How Many Wise Men Came to See Jesus?

Most churches today teach that there were threebrought a gift of gold, or 10 who brought gifts of
wise men who came to see Baby Jesus in themyrrh, and 10 who brought frankincense. The
manger shortly after his miraculous birth. They singstatement in the Bible is true no matter how many
the song "We three kings" amongst other songs orthere were, because there really were only 3 gifts.
poems which proclaim that three wise men came toThe teaching of the three wise men is also derived
see Baby Jesus.from an interesting, and fictional medieval legend
But is this really what the Bible teaches? Were therewhich states that there were three kings who came
really only three, and did they come to the mangerto see Jesus, and their names were Gaspar, Melchior,
to worship Baby Jesus?and Balthasar. Gaspar was the king of Tarsus who
To be honest, the Bible supports no such teaching atbrought the gift of myrrh, Melchior was the king of
all. It was the shepherds who came to the mangerArabia who brought the gold, and Balthasar was the
the same night that Jesus was born. The Bible doesking of Ethiopia who the frankincense.
not say, but the wise men most likely did not visitIt wasn't until after 500 years after the birth of
Jesus 1-2 years after he was born; and they visitedJesus that these names made their way into Christian
him in a house, not a manger.teachings. So we know that there is no truth to
The story is found in Matthew 2:1-12, and there is nothem, none whatsoever.
mention as to how many there were. It simply saysAnother popular teaching regarding the wise men is
that they came and brought three gifts. It is possiblethat they followed the star to the manger, and there
that because they brought three gifts, that this couldthey visited the Baby. But the Bible makes no such
be one of the reasons why it is being taught thatclaim. It clearly says the star went and stood over
there were three.where the child was, which was in a house. It says
But that is an unreasonable theory because therethe wise men entered into the house where the child
could have been as many as 10 wise men who allwas and they fell down and worshiped the child.