Merry Christmas

Twelve Textual Variants of Christmas

You may notice twelve concerning differences between your Bible and the one read from at the candlelight service this Christmas closely. Check out the deep-dive articles we’ve found to help the Bible version controversy nerds like us through the holidays! So there are a few more than twelve, but we’re close. 😅

Will Kinney

We have found Will to be a (mostly) responsable researcher defending the KJV text. Check out more fascinating articles by Will here.

History of the Magi

Who were the Chrismas Magi? Were they trained by Daniel the prophet as some claim or were they sorcerers as others claim? I think we may have found the answer! Now for the fascinating historical information about the biblical wisemen. It can be found in the book The Pre-Flood Origins of Astrology by Ken Johnson. Please let us know your thoughts below. We hope you enjoy this as much as we have!

History of the Persian Magi

Ancient church father Julius Africanus, who lived and wrote from AD 160-240, recorded the Magi’s own account of the star of Bethlehem and Christ’s birth. This account is found in the Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 6, under Africanus – Existent Writings.

Julius wrote that Cyrus commanded a temple be built to Juno. In this temple were many idols of various gods and goddesses made out of gold and silver with all sorts of precious stones. This temple also contained a hall of records. These Persian historical public records revealed that the king woke one night from a strange dream. He went to the temple of Juno to inquire of the priests there. In his dream, the idols in the temple were all arguing because the statue of the goddess Page was found wearing a diadem with a carbuncle and emerald on top. A star came down from heaven and rested on the two stones of the diadem for a time, then went further and seated itself on the underside of the diadem. A voice from heaven spoke, saying, “The mighty Son will come to you and be born of you, He who created this world below and all things therein. He is the ‘beginning and the end,’ the beginning of salvation and the end of perdition.” Then the statue of the god Dionysus stated, “Our time is over. He who is before all things has come to the realm of men, and we are merely deceivers.” At once all the idols fell down and were no more.

The magi (wise men) who were skilled in astronomy and dream interpretation stated that the goddess Page was a queen worshipped in ancient times and was long since dead and buried, but she was also the personification of the constellation Virgo, the virgin. The diadem, in the way it was described, represented the country of the Jews, for they are made of twelve tribes. The emerald and carbuncle were two of the precious stones found in the breastplate of the Jewish high priest’s ephod. They represented the tribes of Levi and Judah, which in turn were known to represent priesthood and kingship. The star coming down from the heavens is none other than the Deity Himself, the Creator of all things.

They then brought out an old scroll which contained a prophecy about the birth of a king marked by a new star.

Church father Origin, in Against Celsus 1:60, stated that the magi had a copy of the prophecy of Balaam, found in Numbers 24, about the star coming out of Jacob. It was given to them by the great sage Daniel after the time of Cyrus’ taking the kingdom. Origin also stated, in Against Celsus 1.58, that historical records indicated that the magi were not Chaldeans, but Persians.

The magi remarked that a star had just appeared. The advice the magi gave the king was to send a delegation to Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, to inquire about the new virgin-born Jewish divine king. The king did exactly that. He sent a delegation of magi who had studied the Jewish religion and had come to believe in their sacred writings. The rest of what followed in the record is the magi’s own words as to what they found.

“When we came to Jerusalem, the sign of the star, together with our arrival, roused all the people. They said, ‘Why are Persian wise men here and what is this strange stellar phenomenon?’ The chief of the Jews interrogated us by asking, ‘For what purpose have you come here?’ And we said, ‘Because He whom you call the Messiah has been born.’ They did not believe us but did not dare to accuse us of anything. But they said to us, ‘By the justice of Heaven, tell us what you know about this matter.’ We answered them, ‘You do not truly believe in Him nor would you believe us even if we swore an oath. You follow your own heedless counsel because the Christ, the Son of the Most High, is born, and He is the subverter of your law and synagogues. That is why you are acting like you have been stuck with a dart, and are bitter when you hear his name and see that we have suddenly come here because we truly do believe.’ Then they took counsel together, urged us to accept their gifts, and tell to no one that such an event had occurred in their land, because it may cause the people to revolt against them. But we replied, ‘We have brought gifts in His honor, with the view of proclaiming those mighty things which we have witnessed in our country on occasion of His birth; and you dare to bribe us to conceal the things which the Divinity who is above the heavens has communicated to us, and neglect the commandments of our proper King?’ And after reconsidering, they gave the matter up. And when the king of Judaea sent for us and put to us certain questions, we acted in the same manner, until he was thoroughly enraged at our replies. We left him accordingly, without giving any greater heed to him than to any other common person.

We came to that place then to which we were sent, and saw the mother and the child, the star indicating to us the royal babe. And we said to the mother, ‘What is your name, O renowned mother?’ And she said, ‘Mary, sirs.’ And we said to her, ‘Where are you from?’ And she replied, ‘From this district of the Bethlehemites.’ Then we said, ‘Do you have a husband?’ And she answered, ‘I was only betrothed, when a certain Sabbath dawned, at the rising of the sun, an angel appeared to me bringing me suddenly the glad tidings of a son. And in trouble I cried out, “Be it not so to me, Lord, for I have not a husband.” And he persuaded me to believe, that by the will of God I should have this son.’

Then said we to her, ‘Mother, mother, all the lords of the Persians have called you blessed. Your glory is great; for you are exalted above all women of renown, and you are shown to be more queenly than all queens’. The child was sitting on the ground, being, as she said, in His second year, and having in part the likeness of His mother. She had long hands, and a body somewhat delicate; and her color was like that of ripe wheat; and she had a round face, and had her hair bound up. We brought along with us a servant who was a skillful painter, who painted a portrait of them both which we brought back with us and placed it in our temple. It is inscribed ‘To Jove the Sun, the mighty God, the King Jesus, the power of Persia dedicated this.’

And taking the child up, each of us in turn, and bearing Him in our arms, we saluted Him and worshipped Him, and presented to Him gold, myrrh, and frankincense, addressing Him thus, ‘We gift You with Your own, O Jesus, Ruler of heaven. In no other way would things unordered be ordered, were You not at hand. In no other way could things heavenly be brought into conjunction with things earthly, but by Your descent. Such service cannot be discharged, if only the servant is sent us, as when the Master Himself is present; neither can so much be achieved when the king sends only his satraps to war, as when the king is there himself. It became the wisdom of Your system, that You should deal in this manner with men.’

And the child leaped and laughed at our caresses and words. And when we had bidden the mother farewell, and when she had shown us honor, and we had testified to her the reverence which became us, we came again to the place in which we lodged. That evening there appeared to us one of a terrible and fearful countenance, saying: ‘Get out quickly, lest you be taken in a snare.’ And we in terror said, ‘Who, O divine leader, could plot against a so heavily armed envoy?’ And he replied, ‘Herod; but get up straightway and depart in safety and peace.’

So we immediately departed and brought back home this record of what had happened in Jerusalem, and of Christ our Savior, who was made known as both God and man. To Him be the glory and the power unto the ages of the ages. Amen.”

The Pre-Flood Origins of Astrology by Ken Johnson. See chapter 2 “The Science of the Magi”, section “History of the Persian Magi”.

Wasn’t that amazing!? I tear up every year when I read it before our chuch. 🥲 Please let us know what you think below!