who followed the 'star' in the story of Jesus's birth? (was it the three wise men??)?

Answer 1

Nativity scenes usually depict three robed men with their camels, arriving at a stable where the babe Jesus is lying in a manger. The splendidly dressed visitors are commonly called the three wise men. What does the Bible have to say about them?

According to the Bible, the so-called wise men were “from eastern parts,” and it was there that they had learned about Jesus’ birth. (Matthew 2:1, 2, 9) It must have taken a long time for these men to travel to Judea. When they eventually found Jesus, he was no longer a newly born babe in a stable. Instead, the men found Mary and “the young child” living in a house.—Matthew 2:11.

The Bible calls these men magi, or “astrologers,” and it does not say how many there were. The Oxford Companion to the Bible explains: “The connection between magic and astrology is reflected in the visitors’ fascination with the star that had led them to Bethlehem.” The Bible clearly condemns all forms of magic and the Babylonian practice of trying to get information from the stars.—Deuteronomy 18:10-12; Isaiah 47:13.

The information conveyed to these men did not lead to any good. It aroused wicked King Herod’s jealous anger. This, in turn, resulted in the flight of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus to Egypt and the murder of all male children in Bethlehem “from two years of age and under.” Herod had carefully ascertained the time of Jesus’ birth from what he learned from the astrologers. (Matthew 2:16) In view of all the troubles caused by their visit, it is reasonable to conclude that the star that they saw and the message about “the one born king of the Jews” came from God’s enemy, Satan the Devil, who wanted to do away with Jesus.—Matthew 2:1, 2.

The star these men followed led them, not directly to Jesus’ birthplace in Bethlehem, but to Jerusalem, where King Herod ruled.

Matthew is the only Gospel that refers to these visitors. (2:1-12) But does Matthew mention that there were three and that they were kings, and does he record their names? The Catholic newspaper Kirchenzeitung für das Bistum Aachen admits: “The Three Holy Kings are not referred to as such in the Bible. Starting in the sixth century, the wise men were understood to have been . . . three kings. . . . As to the number of astrologers, . . . Matthew gives no details. . . . In the ninth century they first appeared under the names Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthasar.” Furthermore, the Catholic reference work Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche notes that the Greek word ma'goi does not mean kings but, rather, “ones having secret knowledge of astrology.” Justin Martyr, Origen, and Tertullian each understood the word to mean “astrologer.” Modern Bible translations also use “astrologers” at Matthew 2:1, 7.—The Living Bible; An American Translation.

So no one actually knows how many men came to see Jesus.

Answer 2

No one knows who they were or what their names were. It is assumed that they were astrologers from Persia who had been observing star conjunctions that had specific meanings in their religion. A conjunction was occurring that meant that a holy king was born in Judea, and they went to verify this. In the following years, a whole story was invented, giving these men names and possible places of origin, king status, and so on. We don't even know there were three, but the three gifts made people think that meant three givers. The word Magi (singular Magus) meant wise people with esoteric knowledge. It's the root word of magician.

Answer 3

Here's the complete story!!

Scripture doesn't mention Jesus's birthdate or any christians celebrating His Birthday. The only birthday mentioned besides Pharoah is the heathen king Herod. "Christmas" means "mass of Christ"; the celebration coexisted in Rome before there was any in Jerusalem. The early Roman Church however did establish a pagan festival that (Jer.10) coexisted with Jesus's Birth and that was the birthday of the sun god. (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th ed., article: "Christmas"). The Catholic sources admit that Christmas didn't co-exist with the earliest festivals. Jesus wasn't born Christmas; even scripture makes this evident. "On the night of Jesus's birth, the shepherd's were still keeping watch over their flocks." (Luke 2:8). The rainy season in Ancient Israel began after the Feast of Tabernacles which generally is early October. In November, it would be cool and wet; the flocks from the pasture had already been brought and kept in winter quarters by the shepherds. This tells us the shepherds were no longer in the fields at night. Another peice of evidence is overlooked is in Luke 1:35-36; it tells us John the Baptist was born to Mary's cousin Elizabeth six months before Jesus. And as we look further in verse 5-17, we see Zacharias an elderly priest burning incense on the altar and then an angel appearing to him and telling him that he and his wife would have a son to prepare Christ's Way. We know however when this announcement was made by the angel because of Zacharias was "of the course of Abijah" Please look at 1Chron.24:1-19; it tells us that King David divided these priests into 24 "courses" that served in the temple by rotation. The Course of Abijah would be the 8th of the 24 courses which usually would occur around the end of May. Pentecost came the week after the 8th course served and he had to serve all 24 courses during the three festival seasons. So Zacharias came home approximately after the first week of June; in which John the Baptist was conceived around mid-June and 9 months later would be his birth. John Baptist's birth came around mid-March while Jesus's was around mid-September. Also notice every year people claim 3 wise men seen Jesus in a stable; is this really true? The Bible nowhere states "3 wise men" or "that the wise men visited Jesus in a stable". Read for yourself: (Matt.2:11); these Magi came from the east beyond the Euphrates River which in the 1st century was called the Parthian Empire (the eastern border of the Roman Empire). Several weeks after Jesus's birth, the Magi arrived in Jerusalem, the king's palace searching for Jesus. The "star" in the east led them to take their trip to Judea. After hearing about the timing of the "star's appearance" from the Maji: King Herod ordered the slaughter of all children two years and younger(Matt.2:16). When Jesus was 40 days old; His parent's presented him in the temple(Luke 2:22)(Lev.12:2-4). After the Maji came, the family fled to Egypt(Jesus six weeks old)(Matt.12:13-14).

http://community.webshots.com/photo/271589370/1342393463049373547FazWzQ

Answer 4

It was a group of Magi (called in the King James Bible wise men) from the area of what is today Iran and Iraq. They came based on a prophecy given by Balaam in Number 22. Balaam was paid to curse Moses and the Israelites when they first arrived at the land of Canaan. But God stopped him and gave him another prophecy instead. He predicted that a great world ruler would come out of Israel, whose birth would be signaled by a strange star.

The number of Magi is not given in the Bible. But the group was large enough that they arrived in Jerusalem it caused enough of a stir through the entire city that they were brought before the king, Herod. The Magi would not have travelled alone, but would have had servants, a caravan of supplies, animal handlers, probably even wives and children with them. (We know that at least one of them was a woman, or they would never have stopped to ask for directions - that's a joke)

The idea of three kins comes for the fact they presented three gifts (gold, frankincense and myrhh) to the child Jesus. You can read about them in Matthew chapter 2 if interested.

Answer 5

from wikapedia -
The best known Magi are the "Wise Men from the East" in the Bible, whose graves Marco Polo claimed to have seen in what is today the district of Saveh, in Tehran, Iran. In English, the term may refer to a shaman, sorcerer, or wizard; it is the origin of the English words magic and magician.
The Magi was a tribe from ancient Media, (inhabitants of Persia who were responsible for religious and funerary practices. Later they accepted the Zoroastrian religion, however, not without changing the original message of its founder, Zarathustra (Zoroaster), to what is today known as "Zurvanism", which received official sanction during the Median era (728–550 BC) and was the state religion of the Sassanid Empire (226–650 AD). No traces of Zurvanism exist beyond the 10th century AD.

Answer 6

Yes, it was the "three wise men", as they are often called. They were most likely Magi (plural of Magus) from Persia.

A Magus is a priest (plus philosopher, wizzard, astrologer and scientist) in the Zoroastrian religion, which dominated Persia since the 6th century BCE.

Answer 7

The Magi, a group of wise men (probably the astrologers and scientists of the time). It never says that there were three, only that there were three gifts.

Answer 8

The Bible says that the 'MAGI' followed the star to where Jesus was.

Magi (plural of MAGUS) are Persian priests - wizards who believed in Zoroastrianism. The word magi, in english etymology, comes from the word 'magic'.

The different versions of the Bible refer to them as the 'wise men'

True, they were wise enough to give up magic and worship Jesus.

Answer 9

To be honest I don't think they were that wise, would you follow a star hoping to find the son of God at the end of your journey.

Answer 10

yeah it was the 3 wise men