Description
Three Kings is a Catholic celebration that can be traced back to the 4th century. Christians will be familiar with the tale of the Magi, or Three Wise Men. These men were also Kings named Melchior, Balthasar, and Caspar. Western church traditions depict Melchior as a king from Persia, Balthasar as a king of Arabia (occasionally Ethiopia), and Caspar as a king of India.
However, in the bible, they are not called kings, nor is their number specified. They are called “wise men from the East” who follow the star of Bethlehem to a stable to pay homage to the newly born baby Jesus.
They brought gifts to Jesus: gold to symbolize Jesus’ role as King of the Jews; frankincense to represent his divinity as the Son of God; and, finally, myrrh to show Jesus’ mortality.