Ante-room 14 Canvas shelter

We Three Kings

Everyone knows the legend of the three wise men’s visit to baby Jesus. But who were they?

They were actually magi which was a term referring to the Persian priestly caste of Zoroastrianism. As part of their religion, the magi (priests) paid particular attention to the stars and gained an international reputation for astrology, at that time it was highly regarded as a science. The magi’s use of astrology and association with the occult led to word derivatives such as the English term magic. The King James bible translates the word as ‘wise men’, though the same word is also used to describe a sorcerer. They were referred to as kings based on an earlier prophecy that the messiah would be worshipped by kings, but there seems to be no firm evidence; they were more likely advisors to kings. Church traditions have assigned their names as: Melchior: the oldest member of the Magi, described by St Bede in the 8th century as being “an old man, with white hair and long bear”. He brought the gift of gold. Traditionally called the King of Persia.

Caspar: considered an Indian scholar; the town Piravon in Kerala State, Southern India has long claimed to be the birthplace of one of the magi. Caspar is portrayed with a reddish beard, of dark skin, as younger than Melchior and older than Balthasar. His gift was frankincense. Balthazar: traditionally referred to as the king of Macedonia and giving the gift of myrrh which symbolised the future death of a king. He visited King Herod on the way to Bethlehem and was instructed to return after visiting Jesus, but avoided him altogether on the way home - a wise choice, for a wise man! Whomever they were exactly and wherever they came from (and how many were, indeed present) no one knows, one thing is certain, they certainly knew how to predict the future.

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The Forest Vet

Maresfield

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A local independent practice offering high quality personalised service for your pets veterinary care 24/7 emergency service House visits Separate dog and cat wards Veterinary Acupuncture & Homeopathy Digital x-ray, ultrasound, on site laboratory, endoscopy and visiting referral specialists Plenty of on-site parking