Magi

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Magi

Magi , priestly caste of ancient Persia. Probably Median in origin, they were, according to Herodotus, a tribe rather than a priestly family. Zoroaster is thought to have been a Magus. Study of the Magi is hampered by the lack of original source material. They are thought to have molded a pre-Zoroastrian religion, but nothing is known of it except by inference. After Zoroaster, Magian priests headed Zoroastrianism; the greatest was Saena. The Magi were revered by classic authors as wise men, and their reputed power over demons gave rise to the word magic. For the Magi of Mat. 2, see Wise Men of the East .

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Magi

World Encyclopedia | 2005 | Â© World Encyclopedia 2005, originally published by Oxford University Press 2005. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

Magi (sing. Magus) Members of a hereditary priestly class of ancient Persia, responsible for certain religious ceremonies. By the time of Christ, the term Magi applied to astrologers, soothsayers and practitioners of the occult. In the Western Church, the feast of Epiphany marks the coming of the Magi to Jesus. In the East, Christmas heralds the arrival of the Magi.

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