THE MAGI AND HEROD’S SOLDIERS DESCEND ON BETHLEHEM

MATTHEW 2:1–12

Following the birth of Jesus, Joseph and Mary remained in Bethlehem for many months. Apart from the shepherds who visited this family, the Bible tells us about two other groups who went to find Jesus in Bethlehem: the Magi (wise men) and Herod’s soldiers. One group traveled a very long distance while another traveled a very short distance. One group was armed with gifts while the other was armed with swords. One group came to honor the Christ child and the other came to eliminate him. Treasure and terror descended upon the village of Bethlehem for a reason (Matt. 2:1–12).

We know little about the Magi who journeyed from the east to find Jesus. It is possible they were descendants of Jews who had been sent east during the Babylonian captivity in the time of Daniel and who now returned to their homeland seeking the Messiah.10 What is striking is that the sophistication of their inquiry and the expensive gifts they carried suggest they were official representatives sent as emissaries to honor the new King of this ancient land. They began their trip in the “east” (Matt. 2:1). The most compelling evidence suggests that these visitors came to the Promised Land from Parthia and so had traveled the International Highway for months.11

This sandstone stela from 100 BC–AD 100 represents Parthian dress.
© Dr. James C. Martin. The Istanbul Archaeological Museum.

They had come to Bethlehem because they believed that the legitimate King of the Jews had been born. A star had appeared that suggested that the promise of the Lord made in Numbers 24:17 had come to pass: “A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel.” This expectation of a royal Messiah had continued to live among those who had been exiled to the east by the Babylonians. And in the footsteps of faithful Israelites like Daniel, they too anticipated the coming of the Messiah. Consequently, they followed the star that was leading them across hundreds of miles in order to honor the newborn King with their treasures.

But Herod the Great had quite a different reception in mind for Jesus and a very different reason for sending visitors to Bethlehem. Herod was an Idumean whose family was trusted by the leadership in Rome. Several decades before Jesus was born, Jewish loyalists had enlisted the aid of Parthians (Persians) to drive Herod and his family from power in Jerusalem. Herod fled to Rome, where the Roman Senate honored him with the title “King of the Jews.” But when Herod returned to Israel in 37 BC, he had to fight long and hard for the right to bear that title. Since that time, he had ruthlessly defended it against all those whom he saw as a threat, even killing his own sons and wives when he felt they were conspiring to remove him from the throne.12

Herod the Great had his name inscribed on certain coins minted during his reign.

Sarcophagus scene (fourth century AD) of the adoration of the Magi.

The Magi entered Jerusalem with Herod’s royal paranoia still intact. Given the expensive gifts these Parthian wise men were bearing, they would have entered the city of Jerusalem with an armed escort. We can only imagine the panic that must have occurred in Herod and his court when they heard that men from the east were in Jerusalem looking for the legitimate “King of the Jews.” Such news got Herod’s attention in a big way. Some thirty years had passed since Herod’s last encounter with Parthians. Since he was in no position to begin a war, he began to gather from the Magi all the information he could under the guise of longing to worship this Jewish king. When he learned that his rival was a child living in Bethlehem, Herod dispatched his soldiers to kill every male two years of age and under in the village. Apart from the shepherds, two other very different groups had come seeking the child Messiah in Bethlehem. And so it was that treasure and terror descended upon Bethlehem for two very different reasons.

Eastern border of the Roman Empire, first century AD