Christmas magi drawings. Adoration of the Magi

In our country, Christmas was not always celebrated. Therefore, for us, people of the Soviet model, Christmas traditions are firmly associated with New Year's. The only way to distinguish one from the other, "the wheat from the chaff" is to turn to the great Russian literature. Gogol, Ivan Shmelev, Kuprin, the unforgettable "Nikita's Childhood" by A.N. Tolstoy - and something begins to emerge: a rising star, as a signal for the beginning of the holiday, congratulations, gifts, obligatory gifts for children, the custom of going from house to house, from yard to yard and glorifying Christ, and, finally, a decorated Christmas tree. Observing all these festive rituals, with the possible exception of caroling (this is for the most desperate and advanced), we often do not even think about how deep biblical antiquity they have their roots.

P. Brueghel. Census in Bethlehem. Detail.

The little donkey's hooves clatter on the stones, on the dusty roads. He is carrying family belongings. The Virgin Mary and her husband Joseph rush to Bethlehem. She is already waiting for her Divine son, and the path is not close and tedious, but the Roman emperor Augustus wanted to know how many subjects he had. In his vast empire.

P. Brueghel. Census in Bethlehem

Everyone should participate in the census, and in those cities where their ancestors come from. Both Mary and Joseph belong to the tribe of David. So they - to Judea, to Bethlehem. Bethlehem - city bread - will meet them not hospitably: all hotels, inns are occupied, it is not possible to find shelter in private houses. They find shelter outside the city in a cave where shepherds hide their cattle in bad weather. In this cave, the most extraordinary person is born - the Son of God Jesus Christ, the future Savior of the world. A manger serves as a cradle for him, a feeder for cattle, nearby animals warm with their breath, and a special Star of Bethlehem peeps through the window, announcing to everyone about the coming of the Savior.

It was getting light. Dawn, like ash dust,
The last stars swept from the sky.
And only the Magi from the myriad rabble
Mary let her into the hole in the rock.
He slept, all radiant, in an oak manger,
Like a ray of moon in the hollow of a hollow.
He was replaced with a sheepskin coat
Donkey lips and ox nostrils.
They stood in the shade, as if in the twilight of a barn,
They whispered, barely choosing the words.
Suddenly someone in the dark, a little to the left
He pushed the sorcerer away from the manger with his hand,
And he looked back: from the threshold at the Virgin,
As a guest, the star of Christmas watched.

B Pasternak. Christmas Star.

S. Botticelli. Mystical Christmas. 1501

Since then, the rising of the first star marks the beginning of a bright holiday. It is impossible until the first star ... And only with its appearance can one finish the 40-day fast. But it’s still far from the geese of fried ducks. You need to start small with a light broth - a compote of dried apples, pears, plums, raisins, cherries and other fruits ... And then to the church for Vespers. The rules for holding a solemn Christmas service were established as early as the 4th century. And one of the first services, probably, was served in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlem. This happened during the reign of Emperor Constantine, who was baptized and made Christianity the main, dominant religion in his state.

Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine and Helena.

Mosaic St. Isaac's Cathedral, St. Petersburg.

His mother Helen built the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Above the very cave where the Savior was born. The church consisted of two parts: an octagonal structure of the rotunda type was built above the grotto itself, and from the west it was adjoined by a vast basilica with four rows of columns, almost in the same proportions as today. The mosaic floor of the Konstantinovsky basilica has partially survived to this day. In front of the church there was an atrium - a wide courtyard surrounded by a colonnade on all sides, the area of ​​\u200b\u200bwhich was partly paved with tiles and partly with mosaics. In 529, Samaritan rebels almost completely destroyed the church (the aforementioned mosaic floor was covered with a thick layer of ash and broken tiles). Emperor Justinian restored the church on approximately the same foundations. Most of the modern structure has been preserved from the Justinian era. Outside, on the facade, the church was decorated with luxurious mosaics depicting the Persian magi. The story that took place here in 614 was told at the 9th century Jerusalem church council: “St. Helena ordered to decorate the church on the western side with a mosaic depicting the Mother of God with the Child on her chest and the adoration of the Magi. ... The Persians, upon their arrival in Bethlehem, were struck by the picture of the Persian magi-astrologers, their compatriots. Out of reverence for their ancestors, they kept the church.” There were three entrances on the facade of the Justinian Basilica. Today, only one central one has been left, the rest are laid down. A narrow passage leads to the basilica, which makes everyone who enters bow their heads low, as if bowing to the Infant Himself. In the people these doors are called "gates of humility".

Bethlehem. Temple of the Nativity. Gate of humility.

The cave where the Savior of the World was born is the underground temple of the basilica. In order to get into the cave, you need to go down through the folding door, half grown into the ground, then go down another thirty steps to the birthplace of Jesus Christ. The cave is oblong, shallow, only about 12 meters long, 4 meters wide, and about 3 meters high. The whole cave is illuminated with lamps, the floor is lined with marble. In the central niche there is a throne, and under it is a silver Star, indicating the place over which the star of the East stopped when the Savior of the world was born. On the inner circle of the Star there is an inscription in Latin: “Hic de Virgine Maria Jesus Christus natus est” (Jesus Christ was born from the Virgin Mary here). Around this niche, 15 lamps are constantly burning, 6 of which belong to Orthodox Greeks, 5 Armenians and 4 Catholics. The pilgrims kneel and reverently venerate the silver Star.

"Jesus Christ was born here from the Virgin Mary"

At 3 steps from the Star is the throne of the "Holy manger", in the manger lies an image of the Infant Christ made of wax. Here is the throne of the "Adoration of the Magi".

Behind the basilica, in the east, is the field of the Shepherds, to whom the Angel appeared, announcing the birth of the Savior. Once upon a time there was a church on this site, but only the lower limit has survived, where the Liturgy is still served. Three monasteries adjoin the Church of the Nativity itself: Greek, Armenian and Catholic. These monasteries serve as hospices for numerous pilgrims.

In the 5th century, Patriarch Anatoly of Constantinople, later, in the 6th century, Anatoly and Sophronius of Jerusalem, and in the 8th century, Kozma Mayumsky and John of Damascus wrote sacred church hymns, which are still used during the Christmas service. The evening before Christmas was called Compline or Compline. During the service in churches, the so-called Royal Hours were performed, that is, they proclaimed long years to the king, the royal house and all subjects of Orthodox Christians. After that, quotations from the Holy Scriptures, Old Testament prophecies were usually read. In the afternoon, it was customary to serve the liturgy of Basil the Great. If Christmas fell on Saturday or Sunday, then the liturgy of John Chrysostom was served. The all-night vigil began with the singing of prophetic songs, the most important of which was “For God is with us” - it expressed the joy of Orthodox Christians about the birth of the baby Jesus.

The holiday is getting stronger. After the service, you can refresh yourself after many days of abstinence with sochi (kutya). This is a chilled porridge made from wheat, barley, rye, buckwheat, lentils, and later rice, to which crushed poppy seeds mixed with honey were added. Sochivo, according to legend, is prepared in imitation of the fast of the prophet Daniel and the three youths, they refused to eat food from the table of the pagan king and ate seeds. From the name of this dish, the evening is called Christmas Eve. Before the start of the meal, lamps are lit at the icons, candles are placed and prayers are read aloud. The treat on Christmas Eve, even in the poorest family, was plentiful, which is why it was called Christmas Eve - "generous evening" or "rich kutya", which was the main dish.

And now on the street - to carol - to praise Christ.

"Blessing to the Shepherds" miniature from a medieval manuscript, France, 1147

A savior is born
into the bitter cold.
Shepherd's fires burned in the desert.
The storm raged and exhausted the soul
from the poor kings who delivered gifts.
The camels lifted their shaggy legs.
The wind howled.
Star burning in the night
watched as the three caravans of the road
converged into the cave of Christ, like rays.

I. Brodsky. Christmas 1963

A sacred baby lies in the cradle. In heaven, a choir of angels praises God, shepherds crowd in the cave, congratulate the Virgin Mary: “Merry Christmas to You!”

"Adoration of the Shepherds" R. Ghirlandaio. 1510

" Merry Christmas!" Christians have been saying to each other for more than two thousand years. The host of angels praises God, people on earth praise God. In Russia, young girls and boys usually caroled separately, children under 12 years old separately. The children carried with them a home-made small nativity scene, and with the help of puppets they acted out entire performances. The hosts thanked us and treated us to pre-stored sweets.

"Noisier and noisier songs and cries were heard through the streets. The crowds of the jostling people were increased by more people who came from neighboring villages. The lads were naughty and raged to their heart's content. Often, between the carols, some cheerful song was heard, which one of the young Cossacks immediately managed to compose. "Laughter rewarded the entertainer. The small windows went up, and the lean hand of the old woman, who alone remained in the huts together with the sedate fathers, poked out of the window with a sausage in her hands or a piece of pie. Boys and girls vied with each other, placing sacks and catching their prey. In one In another place, the lads, coming in from all sides, surrounded a crowd of girls: noise, screaming, one threw a clod of snow, the other pulled out a sack with all sorts of things. They were ready to have fun all night long. And the night, as if on purpose, glowed so luxuriously! And the light of the moon seemed even whiter from the brilliance of snow. "

N. Gogol. "Christmas Eve"

K. Trutovsky. Carols in Little Russia. 1864

Many people saw the Star of Bethlehem, it was impossible not to notice it - huge, shining, but not everyone understood what it was talking about to people. "Was born great person the books told them. The Magi collected gifts for the baby and set off on a long journey - to bow to the great man.

Mosaic at Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, Ravenna, 6th century BC Above the heads of the Magi you can read their names.

The brilliance of a huge outlandish star served as a beacon for them. In the mysterious stillness of the night the caravan was moving, camels were importantly performing, elephants were shaking their ears, the intricate turbans of the Magi were swaying.

That night the Earth was in turmoil:
Shine of a big outlandish star
Suddenly blinded the mountains and villages,
Cities, deserts and gardens.

And lionesses watched in the desert,
How, full of wondrous gifts,
The chariots moved silently,
Camels and elephants were important.

And in the brow of a large caravan,
With eyes fixed on the sky,
Three kings in intricate turbans
Went to bow to someone.

And in the cave, where they did not go out all night
Torches, flashing and fumes,
There they saw lambs in a manger
Sleeping beautiful Child.

That night the whole creation was in agitation,
The birds sang in the midnight haze,
Proclaiming goodwill to all,
The coming of peace on earth.

A. Khomyakov.

What did they bring to Jesus? Gold - as a sign that the king of the earth, a descendant of King David, was born, incense - as a sign that the king of heaven was born, myrrh - fragrant resin, which was rubbed on the dead - as a sign that Jesus is mortal and vulnerable.

Byzantine icon

"In memory of the gifts of the Magi, we give Christmas gifts to children and each other. In general, Christmas is the most "childish" Christian holiday. Children are in the center of attention, in the center of celebrations, a Christmas tree is arranged for them.

At that moment, the doors to the office opened. The kids jumped off the couch. In the living room, from floor to ceiling, a Christmas tree shone with many, many candles. She stood like a fiery tree, shimmering with gold, sparks, long rays. The light from her was thick, warm, smelling of pine needles, wax, tangerines, honey gingerbread. The children stood motionless, shocked.

Nikita plucked a cracker from the Christmas tree and tore it to pieces, it turned out to be a cap with a star. At once crackers clapped, there was a smell of cracker gunpowder, caps made of tissue paper rustled.

Leela got a paper apron with pockets. She put it on. Her cheeks were flushed like apples, her lips were smeared with chocolate. She laughed all the time, looking at a huge doll sitting under the tree on a basket with doll dowry.

There, under the tree, were paper bags with gifts for boys and girls, wrapped in multi-colored scarves. Victor received a regiment of soldiers with cannons and tents. Nikita - real leather saddle, bridle and whip.

Now you could hear the nuts cracking, the shells crunching underfoot, the children breathing through their noses as they unwrapped the gift bags.

A. Tolstoy "Childhood of Nikita"

Gifts under the tree. Why was spruce chosen as the Christmas tree? There is another very old and touching legend.

A great miracle happened that night:
God sent us a Savior
In a forgotten cave, in an abandoned manger
The baby, the Son of God, was lying.
A star above the cave, like a guiding light,
She shone to the learned sorcerers,
And the loud song of the shepherds majestically
And gracefully rushed to heaven.
With people, all nature rejoiced that night:
Noisy in the trees, sheets
In a mysterious whisper they praised God,
And the flowers smelled stronger.
Three trees - palm tree, olive tree and fir tree
At the entrance to the cave grew
And the first days in proud delight
They brought a bow to the baby.
A beautiful palm tree dawned on him
With your green crown
And from the delicate branches of the silver olive
Dripped fragrant oil.
Only a modest Christmas tree stood sadly:
She had no gifts
And the eyes of people were not captivated by beauty
Her permanent cover.
I saw the Angel of the Lord
And the tree said with love:
“You are modest, you do not grumble in sorrow,
For this, God has given you a reward.”
He said - and the stars from the sky
They rolled down the tree one by one,
And everything shone, and a palm tree with an olive
Overshadowed by its beauty.
Baby from bright starlight
I woke up and looked at the tree
And his face suddenly lit up with a smile,
And he held out his hands to her.
The Savior fulfilled his high feat,
Taught and worked miracles
He suffered for us and, having risen from the dead,
Ascended to the Father in heaven.
And since then every year we remember
And devoutly honor Christmas:
Whether a child, an adult - everyone is happy for the holiday,
And in every family a celebration.
Where there are children - there the tree is richer, poorer,
But all in golden lights.
And how much fun and how much delight
In gentle children's hearts.

A wonderful night is coming to an end. It's a pity, but what a beautiful morning it will be. The children who jumped up before everyone else will find a new portion of gifts under the tree. Their cries of joy will lift everyone else up. Now is the time to sit down at the festive Christmas table, covered with a snow-white tablecloth, under which ... hay, once again congratulate each other on the holiday and start a new countdown of your own life - from the Nativity of Christ.

Materials and photos are taken from Internet sites.

“When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, they came to Jerusalem from the east and said: Where is the King of the Jews who has been born? for we saw His star in the east and came to worship Him” (Matt. 2:1-2), says the Evangelist Matthew.

Even 6 centuries before the birth of Christ, during the Babylonian captivity of the Jews, the religious thinkers of the East discovered the Bible for the first time and got acquainted with the ancient prophecy about the Bethlehem star of the seer and soothsayer Balaam, who predicted the coming of the Messiah: “A star rises from Jacob and a rod rises from Israel” (Numbers 24:17). Then, during the Babylonian captivity, the prophet Daniel predicted the exact date of the birth of the Messiah (Dan. 9:25). Every Jewish home knew about it. King Herod also knew her.

That is why the questions of the Magi about the Royal Infant so frightened Herod. After consulting with the chief priests and scribes, Herod found out that it was Bethlehem that was the place where the Messiah was to be born according to the prediction of the prophet Micah (Micah 5:2).

Then, “secretly,” as the Gospel tells us, having called the Magi to his palace and learning from them that the star became visible in the sky even before the birth of the One they were looking for, and that it was she who led them on their way, Herod instructed them to find in this small town of the Child, so that he, Herod, could worship Him. When the Magi left Jerusalem, the star again illuminated their path and led them to the house where at that time the Mother of God with the Son and the righteous Joseph the Betrothed were: “And entering the house, they saw the Infant with Mary, His Mother, and fell worshiped him” (Matt. 2:11).

Who were the Magi who came to bow to the Divine Infant? This event becomes the subject of reflection of many interpreters already in the earliest monuments of Christian literature. Following the Old Testament tradition, Christianity initially negatively assesses magic and astrology as occupations that are incompatible with the idea of ​​free will and God's providence for a person. However, the Evangelist Matthew speaks of the Magi in a positive sense, as people who perform a pious deed, in contrast to the Jews who did not accept the Savior. The pagan world recognized the Savior, but God's chosen people did not recognize their Lord and Creator. Speaking of, the Evangelist uses the term μάγοι (magicians, wizards). IN ancient literature there are 2 meanings of this term: people belonging to the Persian Zoroastrian priests, and the Babylonian astrological priests. It is impossible to say for sure from which country these wise men-astrologers came: most likely from Persia or Babylonia. In these countries, the Messianic expectations of the Jews were known thanks to the prophet Daniel. Already from the 2nd century, in the early Christian literature, the Arabian Peninsula was often called the homeland of the Magi, thereby connecting them with the Old Testament prophecies about the worship of foreigners to the Messianic King of Israel: “The kings of Arabia and Saba will bring gifts; and all kings will worship him; all nations will serve him, for he will deliver the poor, the crying and the oppressed... and save the souls of the needy” (Ps. 71:10-13).

The Persian king Khosrov II Parviz, who destroyed almost all Christian churches during the conquest of Palestine in the 7th century, spared the Bethlehem Church of the Nativity of Christ because of the frescoes depicting the Magi in Persian robes.

The Gospel does not say exactly how many Magi came to the Child, but it is generally accepted that there were three of them - according to the number of gifts. Their names—Caspar, Melchior, and Belshazzar—are first encountered by the Monk Bede the Venerable (†735). In some narratives there is information about their appearance: Kaspar turns out to be a "beardless youth", Belshazzar - a "bearded old man", and Melchior - "dark-skinned" or "black", originating from Ethiopia.

So, having entered, the wise men “fell down and worshiped Him; and having opened their treasures, they brought him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh” (Matt. 2:11). Each of these gifts had a symbolic meaning. Gold was offered to Jesus as the King of the Jews, frankincense as to God. Myrrh (myrrh) - an expensive aromatic substance used to embalm bodies during burial - as the Savior Who Became the Son of Man, Whom "many sufferings and burial" were predicted.

Having bowed to the Infant, the Magi, "receiving a revelation in a dream not to return to Herod", bypassing Jerusalem, returned to their lands.

According to tradition, they all later became Christians and preachers of the Gospel. They were baptized by the holy Apostle Thomas, who preached the gospel in Parthia and India. Western traditions even speak of their ordination as bishops by the Apostle Thomas. The relics of the Magi were found by the saint Queen Equal to the Apostles Helena in Persia and laid in Constantinople, and in the 5th century they were transferred to Milan. The gold one is currently in the Cologne Cathedral.

The honest gifts of the Magi were carefully preserved by the Mother of God all her life. Shortly before Her Dormition, She handed them over to the Jerusalem Church, where they remained together with the girdle and robe of the Mother of God until the year 400. Later, the gifts were transferred by the Byzantine emperor Arcadius to Constantinople, where they were placed in the church of Hagia Sophia.

So what are the gifts of the Magi? What are they?

In 1453, Sultan Mohammed (Mehmed) II besieged and took Constantinople. Byzantine Empire fell. The mother of the young sultan was the Serbian princess Maria (Mara) Brankovich. During the Ottoman rule, European monarchs often sought to intermarry with Porto in order to somehow facilitate their existence. So the daughter of the Serbian ruler George Brankovich Maria was married to Sultan Murad (1404-1451). Mary did not convert to Islam and remained Orthodox until the end of her days. It is impossible even to imagine what she felt when she saw the walls of the great Christian city crumble and her brothers and sisters in faith perish in torment! But this personal tragedy of the Serbian princess turned into a real happiness for Christian history. Thanks to her, many Orthodox shrines were saved and preserved. Mehmed II, who loved his mother very much and respected her religious feelings did not prevent it.

In addition to collecting shrines, the sultan allowed his mother to take under his personal patronage and protection the Holy Mount Athos, a monastic country, which all the previous rulers of Constantinople considered it an honor to help. The tradition started by Maria Branković pleased the sultanas of subsequent centuries so much that, even as Muslim women, they devoutly guarded this stronghold of Orthodoxy until the fall of the Porte.

In 1470, Maria Brankovich decided to visit Athos, which she loved so much since childhood and dreamed of visiting the land, despite the thousand-year-old monastic tradition forbidding women to come to the Holy Mountain. Most of all she wanted to see, in which many Serbs labored at that time. Her father, George Brankovich, loved this monastery very much. He built a temple here in the name of his patron saint George the Victorious.

Mary's ship landed on the shore near the monastery of St. Paul. Mary carried with her 10 arks with saved shrines, among which were the Gifts of the Magi. At the head of the solemn procession, Mary began to climb the mountain. Halfway to the monastery, she stopped in amazement when she heard a voice: “Do not approach! From here begins the kingdom of the Other Lady, the Queen of Heaven, the Lady of the Mother of God, the Representative and Guardian of the Holy Mountain. Mary fell to her knees and began to pray, asking for forgiveness for her willfulness from the Queen of Heaven. To meet Mary from the monastery, the abbot came out with the brethren, to whom she handed over the arks with the shrines. After that, Maria returned to the ship.

In the place where the kneeling Mary once stood, a cross was erected, called the Tsaritsyn. In the nearby chapel, the meeting of these great shrines by the monks is depicted.

And precious gifts are reverently preserved in the monastery of St. Paul to this day. The monks are well aware of how great the spiritual and historical value of the shrine is, therefore, after the night service, they take gifts from the sacristy in a small silver ark to worship pilgrims. The gifts exude a strong fragrance, and when they are opened, the whole church is filled with fragrance. The monks of the Holy Mountain noticed that the gifts give healing to the mentally ill and possessed by demons.

... Some pilgrims say that when the monks brought one of the golden pendants to their ear, miraculously, a whisper was heard from it, telling about the miraculous Birth into the world of the Eternal Infant ...

Sunrise Peter 12/25/2017 at 15:08

The mystery of the incarnation of the God-man Jesus from the Virgin Mary in the cattle pen every year sparkles for us like the birth of a supernova. On this holiday, the incomprehensible procession of the Christmas star, the singing of angels, the good images of simple shepherds and, in the oriental, fairy-tale figures of the Magi who came to bow to the infant Christ, converged into one multi-colored, sparkling ball.

Perhaps these are the only magicians, astrologers, magicians (in the Western European tradition, also kings) glorified along with saints. At the same time, their appearance with a mysterious smile eludes strict definitions.

It is striking that only one Evangelist, Matthew, reports on the Magi. "But when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, magicians from the east came to Jerusalem and said: Where is the King of the Jews who is born? For we saw His star in the east and came to worship Him. Hearing this, Herod the king was alarmed, and all Jerusalem with him. And, having gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he asked them: where should Christ be born? They said to him: in Judaic, for it is written through the prophet: You will be a Leader who will shepherd My people Israel.

Then Herod, secretly calling the Magi, found out from them the time of the appearance of the star and, sending them to Bethlehem, said: Go, carefully inquire about the Baby and, when you find it, inform me so that I can go and worship Him. They, having listened to the king, went. [And] behold, the star that they saw in the east went before them, until at last it came and stood over the place where the Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with a very great joy, and, entering the house, they saw the Infant with Mary, His Mother, and, falling down, worshiped Him; and having opened their treasures, they brought him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed by another way to their own country." (Mat. 2:12)

It is believed that the Apostle Matthew wrote his narrative mainly for the Jews. How could such a story be invented when all adult Jerusalem still remembered this extraordinary, exciting embassy? At the same time, some scribes correlated it with the ancient prophecy of Isaiah: "Many camels will cover you - dromedaries from Midian and Ephah; they will all come from Sheba, bring gold and frankincense and proclaim the glory of the Lord" (Is. 60: 6-14).

Another Old Testament prophet Micah predicted that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. King Herod could not have been unaware of these signs either. That is why he did not at all consider the exotic travelers who arrived in his country at the behest of a certain star to be eccentric freaks. Because of the terrible seriousness of what happened, he became so furious when he learned that the Magi had deceived his hopes by sending a punitive detachment to clean up Bethlehem from babies.

How much, where, where and when?

The Evangelist does not report the number or names of the eastern sages, nor the exact connection of their expedition to the Nativity of Christ. It only says when Jesus was born. From Jerusalem to Bethlehem seven kilometers in a straight line. On the "curve" - ​​a little longer. On camels and with a large caravan, the movement was not fast, but theoretically, the "Embassy of the East" could have reached the holy night itself - closer to the morning. True, Matthew indicates "having entered the house", and not into a cave-shed, that is, the Holy Family, in theory, had managed by that time to move to a more suitable room for a newborn.

By Orthodox tradition the adoration of the Magi took place 12 days after. True, there is another opinion that this event happened in the second year of Christ's life. His supporter was, for example, the "father of church history" Eusebius of Caesarea (Pamphilus).

The number "three" for the delegation from the East was proposed in the III century by another prominent authority of the Church - the Greek theologian Origen - according to the number of gifts brought. The same sacred "trinity" later came in handy to justify the fact that representatives of three human races from three parts of the world came to bow to the Savior: black from Africa; white from Europe and yellow from Asia. In other words - the descendants of the sons of Noah - Ham, Japheth and Shem.

True, most historians name the starting points of three geographically not too distant countries - Persia, Arabia and Ethiopia, and even more often correlate magicians with ancient Babylon and Persia. After all, the Greek word μάγοι (magicians) in the translation of the Gospel of Matthew also means the Persian priests of the Zoroastrian cult of Ahura Mazda and the Babylonian astrologer wizards. In European miniatures and frescoes, from the early Middle Ages, it became customary to depict the Magi in Persian clothes.

Interestingly, it was this circumstance that saved the Bethlehem Basilica in the 7th century, during the Persian invasion. Local Jews asked the Persians to destroy the place they hated. However, the invaders, the Zoroastrians, completely refused, seeing on the facade a mosaic depicting noble Persian magicians of the same faith, who worshiped the Baby.

The Three Magi have firmly entered the Western European and Russian tradition, despite the fact that Blessed Augustine and St. John Chrysostom assumed that there were twelve of them. By the way, believers of the Syrian and Armenian Churches still think the same way.

A similar discord exists with the names of oriental astrologers. "Textbook": Balthazar-Melchior-Caspar named the sages for the first time the English Benedictine monk Bede the Venerable, and later the German theologian John of Hildesheim in his book "The History of the Three Kings". In turn, Origen gave the magi names: Abimelech, Ohozat, Phicol. In the Syrian tradition, their names are Hormizd, Yazgerd, Peroz, in the Greek version - Appellicon, Amerin and Damascon, and in the Jewish version - Magalat, Galgalat and Serakin.

Be that as it may, at the very beginning of the era, which did not yet know that it had become New, under the dim winter sun and cool nights, an enchanting procession moved along the dust of the plains and rocky mountains, following an unfamiliar star that did not go out for them.

"And in the brow of a large caravan, / With their eyes fixed on the sky, / Three kings in intricate turbans / Went to bow to someone," - this is how the Russian poet and philosopher of the century before last, Alexei Khomyakov, saw them.

And here is how this procession was presented a century later to Joseph Brodsky: “The snowstorm raged and exhausted the soul / of the poor kings who delivered gifts. / The camels lifted their shaggy legs. / The wind howled. / The star, flaming in the night, watched how three caravans converged in cave of Christ, like rays" .

By the way, in the poem Nobel laureate a version is reflected, according to which the three sorcerers-kings followed the star each in their own way and with their caravan, meeting only at the Christmas den (cave).

star of stars

The fact that at the cradle of the born Messiah were - at the call of the Angel - the simplest of the Jews, and by the light of the stars - the wisest of the Gentiles testified to the "fulfillment of times." In the person of the shepherds, God, according to the words of the Evangelist: "lifted up the humble," and in the image of oriental magicians: "light has dawned on those sitting in the land and shadow of death" (Matthew 4:16). "From the very beginning he opens the door to the pagans, desiring to teach his own through strangers," wrote St. John Chrysostom in his Discourses on the Gospel of Matthew.

Obviously, the door to the knowledge of the Truth was not opened without the use of pagan human wisdom, in particular astronomical observations. Although, of course, if there were no inspiration from Above, no wisdom and magical sciences would help the Magi achieve their goal and even just want to go to it.

However, in the example gospel magi-tsars in Europe at the end of the Middle Ages, astrology received some kind of "legalization". This pseudo-science of the Chaldean magicians was carried away by many of the "most Christian" European monarchs and even by some Popes.

Indeed, from a literal reading of the gospel narrative, it turns out that the eastern astrologers, as it were, "calculated" in advance according to heavenly bodies Christmas of God on Earth. For a believing Christian, such a conclusion is the deepest heresy, as many Fathers of the Church spoke about in detail.

Mountains of literature were written about the Star of Bethlehem and lengthy scholarly discussions were held in monasteries and European universities, and not only in theology departments. One of the ancient manuscripts "The Book of Treasures of the Cave" (VI century) - reports that two years before the birth of the Savior in Persia they noticed a star of a strange shape, which was accompanied by a vision of a girl with a crowned child in her womb.

Astronomers noticed that a few years before the birth of Christ, several so-called parades of planets were observed (when several celestial bodies solar system lines up): the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in the sign of Pisces (November 15, 7 BC), Jupiter, Saturn and Mars (early March 6 BC), Jupiter with Regulus (August 12, 3 BC); Venus with Jupiter (August 12, 2 BC). In ancient times, Jupiter was considered the "Royal Star", and Saturn, "the Sabbath star of the Jews."

Other astronomers, who cannot stand the spirit of astrological constellations, wrote about Halley's comet, which could be observed around 12-11 years. BC, others pointed to the message of ancient Chinese astrologers about the phenomenon in 5-4 years. BC, similar in description to a supernova explosion.

However, all these witty comparisons pursue one simple goal - to "scientifically substantiate" the miracle. And this, by definition, is impossible!

Neither the Apostles who wrote the Gospels nor contemporary historians report that any particular star or other celestial phenomenon made a splash among the inhabitants of what was then Palestine. The guiding beacon was visible only to the one to whom it was intended.

Blessed Theophylact Archbishop of Bulgaria said most precisely about the inadmissibility of mixing the scientific and the sacred in the 11th century: knowledge of the stars, then the Lord led them with this familiar sign, just as Peter the fisherman, amazing with many fish, attracted to Christ.

And that the star was the power of an angel is evident from the fact that it shone brightly during the day, walked when the Magi walked, shone when they did not walk: especially from the fact that it walked from the north, where Persia, to the south, where Jerusalem: but the stars never travel from north to south."

Around the magi

From the fabulous "Christmas" decoration - to the holy relics. Such a path was made by the eastern gift-bearers in the minds of Christians and church tradition- especially Western. Not being officially canonized by the See of Rome, they are de facto revered as such in Catholicism as "holy kings" with the names Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar.

In Orthodoxy, de jure, they remain nameless magi, they are most often depicted on icons as three figures and are universally respected. At the same time, the ark with their Gifts is officially considered a Shrine in both faiths. Two years ago, he traveled to Russia, Belarus and Ukraine to worship believers.

Due to the scarcity of information about the personalities and fate of these people, legends and apocrypha began to grow around them almost immediately. Just as festive and mysterious as they are. Well, for example, in medieval manuscripts it was reported about a certain fourth sorcerer named Artaban, a former descendant of the Persian king Darius I - who never reached Bethlehem.

According to another legend, the magi allegedly managed to escape the enraged King Herod's cavalry sent after them thanks to the veil from the body of the Newborn, which they received from the Virgin Mary. Then, they say, having returned safely to their homeland, the wise men, according to their fire-worshipping custom, wanted to throw a priceless gift into the ritual fire. But the flame did not dare to scorch the shrines. Then the sorcerers put the handkerchief one by one to their eyes and immediately received their sight, recognizing the true God.

According to another apocrypha, the Apostle Thomas, heading to India, met the aged Magi, baptized them and sent them on a Christian mission to Persia, Chaldea and other eastern regions. There was also a legend in Europe about the meeting of three 150-year-old former magicians for the last joint worship of Christ.

However, the story of how the former eastern priest-kings boldly preached Christ and accepted martyrdom in Mesopotamia.

Further history was connected with the bodies of the three martyrs. According to legend, the relics of the Magi were found by the Byzantine Empress Helena and laid first in Constantinople, and in the 5th century they were transferred to Mediolan (Milan), from where they were stolen by Emperor Frederick Barbarossa in the 12th century and taken to Cologne.

There they received the title of Kings of Cologne, and the coat of arms of the city was decorated with three crowns and the famous Cologne Cathedral, where the relics are stored in a magnificent ark to this day. True, Marco Polo in his diary already in the 13th century describes in detail the three separate decorated tombs of the Evangelical Magi he saw in the city of Savva (not far from Tehran). The Venetian traveler notes that he saw bodies untouched by corruption "completely whole with hair and beards."

And yet, despite the periodically heard voices of skeptics, it is Cologne, and more broadly - Western Europe began to consider these biblical characters - their almost "home" saints. The theme "Adoration of the Magi" was paid tribute to by many great European masters of the brush different eras: Joto and Pieter Brueghel, Leonardo da Vinci and Gustav Dore, Giorgione and Nicola Poussin, Rembrandt and Fra Beato Angelico, Veronese and Bosch…

For many centuries, in many European countries - especially in Germany and France, Spain, the Feast of the Three Kings (January 6) is considered especially joyful. Children on this day receive gifts as for Christmas and frolic in golden paper crowns, depicting the Magi-kings.

In Spain, on January 5, a whole theatrical mass street procession is played out, staging an oriental caravan, decorously moving towards the Christmas Nativity Scene behind a pointer star. By the way, in many Spanish-speaking countries it is on this day, called Epiphany, and not on Christmas or St. Nicholas Day, that it is customary to give children's presents. At the same time, children believe that they are carried home by the ubiquitous magicians.

Since Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar are considered the patrons of travelers in Europe, their names, along with crowns, often come across in the names of hotels. If we add to this a variety of "souvenirs, comics, animation and other mass culture, then against the background of the general de-Christianization of the Old World, we can state: as in the case of Santa Claus, pop music absorbed the sacred mystery. The meaning of the great procession of the sages to the God-man incarnated on earth drowned in tsatska.

At the cradle of the King of Kings

Meanwhile, this meaning remains unchanged in eternity - this is how it is depicted on the best Orthodox icons without colorful ornamental "curls".

And then, at the end of the "old mankind", the expectation of the Messiah in the ecumene was almost universal. The famous poet Virgil wrote about the imminent coming of the Savior:

"The majestic order is beginning again now, the Virgin is coming to us again, the kingdom of Saturn is coming. Again a new tribe is being sent from high heaven."

The Roman historians Josephus Flavius, Tacitus and Suetonius testify to the intense messianic expectations not only of the Jews, but of the entire East. According to some reports, even from the Qin Empire, sage walkers traveled to Palestine in order to find out if the One who in the ancient Chinese "Lycean books" was called the Heavenly Man Sun-Sei (which means a shepherd or leader), who must die in agony for all people. By the way, the Zoroastrians also expected the coming of the Messiah - Saoshyant, who would fight the forces of evil - Ahriman and finally conquer hell and death.

And the Savior came. However, not at all as expected. Not in glory and formidable strength, but in weakness and poverty. The Apostle John the Theologian expressed this “non-meeting” succinctly: “He came to his own, and his own did not receive him. " (John 1-12).

So, the first recipients of the New Era were illiterate shepherds and wise wise men - strangers. The meaning of the gifts that, by divine intuition, they brought to the infant Christ is laconic and at the same time immensely deep. Gold - as the King of kings, frankincense - as God and the High Priest, funeral incense myrrh - as a Man who faces death for people and burial.

Such prophetic gifts are not sentimental, they are monumental. They cannot be repeated "for an encore", to make a sequel out of them. They are outside of time, just like that incomparable night when the heavens were united with the earth.

Every year we are in a circle of vain troubles every year, creaking, approaching this timeless point, inhaling the piercing aroma of eternity, mixed with Christmas tree needles and incense smoke, and sailing away in a circle further. And only brilliant artists and poets are given to stop this moment for others. So, to be inside it when we mature in soul.

It was getting light. Dawn, like ash dust,

The last stars swept from the sky.

And only the Magi from the myriad rabble

Mary let her into the hole in the rock.

He slept, all radiant, in an oak manger,

Like a ray of moon in the hollow of a hollow.

He was replaced with a sheepskin coat

Donkey lips and ox nostrils.

They stood in the shade, as if in the twilight of a barn,

They whispered, barely choosing the words.

Suddenly someone in the dark, a little to the left

He pushed the sorcerer away from the manger with his hand,

And he looked back: from the threshold at the Virgin,

As a guest, the star of Christmas watched.

B Pasternak. Christmas Star.

The Magi came to Jerusalem only two years after the birth of Jesus.

And the memory of the Magi - the kings of Gaspar, Melchior and Belshazzar - is celebrated by the Catholic Church on July 23.

gospel story

According to the apostle Matthew, the Magi lived somewhere in the east. They saw a star in the sky and realized that it was a sign. Following her movement across the firmament, they crossed several states and arrived in Jerusalem. There they turned to the ruling sovereign of this country, Herod, with the question of where they could see the newly born King of the Jews, apparently assuming that the ruler should be related to him by family ties.

Herod was alarmed by this news, but did not show it and politely escorted the Magi out of the palace, asking them, when they find the King, to tell him where he is, "so that I can go and worship Him". The travelers left Jerusalem and followed the guiding star that led them to Bethlehem. There they found Mary with the baby, bowed to him and brought gifts.

After that, a revelation was given to the Magi in a dream that it was not worth returning to Herod with the news of the success of their journey, and they went home by another road. Not waiting for them, a frustrated Herod staged a massacre of the babies.

The symbolic meaning of the story

This biblical story emphasizes that even in early childhood in Jesus was recognized the coming King. John Chrysostom writes about the reasons why the Magi were brought to Christ:

In addition, many episodes of this story corresponded to Old Testament prophecies (see below), which was of great importance.

Time of appearance of the Magi

From the time of early christianity there are the most different versions the time of the arrival of the Magi to the infant Christ. Here is what Guillaume writes about this in his book "History of Christianity"

Some early Christian authors claim that the adoration of the Magi took place immediately after the birth of Jesus. Justin Martyr states: Immediately after His birth, the magi from Arabia came to worship Him, having first gone to Herod, who then reigned in your land."(Justin Martyr. Conversation with Tryphon, 77). John Chrysostom believes that the star appeared to the Magi long before the birth of Christ: The Magi were neither at the birth of the Mother, nor did they know the time when she gave birth, and therefore they had no reason to conclude about the future along the course of the stars. On the contrary, long before the birth, having seen the star that appeared in their land, they go to see the Born"(John Chrysostom. Commentary on St. Matthew the Evangelist, 63). The Protoevangelium of James directly links the adoration of the Magi with the stay of the Virgin Mary with the Child in the cave, that is, it speaks of the adoration of the Magi for the newborn. " And the magicians went. And the star which they saw in the east went before them until they came to a cave, and stopped before the mouth of the cave. And the magicians saw the Baby with His Mother Mary"(Protoevangelium, 21). Other ancient authors, such as Eusebius Pamphilus ( church history, book 1, chapter 8), it is believed that the adoration of the Magi took place approximately in the second year of Christ's life. The same opinion is expressed in the Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew (16).

Actors and Attributes

Byzantine icon

Magi

In the Western European tradition, the wise men are called "wizards" (lat. magi) (this opinion is based on the apocryphal Gospel of pseudo-Matthew and the Protoevangelium of James) and are often depicted as kings. For the first time he called the Magi kings of St. Caesarea of ​​Arles. Apocryphal gospels gave them names - Caspar, Melchior And Balthazar. They are considered the patrons of travelers and therefore their names were often included in the names of hotels.

The Evangelist does not write about the number of Magi. According to the number of gifts brought, it was assumed that there were three of them. This archetypal number of aliens allowed us to play around with different ideas. So, as the iconographic type of the Magi developed, they began to be depicted as representatives of three different ages of a person (Balthazar - a young man, Melchior - a mature man and Caspar - an old man) and three different cardinal points (Balthazar - a nergoid (possibly an Abyssinian or Nubian) (Africa); Melchior - a white man Europe; Gaspar - with oriental (even Semitic, i.e. Chaldean) features or in oriental clothes, Asia). That is, their homeland was three countries with ethnically different populations - Persia, Arabia and Ethiopia.

There are Greek variants of their names ( Appellicon, Amerin And Damascon) and Jewish ( Magalat, Galgalat And Serakin). There are legends about the fourth Magus, whose name is Artaban(as a brother or descendant of the brother of the Persian king Darius I). In early manuscripts, Balthazar is called Bethysareus.

Armenians believe that there were 12 Magi. Their names are also not mentioned in the written Gospels, but are the result of folk fantasy.

Church Tradition believes that the revelation about Herod's plans was received by the Magi during an overnight stay in a cave in the vicinity of Bethlehem. This place is revered by believers - in the 5th century, over the cave, the Monk Theodosius the Great founded kinovia, which became the first cenobitic monastery in Palestine.

According to legend, the relics of the Magi were found by Empress Helen and were first laid in Constantinople. In the 5th century, the relics of the Magi were transferred from there to Mediolan (Milan), and in 1164, at the request of Frederick Barbarossa, to Cologne, where they are stored in the Cologne Cathedral.

star of bethlehem

According to Scripture, the star moved across the sky from east to west and stopped right above the cave with the baby's cradle, showing the Magi the way. Present in most interpretations of the plot.

For believers, the appearance of the Star of Bethlehem was the fulfillment of the so-called. "Star Prophecy" Balaam in the Old Testament Book of Numbers:

The gifts

The Magi brought three gifts to the baby: gold, frankincense and myrrh (myrrh). In the vocabulary of the textbook "The Law of God" (italics saved) -

The gospel story about the bringing of gifts shows the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecy about how the Gentiles will bring their gifts to the King of Israel:

(In the Christian interpretation, here the Church of Christ is called Israel, as a new, spiritual Israel, which should replace the old Israel - the Jewish state and the Jewish church.)

This phrase refers to the Queen of Sheba bringing gifts to King Solomon of Israel, as an event-prototype of bringing gifts to Christ.

The gifts brought by the Magi have the following symbolic meaning:

• Gold- a royal gift showing that Jesus was a Man born to be a King;
• Incense- a gift to the priest, since Jesus came to become a new Teacher and a true High Priest (see the iconography "Great Bishop");
• Smyrna- a gift to those who must die, since myrrh in ancient Israel was used to embalm the body of the deceased. This gift refers to the coming redemptive sacrifice of Christ - one of the episodes of the Passion of the Lord, crowned with the Crucifixion, will be the anointing of the Savior's feet with myrrh, and before burial, his body was anointed with a fragrant composition of myrrh and aloe.

It is believed that the tradition of giving gifts at Christmas was laid by them.

camels

Camels, on which the Magi arrived with gifts, arose in the story not only as an exotic means of transportation for aliens from distant lands, but thanks to the prophecy of Isaiah about the visit of Jerusalem by the pagans:

Most likely, the episode about the erroneous visit of the Magi first to Jerusalem could also arise due to this prophecy. [ a source?]

Other witnesses

In the scene of the adoration of the Magi, the baby Jesus himself and the virgin Mary are certainly present. Additional characters - Joseph the betrothed, as well as shepherds.

In fine arts

Christian iconography is based on the story of the Apostle Matthew, colored with numerous details. This subject was extremely popular, and the number of paintings painted on this subject is very large. There are also sculptures and musical works.

Among the first monuments in terms of chronology are catacomb paintings and reliefs on sarcophagi of the 4th century BC. In the earliest images, the Magi are shown dressed in Persian robes and Phrygian caps, as a rule, in profile, walking and holding gifts in front of them. This variant is the use of late antique iconography "Barbarians Bringing Offerings to the Emperor".

On Byzantine works, the heads of the Magi are often decorated with small headdresses - “skullcaps”, whose symbolism has not been clarified. In the Orthodox icon-painting tradition, the scene of the adoration of the Magi does not stand out as a separate plot, but is one of the compositions of the iconography of the Nativity of Christ.

The complication of iconography

Crowns on the heads of aliens appear in the tenth century. (in Western art), where, through oral history, they were transformed from priests into kings. At the same time, their clothes lose their pronounced oriental hue, and they begin to be depicted not as peers, but as people of different ages. The custom of depicting them as representatives of different races arises in the West in the 12th century. and becomes canonical in the 15th century.

From the 14th century, with the onset of the magnificent decline of the Middle Ages, gifts began to be depicted in exquisite gold caskets, and the clothes of the Magi became more and more varied and luxurious. Since that time, this plot has become popular among artists in terms of the possibility of flaunting their skills: after all, it was a complex, multi-figured scene, where there were not only horses and camels, but also the opposition of various textures - silk, furs, jewelry and gold of the Magi with wooden structures buildings, straw in the manger, and the rough homespun clothes of Joseph and the shepherds.

It is worth noting the incredible diversity of the animal world in such paintings. In addition to the predicted camels, the canvases include a bull and an ox, inherited from the chronologically preceding episode of the Nativity. In addition, horses are common (up to relatively late period European painters, who knew camels only by verbal descriptions, tried not to take risks and replaced them with a more familiar means of transportation). The Magi, who turned into kings, were accompanied by an extensive retinue with dogs and hunting birds. And sparrows could sit on the rafters of the den.

Combination with other subjects

Starting from the 15th century, the Adoration of the Magi often began to be combined with the scene of the Adoration of the Shepherds (from Luke.). This made it possible to add an even greater variety of people and animals to the image. In some compositions, such as triptychs, these two scenes of worship became side doors, while the central place was usually assigned to the Nativity scene.

List of works

Traditions

• IN Catholic churches on the feast of the Epiphany, chalk is consecrated, with which they then write the Latin letters CMB on the doors of churches and houses, which is sometimes interpreted as the first letters of the names of the three Magi - Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar; and sometimes as the first letters of the Latin phrase "Christus mausionem benedicat", which means "May Christ bless this house".
• In Spain and many Spanish-speaking countries, it is on the feast of the Epiphany, and not on Christmas or St. Nicholas Day, that children receive gifts. It is believed that they are carried by the Magi - "Los reyes magos".

see also

Notes

Links

Gifts of the Magi. Just give our progressive public a reason to mock another part of society. It, of course, how not to mock when, if the journalists do not deceive, the loudspeaker at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior reported: "" and other well-known statements took place. I will not talk about the queue, authenticity and time of manufacture of relics. Unable to resist the general PR-th of gifts, I propose to look at the born Savior, who is worshiped by the Magi, and shepherds, and parents, and animals.

Jacopino di Francesco. Active 1320-1350. The Nativity and the Adoration of the Magi. circa 1325-1330

According to Tacitus, Suetonius, and Josephus, the whole east at that time was dominated by a belief based on ancient prophecies that a powerful king would soon rise in Judea and subdue the whole world. And here's what the sources say.

2.


Mosaic at Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, Ravenna, 6th century BC Above the heads of the Magi one can read their names / Magi. Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo in Ravenna, Italy via

Matthew's holy gospel. Chapter 2:

1 And when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, magicians from the east came to Jerusalem and said, 2 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.
3 When King Herod heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And he gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people, and asked them, Where is the Christ to be born?

3.

Bartolo di Fredi. Adoration of the Magi, 1385-88

5 And they said to him: In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written through the prophet: 6 And you, Bethlehem, the land of Judah, are no less than the governors of Judah, for out of you will come a Leader who will shepherd My people Israel. 7 Then Herod, secretly calling the magi, found out from them the time of the appearance of the star 8 and, sending them to Bethlehem, said: Go, carefully inquire about the Child and, when you find it, inform me so that I too can go and worship Him.

4.

The Adoration of the Magi. c. 1420. Unknown Master, German

9 After hearing the king, they went. [And] behold, the star that they saw in the east went before them, until at last it came and stood over the place where the Child was. 10 And when they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy,

5.


Gentile da Fabriano. Adoration of the Magi, 1423, Uffizi / Gentile da Fabriano, The Adoration of the Magi, 1423, tempera and gold leaf on panel. Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. Detail. On click - composition in full form. Fragment large

11 And when they entered the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and fell down and worshiped him; and having opened their treasures, they brought him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed by another way into their own country.

Holy Gospel from Luke. Chapter 2:

7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son, and swaddled him, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in an inn.

8 In that country there were shepherds in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and feared with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, Do not be afraid; I proclaim to you great joy, which will be to all people: 11 for today is born to you in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord; 12 And here is a sign for you: you will find a baby in swaddling clothes lying in a manger.

6.


Master of Moulins. Nativity circa 1480 Musée Rolin, Autun

13 And suddenly there appeared with an angel a multitude of the heavenly host, glorifying God and crying out: 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men! 15 When the angels departed from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, Let us go to Bethlehem and see what happened there, which the Lord has announced to us.

7.


Domenico Ghirlandaio. Nativity and Adoration of the Shepherds. 1485

16 And hastening, they came and found Mary and Joseph, and the Child lying in the manger. 17 When they saw it, they told about what had been proclaimed to them about this Baby. 18 And all who heard were amazed at what the shepherds told them.

8.

The Nativity, by Bicci di Lorenzo. ca XV

19 But Mary kept all these words, putting them together in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, as it was told to them.
21 At the end of eight days, when it was necessary to circumcise [the Infant], they gave him the name Jesus, called by an angel before he was conceived in the womb.

9.

The Adoration of the Magi. Altarpiece Place of origin Italy (made) Date ca. 1500-1510

So, the adoration of the Magi is a gospel story about wise men who came from the East (Greek μάγοι ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν) to bow to the baby Jesus and bring him gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh. The gifts were symbolic, and the adoration of the Magi itself means the appearance of Christ to the pagans.

10.


The Adoration of the Kings. Jan Gossaert. 1510-1515. National Gallery, London

John Chrysostom. Conversations on the Gospel of Matthew. Conversation 6:3:

Since the purpose of Christ's coming was to abolish the ancient rules of life, to call the whole universe to worship Himself and to accept this worship on earth and on the sea, Christ from the very beginning opens the door to the pagans, desiring to teach his own through strangers. Since the Jews, constantly hearing the prophets announcing the coming of Christ, did not pay special attention to it, the Lord inspired the barbarians to come from a distant country, to ask about the King, who was born among the Jews.

11.


Painted and gilded limewood panel depicting the Adoration of the Magi, by Augustin Henckel, Schaffhausen, Switzerland, 1500-1520

Magi is a Slavic word used in translations into Russian. The gospel original contains the Greek word μάγοι. In ancient literature, there are mainly two meanings of this term: people belonging to the Persian Zoroastrian priests, and Babylonian astrologer priests as a special professional group.

12.


Hans Memling. Adoration des Mages. 1463. via

In the Latin tradition, the Greek μάγοι is translated by the Latin word magi (“magicians”, “wizards”) - this word originally denoted members of the priestly caste of Persia and Media. The tradition of the Persian origin of the Magi lasted longest in Byzantine iconography; in European art, it was lost: the Magi either had no ethnicity, or, in general, correlated with the Arab or Byzantine East.

13.


Antonio Vivarini, Adoration of the Kings. 1418

For the first time he called the Magi kings of St. Caesarea of ​​Arles. Bede the Venerable first appears their names - Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar.

14.


Hugo van der Goes - The Adoration of the Kings. Monforte Altar.1470

In early Christian literature, the names of the Magi vary: in Origen, these are Abimelech, Ohozat, Phicol; in the Syrian tradition, these are Hormizd, Yazgerd, Peroz, etc. There are Greek versions of their names: Appellicon, Amerin and Damascon and Jewish ones: Magalat, Galgalat and Serakin. There are legends about the fourth sorcerer, whose name is Artabanus, as a brother or descendant of the brother of the Persian king Darius I. In the early manuscripts of Balthazar, the name is Bethysareus.

In the medieval West, they receive names that are now common everywhere: Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar.

15.

Eusebio di Jacopo di Cristoforo da San Giorgio, The Adoration of the Magi, c. 1505. via

Evangelists do not write about the number of Magi. Origen first guessed from the number of gifts brought that there were three. This archetypal number of aliens allowed us to play around with different ideas. So, as the iconographic type developed, the Magi began to be depicted as representatives of three different ages of a person: Balthazar - a young man, Melchior - a mature man and Caspar - an old man; three different cardinal points: Balthazar - black, possibly Abyssinian or Nubian - Africa; Melchior - white man - Europe; Kaspar - with oriental features or in oriental clothes - Asia. That is, their homeland was three countries with ethnically different populations - Persia, Arabia and Ethiopia.

16.


Adoration of the Magi. Filippino Lippy. 1496

There is a tradition in the Syrian Church about 12 wise men who arrived in Jerusalem with a huge retinue.

Church Tradition believes that the revelation about Herod's plans was received by the Magi during an overnight stay in a cave in the vicinity of Bethlehem. This place is revered by believers - in the 5th century, over the cave, the Monk Theodosius the Great founded kinovia, which became the first cenobitic monastery in Palestine.

17.


Bigarelli Guido, Pulpit, XIII A.D. Tuscany, Italy. Fragment 1 . Fragment 2

According to legend, the Magi were baptized by the Apostle Thomas, and were martyred in Eastern countries.
For the first time he called the Magi kings of St. Caesarea of ​​Arles.

18.


Adoration and Crucifixion Diptych. 1340-1360

According to legend, the relics of the Magi were found by Empress Helena, were laid first in Constantinople, in the 4th (?) or 5th century they were transferred from there by Saint Eustorgius to Mediolan (Milan), and in 1164, at the request of Frederick Barbarossa, to Cologne, where for them The coffin of the Three Wise Men was built to accommodate the coffin, and the Cologne Cathedral, the largest in Western Europe, was built to accommodate the coffin.

19.


Albrecht Durer. L "Adoration des mages. 1504. via

IN catholic church The memory of the three kings is celebrated on the feast of the Epiphany. January 6 is a public holiday in some Catholic countries. They are considered the patrons of travelers. Orthodox Church does not consider them kings, did not count their number, did not give them names, and did not write them into the doctrine.

20.

Adoration of the Shepherds, c.1500. Manuscript Image of Bodleian MS. Arch. Selden B. 26, fol. 8r

Beginning in the 15th century, the plot of the Adoration of the Magi began to be often combined with the scene of the Adoration of the Shepherds (Luke 2:8-20). This allowed artists to diversify the image by adding more people and animals. In some compositions, such as triptychs, these two scenes of worship could become side doors in the central Nativity scene.

21.


Duccio, The Nativity with the Prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel.1308 or 1311

Journey of Athos gifts of the Magi 2014: Moscow January 6-13, St. Petersburg January 14-17, Minsk January 18-24, Kiev-Pechersk Lavra January 25-30.

22.


A Natividade - Domenico Ghirlandaio, c.1492

Surprisingly, just when one hundred thousand Christians were standing in line for the Gifts, my friends were looking for platelets in Moscow for a dying patient. I am sure that if we had come and asked for blood, many, having bowed to the Gifts, would have gone and surrendered. Is it true?

Indeed, in a city where there are such crowds of Christians that they even have to be restrained by cordons, there simply cannot be neglected old people, abandoned children, lack of blood in hospitals. If they are still there, the problem is probably that we did not come to talk to the one who is standing in line.

How do you think?

25.