As I was making a playlist for our church Christmas party, I came across Kirk Franklin’s rendition of “We Three Kings”. I really like his version. It’s catchy, it makes me dance, and who doesn’t love Christmas songs?

It does make me wonder about the story behind the song and so since Christmas is almost here, I thought you might be interested to know a little bit more about the wise men.

The book of Matthew gives the account of the wise men. He states, “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.’ ” Matthew‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭ESV‬‬.

Now in the western world, to us, east is Asia so “the orient” in the song makes sense. But east of Judah would have been Arabia which is modern day Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

I recently listened to a podcast where Father Dwight Longenecker uses archeology and history to give us a convincing portrayal of where the wise men may have come from.

Father Longenecker states that the closest city of the east at the time of Jesus’ birth would have been the city of Petra home to the Nabataeans. If you’ve never seen pictures of the ancient city of Petra it is amazing. It is one of the seven wonders of the world, and the buildings are carved into the towering sandstone. The Nabataeans were known for their trade routes and expert travel in the unforgiving desert landscape. And what were the major items of trade? Well frankincense and myrrh. And did you know there were also gold mines in Arabia? These were the gifts that the wise men brought to Judah for the birth of the child king.

Father Longenecker also explained that the wise men, or Magi as they were called in their country, were known for being astrologists and so could have very well seen a star that would have prompted them to bring gifts for a new king since Herod was getting up there in age and they wanted to keep peace between the two nations.

Of course, Herod, being the brute that he was, wasn’t thinking about anyone but himself reigning as King so this news the wise men brought would have been upsetting. Herod sent the wise men away to search and report back the whereabouts of the child king.  Well, we know how the story ends. King Herod did not find Jesus.

And so, as the wise men followed their star to Jesus’ manger in Bethlehem and the prophecy of Micah 5:2 was fulfilled, we can rejoice that our Savior has come to rescue us all.

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” Micah 5:2 NIV

What I find fascinating about Father Longenecker’s evidence of the wise men from Petra is how everything fits in with the story from Matthew. The ancient city of Petra would have been the ideal place in the east for wise men to come from. The city was wealthy, known for its trade in frankincense and myrrh. The city was influential and would have needed to keep relations with the Roman Empire friendly so recognizing a new king with gifts would have been normal and expected. And the city was known for its religious activity in astrology.

I just love how history and archaeology make the stories of the Bible come alive. I encourage you to listen to the podcast for a more in-depth look at Father Longenecker’s remarks on the three wise men of the Bible.

As you get ready for Christmas, I hope you take some time to re-read the story of Jesus’ birth and reflect on how his coming has affected your life this past year. I’ll be sharing my 2023 recap next week.

I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas. Rejoice! For our King has come!!

 “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?” Matthew 16:26

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