Re: The wise men and their star

----- Original Message -----
From: "Peter Ruest" <pruest@dplanet.ch>
To: <asa@calvin.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, January 05, 2005 12:37 PM
Subject: The wise men and their star

.............................

They are called "magoi", or magi. Of course, this has nothing to do with
our concept of magicians. According to F.Rienecker's "Lexikon zur Bibel"
(Brockhaus, Wuppertal, 1991) and "Sprachlicher Schluessel zum
Griechischen Neuen Testament" (Brunnen-Verlag, Basel, 1952), the term
"magoi" designates Persian and Babylonian priests, wise men and
star-observers/astronomers/astrologers who were adept at the
interpretation of stellar observations and dreams.
..........................................

The Persian word from which the Greek ?magos/ is derived is the root of the
English words "magic" & "magician." I note that there is a German word
/Magie/ for "magic" but I had thought that /Zauberei/ was more frequent. Of
course you would know better than I about common usage.

Some modern English versions translate /magoi/ with "astrologers," which to
modern people connotes (or should connote - see below) something
disreputable. Early Christians felt the same way but didn't have to be
embarassed by this because they could see the coming of the magi not as a
triumph of "magic" but as its submission to Christ. In his letter to the
Ephesians early in the 2d century Ignatius of Antioch wrote:

    "How, then, was he manifested to the world? A star shone forth in
heaven above all the other stars, the light of which was inexpressible,
while its novelty struck men with astonishment. And all the rest of the
stars, with the sun and moon, formed a chorus to this star, and its light
was exceedingly great above them all.
    And there was great agitation felt as to whence this new spectacle came,
so unlike everything else [in the heavens]. Hence every kind of magic was
destoyed, and every bond of wickedness disappeared; ignorance was
removed, and the old kingdom abolished, God himself being manifested in
human form for the
    renewal of eternal life."
        (_The Ante-Nicene Fathers_, Vol.I, p.57.)

Astrology is not the central theme of the Epiphany story but it provides an
opportunity to counsel people against this particular fake science which has
had a resurgence in recent decades.

Shalom
George
http://web.raex.com/~gmurphy/

 
Received on Wed Jan 5 16:45:22 2005