The wise men who came from the east to worship Jesus are the most mysterious of all the characters connected with the Christmas account. We know little about them.

We do not know how many wise men there were. Though tradition calls for three wise men because of their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, the Bible simply says: “There came wise men from the east to Jerusalem. “

No one knows exactly when the wise men began their journey. It may have been as long as two years before their arrival in Jerusalem. A clue is found in Herod’s slaughter of all children under two years of age, an action that was prompted by his conversation with the wise men. Neither do we know when they arrived in Bethlehem, though it was not while Jesus was in the stable. Matthew says they came into the house.

Where did they come from? Nobody knows. We are only sure that it was east of Jerusalem. Perhaps the most interesting idea is the one that locates the home of the wise men in the area once occupied by the ancient Babylonian empire where the prophet, Daniel, had once been in captivity. This view has the wise men coming to find the King of the Jews as a result of studying the writings of Daniel, who had been held in high esteem there.

Were they kings? Probably not. At least there is no Bible support for that theory.

Beyond all the speculation one fact remains. Wise men still seek Him!