<P> The text specifies no interval between the birth and the visit, and artistic depictions and the closeness of the traditional dates of December 25 and January 6 encourage the popular assumption that the visit took place the same winter as the birth, but later traditions varied, with the visit taken as occurring up to two winters later . This maximum interval explained Herod's command at Matthew 2: 16--18 that the Massacre of the Innocents included boys up to two years old . More recent commentators, not tied to the traditional feast days, may suggest a variety of intervals . </P> <P> The wise men are mentioned twice shortly thereafter in verse 16, in reference to their avoidance of Herod after seeing Jesus, and what Herod had learned from their earlier meeting . The star which they followed has traditionally become known as the Star of Bethlehem . </P> <P> The Magi are popularly referred to as wise men and kings . The word magi is the plural of Latin magus, borrowed from Greek μάγος magos, as used in the original Greek text of the Gospel of Matthew ("μάγοι"). Greek magos itself is derived from Old Persian maguŝ from the Avestan magâunô, i.e., the religious caste into which Zoroaster was born (see Yasna 33.7: "ýâ sruyê parê magâunô" = "so I can be heard beyond Magi"). The term refers to the Persian priestly caste of Zoroastrianism . As part of their religion, these priests paid particular attention to the stars and gained an international reputation for astrology, which was at that time highly regarded as a science . Their religious practices and use of astrology caused derivatives of the term Magi to be applied to the occult in general and led to the English term magic, although Zoroastrianism was in fact strongly opposed to sorcery . The King James Version translates the term as wise men; the same translation is applied to the wise men led by Daniel of earlier Hebrew Scriptures (Daniel 2: 48). The same word is given as sorcerer and sorcery when describing "Elymas the sorcerer" in Acts 13: 6--11, and Simon Magus, considered a heretic by the early Church, in Acts 8: 9--13 . Several translations refer to the men outright as astrologers at Matthew Chapter 2, including New English Bible (1961); Phillips New Testament in Modern English (J.B. Phillips, 1972); Twentieth Century New Testament (1904 revised edition); Amplified Bible (1958 - New Testament); An American Translation (1935, Goodspeed); and The Living Bible (K. Taylor, 1962 - New Testament). </P> <P> Although the Magi are commonly referred to as "kings," there is nothing in the account from the Gospel of Matthew that implies that they were rulers of any kind . The identification of the Magi as kings is linked to Old Testament prophecies that describe the Messiah being worshipped by kings in Isaiah 60: 3, Psalm 68: 29, and Psalm 72: 10, which reads, "Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations serve him ." Early readers reinterpreted Matthew in light of these prophecies and elevated the Magi to kings . By AD 500 all commentators adopted the prevalent tradition that the three were kings . Later Christian interpretation stressed the Adorations of the Magi and shepherds as the first recognition by the people of the earth of Christ as the Redeemer, but the reformer John Calvin was vehemently opposed to referring to the Magi as kings . He once wrote: "But the most ridiculous contrivance of the Papists on this subject is, that those men were kings...Beyond all doubt, they have been stupefied by a righteous judgment of God, that all might laugh at (their) gross ignorance ." </P>

Where did the names of the magi come from