose deep knowledge of the sky led to the creation of an astonishingly perfect for that time astronomical science . The Magi, who were the court astrologers of the Persian kings (550-323 BC), were afraid of and respected as wise men and miracle-workers, everywhere from the Mediterranean to the Indus Valley. They later formed one of the two state councils of the Parthian kingdom, which in 247 BC revived the Persian Empire and began a long struggle with Rome for dominion over the small city-states of the Middle East.
Judea, which was strategically located at the crossroads of trade routes between East and West, was of particular interest to both Parthia and Rome. In 39 B.C. the victorious Parthian army plundered Jerusalem and expelled the ambitious young Herod from there.
Reinstated three years later with the help of the great Roman army, Herod re-established diplomatic ties with the Parthian Empire, which continued to jealously watch the gradual strengthening of Roman rule in Syria and Palestine. An unstable balance has developed, sometimes interrupted by border clashes. Each superpower tried to provoke a riot against the puppet rulers set up by its rival at the head of the border States.
In the context of this historical situation, the story of the "three wise men" in Matthew's account becomes more convincing, although it is filled with a slightly different meaning. The Magi could have been excellent spies, or, to put it mildly, intelligence diplomats for the Parthian Empire. Zoroastrianism, the monotheistic religion of the Magi, enjoyed some respect among the Jews, so they, unlike most other religions, could count on a fairly warm welcome in Judea. The Magi reached Jerusalem, the center of King Herod's domain, presumably during the truce between Rome and Parthia, and publicly announced that they were looking for a new "King of the Jews". For the ruling elite of the Jews, this statement was at least painful, but in their justification the Magi could insist on the "purely scientific" nature of their mission, to confirm the astrological predictions. Apparently, this was a serious enough argument for Herod, as he gathered his own wise men to find the birthplace of the "King of the Jews", which was mentioned in the prophecy.
So King Herod and the Magi were real historical characters, but what about the Bethlehem star? Here there are more complex problems with interpretation. What star could have brought the Magi from the east (Parthia) and then reappeared over Bethlehem, pointing to the birthplace of Jesus? Assumptions cover a wide range of celestial phenomena - from fireballs (meteors and meteorites), comets, new and supernovae stars to the astronomical connection of planets and even ball lightning and UFOs.
Which theory is the closest to the truth? In fact, can we come to a certain decision, relying only on scarce information from the Gospel of Matthew? Dr. David Hugues, a lecturer in astronomy at Sheffield University in the UK, has done extensive research on this issue and has come to a positive conclusion. Using hints from the Gospel, Hughes listed a number of criteria for determining the nature of a star. It is not necessary to mention them here, however, his position has a right to exist. In the following articles we will consider this issue in more detail.