The ancient astrologers were the learned men of their day. They were guided by celestial maps that were a compilation of the heavenly tracks of the stars and planets over centuries. Given the news that the skies and maps were telling them, it is not hard to imagine that the news of a royal birth in Judea was the talk of the astrology set. If so, then one cannot help but wondering why there wasn't a big crowd of wise men in Bethlehem. How many took to the journey, though, we do not know.
Tradition says three.
Bethlehem was a backwater town in a remote province of the Roman Empire, an unlikely setting for the birth of a king. The wise men who embarked on the journey had to rely on more than what the stars were telling them. Matthew calls them wise men, but it was not their knowledge that earned them a place in the Scriptures. All rights reserved.