Mystery of the Magi: The Quest to Identify the Three Wise Men

by Dwight Longenecker

Overview

"The perfect Christmas gift for anyone interested in the historical background behind the birth of Jesus of Nazareth." — Robert J. Hutchinson, author of The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Bible, The Dawn of Christianity, and Searching for Jesus.

"Utterly refreshing and encouraging." — Eric Metaxas, New York Times bestselling author of Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy and Martin Luther

"The best book I know about the Magi." — Sir Colin John Humphreys, Ph.D., author of The Mystery of the Last Supper

Modern biblical scholars tend to dismiss the Christmas story of the “wise men from the East” as pious legend. Matthew’s gospel offers few details, but imaginative Christians filled out the story early on, giving us the three kings guided by a magical star who join the adoring shepherds in every Christmas crèche.

For many scholars, then, there is no reason to take the gospel story seriously. But are they right? Are the wise men no more than a poetic fancy?

In an astonishing feat of detective work, Dwight Longenecker makes a powerful case that the visit of the Magi to Bethlehem really happened. Piecing together the evidence from biblical studies, history, archeology, and astronomy, he goes further, uncovering where they came from, why they came, and what might have happened to them after eluding the murderous King Herod.

In the process, he provides a new and fascinating view of the time and place in which Jesus Christ chose to enter the world.

The evidence is clear and compelling. The mysterious Magi from the East were in all likelihood astrologers and counselors 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.

The visitors whose arrival troubled Herod “and all Jerusalem with him” may not have been the turbaned oriental kings of the Christmas carol, but they were real, and by demonstrating that the wise men were no fairy tale, Mystery of the Magi demands a new level of respect for the historical claims of the gospel.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781684512577
Publisher:	Skyhorse Publishing
Publication date:	10/26/2021
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	211,928
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Dwight Longenecker is a Catholic priest, award winning blogger, and freelance writer. A graduate of Oxford and Bob Jones University, he has written sixteen books on different aspects of religion. Longenecker is a highly sought-after speaker for scholarly and Men’s Conference events, and often leads parish missions, retreats, and diocesan events. He and his wife, Allison, have four children.

Longenecker serves as pastor of Our Lady of the Rosary Church in Greenville, South Carolina.

Table of Contents

Introduction: The Three Wise Men: Facts or Fairy Tale? xix

Chapter 1 Is the Bible True? 1

Chapter 2 Matthew: Man of History 11

Chapter 3 Fantastic Flights of Fantasy 23

Chapter 4 Sages and Stargazers 37

Chapter 5 The Riddle of the Nabateans 47

Chapter 6 The Middle Eastern Melting Pot 61

Chapter 7 Prophecies or Predictions? 73

Chapter 8 The Herod Connection 87

Chapter 9 The Three Treasures 97

Chapter 10 The Star of Bethlehem 111

Chapter 11 Wise Men from the East 129

Chapter 12 What Happened to the Wise Men? 139

Conclusion: Why Does It Matter? 157

Epilogue 161

Acknowledgments 165

Bibliography 167

Notes 177

Index 199

Editorial Reviews

Dwight Longenecker's Mystery of the Magi is the perfect Christmas gift for anyone interested in the historical background behind the birth of Jesus of Nazareth and what his birth means for us toay.

Robert J. Hutchinson

How utterly refreshing and encouraging to read Fr. Longenecker's extraordinary ruminations on something we all thought we understood, and obviously hardly begin to understand, until now.

Eric Metaxas

Readers will come away from this fascinating journey with a renewed appreciation for the scientific backing behind the story of the Magi and their guiding star, while skeptics will feel the need to re-examine their overly hasty dismissal of the biblical acount of the the wise men.

Thomas D. Williams

[Mystery of the Magi] is the best book I know about the Magi and throws new light upon the birth narratives in the gospel.

Sir Colin John Humphreys

"How utterly refreshing and encouraging to read Fr. Longenecker's extraordinary ruminations on something we all thought we understood, and obviously hardly begin to understand, until now. That he has dug so deep—so we can see things we have never seen before—is a testament both to his archaeological implacability and genius and to the happy fact that God has hidden endless treasures in the Scriptures for our benefit.

—Eric Metaxas, New York Times bestselling author of Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy and Martin Luther



"Dwight Longenecker's Mystery of the Magi: The Quest for the True Identity of the Three Wise Men , is one of the best books you'll ever read about the birth of Jesus, the meaning of the Christmas story and how Christians should approach Biblical studies. An Oxford-educated graduate of Bob Jones University, and now a Catholic priest, Longenecker charts a middle course between an uncritical fundamentalism that fails to ask probing questions and an equally uncritical skepticism that assumes, rather than proves, that events depicted in the Bible never happened at all. Dwight Longenecker's Mystery of the Magi is the perfect Christmas gift for anyone interested in the historical background behind the birth of Jesus of Nazareth and what his birth means for us today. I highly recommend this wonderful book."

—Robert J. Hutchinson, author of The Dawn of Christianity and Searching for Jesus

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