en_tw_old/bible/other/learnedmen/01.md

learned men, astrologers

Definition

In Matthew's account of the birth of Christ, these "learned" or "educated" men were the "wise men" who brought gifts to Jesus in Bethlehem sometime after his birth there. They may have been "astrologers," which are people who study the stars.

• These men traveled a long way from some country far to the east of Israel. Exactly where they came from and who they were is not known. But they were obviously scholars who had studied the stars.
• They may have been descendants of the wise men who served the Babylonian kings in Daniel's time and who were trained in many things, including studying the stars and interpreting dreams
• Traditionally it has been said that there were three of these men because of the three gifts they brought to Jesus. However, it is also very possible that there were more than that.