Parallel Gospels 3 - The Wisemen visit Jesus after HE is born

Matthew 2Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

Wise Men Seek the King

2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived unexpectedly in Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east[a] and have come to worship Him.”[b]

3 When King Herod heard this, he was deeply disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 So he assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people and asked them where the Messiah would be born.

5 “In Bethlehem of Judea,” they told him, “because this is what was written by the prophet:

6 And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the leaders of Judah:
because out of you will come a leader
who will shepherd My people Israel.”[c]

7 Then Herod secretly summoned the wise men and asked them the exact time the star appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you find Him, report back to me so that I too can go and worship Him.”

When: After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod 

Where: wise men from the east arrived unexpectedly in Jerusalem

9 After hearing the king, they went on their way. And there it was—the star they had seen in the east![e] It led them until it came and stopped above the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed beyond measure. 11 Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary His mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped Him.[f] Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their own country by another route.

Where:  the house where Jesus was after he was born, maybe Nazareth.

The Flight into Egypt

13 After they were gone, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Get up! Take the child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. For Herod is about to search for the child to destroy Him.” 14 So he got up, took the child and His mother during the night, and escaped to Egypt. 15 He stayed there until Herod’s death, so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled: Out of Egypt I called My Son.[g]

The Massacre of the Innocents

16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been outwitted by the wise men, flew into a rage. He gave orders to massacre all the male children in and around Bethlehem who were two years[h] old and under, in keeping with the time he had learned from the wise men. 17 Then what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:

18 A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping,[i] and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children;
and she refused to be consoled,
because they were no more.[j]

Where:  Bethlehem

When:  about 2 years from the birth of Jesus

The Holy Family in Nazareth

19 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, “Get up! Take the child and His mother and go to the land of Israel, because those who sought the child’s life are dead.” 21 So he got up, took the child and His mother, and entered the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus[k] was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned in a dream, he withdrew to the region of Galilee. 23 Then he went and settled in a town called Nazareth to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets, that He will be called a Nazarene.

http://www.thebiblejourney.org/the-bible-journey/3-jesuss-childhood-journeys-b/the-holy-family-flee-to-egypt/

Google search for two Jewish Messiahs

AI Overview

In certain Jewish rabbinic and apocalyptic traditions, the concept of dual messiahs (Moshiach ben Yosef and Moshiach ben David) developed to reconcile contrasting scriptural prophecies—one depicting a suffering figure and the other a triumphant king. 

The Two Figures

Messiah ben Joseph (Moshiach ben Yosef): Also called Messiah ben Ephraim. He is seen as a preparatory, tragic figure who will suffer, fight the forces of evil (such as Armilus), and potentially die in battle to pave the way for the ultimate redemption. 
Messiah ben David (Moshiach ben David): The definitive, victorious king from the lineage of King David. He will fulfill the end-time prophecies of universal peace, rebuild the Temple, and gather the exiles. 

Historical Context and Views

Origin
: This concept appears in Talmudic and Midrashic literature as well as the Dead Sea Scrolls (which sometimes spoke of a royal Davidic Messiah and a priestly Aaronic Messiah).
 
Current Standing: Most modern Jews do not focus on or hold an active belief in a two-messiah model, instead awaiting a single, ultimate human leader from the line of David. 

Google Search: the wise men who came to visit jesus, were they from the same group that daniel the prophet led in babylon

AI Overview

While the Bible does not explicitly confirm a direct link, many biblical scholars and historians propose that the wise men (or Magi) who visited Jesus belonged to a regional tradition of sages and astrologers influenced by the earlier community of wise men led by the prophet Daniel in Babylon and Persia. [1, 2, 3]

The Connection in Scripture

Daniel's Leadership: In the Old Testament (Daniel 2:48), King Nebuchadnezzar appointed Daniel as the chief prefect over all the wise men and "magi" of Babylon. [1, 2]
The New Testament Magi: In the Gospel of Matthew (2:1–2), the travelers who came to worship Jesus are called magoi (Magi), a Greek term historically used for Persian or Babylonian wise men, astronomers, and advisors. [1, 2, 3]

Why Scholars Connect Them

Preservation of Prophecy: Historians suggest that Daniel may have taught the Babylonian and Persian wise men core Hebrew prophecies, including timing markers for the arrival of the Messiah (such as Daniel 9:24–27). [1, 2]
Generational Knowledge: This institutional tradition of recording and passing down Daniel's specific astronomical and prophetic insights across centuries could explain why these eastern scholars recognized the sign of the star and anticipated a king of the Jews. [1, 2, 3]
Geographic Continuity: The royal courts of Mesopotamia and Persia maintained guilds of scholarly priests over generations, meaning the academic lineage under Daniel's purview evolved into the very class of Magi present during the first century. [1, 2]

The Star of Bethlehem

They weren't kings, they were wisemen.

They did not come to bethlehem, to the manger, they came to Jerusalem looking for the baby, but was sent to bethlehem looking for him based on the prophesy the priests informed of. then they saw the star and followed it to house that he was in. Later, you will see that Herod and the Magi indicated the baby might be about 2 years old, so Herod had all babies 2 years olf and younger killed.

Gifts of Gold, Frankinsence and Myrh

From early on, Jesus received this gift of Gold, Frankinsense and Myrhh. So since he received Gold... does this mean he was NOT poor? not long after this, the family had to flee to Egypt. It is hard to know what might have happened to that Gold.. how much gold it was, how they had to use it.

Google search: what is the biblical usage of frankinsence and myrhh

AI Overview

In the Bible, frankincense and myrrh were rare, precious tree-resin sap products used in sacred temple worship, anointing oils, perfumes, and burial embalming. Most famously presented by the Magi to the child Jesus, they carry deep practical and symbolic meanings. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]

Frankincense

Temple Worship: Used as a core ingredient for the holy incense burned on the altar inside the Tabernacle and Temple (Exodus 30:34).
Grain Offerings: Placed alongside grain and meat sacrifices as a memorial offering to God (Leviticus 2:2).
Symbolic Meaning: Its rising, fragrant smoke represented prayers ascending to heaven, pointing to Jesus' role as a pure sacrifice and High Priest. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

Myrrh

Anointing Oil: Mixed into the holy anointing oil used to consecrate the Tabernacle furniture and priests (Exodus 30:23).
Perfume and Cosmetics: Used for personal beauty treatments and royal purification ceremonies, such as for Queen Esther (Esther 2:12).
Burial and Suffering: Used as an embalming spice for the dead (John 19:39) and mingled with wine as a mild pain relief or sedative at the crucifixion (Mark 15:23).
Symbolic Meaning: Its bitter profile and association with death foreshadowed Jesus' mortal suffering, crucifixion, and burial. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Google Search: is there any writings on Herod killing all the baby boys two years and under in Bethlehem

AI Overview

The account of King Herod killing the baby boys in Bethlehem (known as the Massacre of the Innocents) appears in the New Testament in the Gospel of Matthew (2:16–18). Outside of the Bible, there are no ancient historical records, secular texts, or writings by historians like Flavius Josephus that mention this specific event. [1, 2, 3]

Biblical Writings

Gospel of Matthew: Chapter 2, verse 16 states that Herod ordered the death of all male children aged two and under in Bethlehem and its surrounding areas after the wise men tricked him. [1, 2]
Connection to Prophecy: Matthew connects the event to the Old Testament writing in the Book of Jeremiah, describing the sorrow and weeping of Rachel. [1]

Historical Context and Views

Silence in Secular Records: Most modern historians note that the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus wrote extensively about the cruel acts of Herod the Great—including the execution of his own wife and sons—but did not mention the killing of the Bethlehem infants. [1, 2, 3]
Arguments on the Absence: As discussed by users on platforms like Quora and Reddit, some scholars argue the event may have involved a very small number of infants (perhaps a dozen in a small village like Bethlehem) and went unrecorded because it was minor compared to Herod's political purges. Other scholars view the text as a theological narrative modeled after the story of Moses and Pharaoh in Exodus rather than a strict historical report. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Google Search: are there any writings on on Magi or wise men from the east visiting King Herod in jerusalem in search of the King of the Jews

AI Overview

The primary and canonical writing detailing the Magi or wise men from the east visiting King Herod in Jerusalem to ask about the newborn King of the Jews is found in the New International Version Bible in Matthew 2:1-12. [1, 2]

Ancient and Historical Writings

Canonical Gospel of Matthew: Written in the 1st century AD, it is the sole historical-religious text in the New Testament that records the star, the inquiry to Herod, the consultation with the chief priests, and the subsequent journey to Bethlehem. [1, 2, 3]
Infancy Gospels and Christian Apocrypha: Later non-canonical texts—such as the Protevangelium of James and the Arabic Infancy Gospel—elaborated on the nativity, though they largely repeat or embellish the foundational account given in Matthew rather than offering independent historical verification.
Secular Historians: First-century Jewish historian Flavius Josephus wrote extensively about the paranoia, political climate, and brutal reign of Herod the Great in works like Antiquities of the Jews, but he does not mention the visit of the Magi specifically, as his focus was political and macroscopic rather than recording Christian traditions.

If you'd like, we can explore:

• The historical background of Herod the Great's reign
• The identity and origin of the Magi (Persia, Arabia, or Babylon)
• Astronomical theories concerning the Star of Bethlehem

Google Search:how could Luke 2:39-40 say that Jesus parents returned to nazareth in galilee when the requirements of the law were finished but yet Matthew chapter 2 say taht jesus was in Bethlehem in a house at around the age of 2.

AI Overview

Opinions on whether Luke 2:39-40 and Matthew 2 contradict each other differ among readers and scholars. Many Bible scholars note that Luke uses a summary style that skips the family's trip to Egypt. They suggest the events in Matthew—like the Magi and the flight to Egypt—fit into the gap of time during or right after Luke 2:39 before the family finally settled in Nazareth. Other scholars view the differing details as separate narrative traditions that do not easily line up. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Harmonizing the Accounts

Luke's Focus: Luke follows the birth, the temple dedication at 40 days, and an immediate summary statement about returning to Nazareth.
Matthew's Focus: Matthew includes the later visit of the wise men, living in a house in Bethlehem, and the escape to Egypt from Herod.
The Chronology View: Proponents of harmony argue Luke 2:39 is a compressed summary, meaning the family may have returned briefly to Bethlehem or that the text omits the detour to Egypt. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

Opinions on these historical details are mixed on platforms like Quora, where some readers see an irreconcilable difference in the timelines while others view them as complementary snapshots. [1]