In Christian tradition, wise men from the East who came to pay homage to the infant Jesus .
According to Matthew 2:1–12, they followed a miraculous guiding star to Bethlehem and brought gifts of "gold and frankincense and myrrh." Herod asked them to report the location of Jesus' birth on their return journey, but an angel warned them of his evil intentions. In later Christian tradition they were said to be kings and were given the names Melchior, Balthasar, and Gaspar. Their visit was seen as evidence that the Gentiles as well as the Jews would worship Jesus, and it is celebrated in the feast of Ephiphany. See also magus .
The Adoration of the Magi , oil painting by Albrecht Dürer, 1504; ...
Scala/Art Resource, New York