“The Adoration of the Magi” is a rather rare subject in Russian iconography. Most often, the scene of the adoration of the Magi is presented as part of the plot of the “Nativity of Christ”, or in the hallmarks of festive or Mother of God icons. In Moscow, in the southeastern arch (to the right of the altar) of the upper Church of the Nativity of Christ, the scene of the adoration of the Magi is presented as a separate plot.

“Adoration of the Magi” in Moscow

The story of the Magi’s worship of the Infant Christ seemed interesting to us from a professional point of view, since when working with Western tourists we often have to touch on the topic of gospel stories. In Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant cultures, the interpretation of these is somewhat different. For example, Catholics call the Adoration of the Magi event the Feast of the Three Kings; this is one of the significant holidays in the Western Church; it is celebrated on January 6th. In Poland, for example, this religious holiday declared a public holiday.

I will try to present in modern Russian the story of the Magi, which I gleaned from the book “Earthly Life” Holy Mother of God”, compiled by S. Snessoreva in 1911.

Adoration of the Magi

Even before the Birth of Jesus Christ, to the east of Bethlehem, the Chaldean wise men saw a star. The appearance of the celestial body was predicted almost one and a half thousand years BC, the initiates were expecting it. New star did not obey the general laws of movement of luminaries and eastern astrologers realized that it marks the birth of the Divine King. Selected eastern sages set out on a journey to find the King of the world, worship Him and bring gifts.

Tradition tells that either kings or noble persons from Persia became magicians or sages. They were of three ages and three tribes. The oldest was Melchior, he is usually depicted with a beard. The youngest was named Kaspar, he is depicted as beardless. The middle-aged husband is Belshazzar, in some images he can be seen dark-skinned or even dark-skinned.

They are called sorcerers, sorcerers or magicians not at all because they practiced sorcery or witchcraft. In the East, this was the name given to those who studied nature, especially celestial bodies.
The Magi left Persia long before the birth of Christ. Some sources indicate that Star of Bethlehem appeared on the day of the Annunciation. Melchior, Belshazzar and Caspar wandered through the desert for a long time and were always guided by the Star, which showed them the way. The star walked low above the earth, at times it was hidden behind the clouds, giving travelers a break.
Suddenly, just before Jerusalem, the star disappeared from the sky. The Magi entered the city and began to ask about where the king of the Jews was born.

Herod

King Herod ruled in Jerusalem at this time. The people hated him and Herod remained in constant fear for themselves and their heirs. They predicted his fall from the throne; the Pharisees refused to swear allegiance to such a king. Herod planned to destroy the born Divine Child. With the help of the Magi, he wanted to find out where to find him.
Herod called the Persian wise men to him, pretended to be virtuous and ordered the wise men to tell him about the place of birth of Jesus Christ, for he, too, longed to worship the King of kings.
As men of science, the Magi were good-natured and did not understand Herod’s hypocrisy. They promised to indicate the location of the Divine Child.

Leaving Jerusalem, the Magi decided to move to Bethlehem. Suddenly the Star appeared in the sky again and sank down, again showing them the way. She led the wise men until they reached the cave where the Holy Family resided. At its entrance, the Star stopped, sank even lower and illuminated the entrance. The Magi entered, saw the Baby, knelt down, bowed to the Divine Baby and presented him with their gifts.

Gifts of the Magi

The Chaldean king Melchior presented incense (Lebanon) as incense to God.
The Persian Belshazzar presented gold as to the King of Ages.
The Ethiopian Caspar presented myrrh as to the God-man.

The Most Pure Mother and Joseph the Betrothed looked with amazement at the worship of the kings of the East.

Having bowed to Jesus Christ, the Magi intended to enter Jerusalem and point Herod to the cave where the Holy Family resided. But an Angel appeared to them in a dream and informed them of Herod’s evil intentions. The wise men, following the commands of the Angel, left Bethlehem by a different route.

Holy Scripture says that the Magi subsequently accepted holy baptism from the hands of the Apostle Thomas, who preached the Gospel in Persia.

Events subsequent to the worship of the Magi

The Holy Family remained in the cave for 40 days. On the 40th day the Presentation of the Lord took place, then the Holy Family returned to Nazareth. But Herod did not abandon his dark plans to destroy the Divine Infant. He ordered the killing of all male children under 2 years of age.


Theophanes of Crete. Massacre of the innocents. Fresco in the Athonite monastery of Stavronikita. 1546

An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and commanded him to take his family and go to Egypt. That same night the Holy Family set off on their journey. They were accompanied by Jacob, Joseph's eldest son, which is why Western paintings often depict the Christ Child, Holy Virgin Mary, Joseph and Jacob.



“Flight into Egypt” by Jacob Jordaens from the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow.

On the way to Egypt, the fugitives were stopped by robbers who wanted to rob and kill the wanderers. The eldest of them stepped forward with a sword in his hand to take a closer look at the travelers and was amazed at their beautiful faces. He did not allow his companions to rob the Holy Family and stopped the one who insisted on robbery. According to legend, the name of the good robber was Titus, and the evil one was Duma. The second time they were destined to meet on Calvary - both of them suffered with Christ on the cross. Titus believed in Jesus Christ, but Dumachus remained an unbeliever.

While searching for information about a particular icon, “The Adoration of the Magi,” I was able to find two different images. In the source (“Golden Ship. Orthodox library” http://www.golden-ship.ru/photo/spasitel/poklonenie_volkhvov/288) it is indicated that both of them are located in St. Basil’s Cathedral. One is written as an independent icon.


Icon “Adoration of the Magi”
Fragment of an icon. Plot “Adoration of the Magi”

The other is made in the form of a fragment of one of the icons.

Based on materials from the book “The Earthly Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary and a Description of Her Holy Miracle-Working Icons.” Compiled by Sofia Snessoreva. 2013

The first images of the Magi appear very early, in the 3rd century, in the painting of the catacombs, in the reliefs of early Christian sarcophagi, where the theme of the Incarnation of the Savior was often revealed through the plot of “The Adoration of the Magi.” Widespread in fine arts this plot received after the Edict of Milan. The theme of the Magi was very popular in the Western part of the empire, partly because in the wise men who came to the Lord from the unknown eastern pagan lands, the recently converted pagans saw a certain prototype of themselves, their ancient culture, who has now turned to the Light.

The composition “Adoration of the Magi” arose under the influence of the traditional ancient art depiction of the worship of defeated barbarians to the emperor. On the reliefs of the sarcophagi, the Mother of God with the Child in her arms is presented in profile. Behind Her throne-like chair is often depicted the righteous Joseph the Betrothed. The Magi are depicted as marching and walking. The first of them usually points with his hand to the star standing above the head of the Infant Christ.

The Gospel reports that the wise men came from the East, so the most common view among Christian interpreters was that the Magi came from Persia, although there were opinions that they came from Arabia, Mesopotamia or even Ethiopia. The ancient artist believed that beyond the borders of the empire, somewhere beyond the Euphrates, there lived semi-barbarian peoples, the Persians, who did not dress like a Roman citizen. And the Magi are dressed in accordance with these ideas: they always wear trousers (and not the classic long tunics), short shirts and cloaks, and their heads are covered with peculiar forward-curved caps.

Sarcophagus of “Two Testaments” or “dogmatic”. 325-350 Vatican Museums, Rome. Fragment

Gospel cover. 2nd half of the 6th century. Treasury of the Duomo, Milan. Fragment

In the Mediterranean, all the inhabitants of the distant eastern lands were imagined this way: the three youths in the fiery furnace, who lived as captives in Babylon, are always depicted in exactly the same clothes.

The presentation of gifts itself is depicted in accordance with the text: the first magician gives gold, but not in coins, as we might expect, and not in bullion. The gift is a golden crown, on which sometimes even details resembling leaves are visible. Such golden wreaths could be awarded to triumphants and generals; The weight of the wreath was calculated in talents. If the first gift is gold, then it is easy to guess that the second is incense, the third is myrrh, which are depicted on small trays, in caskets or jugs.

Sometimes the sculptor depicts the Infant God receiving a crown from a sorcerer in His hands.

As a rule, images of camels are very expressive. Some artists manage to make them surprisingly charming and touching, so much so that you can imagine them as characters in a good cartoon for the little ones.

It is obvious that the first Christian artists very freely and widely used creative process heritage of ancient art. Sometimes even pagan images were borrowed and individual characters were rethought and received a new interpretation. Compositional schemes, individual details, and decorative motifs developed over centuries were used. For example, next to the Gospel story a decorative mask or figurines of winged geniuses and cupids could be placed.

Sometimes the composition was built not according to the procession pattern, but symmetrically with respect to central axis. For example, this option can be seen on the ampoule from Monza: the frontal image of the Virgin and Child is flanked by groups of wise men and shepherds.

The mosaicists who worked in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore also chose a symmetrical solution. The Magi in bright, luxuriously decorated clothes are depicted on either side of the throne on which the Child sits.

The mysterious, unknown world of the East, rich in gold, gems, incense and spices, has always excited the imagination of the inhabitants of the western part of the Roman Empire. And when depicting the costumes of oriental sages, so much color, decor, such coloristic combinations and fantastic ornamental motifs are sometimes used that one can only envy such unbridled imagination of the artists.

Quite early, already in the monuments of the 6th century, the Magi begin to be depicted not as beardless youths, but as men of three ages: an old man, a middle-aged man and a young man. The age gradation emphasized the idea that, in the person of the Eastern sages, the entire human race, from young to old, worships the Incarnate God.

Most often, three wise men are depicted, according to the number of gifts brought. However, for some time exact amount was not indicated in the Tradition. Gradually, the opinion was established that there were three of them, although some works speak of 2, 4, 6, 8 Magi. And in the Syrian Church there was a legend about twelve wise men who came to Judea, accompanied by servants. In some works one can notice echoes of various versions about the number of Magi. Thus, on a Byzantine fresco from a Cappadocian cave temple, six wise men are depicted.

In the same work there is another interesting detail: at the top it is not the Star of Bethlehem that is depicted, but an angel pointing to the Infant of God. Throwing his head back strongly, one of the Magi looks at the angel just as in other monuments the Magi looks at a star. It can be assumed that such an artistic decision arose under the influence of the opinion of St. John Chrysostom, who believed that the star was not an astronomical phenomenon, but “an invisible force that took the form of a star.” We see a similar solution in one of the most beautiful works of Byzantine art - the mosaic of the Church of the Assumption in Daphne.

In the Middle Ages, the opinion arose that the Magi were kings. This view is based on the psalmist's prediction: “The kings of Tarshish and the isles will bring him tribute; the kings of Arabia and Sheba will bring gifts. And all kings will worship him; all nations will serve him” (Ps. 71: 10-11), as well as on the prophecy of Isaiah (Is.: 60: 6). In Western European art, the Magi were often depicted as kings.

There was an interpretation according to which the Magi were descendants of Shem, Japheth and Ham, as if representatives of all nations and prefigured Universal Church. In the West, one of the Magi was first depicted as dark-skinned, and later as black.

In the 18th century, when Russian artists in the capital were entirely oriented towards European art, the image of a dark-skinned sorcerer also appeared in Russia.

In Byzantine easel painting (icon painting), the scene “Adoration of the Magi” is included in the composition “The Nativity of Christ” as one of the depicted episodes. Chronologically, the worship of the Magi took place somewhat later than the worship of the shepherds, when the holy family was already located in one of the houses of Bethlehem. But in Christian art it is allowed to combine events from different times in one composition. For clear expression the theological meaning of what is happening, some formal details may not be emphasized or even ignored.

Icon. VII – IX centuries Monastery of St. Catherine, Sinai

In addition to the scene of the worship of the Virgin and Child, the Magi are depicted in the scenes: “Journey beyond the Star”, “The Magi before Herod”, “Return to Their Countries”.

Icon. End of the 11th – beginning of the 12th century. Constantinople. Monastery of St. Catherine, Sinai

During the Renaissance, complex multi-figure compositions were created, the protagonists of which were often the artist’s contemporaries. The painting by Sandro Botticelli in the retinue of the Magi depicts the Medici family, their court, and the artist himself. This desire to portray oneself in a biblical story is initially rooted not in some kind of pride of narcissism or political interests, but in a sincere desire to participate in what is happening, to become involved in a miracle. The customers of the paintings wanted their prayer and worship to be offered and accepted by God in such a visible way. Although it happened that the artist was so ruthlessly accurate that, perhaps, he conveyed something that the customer did not plan to make explicit.

Painters often intuitively, and sometimes quite consciously, place biblical scenes in the “scenery” of their era. Italians depict the nativity scene as they are accustomed to seeing it in their homeland - a canopy covered with straw or tiles, or an ancient ruin. Northern masters place the caravan of the Magi on the snowy street of a quiet burgher town, as Pieter Bruegel the Elder does.

The Magi came to Jerusalem only two years after the birth of Jesus.

And the memory of the Magi - kings Gaspar, Melchior and Belshazzar - is celebrated Catholic Church July 23.

Gospel story

According to the Apostle Matthew, the Magi lived somewhere in the east. They saw a star in the sky and realized that it was a sign. Following her movement across the sky, they crossed several states and arrived in Jerusalem. There they turned to the ruling sovereign of this country, Herod, with the question of where they could see the newly born King of the Jews, apparently assuming that the ruler should be related to him by family ties.

Herod was alarmed by this news, but did not show it and politely escorted the wise men out of the palace, asking them, when they found the King, to tell him where he was, “so that I too can go and worship Him”. The travelers left Jerusalem and followed guiding star which led them to Bethlehem. There they found Mary and the baby, bowed to him and brought gifts.

After this, the Magi were given a revelation in a dream that it was not worth returning to Herod with news of the success of their journey, and they went home another way. Without waiting for them, a frustrated Herod carried out the massacre of the infants.

Symbolic meaning of the story

This biblical story emphasizes that even in early childhood the coming King was recognized in Jesus. John Chrysostom writes about the reasons why the Magi were brought to Christ:

In addition, many episodes of this story corresponded to Old Testament prophecies (see below), which was of great significance.

Time of appearance of the Magi

Since early Christianity there have been the most different versions the time of the Magi's arrival to the infant Christ. This is what Guillaume writes about this in his book “History of Christianity”

Some early Christian authors claim that the worship of the Magi occurred immediately after the birth of Jesus. Justin Martyr states: “ Immediately after His birth, the wise men from Arabia came to worship Him, having first visited Herod, who was then reigning in your land."(Justin Martyr. Conversation with Tryphon, 77). John Chrysostom believes that the star appeared to the Magi long before the birth of Christ: “ The Magi were not present at the Mother’s birth, nor did they know the time when she gave birth, and therefore had no reason to conclude about the future according to the course of the stars. On the contrary, long before birth, having seen a star appearing in their land, they go to see the Born One."(John Chrysostom. Commentary on St. Matthew the Evangelist, 63). The Proto-Gospel of James directly links the worship of the Magi with the stay of the Virgin Mary and the Child in the cave, that is, it speaks of the worship of the Magi to the newborn. " And the magicians went. And the star that they saw in the east walked before them until they came to a cave, and stopped in front of the entrance to the cave. And the magicians saw the Child with His Mother Mary"(Protoevangelium, 21). Other ancient authors, such as Eusebius Pamphilus (Ecclesiastical History, book 1, chapter 8), believe that the worship of the Magi took place around the second year of Christ’s life. The same opinion is expressed in the Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew (16).

Characters and attributes

Byzantine icon

Magi

In the Western European tradition, the Magi are called “wizards” (lat. magi) (this opinion is based on the apocryphal Gospel of pseudo-Matthew and the Proto-Gospel of James) and are often depicted as kings. For the first time the Magi were called kings by St. Caesarea of ​​Arles. The apocryphal gospels gave them names - Caspar, Melchior And Balthazar. They are considered patrons of travelers and therefore their names were often included in the names of hotels.

The Evangelist does not write about the number of Magi. Based on the number of gifts brought, it was assumed that there were three of them. This archetypal number of aliens allowed us to play with the implementation of various ideas. Thus, as the iconographic type developed, the Magi began to be depicted as representatives of three different ages of man (Balthazar - a youth, Melchior - a mature man and Caspar - an old man) and three different cardinal directions (Balthazar - a nergoid (possibly an Abyssinian or Nubian) (Africa); Melchior - a white man Europe; Gaspar - with oriental (even Semitic, i.e. Chaldean) features or in oriental clothing, Asia). That is, their homeland was three countries with ethnically different populations - Persia, Arabia and Ethiopia.

There are Greek versions of their names ( Appellikon, Amerine And Damascon) and Jewish ( Magalat, Galgalat And Serakin). There are legends about the fourth magician, whose name is Artaban(as a brother or descendant of the brother of the Persian king Darius I). In early manuscripts Balthasar's name is Bethesarei.

Armenians believe that there were 12 Magi. Their names are also not mentioned in the written Gospels, but are the result of popular imagination.

Church Tradition holds that the revelation of Herod's plans was received by the Magi during an overnight stay in a cave in the vicinity of Bethlehem. This place is revered by believers - in the 5th century, the monastery of Saint Theodosius the Great was founded over the cave, which became the first communal monastery in Palestine.

According to legend, the relics of the Magi were found by Empress Helena and were first placed in Constantinople. In the 5th century, the relics of the Magi were transferred from there to Mediolan (Milan), and in 1164, at the request of Frederick Barbarossa, to Cologne, where they are kept in Cologne Cathedral.

Star of Bethlehem

According to Scripture, the star moved across the sky from east to west and stopped right above the cave with the baby’s cradle, showing the wise men the way. Present in most interpretations of the plot.

For believers, the appearance of the Star of Bethlehem was the fulfillment of the so-called. "star prophecy" Balaam in the Old Testament Book of Numbers:

Gifts

The Magi brought three gifts to the baby: gold, incense and myrrh (myrrh). In the vocabulary of the textbook “The Law of God” (italics retained) -

The Gospel story about the bringing of gifts shows the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecy about how the pagans would bring their gifts to the King of Israel:

(in the Christian interpretation, the Church of Christ is called Israel here, as a new, spiritual Israel, which should replace the old Israel - the Jewish state and the Jewish church.)

This phrase has a reference to the gift of gifts to King Solomon of Israel by the Queen of Sheba, as a prototype event of the bringing of gifts to Christ.

The gifts brought by the Magi have the following symbolic meaning:

  • Gold- the royal gift, showing that Jesus was a Man born to be a King;
  • Incense- a gift to the priest, since Jesus came to become the new Teacher and true High Priest (see iconography “Great Bishop”);
  • Smyrna- a gift to someone who is about to die, since myrrh in Ancient Israel was used to embalm the body of the deceased. This gift refers to the coming atoning sacrifice of Christ - one of the episodes of the Passion of the Lord, crowned with the Crucifixion, will be the anointing of the Savior’s feet with myrrh, and before burial his body was anointed with an fragrant composition of myrrh and aloe.

It is believed that the tradition of giving gifts at Christmas was started by them.

Camels

Camels, on which the wise men arrived with gifts, arose in the story not only as an exotic means of transportation for strangers from distant lands, but thanks to Isaiah’s prophecy about the pagans visiting Jerusalem:

Most likely, the episode about the erroneous visit of the Magi first to Jerusalem could also have arisen thanks to this prophecy. [ source?]

Other witnesses

In the scene of the adoration of the Magi, the baby Jesus himself and the Virgin Mary are certainly present. Additional characters include Joseph the Betrothed, as well as shepherds.

In fine arts

Christian iconography is based on the story of the Apostle Matthew, colored with numerous details. This subject was extremely popular, and the number of paintings written on this topic is very large. There are also sculptures and musical works.

Among the first monuments in chronology are catacomb paintings and reliefs on sarcophagi of the 4th century. In the earliest depictions, the Magi are shown dressed in Persian robes and Phrygian caps, usually in profile, walking, and holding gifts in front of them. This option is the use of late antique iconography "Barbarians Bringing Offerings to the Emperor".

In Byzantine works, the heads of the Magi are often decorated with small “skullcap” headdresses, whose symbolism is not clear. In the Orthodox iconographic tradition, the scene of the worship of the Magi is not isolated as a separate plot, but is one of the compositions of the iconography of the Nativity of Christ.

Complicating iconography

Crowns on the heads of aliens appeared in the 10th century. (in Western art), where through oral stories they were transformed from priests to kings. At the same time, their attire loses its pronounced oriental connotation, and they begin to be depicted not as peers, but as people different ages. The custom of depicting them as representatives of different races arose in the West in the 12th century. and becomes canonical in the 15th century.

From the 14th century, with the onset of the magnificent decline of the Middle Ages, gifts began to be depicted in exquisite gold boxes, and the clothes of the Magi became more varied and luxurious. Since that time, this plot has become popular among artists from the point of view of the possibility of flaunting their skills: after all, it was a complex, multi-figured scene, where there were not only horses and camels, but also a juxtaposition of various textures - silk, furs, jewelry and gold of the Magi with wooden structures buildings, straw in the manger, and the rough homespun clothing of Joseph and the shepherds.

It is worth noting the incredible diversity of the animal world in such paintings. In addition to the predicted camels, a bull and an ox appear on the canvases, inherited from the chronologically previous episode of the Nativity. In addition, horses are common (until a relatively late period, European painters, who knew camels only from verbal descriptions, tried not to take risks and replaced them with a more familiar means of transportation). The Magi, who turned into kings, were accompanied by an extensive retinue with dogs and hunting birds. And sparrows could sit on the rafters of the nativity scene.

Combination with other subjects

Starting from the 15th century, the Adoration of the Magi often began to be combined with the scene of the Adoration of the Shepherds (from Luke.). This made it possible to add an even greater variety of people and animals to the image. In some compositions, for example triptychs, these two scenes of worship became side panels, while the central place was usually given to the Nativity scene.

List of works

Traditions

  • In Catholic churches, on the feast of Epiphany, chalk is blessed, which is then used to write the Latin letters CMB on the doors of churches and houses, which is sometimes interpreted as the first letters of the names of the three wise men - Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar; and sometimes as the first letters of the Latin phrase “Christus mausionem benedicat,” which means “Christ bless this house.”
  • In Spain and many Spanish-speaking countries, it is on the feast of the Epiphany, and not on Christmas or St. Nicholas Day, that children receive gifts. It is believed that they are carried by the wise men - “Los reyes magos”.

see also

Notes

Links

According to the Apostle Matthew, the Magi lived somewhere in the east. They saw a star in the sky and realized that it was a sign. Following its movement across the sky, they crossed several states and arrived in Jerusalem.

There they turned to the ruling ruler of this country, Herod, with the question of where they could see the newly born King of the Jews, apparently assuming that the ruler should be related to him by family ties.

Herod was alarmed by this news, but did not show it and politely escorted the wise men out of the palace, asking them, when they found the King, to tell him where he was, “so that I too could go and worship Him.”

Sassetta (1392–1450), Public Domain

The travelers left Jerusalem and followed the path that led them to. There they found Mary and the baby, bowed to him and brought gifts.

“When they saw the star, they rejoiced with very great joy, and entering the house, they saw the Child with Mary His Mother, and, falling down, they worshiped Him; and having opened their treasures, they brought Him gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh.” -Matt.2:9-11

After this, the Magi were given a revelation in a dream that it was not worth returning to Herod with news of the success of their journey, and they went home another way. Without waiting for them, the upset Herod arranged.

Symbolic meaning of the story

This biblical account emphasizes that even in early childhood, Jesus was recognized as the coming King.

anonymous, Public Domain

John Chrysostom writes about the reasons why the Magi were brought to Christ:

“Since the purpose of Christ’s coming was to abolish the ancient rules of life, to call the entire universe to worship Himself and accept this worship on earth and at sea, Christ from the very beginning opens the door to the pagans, wanting to teach his own through strangers. Since the Jews, constantly hearing the prophets proclaiming the coming of Christ, did not pay special attention to it, the Lord inspired the barbarians to come from a distant country and ask about the King who was born among the Jews.”

John Chrysostom. Conversation on the Gospel of Matthew. 6:3

In addition, many episodes of this story corresponded to Old Testament prophecies, which was of great significance.

Time of appearance of the Magi

Since the times of early Christianity, there have been very different versions of the time of the arrival of the Magi to the infant Christ. This is what Guillaume writes about this in his book “History of Christianity”

“Some early Christian authors claim that the worship of the Magi occurred immediately after the birth of Jesus. Justin Martyr states: “Immediately after His birth, the wise men from Arabia came to worship Him, having first gone to Herod, who then reigned in your land” (Justin Martyr. Conversation with Tryphon, 77). John Chrysostom believes that the star appeared to the Magi long before the birth of Christ: “The Magi were not present at the Mother’s birth, nor did they know the time when she gave birth, and therefore had no reason to conclude about the future according to the flow of the stars. On the contrary, long before birth, having seen a star appearing in their land, they go to see the One who was born” (John Chrysostom. Commentary on St. Matthew the Evangelist, 63). The Proto-Gospel of James directly links the worship of the Magi with the stay of the Virgin Mary and the Child in the cave, that is, it speaks of the worship of the Magi to the newborn. “And the magicians went. And the star that they saw in the east walked before them until they came to a cave, and stopped in front of the entrance to the cave. And the magicians saw the Child with His Mother Mary” (Proto-Gospel, 21). Other ancient authors, such as Eusebius Pamphilus (Ecclesiastical History, book 1, chapter 8), believe that the worship of the Magi took place around the second year of Christ’s life. The same opinion is expressed in the Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew (16).”

Characters and attributes

Magi

Magi is a Slavic word used in Russian translations. In the Gospel original there is a Greek word μάγοι. In ancient literature, there are mainly two meanings of this term: people belonging to the Persian Zoroastrian priests, and the Babylonian astrologer priests as a special professional group.

In the Western European tradition, the Magi are called “wizards” (lat. magi) (this opinion is based on the apocryphal and) and are often depicted as kings. For the first time the Magi were called kings by St. Caesarea of ​​Arles.

In the Western tradition, the Magi are more often called “magi”; this word originally designated members of the priestly caste of Persia and Media. The legend about the Persian origin of the Magi lasted longest in Byzantine iconography; in European art it was lost: the Magi either had no ethnic affiliation or, in general, were associated with the Arab or Byzantine East.

With the advent of the era of the Great geographical discoveries The Magi become the personification of either three parts of the world - Europe, Africa, America - or the human races - white, black and yellow. In any case, this idea could only belong to the New Age, but it is still connected with the fact that the Magi have always figuratively represented all pagan humanity.

James Tissot (1836–1902), Public Domain

In early Christian literature, the names of the Magi vary: for Origen they are Abimelech, Ochozat, Ficol; in the Syrian tradition these are Hormizd, Yazgerd, Peroz, etc. There are Greek versions of their names (Appellikon, Amerin and Damascon) and Hebrew (Magalat, Galgalat and Serakin).

There are legends about a fourth magician, whose name is Artabanus (as the brother or descendant of the brother of the Persian king Darius I). In early manuscripts Balthasar is called Bethesarei. In the medieval West they received names that are now common everywhere. Church and apocryphal traditions gave them names - Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar. They are considered patrons of travelers and therefore their names were often included in the names of hotels.

The Evangelist does not write about the number of Magi. Origen (2nd-3rd centuries), for the first time, proceeds from the fact that according to the number of gifts brought, there were three of them. This archetypal number of aliens allowed us to play with the implementation of various ideas.

Thus, as the iconographic type developed, the Magi began to be depicted as representatives of three different ages of man (Balthazar - a youth, Melchior - a mature man and Caspar - an old man) and three different directions of the world (Balthazar - a Negroid (possibly an Abyssinian or Nubian) (Africa); Melchior - a white man (Europe); Gaspard - with oriental (even Semitic, i.e. Chaldean) features or in oriental clothing, (Asia). That is, their homeland was three countries with ethnically different populations - Persia, Arabia and Ethiopia.

Armenians and Syrians believe that there were 12 Magi. Their names are also not mentioned in the written Gospels, but are the result of popular imagination.

Church Tradition holds that the revelation of Herod's plans was received by the Magi during an overnight stay in a cave in the vicinity of Bethlehem. This place is revered by believers - in the 5th century. The monastery of Saint Theodosius the Great was founded over the cave, which became the first communal monastery in Palestine.

According to legend, the Magi were baptized by the Apostle Thomas and suffered martyrdom in eastern countries.

According to legend, the relics of the Magi were found by Empress Helena and were first placed in Constantinople. In the 5th century the relics of the Magi were transferred from there to Mediolan (Milan), and in 1164, at the request of Frederick Barbarossa, to Cologne, where they are kept in the Cologne Cathedral.

Star of Bethlehem

According to Scripture, the star moved across the sky from east to west and stopped right above the cave with the baby’s cradle, showing the wise men the way. Present in most interpretations of the plot.

For believers, the appearance of the Star of Bethlehem was the fulfillment of the so-called. “star prophecy” of Balaam in the Old Testament Book of Numbers:

“I see Him, but now I am not yet; I see Him, but not close. A star rises from Jacob, and a rod arises from Israel, and smite the princes of Moab and crush all the sons of Seth.” - Numbers 24:1

Gifts

The Magi brought three gifts to the baby: gold, incense and myrrh (myrrh). In the vocabulary of the textbook “The Law of God”:

“and they brought him their gifts (gifts): gold, frankincense and myrrh (precious fragrant oil)”

The Gospel story about the bringing of gifts shows the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecy about how the pagans would bring their gifts to the King of Israel:

“...the kings of Tarshish and the islands will bring him tribute; the kings of Arabia and Sheba will bring gifts; and all kings will worship him; all nations will serve him..." - Ps. 70:6-7

(in the Christian interpretation, the Church of Christ is called Israel here, as a new, spiritual Israel, which should replace the old Israel - the Jewish state and the Jewish church.)

Photo: Tetraktys, CC BY-SA 3.0

This phrase has a reference to the gift of gifts to King Solomon of Israel by the Queen of Sheba, as a prototype event of the bringing of gifts to Christ.

The gifts brought by the Magi have the following symbolic meaning:

  • Gold is a royal gift, showing that Jesus was a Man born to be a King;
  • Frankincense is a gift to the priest, since Jesus came to become the new Teacher and true High Priest (see the iconography “Great Bishop”);
  • Myrrh is a gift to someone who is about to die, since myrrh in Ancient Israel was used to embalm the body of the deceased. This gift refers to the coming atoning sacrifice of Christ - one of the episodes of the Passion of the Lord, crowned with the Crucifixion, will be the anointing of the Savior’s feet with myrrh, and before burial his body was anointed with an fragrant composition of myrrh and aloe.

Parts of the gifts presented to the Baby by the Magi are currently kept in the monastery of St. Paul on Mount Athos.

The Magi and their gifts began the well-known tradition of giving gifts at Christmas.

Camels

The camels on which the wise men arrived with gifts appeared in the story not only as an exotic means of transportation for strangers from distant lands, but thanks to Isaiah’s prophecy about the pagans visiting Jerusalem:

“Many camels will cover you - dromedaries from Midian and Ephah; they will all come from Sheba, bring gold and incense and proclaim the glory of the Lord... And the sons of those who oppressed you will come to you in submission, and all who despised you will fall at your feet, and they will call you the city of the Lord, Zion of the Holy One of Israel.” - Isa.60:6-14

Most likely, the episode about the erroneous visit of the Magi first to Jerusalem could also have arisen thanks to this prophecy.

Other witnesses

In the scene of the adoration of the Magi, the baby Jesus himself and the Virgin Mary are certainly present.

Additional characters - Joseph the Betrothed, as well as shepherds.

Photo gallery









Start date: Meeting the Lord in the Temple

Expiration date: Flight to Egypt

Helpful information

Worship
Greek μάγοι ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν
English Adoration of the Magi

Holiday date

In Catholicism, the veneration of the Magi is celebrated on the Feast of the Epiphany (January 6). In some countries the holiday is called the Feast of the Three Kings. It is especially magnificent in Spanish-speaking countries (la festividad de los Reyes Magos). According to Orthodox tradition, this event happened 12 days after Christmas. True, from some texts it can be assumed that the Magi reached Bethlehem only a few months after Christmas. This version is reflected in the ancient legend eastern church, which believes that the worship of the Magi occurred after Candlemas. In the Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew, the Magi did not come to Jerusalem until two years after the birth of Jesus.

And the memory of the Magi - kings Gaspar, Melchior and Belshazzar - is celebrated by the Catholic Church on July 23.

In fine arts

Christian iconography is based on the story of the Apostle Matthew, colored with numerous details. This subject was extremely popular, and the number of paintings written on this topic is very large. There are also sculptures and musical works.

Among the first monuments in chronology are catacomb paintings and reliefs on sarcophagi of the 4th century. In the earliest depictions, the Magi are shown dressed in Persian robes and Phrygian caps, usually in profile, walking, and holding gifts in front of them. This option is the use of late antique iconography "Barbarians bringing offerings to the Emperor".

Early Christian art invariably depicted the Magi dressed in Persian style (felt round hat, trousers, often a chiton with sleeves and a mantle). The last Persian king Khosrow II Parviz (7th century), who destroyed all Christian churches in Palestine, spared the Bethlehem Church of the Nativity because of the Persian appearance of the Magi depicted on it.

In the Orthodox iconographic tradition, the scene of the worship of the Magi can stand out as a separate plot, although more often it is one of the compositions of the iconography of the Nativity of Christ.

Complicating iconography

Crowns on the heads of aliens appeared in the 10th century. (in Western art), where through oral stories they were transformed from priests to kings. At the same time, their clothes lose their pronounced oriental connotation, and they begin to be depicted not as peers, but as people of different ages. The custom of depicting them as representatives of different races arose in the West in the 12th century. and becomes canonical in the 15th century.

From the 14th century, with the onset of the magnificent decline of the Middle Ages, gifts began to be depicted in exquisite gold boxes, and the clothes of the Magi became more varied and luxurious. Since that time, this plot has become popular among artists from the point of view of demonstrating professional skill: after all, it was a complex, multi-figured scene, where there were not only horses and camels, but also a contrast of various textures - silk, furs, jewelry and gold of the Magi with the wooden structures of the building , straw in the manger and the rough homespun clothing of Joseph and the shepherds.

It is worth noting the incredible diversity of the animal world in such paintings. In addition to the predicted camels, on the canvases there are a bull and an ox, inherited from the chronologically previous episode of the Nativity. In addition, horses are common (until a relatively late period, European painters, who knew camels only from verbal descriptions, tried not to take risks and replaced them with a more familiar means of transportation). The Magi, who turned into kings, were accompanied by an extensive retinue with dogs and hunting birds. And sparrows could sit on the rafters of the nativity scene.

Combination with other subjects

Starting from the 15th century, the Adoration of the Magi often began to be combined with the scene of the Adoration of the Shepherds (Luke 2:8-20). This made it possible to add an even greater variety of people and animals to the image.

In some compositions, for example triptychs, these two scenes of worship became side panels, while the central place was usually given to the Nativity scene.

Traditions

In Catholic churches, on the feast of Epiphany, chalk is blessed, which is then used to write the Latin letters CMB on the doors of churches and houses, which is sometimes interpreted as the first letters of the names of the three wise men - Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar; and sometimes as the first letters of the Latin phrase “Christus mausionem benedicat,” which means “Christ bless this house.”

In Spain and many Spanish-speaking countries, it is on the feast of the Epiphany, and not on Christmas or St. Nicholas Day, that children receive gifts. It is believed that they are carried by the wise men - “Los reyes magos”.

In the history of Christianity, a special role belongs to the three wise men, who were the first of all to recognize Jesus Christ. They came from the east, led by the Star of Bethlehem. Who were these wise men, why did they come, what star led them?

The appearance of bright comets in the sky has always heralded upcoming changes and events on a global scale. The birth of some exceptional individuals was marked by the sudden appearance of the brightest “tailed stars.” History knows many similar facts, but the most significant, of course, is the birth of Jesus Christ.

As is known from the Gospel of Matthew, as well as from apocryphal literature and Christian traditions, the first to learn about the birth of the Savior were the Persian magi, who came from the east to worship the “King of the Jews.” The comet that “went before them” led them to Bethlehem directly to the place where Christ was born. The prophecy of the Erythraean Sibyl came true:

“The birth of the child brought great joy to the earth,
The Throne rejoiced in heaven, and the world rejoiced.
The magicians paid tribute to a star never seen before,
And having believed in God, they saw Him lying in a manger.”

Not only did the prophecies of the Sibyl from Eritrea come true - the ancient prediction of Zarathushtra himself came true, and the hopes and aspirations of the Zoroastrian clergy, who had long been awaiting the coming of the Savior, were justified. Jewish and early Christian literature, which borrowed a lot from Zoroastrian eschatology, retained direct indications of the relationship and even continuity between Zoroastrianism and Christianity. Thus, the apocryphal Arabic Gospel of the Childhood of Jesus says: “When Jesus our Lord was born in Bethlehem, in Judea, in the time of King Herod, the Magi came from the east to Jerusalem, as had been foretold by Zoroaster.”
Even in the Middle Ages, Christian theologians, especially Syrian and Armenian churches, still remembered the spiritual connection connecting ancient religion Zarathushtra and the young religion of Christ. In the "Condensed History of Dynasties" by Bar-Ebrey, a Jacobite bishop of the 13th century. we find confirmation of the words of the Arabic Gospel of the childhood of Jesus: “At that time there lived Zorodasht, the teacher of the sect of magicians... He told the Persians about the coming of Christ and ordered them to bring him gifts. He announced to them: last times the virgin will be with child, and when the child is born, a star will appear, which will flash during the day, and in the middle of it the virgin will be visible. But you, my children, will know about his birth before all nations. And when you see that star, follow it wherever it leads you, and bring your gifts to the baby. For that child is the “Word” which heaven founded.” In this testimony, Zarathushtra appears as a messianic prophet, anticipating the coming of the Son of God.
The Syriac-Nestorian Metropolitan Mar Solomon, who also lived in the 13th century, speaks even more definitely about Christianity as a continuation and development of the teachings of Zoroaster. In the mystery book "The Bee" he gives enough detailed description Zarathushtra's predictions regarding the birth of Christ, and these two exceptional personalities in this testimony merge into a single whole, a kind of first-born being, conceived through the “Word” of the Creator of all that is:
“Zaradosht’s prediction about our Lord: when he was sitting at the well in Khorin, he said to his disciples: Listen, my beloved children, I will reveal to you the secret of the great king who will come into the world at the end of time. The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son. And the people of that country will fight against him to destroy him, but they will not succeed. Then he will be captured and nailed to a wooden cross. Both heaven and earth will mourn for him, and generations of nations will mourn for him. He will descend into the depths of the earth and from the depths he will ascend to heaven. Then he will come with an army of light and will approach on white clouds, for he is a child who was conceived through the “Word” of the creator of all that is... He will be of my kind. I am he and he is me. He is in me and I am in him. And when he comes, great signs will appear in the sky, and his radiance will surpass the radiance of the sky... You must watch and remember what I told you, and wait for the fulfillment of the prediction. After all, you will be the first to witness the coming of this great king. And when that star rises, send an embassy to bring gifts and bow to him... And I and he are one.”
Such testimonies of Christian theologians might seem dubious and even unfounded if they were not confirmed in the written Zoroastrian tradition. According to Avestan eschatology, known to us from the “Bundahishnu”, “Bahman-yasht”, “Rivaiyat” and other Zoroastrian texts, after Zarathushtra three Saviors should successively come into the world - Khushedar (“Growing the truth”), Khushedar-mah (“Growing reverence ") and Saoshyant ("He who embodies the truth"). With the arrival of Saoshyant - the last Savior - Frashegird - the Last Judgment will come, the resurrection of the dead will take place and the world will be cleansed from the filth of sin in a universal flame. Then the world will be restored, and people will acquire a new incorruptible body - these ideas were subsequently reflected in the Christian concept of the end of the world. It should be noted here that eschatological and messianic sentiments appeared among the Jews only after close contact between the Jews and the Persians, who professed Mazdaism, which is no less strict monotheism than Judaism. The policy of Cyrus, who freed the Jews from the oppression of the Babylonian captivity, patronized their religion and even allocated them money for the restoration of Solomon's Temple, forced the people of Moses to respect the religious views of the Persians. As a result, a sect of Pharisees arose in the Jewish environment, whose representatives began to teach about the coming of the Messiah, the Last Judgment and the resurrection of the dead at the end of time. Thus, in the bosom of Judaism, fertilized by the Zoroastrian idea of ​​the Savior, Christianity was born five and a half centuries later. The teachings of the long-awaited Messiah, who came to the people of Israel, were rejected by his fellow tribesmen, but accepted by other peoples. The first to recognize Christ the Savior in the baby Jesus were the Persian magicians - representatives of the Zoroastrian priesthood, who knew better than anyone else where and when the Savior was to be born.
Due to historical circumstances, Christianity, which became the state religion of the Roman Empire - the main political rival of the Persian royal dynasties, could not be accepted by the Zoroastrian clergy of the Sassanid Empire, as a subsidiary religion of Zoroastrianism. Perhaps this was precisely the irreparable mistake of the high priests of Zoroastrianism - the oldest monotheistic religion, which, just a few centuries after the adoption of Christianity by the entire pagan world, fell under the powerful blows of young Islam. In the 6th century, the fragmented Persian Empire, whose spiritual power was barely supported by an orthodox priesthood, tired of the constant struggle with the Manichaeans, Mazdakites and other heretics, could not oppose anything to the power of the Arab conquerors, inspired by the words of the Prophet Muhammad.
Unfortunately, it must be admitted that by the time of the fall of the Sassanid Empire, Zoroastrianism had already degenerated, but six centuries before this sad event, things were completely different, and representatives of the Zoroastrian clergy could recognize the birth of the Son of God in a nation other than the Persian. Without a doubt, those magicians who came to worship the infant Christ saw in him the long-awaited Khushedar (“Grower of Truth”) - the first of the three Saviors who were to come after Zarathushtra and bring a new religious revelation.


(Fresco by Giotto in the Scrovegni Chapel)

According to Avestan mythology, all Saviors who follow Zarathushtra will be his sons, born of God's chosen virgins, who must enter the sacred lake Kansava, in which Zarathushtra left his seed. In this regard, the words come to mind Christian theologian Mar Solomon, which he puts into the mouth of Zarathushtra, who speaks of Christ: “He will be of my kind.” These words fit well into the Zoroastrian concept of the birth of the Saviors-Saoshyants and thus acquire special significance. Of course, one should not take literally the fact that the seed of Zarathushtra is in the lake, and that the virgin who entered this lake must certainly become the mother of a divine child who is destined to save humanity. Carl Gustav Jung, using the method of analytical psychology, convincingly proved that mythical lakes, streams, seas and other bodies of water that give rise to divine life in their depths are an archetypal symbol of the ocean of the unconscious, in the depths of which the self is born. The immersion of the immaculate virgin (in all religious traditions, the mother of the god-man) into the sacred reservoir and the birth of the eternal baby is both a macrocosmic symbol of the birth of the world from the dark waters of chaos, and a microcosmic symbol of the awakening of divine light in a soul unburdened by sin, immersed in the ocean of the unconscious. Those Saviors who should come into the world after Zarathushtra will, of course, be his spiritual heirs, but not his sons in the physical sense.

To those Zoroastrian priests who came to worship the infant Christ, the kinship of Zarathushtra and Christ apparently seemed very natural, since they considered the existence of the fravakhar (soul) of Zarathushtra and the Saoshyants (among whom they counted Christ) as beginningless, dissolved in God and leading to its beginning from the creation of the world. By affirming the pre-eternal existence of the Son of God, Christians only confirm the ancient thought about the pre-eternity and divine nature of the Savior of the human race, expressed in the early Zoroastrian religious texts.
The Persian magicians, who mastered the art of astrology, really expected the coming of the Savior, and the appearance of a bright comet in the sky, visible even during the day, was perceived by them as a sign of the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy. Having waited for the fulfillment of the ancient prediction, three magicians (and this is what the clergy of the Mazdayasnian religion call themselves to this day) brought three gifts to the infant Christ - gold, incense and myrrh. The Gospel of Matthew tells it this way:
“When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem and said, “Where is he who has been born King of the Jews?” for we saw His star in the east and came to worship Him. Then Herod, secretly calling the wise men, found out from them the time of the appearance of the star and, sending them to Bethlehem, said: go, carefully investigate about the baby and, when you find it, notify me, so that I too can go and worship him. After listening to the king, they left. And behold, the star that they saw in the east walked before them, when at last it came and stood over the place where the child was. Seeing the star, they rejoiced with very great joy, and, entering the house, they saw the baby with Mary, His mother, and, falling down, they worshiped Him; and having opened their treasures, they brought Him gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh. And having received a revelation in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another route.”

The three wise men, who brought gold, frankincense and myrrh to the infant Christ, thereby honored him as king, high priest and sacrifice. Usually the gifts of magicians are interpreted as follows: they pay tribute to the king with gold, they honor the deity with incense, and they anoint the dead with myrrh. If we accept the version about the Persian, and not the Assyrian origin of the Magi, then the symbolism of the three gifts will become even more significant. The three gifts of the Magi are symbols of the three castes of Zoroastrian society and the three types of Khvarna - divine distinction that distinguishes a person from among others. The spark of God in a person, talent, the ability to lead people - that’s what Hvarna is. This concept, sacred to Zoroastrians, is threefold in nature. Zoroastrians distinguished the royal khvarna, the khvarna of priests and the khvarna of warriors. Gold was considered a symbol of royal charisma, incense was considered a symbol of priestly charisma, and myrrh or myrrh was considered a symbol of military charisma, since it is warriors who sacrifice themselves to save others and thereby condemn themselves to martyrdom. The bringing of three symbolic gifts to Christ testifies to the greatest respect for him by the Zoroastrian priests, who saw in him a superman, combining the qualities of a warrior, priest and king.
The names of the Magi who came to Christ vary in early Christian literature. Origen names the names of Abimelech, Ochozath and Phicola. Since the Middle Ages, a strong tradition has been established of naming the Magi Caspar, Balthasar and Melchior, but, apparently, Syrian Christians were closer to the truth, calling the names Hormizda, Yazdegerda and Peroz. These purely Persian names, often found in the lists of the royal dynasties of the Arsacids and Sassanids, identify the Magi as prominent figures of the Zoroastrian clergy.
Early Christian art also testifies to the national identity of the Magi - details of their attire always included a Persian round felt hat, trousers, which the Greeks and Romans laughed off, and a long tunic with sleeves, called “sudrekh” by the Zoroastrians. The Persian appearance of the Magi depicted in the Bethlehem Church of the Nativity made an indelible impression on the Persian king Khosrow II, who conquered all of Syria, Egypt and Palestine and restored Iran within the borders of the Achaemenid Empire. Khosrow II, seeing mosaics depicting magicians, spared this church, despite the fact that he had previously set fire to many Christian churches.
Early Christian artists, as well as medieval ones, each time playing out the famous Christmas story with the worship of the Magi in a new way, almost always depicted a bright comet above the heads of the latter, visible even in daylight. This comet, called the “Star of Bethlehem,” was immortalized in a fresco by Giotto, paintings by Van der Beek, Francesco Rabolini and other artists. This comet, which marked the coming of the Savior to the world, flashed brightly just before the birth of Jesus Christ, went into the dark depths of space in order to return after two thousand years and announce to the inhabitants of the Earth about the second coming of the Son of God.
Comets are signs through which the highest heavenly powers show us the manifestation of their will and, knowing this, astrologers have long called them “the fingers of God.” What does the finger of a bright comet, recently discovered by the Japanese astronomer Hyakutake, point to us? Based on knowledge of its cycle, and scientists have calculated that it is equal to 2000 years, we can conclude that this particular comet was seen by eastern astrologers in 5 BC in the constellation Pisces, where the great conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter took place. Most modern scientists are convinced that the chronology from the Nativity of Christ, introduced in the 5th century through the efforts of the monk Dionysius, is inaccurate, and Christ was born 5-7 years BC, which is quite consistent with the data of astronomers based on knowledge of the cycles of Jupiter, Saturn and comets - "Star of Bethlehem"

Comet Hyakutake was discovered on December 25, 1995, on the night of Christmas, and approached Earth on March 21-26, 1996, thereby marking the vernal equinox and the birthday of Zarathushtra, she disappeared from the field of view of observers on September 8 - the day when the Nativity of the Virgin Mary is celebrated. This comet was visible from the Nativity of Christ to the Nativity of the Virgin Mary! This is the same “Star of Bethlehem” that two thousand years ago showed the way to the cradle of Christ to the eastern astrologer sages.
But what attracts attention and is alarming is the fact that comet Hyakutake was visible in the constellation Draco. One involuntarily recalls the apocalyptic prophecy of St. John about the persecution of the immaculate virgin who gave birth to the baby Savior by the dragon cast from heaven:
“And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought against them, but they did not stand, and there was no longer a place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, the ancient serpent, called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world, was cast out to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him... When the dragon saw that he was cast out to the earth, he began to pursue the woman who gave birth to a male child . And the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, so that she would fly into the desert to her place from the face of the serpent and there she would be fed for a time, times and half a time... And the dragon became angry with the woman, and went to make war with the rest of the seed her, keeping the commandments of God and having the testimony of Jesus Christ.”
Comet Hyakutake passed through the constellation Draco, located near north pole celestial sphere, but if we project the trajectory of this comet onto the ecliptic, we will see that the comet vector will fall exactly into the zodiac constellation Virgo, with which the image of the Virgin Mary is associated. This can only be interpreted as a threat to the virgin who “gave birth to a male child” from the dragon, that is, the devil. The apocalyptic prophecy of John the Theologian says that before the second coming of Christ occurs, the Antichrist will appear in the world and subjugate all of humanity.
The appearance of a bright comet in 1996, taking into account all the astrological circumstances of its appearance, can be regarded as a warning to all inhabitants of the Earth, a warning about the imminent coming of the Antichrist and the onset of the last times. Expectation Last Judgment has always been characteristic of humanity, but on the eve of the third millennium and the onset of a new cosmic era associated with the transition of the Earth's axis of precession to the sign of Aquarius, these expectations and gloomy forebodings are becoming more and more solid and definite.


Mosaic from the Church of San Apollinare Nuovo in Ravenna. VI century Ravenna, Italy

see also

Gifts of the Magi. Documentary A. Mamontova

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January 6 Orthodox Christian church celebrates the Solemnity of Epiphany. This holiday is also called the Feast of the Three Kings or the Three Magi. According to legend, three kings: Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar came to Bethlehem from the East.

Gospel of Matthew Chapter 2
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem and said:
Where is he who has been born King of the Jews? for we saw His star in the east and came to worship Him.
Hearing this, King Herod became alarmed, and all Jerusalem with him.
And, having gathered all the high priests and scribes of the people, he asked them: where should Christ be born?
And they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judah, for thus it is written through the prophet: And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means the least of the provinces of Judah, for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.”
Then Herod, secretly calling the wise men, found out from them the time of the appearance of the star and, sending them to Bethlehem, said: go, carefully investigate about the Child and, when you find it, notify me, so that I too can go and worship Him.
After listening to the king, they left. [And] behold, the star that they saw in the east was walking before them, when it finally came and stood over the place where the Child was.
Seeing the star, they rejoiced with very great joy, and, entering the house, they saw the Child with Mary, His Mother, and, falling down, they worshiped Him; and having opened their treasures, they brought Him gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh.
And having received a revelation in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by a different route.

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