The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1901-12-20
THE nIAGI AND THE STAR.

tivity Of Jesus is jOyfully observed,
questions arise which have been ever
and anon discussed as to the mysteri-
Gus life which on its human side began
at Bethlehem. Among these questions
are, "What was the star and who we're
the Magi?"
The sources Of information are the
four gospels which were written well
within the historic period and are au-
thentic. OF these the gospel Of Matthew
gives an account of the visit Of the
Magi, called "wise men from the east, y
and the star. Luke gives the story Of
the shepherds and the angels; Mark
does not touch on either topic and
John gives the account of the divine
nature which all the scriptures claim
for the Christ.
Much has been written pro and con
on this subject Of the Magi and the
star. Some claim that it was an angel
shining like a star that guided them;
others that it was a movable star or
meteor; a comet, conjunction Of the
planets, or position Of one Of the con-
stelIations Of the fixed stars.
In discussing this subject, for con-
venience, the question is divided. Who
were the MagiH What was the star?
The "wise men from the east" were
Chaldean astrolOgers or astronomers or
learned men from Mesapotamia. Ac-
cording to tradition there were three
of them, and besides being wise men,
they were kings and brought kingly
presents to the "king of kings" Their
names were Melchior, an old man with
a snowy white beard; BaIthasar, a man
Of swarthy complexion and of middle
age; and Caspar, a rudy and beard
less youth.
Gen. Lew Wallace, in his marvellous
novel, ben Hur,'' seiZes upon this ira
dition for the opening of his book and
makes these three men, strangers from
different lands, to meet by some mys-
terious concert Of spiritual guidance
on the plains eastward of the Jordan
valley.
But this tradition and the plot of
"Ben Hur" is not to be seriously con-
sidered on the score of evidence. The
word in the Greek testament rendered
"wise men" is Magoi, which should be
rendered IN English Magi, meaning
astrologers, astronomers, learned men
from Chaldea or southern Mesopo-
tamia
BALKAN, whom Balak, king of Moab
called to curse Israel, was from Meso-
potamia, and prophesied "a star shall
come out Of Jacob, and a scepter shall
rise out Of Israel, and shall smite the
corners of Moab and destroy all the
children of Sheth." BALKAN united
the Office Of astrologer and prophet
and declared that she knew the know
ledge of the most high and saw the
vision of the Almighty, falling Unto q
trance) but having his eyes open" This
prophecy came down the ages and was
known to the ancient Chaldeans as a
prophecy of the Jewish Messiah.
Daniel and his three friends in Bah
.ylon were members Of this Chaldean
cult, and Daniel was made head of the
order by King Nebuchadnezzar, and
his companions were made overseers of
the affairs of the province of Babylon.
Daniel remained in the east during the
entire time of the BabyIonish captivity
and during the reign of three kings
Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, Darius
and to the third year Of Cyrus. He
left on record notable prophecies
among which was the prophecy of the
$40 weeks" or 400 years which should
elapse from the decree to restore and
rebuild Jerusalem to Messiah the
prince; his mission and death, and the
destruction Of Jerusalem. The MaRi
preserved these sacred documents and
had the means of fixing the date of
their fulfllment. These Chaldeans
were q cult Of oriental scholars and
biblicists, students Of history and as
trOnomy, Of prophecy and chronology.
What was the star? The star need
not be any particular star, or it may
be. But all that is necessary to &C
count for this visit of the MaQi and
the star is the verihcation of some as
Economical observation, and the loca-
ton OF the spot over which at a given
time the star was in the ascendent.
Astronomy is the oldest science ex-
cept agriculture. In this study the
Chaldeans excelled. They made de-
finite observations $3.50 years before
Christ. They had discovered and cal
cUlated the procession Of the eouin-
oxes and the length of a siderial dav.
In 2169, B. c., two Chinese court as.
tronomers were beheaded for failure to
announce an eclipse Of the sun. One
Of the great pyramids of Egypt has a
long inclined passage down which ta1
Draconis shed its light by day as ven