We’ve been considering a 3rd century text called the ‘Revelation of the Magi’ that purports to tell the story of the Magi in the Christmas story. To recap: we saw that Adam’s son Seth founded something like an ‘Order of the Magi’, and that generations of Magi in this Order have been keeping watch with a monthly ceremony in their “Cave of Treasures”, waiting for the coming of a star that would signify the birth of God in human form. Finally the promised star appears, descends to the Cave of Treasures, turns into a small luminous human, and says it is the Son of God. The Magi realize that each of them is seeing the star-child in a different form. The star-child guides the Magi to Jerusalem, miraculously speeding their way. There they meet Herod, and have a dialog like that in the Official Gospels (Magi: “Where is the child?” Court advisors: “In Bethlehem”. Herod: “When you find him, come back and tell me.”) The star leads to a cave and beckons the Magi inside, and transforms into a luminous, talking infant, who tells the Magi that their ancient mysteries have at last been fulfilled and commissions them to become witnesses to him and his Gospel for the people of their homeland.
So the Magi begin their journey home, and thanks once again to the miraculous power of the star-child their return trip is as fast as their journey to Jerusalem. The star’s light refills their food supplies even more abundantly than before, and when the Magi eat of these provision, they again see their guide in a multitude of forms. When they reach their homeland, crowds of family and kin come out to meet them, marveling at the appearance and health of the Magi. The Magi tell their story, concluding that their audience can also experience the presence of the star-child, whom the Magi claim is still with them, since he is, in fact present throughout the entire world. The Magi present the people with the overflowing bags of food that the star produced for them. When the people eat, they themselves see visions of the heavenly and earthly Christ, and thus many accept the faith in Christ which the Magi proclaimed.
The End!
P.S. I’ve taken this story from The Revelation of the Magi, Brent Landau, which contains a complete translation, provenance of the manuscripts, how the author/translator came to find it virtually forgotten in the Vatican archives, etc. A fun read!