Where the three wise men Magi?

Answer 1

The word in the actual Greek manuscript is magos. Magos was derived in Greek from a Persian word, magus and a Avestan word, maguano. The Maguanos were the priestly cast in the Zoroastrian religion. The Maguanos were famed star gazers and astrologers which at that time, (and until about the 18th century,) was considered to be a serious science. Since it says that they had followed the appearance of a star, then most likely they were Maguanos.

However: Matthew is the gospel to record them coming. Matthew is also the only one to record the so called slaughter of the innocents. Only being recorded in one of the four canonical gospels is acceptable, HOWEVER, neither the writings of Josephus nor any other historian of that time record the horrific massacring of male children under the age of two being ordered by Herod the Great. Since the wise men coming to see the child was supposed to precipitate this action, it would only make since that just like the slaughter, the wisemen were an advent of the writer of the book of Matthew.

Also, never anywhere does it say 3 wisemen. That has become the general assumption because of the 3 named gifts.