Denver Seminary

If the following appear in Scripture (in the original languages of course), answer true. If not, answer false.

1. The magi were wise men.
2. The magi were kings.
3. There were three magi.
4. The magi came from the Orient.
5. The magi found Jesus and his parents in a stable.
6. A manger was a crib for a baby.
7. Swaddling clothes helped make the baby more comfortable.
8. There were animals by the manger.
9. The angels who appeared to the shepherds sang.
10. Shepherds were well liked.

Don't cheat and look them up in your Bible! When you've given it your best shot, if you want to see the answers, scroll down.

All are false. Magi were a cross between what we would call astronomers and astrologers. They brought three gifts so there may have been three of them but we are never told that. If, by the Orient, one means the Far East, then no, they weren't Orientals. They were most likely from Persia or Arabia. The magi would have arrived well after Jesus' birth and they found him in a house. A manger was a feeding trough for animals. Swaddling clothes kept the baby's limbs firmly against his or her body, inhibiting mobility. Babies often disliked them. The only animals the Bible mentions are the sheep out in the fields. The angels might have sung, but the verb Luke uses before their words is "said." Shepherds were the gypsies of the day, nomadic, sometimes thieves, and generally despised.

Anybody need to read Matthew 1-2 and Luke 1-2 again, with or without their study notes?

Merry Christmas!