EPIPHANY: THREE KINGS IN THE BIBLE

PART OF SERIES, "PASKO 2025: DISCOVER THE CHRISTMAS"

Photo: Delia Pruysers Dunning / Pinterest

Introduction

The "3 Kings" in the Bible refer to the Biblical Magi (Wise Men from the East) who visited baby Jesus, mentioned in Matthew 2:1–12; though scripture doesn't specify their number or names, tradition names them Melchior, Caspar, and Balthazar, bringing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to symbolize Jesus's kingship, divinity, and mortality (What Does the Bible Say about the Three Wise Men (Magi)?, n.d.).

Story

According to long-standing Western tradition, the three kings are identified as:

Melchior, one of the traditional names for the Biblical Magi (Wise Men) who visited baby Jesus, often depicted as the oldest, a king from Persia, bringing the gift of gold to symbolize Jesus's royalty (Melchior | Magus, Gift, & Facts | Britannica, n.d.).

Caspar (or Gaspar/Jasper) is the traditional name for one of the three Biblical Magi (Wise Men) from the East who visited baby Jesus in Bethlehem, alongside Melchior and Balthazar, bringing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh as described in Matthew's Gospel. Though the Bible doesn't name them, tradition, solidifying around the 6th-7th centuries, identified these figures as kings, with Caspar often representing Asia (India/Persia) and bringing frankincense (Gaspar | Magus, Gift, & Facts | Britannica, n.d.).

Balthazar (or Balthasar) isn't named in the Bible but is a traditional figure, one of the Three Wise Men (Magi) visiting baby Jesus in Matthew's Gospel, usually depicted as a king from Ethiopia or Arabia, offering myrrh to symbolize Jesus's mortality, and representing Africa in medieval art. He shares his name with Belshazzar, the Babylonian king in the Book of Daniel, but the Magi Balthazar is a figure of Christian tradition, often shown with Caspar and Melchior (Balthasar | Magus, Gift, & Facts | Britannica, n.d.).

Misconception vs. Tradition

The Bible does not state there were exactly three Magi. The number three is an inference based on the three gifts. They are called Magi (Greek magoi), which refers to a priestly caste of astrologers or wise men, not necessarily "kings". They did not visit Jesus on the night of his birth. Based on Herod’s later decree to kill boys two years old and younger, the visit likely occurred months or even up to two years after Jesus was born (Magi | Research Starters | EBSCO Research, 2024; Who Were the Magi in the Bible? Names, Gifts and Story, n.d.)

Early Church theologians, by the 3rd and 5th centuries, linked the Magi's visit to Old Testament prophecies (such as Psalm 72:11, "May all kings fall down before him, all nations serve him"), leading to the interpretation that they were kings representing the universal reach of Christ's message  (Depicting the Magi: Origins, Gifts and Representing Men of Colour | Leslie Primo, 2022).

This tradition, rather than being a part of the original biblical narrative, is a later cultural and artistic embellishment that emphasizes the universal nature of the Christian message to all people and nations of the then-known world. 

Observance

An epiphany is a sudden, profound realization or spiritual manifestation, but it also refers to the Christian feast day on January 6th (Twelfth Night) celebrating Jesus Christ's revelation to the world, particularly the visit of the Magi (Wise Men) to the infant Jesus, signifying His divinity revealed to Gentiles (EPIPHANY | Definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary, n.d.).

Reference:

What does the Bible say about the three wise men (Magi)? (n.d.). GotQuestions.org. https://www.gotquestions.org/three-wise-men.html

‌Melchior | Magus, Gift, & Facts | Britannica. (n.d.). Www.britannica.com. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Melchior

‌Gaspar | Magus, Gift, & Facts | Britannica. (n.d.). Www.britannica.com. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Gaspar

‌Balthasar | Magus, Gift, & Facts | Britannica. (n.d.). Www.britannica.com. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Balthasar

‌Magi | Research Starters | EBSCO Research. (2024). EBSCO. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/religion-and-philosophy/magi

‌Who Were the Magi in the Bible? Names, Gifts and Story. (n.d.). Christianity.com. https://www.christianity.com/wiki/people/who-were-the-magi.html

‌Depicting the Magi: origins, gifts and representing men of colour | Leslie Primo. (2022, May 12). Leslie Primo. https://leslieprimo.co.uk/lectures/depicting-magi-origins-gifts-representing-men-colour/

EPIPHANY | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary. (n.d.). Dictionary.cambridge.org. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/epiphany

Author: Ken Klark L. Flores, via Aksyon Apologia / The Filipino Apologia