Though various Christian traditions mark it on different days, many churches celebrate Epiphany (the story of the Magi) this time of year.
Renaissance painter Sandro Botticelli captured that moment in The Adoration of the Magi.
Centuries later, composer Ottorino Respighi translated Botticelli’s imagery into sound in his orchestral suite Three Botticelli Pictures, a reminder that artists across time often inspire one another.
In Botticelli’s painting, the familiar stable of Bethlehem becomes the ruins of ancient Rome. The scene is anything but humble.
Mary is elegantly dressed, the child serene, and the Magi, surrounded by figures often identified as members of the Medici family, look more like Renaissance Florentines than travelers from the Near East.
The biblical account, found only in the Gospel of Matthew, never mentions kings—three or otherwise.
It’s far more likely the Magi were astrologers, probably from Persia. These scholars, the forerunners of astronomers and mathematicians, mapped the night sky with remarkable care. When something new appeared, something not on their charts, they paid attention.
That instinct hasn’t changed. Modern computerized telescopes scan the heavens, and when an unexpected object shows up, an alert flashes and observers know they’re seeing something unusual. Currently, wise men and wise women are learning a great deal from a recently discovered comet with truly baffling behavior.
But in the ancient world, a new star would have been read as an omen. It was the astrologers’ task to warn rulers of coming change. So, when they saw a “star in the east,” they set out to investigate.
Tradition compresses their long journey into twelve days. In reality, a trip from Persia would have taken months, perhaps a year or more.
Still, across centuries of retelling—in paintings, symphonies, operas and carols—one element endures: the Magi brought gifts. Generosity is still the lasting message.
In the carol In the Bleak Midwinter, poet Christina Rossetti wrote, “If I were a wise man, I would do my part.” When we discover a need, perhaps that’s our invitation: to do our part.
