A new collection of articles on Matthew’s narrative of the magi. Available 7 December 2025!
The Star of Bethlehem: An Astronomical Perspective
Can astronomy help us to identify the “star” the magi followed to Bethlehem?
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The Narrative of the Magi: Some Notes from a Jewish Perspective
What purpose does Matthew’s choice of the title “magi” serve when he used this term to describe the bearers of the messianic tidings?
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Wise Men or Stooges: Who Were Matthew’s Magi?
Matthew’s magi reprise the role of the wizards of Egypt in the Joseph and Moses narratives, but with a surprising twist.
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Rethinking the Magi in Matthew and Exodus Rabbah
A look at the broader backdrop of Jewish tendencies offered by a comparison between traditions in Matthew and Exodus Rabbah.
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What Year Was Jesus Born?
No answer to the question “When was Jesus born?” will be perfect, since there is conflicting evidence that must be weighed and sifted.
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The Bethlehem Stomp: A Songwriter’s Response to Matthew’s Nativity Story
Even in the ever-increasing shadows, there are cracks where light comes shining through.
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‘We Hear the Christmas Angels’: Origins of Extra-Canonical Traditions in Familiar Carols
Some of the most vivid details in Christmas carols that describe Jesus’ birth cannot be found in the canonical texts.
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Like Every Sparrow Falling: The Symbolism of Sparrows in a Saying of Jesus
The multivalent image of the sparrow in ancient Jewish thought made it a useful vehicle for conveying messages about human and divine relationships.
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Better Than the Day of Birth: Reflecting on David Flusser’s Interpretation of the Love Commandment on the 25th Anniversary of His Passing
I regard the twenty-fifth anniversary of David Flusser’s passing not solely as a day of loss, but also as the day that gave him to the world.
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