Mystery of the Magi
The Quest to Identify the Three Wise Men
Published on 23. November 2017
Book
Hardback
320 pages
978-1-62157-629-7 (ISBN)
Description
"The perfect Christmas gift for anyone interested in the historical background behind the birth of Jesus of Nazareth." - Robert J. Hutchinson, author of The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Bible, The Dawn of Christianity, and Searching for Jesus.
"Utterly refreshing and encouraging." - Eric Metaxas, New York Times bestselling author of Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy and Martin Luther
"The best book I know about the Magi." - Sir Colin John Humphreys, Ph.D., author of The Mystery of the Last Supper
Modern biblical scholars tend to dismiss the Christmas story of the "wise men from the East" as pious legend. Matthew's gospel offers few details, but imaginative Christians filled out the story early on, giving us the three kings guided by a magical star who join the adoring shepherds in every Christmas creche.
For many scholars, then, there is no reason to take the gospel story seriously. But are they right? Are the wise men no more than a poetic fancy?
In an astonishing feat of detective work, Dwight Longenecker makes a powerful case that the visit of the Magi to Bethlehem really happened. Piecing together the evidence from biblical studies, history, archeology, and astronomy, he goes further, uncovering where they came from, why they came, and what might have happened to them after eluding the murderous King Herod.
In the process, he provides a new and fascinating view of the time and place in which Jesus Christ chose to enter the world.
The evidence is clear and compelling. The mysterious Magi from the East were in all likelihood astrologers and counselors from the court of the Nabatean king at Petra, where the Hebrew messianic prophecies were well known. The "star" that inspired their journey was a particular planetary alignment-confirmed by computer models-that in the astrological lore of the time portended the birth of a Jewish king.
The visitors whose arrival troubled Herod "and all Jerusalem with him" may not have been the turbaned oriental kings of the Christmas carol, but they were real, and by demonstrating that the wise men were no fairy tale, Mystery of the Magi demands a new level of respect for the historical claims of the gospel.
"Utterly refreshing and encouraging." - Eric Metaxas, New York Times bestselling author of Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy and Martin Luther
"The best book I know about the Magi." - Sir Colin John Humphreys, Ph.D., author of The Mystery of the Last Supper
Modern biblical scholars tend to dismiss the Christmas story of the "wise men from the East" as pious legend. Matthew's gospel offers few details, but imaginative Christians filled out the story early on, giving us the three kings guided by a magical star who join the adoring shepherds in every Christmas creche.
For many scholars, then, there is no reason to take the gospel story seriously. But are they right? Are the wise men no more than a poetic fancy?
In an astonishing feat of detective work, Dwight Longenecker makes a powerful case that the visit of the Magi to Bethlehem really happened. Piecing together the evidence from biblical studies, history, archeology, and astronomy, he goes further, uncovering where they came from, why they came, and what might have happened to them after eluding the murderous King Herod.
In the process, he provides a new and fascinating view of the time and place in which Jesus Christ chose to enter the world.
The evidence is clear and compelling. The mysterious Magi from the East were in all likelihood astrologers and counselors from the court of the Nabatean king at Petra, where the Hebrew messianic prophecies were well known. The "star" that inspired their journey was a particular planetary alignment-confirmed by computer models-that in the astrological lore of the time portended the birth of a Jewish king.
The visitors whose arrival troubled Herod "and all Jerusalem with him" may not have been the turbaned oriental kings of the Christmas carol, but they were real, and by demonstrating that the wise men were no fairy tale, Mystery of the Magi demands a new level of respect for the historical claims of the gospel.
Reviews / Votes
How utterly refreshing and encouraging to read Fr. Longenecker's extraordinary ruminations on something we all thought we understood, and obviously hardly begin to understand, until now. -- Eric Metaxas, New York Times bestselling author of "Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy." Readers will come away from this fascinating journey with a renewed appreciation for the scientific backing behind the story of the Magi and their guiding star, while skeptics will feel the need to re-examine their overly hasty dismissal of the biblical acount of the the wise men. -- Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D., bureau chief of Breitbart Rome and best selling author. [Mystery of the Magi] is the best book I know about the Magi and throws new light upon the birth narratives in the gospel. -- Sir Colin John Humphreys, Ph.D., professor and director of research at the University of Cambridge and author of "The Mystery of the Last Supper." Dwight Longenecker's Mystery of the Magi is the perfect Christmas gift for anyone interested in the historical background behind the birth of Jesus of Nazareth and what his birth means for us toay. -- Robert J. Hutchinson, author of "The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Bible," "The Dawn of Christianity," and "Searching for Jesus."More details
Language
English
Place of publication
DC
United States
Publishing group
Regnery Publishing Inc
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 23 mm
Weight
429 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-62157-629-7 (9781621576297)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
11/2017
Regnery History
€9.88
Available for download
Person
Dwight Longenecker is a Catholic priest, award winning blogger, and freelance writer. A graduate of Oxford and Bob Jones University, he has written sixteen books on different aspects of religion. Longenecker is a highly sought-after speaker for scholarly and Men's Conference events, and often leads parish missions, retreats, and diocesan events. He and his wife, Allison, have four children.
Longenecker serves as pastor of Our Lady of the Rosary Church in Greenville, South Carolina.
Longenecker serves as pastor of Our Lady of the Rosary Church in Greenville, South Carolina.