Early medieval written legends report that one of the three kings who paid homage to the Christ Child in Bethlehem was from Africa. But it would take nearly 1,000 years for European artists to begin representing
Those bringing gifts to the baby Jesus are three magi or wise men, one of whom is frequently depicted as a black man. His inclusion illustrates the complexities of blackness in different time periods and locations. He is both a token addition and a celebrated king.
In the question of the colorization of the Bible, Balthazar, the black Magus, holds a particular place, notably because of his important presence in the pictorial representations which, starting in the 15th century in Central Europe, have never ceased to spread.
Although this is also not mentioned in the Bible it seems a reasonable assumption as three gifts are mentioned – gold representing homage to Christ's kingship, frankincense representing homage to Christ's divinity, and myrrh, used in embalming, to foreshadow Christ's death.
Later commentators proposed that they represented the three known continents: Europe, Asia, and Africa. From a wide assortment of names suggested for the Magi, those that eventually prevailed were Gaspar (or Caspar), Melchior, and Balthasar.
There is an old legend of a 4th Wiseman named Artaban. Like the other Magi, he sees signs in the heavens proclaiming that a King had been born among the Jews. And so, he sets out to see the newborn ruler, carrying treasures to give as gifts to the child - a sapphire, a ruby, and a pearl of great price.
The current magi of the era are Yunan, Titus, Judar, and Aladdin. Traditionally, there have been three magi throughout time. Aladdin is an unusual case, being the fourth magi. In legends around the world, magi are known as figures that appear during crucial junctures in history and direct the flow of countless lives.
Melchior was a wise man who was said to be a king in his own right, who brought a gift of gold, ...
They have become known most commonly as Balthasar, Melchior, and Gaspar (or Casper). According to Western church tradition, Balthasar is often represented as a king of Arabia or sometimes Ethiopia, Melchior as a king of Persia, and Gaspar as a king of India.
The subject of which king is which and who brought which gift is not without some variation depending on the tradition. The gift of gold is sometimes associated with Melchior as well and in some traditions, Melchior is the old man of the three Magi.
In 1301, at the age of four, Prince Edward became the first black king of England when he inherited the throne from his father, King Edward I. For the next few years, he was known as “the Black Prince” and was greatly loved by his people. However, he died in 1376, before he could become king himself.
The Magi had a lively postbiblical career. As early as the 2nd century, they were promoted to kings, probably because frankincense is associated with royalty in one of the Psalms. Their number, which varied in different accounts from two to 12, eventually settled on three, most likely because of their three gifts.
Saint Balthazar; also called Balthasar, Balthassar, and Bithisarea, was according to Western Christian tradition one of the biblical Magi along with Caspar and Melchior who visited the infant Jesus after he was born.
Early medieval written legends report that one of the three kings who paid homage to the Christ Child in Bethlehem was from Africa. But it would take nearly 1,000 years for European artists to begin representing Balthazar, the youngest of the three kings, as a black man.
The wise men arrived bearing three gifts, namely gold, frankincense and myrrh. The term "wise men" is perhaps the best English equivalent of the Greek word for Magi. The magi were a Median Kurdish priestly caste or tribe who rose to prominence in ancient Persia (today's Iran).
He was a black man with a heavy beard; second, Gaspar, king of India, with a gift of frankincense. He was young, beardless and ruddy; and third, Melchior, king of Persia, with a gift of gold. He was an old man with long white hair and beard. They followed the star riding on horse, camel and elephant.
According to Strabo (15.3. 1), the Magi were a Persian tribe, and Pliny (Natural history 30.3-4) writes that many Persians preached Zoroastrianism and were called Magi.
Matthew's wise men, or Magi -- the only word of Persian origin in the original Greek Bible -- were evidently priests of Zoroastrianism, which was the official religion of Persia. It is not surprising that they would turn up at the birth of Christ.
What does Magi mean? Magi' is a transliteration of the Greek 'magos' from old Persian magus ("powerful"). In the King James Bible, the gospel of Matthew denoted them "wise men".
Gold means power, green faith and purple justice. All three colors represent the magi.
Melchior was described by St Bede in the 8th century as being "an old man, with white hair and long beard." Melchior is also commonly referred to as the King of Persia.
The wise men, traditionally named Melchior, Balthasar, and Caspar, can serve as wonderful models for all those who are still seeking Jesus and offering him their gifts.
Uraltugo Noi Nueph, or simply known as Ugo, is a major supporting protagonist in the manga/anime series, Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic. He is the first thought-to-be Djinn of Aladdin and has been a friend of his for a very long time.
'Magi' was first used by Solomon to describe what his three advisers, Arba, Sheba and Ugo, had become, after he chose them to receive Rukh from outside of their bodies.