Matthew 2:1-2

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of Herod: for he recalls the place and the time, in order to shew that all things took their fulfillment according to the voices of the Prophets. Bethlehem, on the one hand, according to what Mica had prophesied, And you also Bethlehem of Judah, art not little, etc. He mentioned Herod, on the other hand, on account of the promise which the prophecy of Jacob delivered. The sceptre, it said, shall not depart from Judah, etc.; (Gen.49.10) and the kingdom remained to Herod a native of Ascalon ; for he See destroyed the genealogical books of the Jews, so as to make it appear that he came of the good stock of the Jews ; and the robe of the priesthood was put beneath his seal. A calculation concerning what year of Alexander and at what time [of year] our Lord the Christ was born. In the year 307 of Alexander, son of Philip, which was the 43rd year of Augustus Caesar, in the 35th year of Herod the king of the Jews, in the month of the first Kanon, on the 25th of it, on a Wednesday, in the night before cockcrow, our Lord was born of the Virgin, she being 13 years of age; and she died at 51 years of age; and at that time Quirinus was sent as governor; and in the month of Nisan the Magians came. But Babhai the Persian said that in the day and the night that our Lord was born the Magians came; and not after two years, as those who have not investigated say; and this, he says, is quite evident from the Scriptures, that when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judah, there came Magians ; now they were three sons of kings, and nine from among the f. ioa notables of their lands ; and the king of the Persians who sent the Magians was called Pirshabour; and these came by the guidance of the likeness of a star. Lo, we saw his star in the east, because in the midst of the star was shewn the likeness of a Virgin embracing her son ; and it is evident from many things that it was not a real star, nor an imagination, nor a fantasy, nor an automaton, but an Angel who shone like a star from Persia to Bethlehem; first, because it shone equally by night and by day; second, that it was seen only by the Magians and not by others; third, that it shone alone, without burning, although it came down so low from the region of the ether, to shew the way to the Magians, as by a finger, even the house; fourth, it shone so much at midday that it surpassed the rays of the sun in their eyes ; fifth, because all the lights of the zodiac move, as fixed, from east to west, but according to Astronomers and Astrologers, seven of them which are called planets move from west to east; but of the rest all the signs of the zodiac, fixed in the body of the firmament, move from east to west with the revolution of the heavens. This moved in the opposite way, that is to say, from south-east to north and from this to west; for thus is the road from Persia to Palestine ; sixth, because it did not shine continuously, but when they had gone into each of the cities and villages by the way, until they came out, it was hid, in order that by question and answer the birth of King Messiah should be made known to everyone ; as it was hid from them in their entering Jerusalem; and when that cunning fox Herod sent spies after them many times, the star was not seen until they knew that it was the finger of God ; and Herod planned to destroy the child in another way. So it is clear from all these things, that it was not a natural star, but a starry likeness. Astronomers may not raise a wing here, as if it were evident that the teaching of Chaldaism is true, from this, that the birth of our Lord also was disclosed by means of a star; but they must know from this that it was not a natural star, as we have shewn at length. Also this [is clear], the art of Chaldaism does not establish a nativity from one star, but from seven, these which they call Planets, because they are not adherent to the body of the heavens, that is to say, the Sun, and the Moon; Ares; Hermes ; Bel, who is Zeus; Beltis, Aphrodite, and they also call her and Ashteroth, and Dosti; and Kronos, who is Saturn. And of the twelve signs of the zodiac that are adherent in the heavens, that is to say, the Ram, the Bull, the Twins, the Crab, the Lion, the Virgin, the Balance, the Scorpion, the Archer, the Goat, the Water-bearer, and the Fish ; and of those seven they say that they go from west to east, but that these twelve go round from east to west, that is to say, they revolve with the body of the heavens which revolves like a wheel and an axis round the earth; and the earth stands in the middle as a centre, and like a grain of sesame standing in the middle of an inflated bladder. And to the days of the week they assign Planets. The first day of the week, it is said, is the day of the Sun; the second day of the Moon; the third of Ares (Mars); the fourth of Hermes (Mercury); the fifth of Bel; Friday of Aphrodite; and the Sabbath of Kronos (Saturn). And also the parts of the human body, it is said, these created ; the Sun the Brain; the Moon the Skin; Ares the Blood; Hermes the Nerves and the Veins; Bel the Bones; Venus the Flesh; Saturn the Hair. And also those twelve signs of the zodiac they call types of the twelve months of the year, some of them male, and some of them female. They say of every one of these that it regulates one of the parts of a man. The p. Ram is male, and it establishes the Head; the Bull is female, and it made the Neck; the Twins are male, and they made the Hands; the Crab is female, and it establishes the Breast; the Lion is male, and it establishes the Sides; the Virgin is female, and it created the Lumbar-bone; the Balance is male, and it created the Belly; the Scorpion is female, and it establishes around the Bladder; the Archer is male, and he fixed the Thighs; the Goat is female, and it formed the Knees; the Water-bearer is male' and he stretched out the Legs. The Fish is female, and it establishes the Feet.  By means of a Star, then, He announced to them the birth of the Messiah ; for many reasons ; first, because it was His custom many times to shew His guidance by means of strangers, and by what was true amongst them ; as was done with Balaam, and with that woman who evoked spirits, the Endorite, and with Paul's Pythoness, etc. ; second, that even
our Lord was called by Balaam a Star, and by Isaiah a Light and (Num. 24.17) by Malachi a Sun, and by Jeremiah a Branch of Righteousness ; 'and our Lord calls Himself the Light of the World; third, that so they might led to the Sun by means of a star: in order therefore that in (Jn 8:12) proportion as the Magians approached the Sun the star hid the properties f the Sun and of the stars, and was never again seen by them henceforth; fourth, that it might destroy Chaldaism ; for a god was worshipped by the Persians by means of a star which was called by them Nanaea, and by others differently ; and by what was true amongst them, by that p. A he draws them to our Lord ; and fifth, in order that we should acknow ledge the Divinity and Lordship of the Christ; for must not this one be all great, whose birth is now preached, inasmuch as that becomes His servant and courier who is confessed amongst them as a god? and sixth, in order to shew that He who is born is supreme and heavenly, for the forerunners of heavenly beings are heavenly, and of earthly beings earthly. But the birth of our Lord was revealed first to the heathen Magians, because the testimony of enemies is credible about the good things of their enemies; and because they do not proclaim it with flattery, like compatriots, God moved them to this ; and that the Jews also might be reproved, if heathens thus believed in the Son of David, but they rejected Him ; secondly, that if even a sign were shewn to the Magians, yet that sign was shewn to the whole world by means of the Magians, and that they might perceive the birth of the Autocrat, that Ephraim, is to say, the Almighty, who is over all nations through whom they were passing. And just as not only on account of Hezekiah a sign was given, but also that it might be announced to the whole world by means of the sun that turned back, that they might make known the Creator of all, and Him who turned Hezekiah from death to life, and His excellency, etc.; and just as our Lord was fled with to Egypt, that in going and returning the fame of His birth might be made known, that is to say, that He might proclaim it to the inhabited world, and at the same time also (Is. 19.1) the prophecy should be fulfilled, Behold, the Lord rideth on the swift (HOS. 11:1) clouds, and cometh into Egypt, and From Egypt have I called My Son; thus the fact was also furnished to the Magians ; thirdly, because Persia and Egypt, more than all the earth, were inflamed with the ardour of idolatry, He shews from the beginning that He will be the Healer of them both, and that the rest also of those who are held in error may have a good hope; therefore, from Persia He sends the Magians, but to Egypt He and His mother go down; and fourthly, to the Magians the birth was announced, and not to the Jews, because their kingdom was destroyed at that time, and impostors and speculators were announced, who should bring comfort and encouragement to their souls, but in reality would dare to raise a rebellion against Czesar; and those heralds perished by the malice of Herod ; fifthly, that by the coming of the Magians and by the decrees from their kings which they carried to other kings and satraps, He might make known about the peace and quietness which our Lord was destined to give in the whole world; and to destroy .sin and Satan and death, and give us new life, etc.; sixthly, that the prophecy might be fulfilled, the kings of Sheba and Seba, (PS. 72.10) etc. that He might shew that He is Lord and Saviour of all, both of the Jews and of the Gentiles ; and therefore He gave light to all, to the Jews by means of the Shepherds, and to the Gentiles by the Magians. And it is asked, Whence did the Magians receive, that when the star was shewn to them, the King of Kings was born, and that they ought to bring Him threefold gifts ? Some say it was from Daniel; to wit, that Magian men came from Sheba to Babylon, to the palace, during the time when Nebuchadnezzar reigned, to offer gifts to the king, and to learn p. Chaldaism ; and it was said to them by Daniel, that when the Messiah should be born, the kings of Sheba and Seba ought to bring Him gifts; a but these wrote in a library, that is to say, in their own archives and records, that is to say, in a book of remembrances ; others say, from Balaam they received it. But to tell the truth, it was announced by Zerdusht, chief of their dogma, that is, he was constrained by Divine power, like Balaam and Caiaphas ; or because he was of the nation of Israel, and cognisant of the Scriptures ; and some say that he was Baruch, the pupil of Jeremia, and for the reason that the gift of prophecy was not given to him as he coveted, and also by reason of that bitter captivity and the devastation of Jerusalem and of the Temple, etc., he was offended and went out to the heathen, and learned twelve languages, and wrote in them that vomit of Satan, that is to say, that book of theirs that is called the Avesta ; for it is written there, that as Zerdusht was sitting at a fountain of water, a place that had been established as a bathing-place for the ancient kings, he opened his mouth and said to his disciples, " Hear, O my beloved, and sons whom I have educated in my doctrine; for in the latter days a virgin, a daughter of the Hebrews, shall without conjugal intercourse bring forth a son in whom somewhat of the Divine nature shall dwell, and He shall do wonderful miracles and signs, and at His birth a star shall be shewn to you. Go, bring Him offerings, three gifts, gold, myrrh, and frankincense ; as He is the King of Kings," etc.; that he spoke to them at length about His passion and death and resurrection and ascension, etc. But the Magians had no reward for their labour, as it was not by their will that they came, and not even afterwards did they believe in the truth ; because there was also no reward to Balaam for that prophecy about our Lord. But by Ephraim means of the gold which they brought Him they signified, first, on the  one hand about His kingdom, for gold is the gift of kings; for because gold is the king of all material substances, it is justly offered to the King of all that is sensible and insensible; secondly, on the other hand, gold, just as it alone of minerals does not rust, and of heatable things does not diminish when it is heated, thus also the kingdom of Jesus alone does not diminish nor become corrupted, as it is written ; then thirdly, by means of (1 Peter 2.) gold, they hint at the purity of His flesh. He did no sin, it is said, and His throat did not meditate guile. Then by means of myrrh they hint at the passion of His humanity, for with myrrh also weighing a hundred pounds His body was embalmed by Nicodemus. David again says; the king's garments are made fragrant with myrrh and cassia, and stacte. Again, by means of myrrh they signified, that He is the Physician who heals the (Is. 53. 6) wounds of Adam; by His stripes, it is said, we are healed. Again, by means of myrrh they hinted at the preciseness and difficulty of His (Matt. 7.14) commandments ; strait, it is said, is the gate, and narrow is the way, etc.  Then by the frankincense they signify, first, about His Godhead; for the vapour of frankincense is accustomed to fumigate our world in the temples to God. Again, by frankincense, a mixed substance, they signified about the Godhead and Manhood, that they were a wonderful mixture of unity: and that it is used in the temple as incense; for it is useful for the temple and for Him that dwelleth in it. Again, by the frankincense they (2 cor. 2.15) hinted, that in the Christ we are a sweet savour to God, in them that are saved, and in them that perish, etc. Again, they signified about the pleasures and delights which the righteous receive from the Person of our Lord, and from the splendour of His glory. Again, by means of gold they offered to Him as it were the firstfruits of all material substances; and by myrrh, of all sweet odours; and by frankincense, of all trees; and they brought only three substances, for the mystery of the Trinity. But See what is said by the ancients, that the gifts which the Magians offered to sinaitica our Lord, had been put by Adam in the Cave of Treasures, and he  commanded Seth to hand them on, that when the Messiah should appear, the Magians might come and deliver them to Him, is not received at all in the schools. And it is asked, how many Herods there were, as they deceive by the a similarity of the name. Truly there were four. The first Herod was See Africa- a priest of the idol-temple at Ashkalon, a city of the Philistines, and this one begat Antipatros, him whom the Idumaeans made captive, and he was brought up in their customs; then he begat Herod the king, him who killed the children; and this one begat Herod the tetrarch, who killed John ; and in his days our Lord suffered; and he begat Herod who was called Agrippa, him who arrayed himself in royal apparel, as Luke mentions in the Acts. Rachel weeping for her children, and would not, etc. And why Rachel alone, and not also Lea the mother of Judah the inheritor of Bethlehem and of Jerusalem? Jeremiah (Jer 31) spoke this on behalf of his people that were taken captive to Babylon, and by Rachel he signifies the tribes of Benjamin and Judah; but the Evangelist used this testimony about the death of the children; and not as if the fact were spoken of in prophecy, but as it was fitting that it should be told because the children were led in embryo to slaughter by their parents; he mentioned Rachel only, first, because he uses the testimony of the prophet, he puts it barely without addition of his own ; second, because she had been buried in Bethlehem, and because it was in the neighborhood of her grave; and third, because she was the mother of tribes, and perhaps they who were killed were buried near her grave ; fourth, because Rachel died in giving birth, and those were killed when they had just been born. But angry Herod even from hence received an earnest of future punishment ; for Josephus says that he fell into an illness of gangrene and of worms,' and Joseph, shortness of breath, and his secret parts putrefied, and in his despair he killed his wife and his children; and when they made him sit in heat  ' and in oil, his eyes turned round and he went miserably out of the world.  This phrase, He shall be called a Nazarene, is not in the Scriptures verbatim, but it is clear that in every way it is said, else how could the Evangelist use it? as also other similar testimonies from the Scriptures-nevertheless writings perished in the various captivities ; and it happens that this also was lost along with them ; but the Evangelist from grace of spirit knew it and put it down. Again, a branch is called in Hebrew nasor, and the village was called Nazareth, that is to say, a branch This then of Isaia, that a Branch shall grow up out of his root, is written in Hebrew Nasor, which is interpreted new; and Nazareth is new- and Nazantism newness-, not because the teaching of the Christ is' new therefore prophecy called it by this name, but because God was about to be incarnated anew; and the man to be deified who was born without conjugal intercourse. A Nasarene is in Hebrew, a branch And the Prophet called our Lord a child, as a branch is the child of a tree, etc. In the Commentary of Bar Bahriz, A branch is noser Nazareth is a sprouting, for thus the Hebrew says, the word of Isaiah to there shall sprout, and shall sprout from his roots. If then a Jew wishes to make the Gospel false by the non-existence of any quotation, he is reproved by the book that he boasts of; for Moses said to Aaron about the death of his persons, This is what the Lord said, I will be sanctified in them that come (Lev. 10. 3) before all the people will I be glorified. This is nowhere (Num.21.14) said. And therefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the Lord, "A flame in the storm, and in the valley of Arnon" ; and I do not know a Book of the Wars, and clearly there is no sign of the word ; and to (2 Sam .i.18) teach the bow to the children of Jndah. Behold, it is written in the Book of Jasher, and it does not tell what is the Book of Jasher nor how the teaching of the bow took place. And about Jeroboam the son (2Kings 14). of Jehu it is said that he restored the coast of Israel from the entering of 25 Hamath to the river of the Arabah, according to the word of the Lord which He spake by the hand of His servant Jonah the son of Mittai, the prophet, who was from Gath-Hepher. And nowhere is it said. [Nor is this said anywhere:] "And thou hast said that the world shall be built up by grace." Therefore let [the Jew] be persuaded from his own Scriptures and also about ours. 

And in those days came John the Baptist. Not immediately after our Lord returned from Egypt and lived in Nazareth did John the Baptist come. He came after thirty years more or less, during which he paid the penalty of our nature, that is to say, a kind of contract which is in decrees, as Honain says in his " Definition of names" ; and he fulfilled the Law, and made it cease from its course, for it is also the custom of the Scriptures, not only to include in "days" a long period of time, like (Gen. 14. i) this, that in the days of Amraphel, and in the days of Uzzia, etc.; but also (is. 1.1) in the dav like this, that all the day the warrior oppressed me, and all the (PS'. 44.15) day my shame is before me, which means a space of time. But how was John removed? Mar Ephraim and others say that Elisabeth withdrew him from before the sword of Herod ; she had received in a revelation, that she should make him flee to the wilderness; when, by gracious dexterity she had made him a garment of hair of the wool of camels ; Marom Syriac Ephraim alone calls it Bawa. Ba'wa is the hair which is on the belly of camels which is not very rough. Some figure by the camels' hair the Law and the Gospel; that just as the camel is half unclean and half clean, for it chews the cud like the clean animals, and does not divide the hoof like the unclean ones; thus also John in his dress and his preaching. And the girdle of his loins was a band of leather, and with him they had grown for thirty years, like the clothes of Israel for forty years, and with him they returned when he returned to a settled habitation. Others say that an Samuel, although it shows about many things that took place after the death of Samuel ; so also the book of the Birth is called the Evangel'; and this also it is right to know, that the beginning of the Gospel is the Baptism of the Christ, but those things that happened from His conception until His baptism are added as adjuncts with it of the Gospel; for the Gospel is also explained as the good news, and the good news begins with the Baptism, so therefore also Mark begins with it; and also Matthew and Luke, after they have taught briefly the things relating to the Birth, then approach the Baptism. And even John also, after he has taught about the Divinity of the only begotten in the commencement of his book, begins from the Baptism of John. John, it is said, bare witness of Him, etc. (John 1:15)