The Three Wise Men do exist. This is their story.
I have told this story many times before, but it is so interesting that here it is for you to read. In Spain it is the The Wise Men the ones that bring presents to children at Christmas time. Not on the 24th though, but on the 6th of January. So this is a good story to tell at Chrismas dinner, but be carefull if you tell in Spain. Some parents with young children could get upset.
The true name of the Three Wise Men and the Star of Bethlehem.
A long time ago, in the Northern Hemisphere, mainly what today we call Europe and Middle East, humans invented agriculture. A true revolution that guaranteed food for tribes and villages. A problem they quickly faced was knowing when to start working the land and planting the seeds. The wise people of the time already knew that the stars were a clock that never fails, so they took advantage of an important event, to create a story that would last over time and be useful to future generations.
“Every year our God (The Sun) starts to move south and the days get shorter and colder. But there comes a time when God dies and stops moving south for three days, resurrecting on the fourth day. In the East, the Three Wise Men will follow the Guiding Star, which will tell them the exact location where God will be reborn. When this happens, you will have to start counting the days to prepare the land.”
In ancient European cultures, the Three Wise Men was the name given to Orion’s Belt. At the winter solstice, around 11:30 pm, the constellation of Orion is in the eastern sky, and closer to the horizon is Sirius. Sirius, being a very close star, shines brightly, and in ancient times had names such as the Morning Star or the Guiding Star. This is because if you draw an imaginary line from the Orion’s Belt down to the left all the way to the horizon, this line passes through Sirius and where it finally meets the horizon, it is exactly where the Sun will rise the next day. It marks the spot where God is reborn.
So now you know. The true names of the Three Wise Men are Aniltak, Anilam, and Mintaka. Which are the modern names of the stars in Orion’s Belt. And the Star of Bethlehem? As mentiones before it’s called Sirius and it’s over 8 light-years from Earth, which in astronomical distances is very, very near.
Do the Three Wise Men bring gifts? Of course they do. Of course they do. Knowing when to plant meant food and abundance for our ancestors, something that is the best gift. But many, many years later, an organization that I do not want to mention, took possession of the story for so many reasons that they do not fit on this page and a few decades ago, the current religion, materialism, has taken over the story to make us consume more and more. But the original story is beautiful and was very useful.
During the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, if it’s not cloudy, remember to look east after 11:00 pm and you will see Orion’s Belt with the original name of the Three Kings (also known as the Three Sisters) in the sky. Lower left, you will see Sirius shining, the Guiding Star that will eventually become the Star of Bethlehem. Follow that imaginary line and you will see the place where God will be born the next day.
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