By Clement Harrold

January 9, 2026

Epiphany means “manifestation.” Traditionally this feast is observed twelve days after Christmas on January 6, although in the United States it is typically moved to the nearest Sunday. 

The Epiphany is a very ancient part of the Church’s liturgical calendar—even older than the celebration of Christmas!—and it commemorates three separate manifestations: the visit of the magi (Christ’s manifestation to the pagans), the baptism of the Lord (Christ’s manifestation to the Jews), and the wedding at Cana (Christ’s manifestation to His disciples). 

Of these three manifestations, it is the visit of the magi which has become most closely associated with the Solemnity of the Epiphany. So who were these wise men from the east, and what do we know about them?

The Meaning of Magi

The visit of the magi is recounted only in the Gospel of Matthew (see 2:1–12). The passage begins with these words:

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him.” (Matt 2:1–2)

The noun translated by the RSVCE as “wise men” is magoi in Greek, from which we get the English words “magi” and “magic.” The term is Persian in origin, referring to members of the learned and priestly class within ancient oriental societies. The magi were considered to be the scientists or wise men of their day, and they often served as priests, astrologers, soothsayers, or interpreters of dreams. 

This latter function is recounted in the Old Testament book of Daniel, when the king’s magicians (magoi in the Greek Septuagint translation) are outclassed by Daniel and his companions (see Dan 1:20; 2:2; 4:6–7; 5:7). The Acts of the Apostles also speaks of magicians, or magi, who were known in the early Church (see 8:9–13; 13:6–12). 

Although we don’t know for certain where the magi came from, it seems likely that they were astrologers from Persia. This would explain both their title and their curiosity over the extraordinary star. Matthew tells us that the magi came “from the East” (Greek, apo anatolōn), which literally means “from the risings,” referring to the land of the rising sun. 

If it is true that the magi came from Persia, then they would have been members of the priestly class within the Parthian Empire. At the time of Jesus’s birth, this empire was a geopolitical superpower and a rival to Rome’s ambitions in the Near East. Zoroastrianism was the religion of the upper classes, and the empire’s territory encompassed much of modern Iran and Iraq, as well as parts of Syria, Afghanistan, and Turkey. 

While it is impossible to know for sure, it is quite possible that the magi traveled some 600 or 700 miles to get to Bethlehem, and perhaps even further. 

A Star in the East

Although many of us assume that the magi were led by a star throughout their travels, this isn’t necessarily the case. Matthew informs us that when the magi eventually arrived in Jerusalem, they queried, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him” (Matt 2:2). 

This verse suggests that the wise men noticed the star back in their home country, which is what prompted them to set off on the long journey to Jerusalem. But why Jerusalem of all places? In his book Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives, Pope Benedict XVI points out that even many of the pagan religious traditions around this time had been predicting that a new world ruler would arise in Judea. 

In Jewish tradition, a similar oracle appears on the lips of the seer Balaam, who tries to curse Israel but finds himself offering a prophecy instead: “a star shall come forth out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel” (Num 24:17). For King Herod, who was ethnically an Edomite, this prophecy of Balaam was a cause for alarm, since it went on to predict that “Edom shall be dispossessed” (Num 24:18).

Piecing all this together, it seems that, upon seeing the strange star in the sky, the magi concluded that a king had been born in the land of the Jews. Then, perhaps after taking a few months to make the necessary preparations, they set off for Jerusalem. Since Jerusalem was the capital city, this was where they expected the king of the Jews to be born. It wasn’t until they got talking to the chief priests and scribes that the magi became aware of the Old Testament prophecy linking the birth of Christ to Bethlehem:

 

But you, O Bethlehem Eph’rathah,

   who are little to be among the clans of Judah,

from you shall come forth for me

   one who is to be ruler in Israel,

whose origin is from of old,

   from ancient days. (Mic 5:2; cf. Matt 2:5–6)

Bethlehem is only about 6 miles from Jerusalem. Matthew tells us that it was during this final leg of their journey that the magi were actively led by the same star which had first prompted them to travel to Jerusalem: “and lo, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came to rest over the place where the child was” (Matt 2:9). 

Over the centuries, Christians have offered different theories as to whether this moving star was a spectacular celestial event, some kind of vision, or even an angel leading the wise men to the Christ Child.

Subsequent Traditions

Perhaps the most notable tradition surrounding the magi is the idea that there were three of them, since Matthew’s Gospel never actually says this! This popular conception seems to be based on the fact that the magi offer three different treasures to the newborn king: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Speaking of kings, the identification of the wise men as “the three kings” also isn’t in Matthew’s account. Once again, the title comes from later tradition, which may be harking back to the Old Testament passages that describe how kings will bring gifts—including gifts of gold and frankincense—to the royal son of David (see Ps 72:10–11; Isa 60:3–6).

Medieval tradition ascribed different names to the magi: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar. In artistic renditions, Melchior is usually depicted as an old white man who represents the continent of Europe and brings gold in recognition of Christ’s kingship. Caspar is often shown as a younger man who represents Asia and brings incense in honor of Christ’s divinity. Balthasar is typically middle-aged with dark skin; he represents Africa and brings myrrh, which highlights Christ’s humanity. 

One notable tradition holds that the three magi returned to their homeland, where they were later converted by St. Thomas the Apostle during his travels to India. The magi went on to be martyred for their Christian faith, after which their relics were transported to Constantinople and then to Milan. In the twelfth century, these same relics were brought to Cologne, Germany, and placed in the cathedral, where they remain to this day.

Spiritual Lessons

As we reflect on the story of the magi, it is worth remembering what they teach us about Christ’s manifestation to the world. The first reading for the Solemnity of the Epiphany comes from the prophet Isaiah, who speaks of a light arising amidst the darkness of the earth. 

In his commentary on Matthew’s Gospel, St. Thomas Aquinas notes that the magi “came to Jesus because they had recognized that the glory of the wisdom which they possessed was from Christ. And they are a certain first-fruits of the gentiles, because they first came to Christ” (#164). In a beautiful way, these wise men symbolize all the nations of the earth coming to worship their Savior.

With his usual eloquence, the great liturgist Dom Prosper Guéranger invites us to reconsider the significance of the Epiphany, and to learn from the magi’s example:

The Epiphany is indeed [a] great Feast, and the joy caused us by the Birth of our Jesus must be renewed on it, for, as though it were a second Christmas Day, it shows us our Incarnate God in a new light. . . . All the fatigues of the long journey—which man must take to reach his God—all are over and forgotten; our Emmanuel is with us, and we are with him. . . . Let us, at once, open our treasures; let us prepare our gold, our frankincense, and our myrrh, for the sweet Babe, our King. He will be pleased with our gifts, and we know he never suffers himself to be outdone in generosity. When we have to return to our duties, we will, like the Magi, leave our hearts with our Jesus; and it shall be by another way, by a new manner of life, that we will finish our sojourn in this country of our exile, looking forward to that happy day, when life and light eternal will come and absorb into themselves the shadows of vanity and time, which now hang over us.

Further Reading

Pope Benedict XVI, Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives (Image Books, 2012)

Scott Hahn, Joy to the World: How Christ’s Coming Changed Everything (and Still Does) (Image, 2014)