The mystery of the Three Wise Men
Why Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh and who were the three Magi?
Joseph Christian Leyendecker ,The three wise men
Undoubtedly, the mysterious Three Magi (or Three King) add an exotic and captivating flavour to the Christmas story.
In its Gospel, Matthew writes “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, [a]wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”………” And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”(1)
Due to their value and association with the divine sphere, Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh were most appropriate to address the deities in ancient world, and were the standard most precious gifts that could be offered to a newborn king: gold as a precious metal, Frankincense and Myrrh as incense and sacred anointing oil.
Biblical scholars and theologians have given these gifts various interpretations and specific symbolism related to Christ and the purpose of these gifts on its birth, assuming a premonition on its life’s destiny: gold representing his kingship, frankincense a symbol of his priestly role, and myrrh a prefiguring of his death and embalming.
The names or number of the wise men are not included in Matthew’s account of the story which developed into the belief that the number of the gifts corresponded to the number of the men in question.
But is there more? As Dwight Longenecker suggests, are these gifts a clue for historical, political and diplomatic setting worth to explore further? “Are they a clue to the identity of the wise men”? Definitely yes! And his research on his book “Mystery of the Magi: The Quest to Identify the Three Wise Men” resonates perfectly with my knowledge of these sacred resins from the Arabian Peninsula.
Says the blurb of the book: “The mysterious Magi from the East were in all likelihood astrologers and counsellors 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.”(2)
Furthermore, says Longenecker in his article Why Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh Matter
: “…..as I was researching Mystery of the Magi, it became clear that the real significance of the three gifts is not their theological symbolism, but their provenance. The gifts confirmed my theory that the wise men were magi from the court of the Nabatean king Aretas IV.
The Nabateans controlled the Arabian peninsula and therefore the vital trade routes from Yemen in the East to the port of Gaza, and from Egypt in the South to Syria, Asia Minor and East to Persia. Their capital, Petra, was at the crossroads of these two lucrative trading routes. Gold, frankincense, and myrrh were not only the Nabatean’s cash crops, but they were also representative diplomatic gifts.”(3)
I suggest the reader that, like me, is in absolute fascination with this subject to explore Longenecker’s work, article Why Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh Matter ~ The Imaginative Conservative and book Mystery of the Magi: The Quest... by Longenecker, Dwight (amazon.com)
This incredible research confirms the theory that the Frankincense and Myrrh in question indeed comes from the Arabian peninsula and therefore the Yemeni Myrrh and Omani Frankincense I love and I offer at Sothistemple.com is the variety offered to the Christ child by the Magi.
Gold, frankincense, and myrrh have an ancient cultural tradition based on their symbolism, spiritual and medicinal uses since the old Kingdom in Egypt and are documented several times in the bible, (burning incense in the temple represented prayer Psalm 141:2), and the ancient Israelite temple worship, where Frankincense was used as an ingredient in the perfume of the sanctuary (Exodus 30:34); an accompaniment to the meat offering, which was part of all burnt and peace offerings (see Leviticus 2:1, 16); an accompaniment to the shewbread in the outer compartment of the tabernacle (or holy place) and burned as a memorial before the presence of the Lord (Leviticus 24:7).
Myrrh was used in ancient Israelite temple worship as an ingredient in the holy anointing oil for consecrating priests, the tabernacle, and kings (see Exodus 30:23–25). It was used in the purification of Queen Esther (see Esther 2:12), and it was also used in embalming (see John 19:39).
The Book of Isaiah, when describing Jerusalem’s glorious restoration, tells of nations and kings who will come and “bring gold and frankincense and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord” (Isaiah 60:6).
According to ancient inscriptions, Gold Frankincense and Myrrh were among the gifts offered to the god Apollo at the temple in Miletus in 243 B.C.E. by King Seleucus II Callinicus.
The skin of gods and goddesses in the Egyptian pantheon, was believed to be golden, radiating light like the sun, gold was symbolic of the glory of the sun Ra. Symbol of higher Wisdom and Truth, Gold, since ancient times, was associated with Purity, Illumination and the incorruptible, eternal powers of the divine, facilitating highest levels of spiritual development. Drinking Gold elevates us to our own divinity and creative power. It’s also appreciated for its ability to reduces anxiety, relieve stress and optimizing cognitive functions amongst other health benefits.
The health and medicinal applications of Gold date over 5000 years when in Egypt it was considered a purifier for the body/mind and energetically a stimulator of the Qi, or Prana (Life force) raising the vibrational frequency, rejuvenating the body and invigorating the person’s health on all levels.
Just like Gold, Frankincense was considered to be of divine nature, Gold associated with the brilliance of the sun and Frankincense crystallised sun energy.
Revered by the ancient Egyptians, incense was central to the worship of the deities of the Ancient Egyptian Pantheon and large quantities of Frankincense and Myrrh were burned every day in temples throughout Egypt. Olibanum,“the substance being conducive to a divine state” is documented in many hieroglyphic texts and it was listed as one of the seven sacred oils in temple rituals. Believed to help the soul of the decieved to find its way to the spiritual world, it was also found in the tomb of the young pharaoh Tutankhamun.
The finest quality Frankincense in the world, Hojari Sacra (Boswellia sacra) is an ancient species of frankincense trees, regarded as the quintessential, the more precious and more spiritually significant than any other Frankincense. Boswellia sacra exclusively grows in the southern Dhofar region in the Sultanate of Oman, an area that has seen the trading of this valuable resin with the great civilazations of the distant past.
Myrrh (together with Frankincense) was extensively used in the ancient Egyptian temples. Myrrh was of extreme importance in religious ceremonies, its sacred smoke was offered to the divinized statues of the gods and goddess for the daily ritual of purification. Plutarch wrote: ‘‘Every day they make an offering ...to the Sun of Frankincense in the morning……...of myrrh at midday.’’
The application of Myrrh in the embalming process in ancient Egypt is very well researched. Great quantities of myrrh and frankincense were employed to treat the dead body and preserve it from decay and deterioration. The New Testament mentions myrrh in John 19:39, where Nicodemus brought a big amout of very costly Myrrh for treating the body of Jesus before his burial.
From Yemen, Commiphora Myrrha has a divine sweet scent evocative of ceremonial rituals this powerful resin has spiritual qualities well known and appreciated by our ancestors that regarded Myrrh as valuable as gold.
Curious to experience these sacred resins and travel back in time? Frankincense and Myrrh come to Sothis Temple directly from the farmer in Oman and Yemen. Prayers go to Yemen, may Yemeni people find Peace.
Bibliography
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%202&version=NKJV
Longenecker Dwight, 2017, Mystery of the Magi: The Quest to Identify the Three Wise Men
Longenecker Dwigh, 2023, Why Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh Matter Why Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh Matter ~ The Imaginative Conservative
