Did exactly 3 wise men travel on camels to visit Jesus in the manger?

Answer 1

Matthew 2:1-12 records the visit of the wise men. Out of this story, all kinds of popular imagery has developed which actually has nothing to do with Matthew's account.

First: Scripture doesn't say how many wise men there were. The notion that there were three of them arises from the fact that they presented three gifts. There could have been any number of men.

Second: Their mode of transportation is nowhere mentioned. It's very likely they used camels in their travels, but it isn't stated.

Third: The wise men did not visit Jesus in the manger. This is an unfortunate fallacy that people pick up from nativity scenes depicting both the shepherds and the wise men paying homage to the newborn Jesus together. Perhaps that makes for pleasing imagery to some, but it's biblically inaccurate.

According to Luke's gospel, angels announced Christ's arrival to shepherds in the field on the night of His birth, and theyimmediately went and saw a "babe" (Greek brephos - "a new-born child") in the manger (Luke 2:8-15). Luke doesn't tell of the visit of the wise men.

Conversely, Matthew's account doesn't tell of the shepherds' visit; indeed, it says nothing of events on the night of Jesus' birth, and some time elapses between the close of Matthew 1 (the naming of Jesus, which would officially have taken place at His circumcision, when He was eight days old - Luke 2:26) and the beginning of Matthew 2.

When the wise men arrived, Matthew 2:11 says that Jesus was a "young child" (Greek paidion - "a young child, a little boy, a little girl; of a more advanced child"), and that they found Him in a "house" with Mary His mother (not in the manger). By this time, Jesus would have been up to two years old, as evidenced by Herod's subsequent "slaughter of the innocents:" all male children in the region aged two and under (Matthew 2:16).

To summarize the answer to your question:

No, The Bible doesn't say there were "exactly" three wise men.

Matthew's account makes no mention of camels.

The wise men didn't visit the infant Jesus in the manger; they visited Him as a "young child" in a "house."

Answer 2

The bible does not specifically state how many Magi there were, though they are always refered to in the plural form inidcating there was definetely more than one. It is a tradition that there were three of them since they brought three gifts; gold, insense and myrr.


The wise men never visited the manger scene as many Christmas plays, cards, or pictures may display. Luke 2 depicts how the shepherds were at the manger scene, but the wise men were only mentioned in Matthew 2. The wise men came from the far east when they saw the star which appeared when Christ was born. With the distance that the wise men traveled from the Persian Empire, the journey could have taken up to 2 years. When the wise men finally arrived before the Christ child, He was with His mother in a "house" not a stable or manger scene. Furthermore, Matthew 2:8,9 depicts Christ to be a "young child" not a "babe" as it says in Luke 2. In the Greek, "young child" is defined as a young boy or infant, around the age of a toddler. Therefore, the group of wise men came to Jesus Christ as a young boy and worshiped Him as the One true Messiah, God Himself who came to save all men from their sin by dying on the cross and rising from the dead three days later. He did this for you and for me!

Answer 3

AnswerIn order to answer this question, I should first of all explain that the author of Mathhew's Gospel never spoke of three kings coming to see the baby Jesus. He spoke of magi following a star from the east. The magi were priests of the Zoroastrian religion practised in Persia. Matthew's intention was to show that even the priests of this great religion would want to worship Jesus. In time, the Zoroastrian connection became less important and most English translations now prefer "wise men" or even "kings".

Indeed, if the priests travelled from Persia or Babylon by the most direct route, they must have come by camel. If they followed the Fertile Crescent through Syria, they probably would not have done so. However, John Shelby Spong (A Bishop Rethinks the Birth of Jesus) says that among people he knows in New Testament circles, the universal assumption is that the magi, or kings, were not actual people. Matthew was clearly writing Christian midrash.

Answer 4

Yes and No.

The account at Matthew 2:1-18 tells us that "wise men" (also called 'Magi' or 'astrologers') from the 'east' came seeking "...the one born king of the Jews" . The scripture does NOT, however, say specifically how many there were, or that they rode camels, though that was the most practical way to travel in that area. The Bible also notes that they did not arrive to see Jesus in the 'manger', but some time later, when he was now a young child in a 'house' (Matthew 2:11). The only ones invited to see the newborn Jesus IN the manger, were humble shepherds who were out watching their flocks by night (Luke 2:8-20).

Answer 5

Yes they came on travel back to see Jesus.

Answer 6

yes