(Plural of Latin magus ; Greek magoi ). Rationalists regard the
Gospel account as fiction; Catholics insist that it is a
narrative of fact, supporting their interpretation with the
evidence of all manuscripts and versions, and patristic
citations. All this evidence rationalists pronounce irrelevant;
they class the story of the Magi with the so-called "legends of
the childhood of Jesus ", later apocryphal additions to the
Gospels. Admitting only internal evidence, they say, this
evidence does not stand the test of criticism. - John and Mark
are silent. This is because they begin their Gospels with the
public life of Jesus. That John knew the story of the Magi may
be gathered from the fact that Irenaeus (Adv. Haer., III, ix, 2)
is witness to it; for Irenaeus gives us the Johannine tradition.
- Luke is silent. Naturally, as the fact is told well enough by
the other synoptics. Luke tells the Annunciation, details of the
Nativity, the Circumcision, and the Presentation of Christ in
the Temple, facts of the childho