The Magi as Wise Men: Re-examining a Basic Supposition
The tradition that identifies Matthew's magi as ‘wise men’ is considered in light of narrative criticism, social history, and Wirkungsgeschichte. An examination of literature relevant to the narrative's setting reveals that Matthew's readers are expected to regard magian learning not...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Cambridge Univ. Press
2000
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| In: |
New Testament studies
Year: 2000, Volume: 46, Issue: 1, Pages: 1-20 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | The tradition that identifies Matthew's magi as ‘wise men’ is considered in light of narrative criticism, social history, and Wirkungsgeschichte. An examination of literature relevant to the narrative's setting reveals that Matthew's readers are expected to regard magian learning not as wisdom but as foolishness. Matthew's narrative is prejudiced against scholarship, such that the magi's status as fools is what qualifies them as candidates for divine revelation. The tradition that regards the magi as wise men can be traced to the Renaissance and attributed to an ideological bias that favours a blessing of scholarship. |
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| ISSN: | 1469-8145 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: New Testament studies
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1017/S0028688500000011 |