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Matthew's gospel says that they came from the east. We don't know where this was, but it is reasonable to assume that it could have been Persia, if not India or even China as some traditions have it. The distance from the ancient city of Susa in Persia to Jerusalem is about 765 miles, so it easily could have been 800 miles or more! (The same term for wise men is used in the book of Daniel when Daniel was in Babylon and in Susa.)

Upon their arrival in Jerusalem they inquired of the king (Herod) where the baby would be born. Herod, a jealous and insane man, subsequently ordered all baby boys under age two in Bethlehem to be killed. Since the wise men started traveling when they saw the star and assuming the star appeared at the date of the birth, then they had been traveling for probably less than two years.

Assuming the wise men traveled on camels (we don't actually know), then a distance of 800 miles or so could actually have been covered more quickly than you might think. A 30 mile per day average might be a little high, but even assuming 10 miles per day (easily covered by walking) you end up with only 80 days of actual travel. It seems likely they traveled at that pace or faster and then rested and enjoyed hospitality for a while along the way when they arrived in cities. They could have made the trip in a few months, but they may well have traveled at a more leisurely pace and taken longer.

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14y ago

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