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The Magi as Wise Men: Re-examining a Basic Supposition

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2000

MARK ALLAN POWELL
Affiliation:
Trinity Lutheran Seminary, 2199 East Main Street, Columbus, OH 43209–2334, USA

Abstract

The tradition that identifies Matthew's magi as ‘wise men’ is considered in light of narrative criticism, social history, and Wirkungsgeschichte. An examination of literature relevant to the narrative's setting reveals that Matthew's readers are expected to regard magian learning not as wisdom but as foolishness. Matthew's narrative is prejudiced against scholarship, such that the magi's status as fools is what qualifies them as candidates for divine revelation. The tradition that regards the magi as wise men can be traced to the Renaissance and attributed to an ideological bias that favours a blessing of scholarship.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 2000 Cambridge University Press

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