In a previous study on Mark, we saw how tradition in Judaism greatly obscured many biblical truths. For instance, we know that the biblical New Year is not in October but at Passover. We also discovered that the miracle of the oil at Hanukkah never happened. But church history continued to make that mistake. They have many legends and traditions which conceal many biblical truths, especially when it comes to Christmas.
For instance, how many magi were there? Not three.
According to Josephus’ account of travel at the time, there must have been hundreds or perhaps thousands travelling together. In one instance he says that the number of Jews who came from Mesopotamia to the Temple with their donations of gold were in the tens of thousands because of the many thieves on the roads. When the magi met Yeshua, He was not a baby at the time, but at least two years old. The Greek word to describe Him during that visit is not translated as baby but young child. At Christmas time, we often see baby Jesus on his mother’s lap in a stable, surrounded by shepherds and the wise men. But the shepherds never met the wise men, who came later. When they came to Jerusalem, they told Herod that they had seen the star two years before. According to their calculations, the star would appear then, and it did. They came two years later.
Where did the star appear? Over the spot where Yeshua was living when He was about two years old. That is, in Nazareth, with His parents. After Jesus was born, His parents did everything according to the Law of the Lord in Jerusalem. Then they returned to Galilee, to their own city of Nazareth (Luke 2:39). Two years later, the magi came, so it should really be the Star of Nazareth not the Star of Bethlehem.
And by the way, who said they were wise men, or kings? They were magi, that is astrologers.