by Brent Landau
17. THE MAGI IN JERUSALEM
17:1And when we arrived in the region of Jerusalem, in the month of flowers,163 our good emissary led and brought us inside Jerusalem. 17:2And its nobles and rulers were disturbed and troubled,164 and they asked us: “On account of what cause have you come here? Perhaps because of the mysteries of your Magianism?” because they saw us looking up at heaven, and worshiping our sign, and praying to our guide, because they did not understand our mysteries, and they reckoned us as Magi.165
Sassetta (Stefano di Giovanni) (ca. 1400–1450) The Journey of the Magi. Ca. 1435. Tempera and gold on wood, 8 1/2 x 11 3/4 in. (21.6 x 29.8 cm). Maitland F. Griggs Collection, Bequest of Maitland F. Griggs, 1943 (43.98.1). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY. Photo Credit: Image copyright © The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Art Resource, NY
The Journey of the Magi by Sassetta, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, ca. 1435. Similar to the description found in chapter 16 of the Revelation of the Magi, this painting depicts the Star of Bethlehem as being in close proximity to the traveling Magi.
17:3And we said to them: “We saw a sign of heavenly majesty in our land, as we were instructed by our fathers, that a king, and a messiah, and a life giver, and a savior who gives himself to death for the sake of the entire world has been born here. 17:4And we have come because we saw all his signs and the forms of his hidden divinity in the appearance of a human clothed with a body.166 And we came, rejoicing with our pure gifts, which were deposited by our fathers in the Cave of Treasures of Hidden Mysteries on the Mountain of Victories. 17:5And he commanded us in a great vision to come to this land to worship him in reverence, because he has worshipers in every country.167 He becomes for them a life giver, and a savior, and a forgiver of sins, and through him the Lord of all is pleased with his creation and makes atonement with his people.” 17:6And Herod, the governor of the region, called and sent for the honorable elders of the city, and asked them: “Where is it written that the king messiah, and savior, and life giver of the worlds is to be born?”168 And all of them said to him (as) from one mouth: “The village Bethlehem, as was said by the heavenly majesty to our father David, the ancient prophet who lived a long time ago.” 17:7And when we heard from them what they said, again we rejoiced greatly. And while we were exulting, we saw our leader and our guide; again we abounded in joy all the more.169 17:8And while we spoke mysteries, and all manner of revelations,and praises, we went in joy to Bethlehem as the blind scribes had read, not believing what they read from their books,170 nor Herod, the blind governor, [unseeing] of the love of the light that was born in their land, which (was) the light before (all) worlds.171 And they are dwelling in darkness in the world in their days.172 17:9But Herod said to us in his deceit: “When you have seen the messiah, come and tell me, that I also may go to worship him.”173 And because he was not worthy for the worship of the light that was born, because he was a dwelling of error, it was said to us by our guide and our light that we should not return to him,174 because he was not [worthy] to see the great light of the world,175 because he was totally deaf and blind to its worship.
18. ARRIVAL IN BETHLEHEM
18:1And we went and entered Bethlehem in joy, which was worthy to be called the village for the holy birth and for the great light that appeared in it (to kill) and destroy all error and to bring death to an end. 18:2And all of us went to the homestead176 in which our guide was born, and we saw a cave177 like the form and appearance of the Cave of Treasures of Hidden Mysteries,178 which is in our country, from which we had learned the hidden mysteries that were preached about him, which were deposited in it by our ancient fathers, and they were allaccomplished today in our coming here.179 18:3And we saw the pillar of light, which descended as we had seen it before,180 and it stood in front of the cave, and that star of light descended and stood above the pillar, angels on its right side and on its left side.181 18:4And when we saw it, again we rejoiced, though being afraid. And the pillar, and the star, and the angels entered and went before us into that cave,182 in which the mystery and light of salvation was born. 18:5And a compassionate voice instructed us, “Enter inside,”183 and we went in after it, and we took our crowns,184 and we put them under his feet, because the everlasting kingdom is his.185 18:6And we knelt and worshiped before him upon the earth, because every knee that is in heaven and on earth bows to him and worships him.186 18:7And we opened our hidden treasures, and they being sealed, we took them and came near the treasure of salvation, who is sealed with heavenly majesty. 18:8And we brought forth our treasures before him, who is the treasure of salvation, that we might receive them from him in the kingdom by many-fold before his own judgment seat of salvation.187
19. Epiphany in the bethlehem cave
19:1And the glorious infant and the ancient light perfecting the will of the Father of majesty opened his mouth, and he said to us with a love of abundant and sweetmercy: “Peace to you, sons of my hidden mysteries,188 sons of the East, of the heavenly light, because you have been found worthy to see the ancient everlasting light, you and also your fathers.189 19:2And as you were worthy, behold, you have received him in perfect love without doubt. And again, you will be worthy to see him in his great light before which there will no longer be any mysteries, because they all are fulfilled in him. 19:3And he alone from this time onward rules over all, and all are subject to him. 19:4For it was I who was revealed to you in your land, and I spoke with you by mysteries. And again, I became for you a guide and leader to this place until you came in peace before me. 19:5And again, I shall be with you even until the end,190 and I am not separated from you nor from all those who believe in me with perfect love. 19:6And again, you will be witnesses for me in the land of the East together with my disciples,191 those who are chosen by me to preach my Gospel. 19:7And when I have completed the will of my Father regarding everything that he commanded me, (I will go up) in the glory in which I was with him.192 Yet even now, while I am speaking with you, I am with him and have not become separated from the majesty of the Father.193 19:8Now I shall give to you another sign at which you will be astonished: in the hour that you see the sun darkened in the daytime like the night,194 and there is a great earthquake upon the earth, and the voice of the dead is heard fromtheir graves giving praise,195 then at that time know that all the times and seasons have come to an end in my coming to you. 19:9And lift your eyes to the (heavens), and see them opened in glory before me, and I am ascending in praise fitting for me and sitting at the right hand of the Father of majesty,196 from whom I have been sent to save the world.”
20. ANGELS PRAISE CHRIST
20:1And while the savior was speaking all these things with us, that entire cave shone,197 and it became in our eyes like another world, since [in this world] there was no light like it. 20:2And many voices of [seraphs] were speaking and [text missing] which are innumerable: “Yea and Amen!198 20:3O first-born opener of the secret womb, O holy infant, O completer of the will of the heavenly majesty who is the perfect ‘Yes,’ and through whom everything came into being,199 and ‘Amen,’200 by your light and by your word they were made perfect, and all the worlds seen and unseen were brought to completion.201 20:4And all the angels and the powers worship you. And yours is the place of salvation, which you will give to your chosen ones. And yours is the ancient light, because you are the beloved fruit of the thought of the Father. 20:5And you are the image and will of the one who upholds all, the revealer of hidden things, because by the word that is spoken all thatis in the thought is made known. And you are all, and all is in you, and there is nothing outside of your will.”202
21. THE COMMISSIONING OF THE MAGI
21:1And when all these praises were spoken and we heard, we were afraid and trembled, and we fell upon the ground like dead men. 21:2And the child, the offspring of light, stretched out his right hand mightily and put it upon us.203 And he comforted us and said to us: “Sons of my mysteries,204 do not be afraid. For all these things that you have seen and heard from the first
day until today, and at which you are amazed: even those ones that [you hear] are not greater than I am, but for you they are mighty because you are clothed in weak flesh, yet for me they are very small things. 21:3For because of your frailty, you are not able to see or hear a single one of the wonderful things that belong to me with the Father who sent me. But since you have been found worthy to see and hear these things at this time—and behold, you are amazed as wonderful things are in your sight!—again you shall be deemed worthy by my love, which is with you forever, to see and hear these great things that cannot be spoken now. And neither watchers nor angels are able to speak of them, because these things are very great even for them.205 21:4Therefore, rise and go in peace to your light-receiving land,206 because you have been deemed worthyto receive the perfect light of the heavenly majesty, and to come and worship it with your gifts in joy. Behold, you have completed everything that you were commanded by your fathers, and you have also been deemed worthy to know and learn the ancient hidden mysteries, which were written for you from the first generations. Now, behold, you have seen the completion of your mysteries, and you have completed everything that you have been commanded for my love and for my witness. 21:5And again, you have been deemed worthy to be witnesses for me in the East with my disciples, who were chosen by me before the world came to be. And when I have completed the will of my Father regarding everything that he commanded me and have ascended to him in glory, I shall send to you some of my chosen ones who have been chosen by me for your land. And they shall speak and witness the truth with you that it may be your seal207 with one accord. 21:6Therefore, rise and go in peace. Again, I am with you in all visions and signs,208 just as I am with you from the first day. For just as I am in sight and in all forms here—and behold, you are amazed by all the visions and forms in which you see me—I am also with the Father of majesty whose will I am since the world began, and I am never separated from you, nor from the presence of the Father, because I am a ray of his light, and I was sent to you to enlighten you. 21:7And behold, you are amazed as frail human beings—how much morewhen I have come to you in the majesty of my Father. As for you not being able to stand before me, neither (could) the angels and powers that are above you when I descended upon them, and they saw a vision of wonders and stood in fear and trembling. Even as it was fitting for them I appeared to them, and for you I appeared as you were able to see. 21:8For the Father of majesty does not have an image and form in this world,209 except I who am an epiphany from him, since I am his will, and his power, and his wisdom,210 since I am in my Father and my Father is in me.211 And I am—as it is fitting for God to be seen and for the world to know him, and again, as the sons of wisdom can receive and hear with love—the majesty of the Father who sent me. And now I have appeared to you in the form of humanity to fulfill everything that is written about me.212 21:9Because of the reason and the foolishness of your ancient father Adam’s sin, which became your downfall to Sheol, death has had authority over you, and error has reigned in deceit over your generations and has supposed in its rashness that it was lord over you and that you had become its property forever. And again, I have made known to you, your fathers, and even to that ancient race of yours, your freedom, because you are from the race of light.213 And it was not in vain that you were created in the world, and heaven, and earth, and all the worlds came into being for your sake.214 21:10And also, the Father of majesty, becauseof this love, sent me, and I clothed myself in your form, that by it I might bring to an end and destroy all those who afflict you and your captors. And I shall offer you to the Father, before him as a pure and perfect offering, since there are no blemishes of error on you. And I shall set you free with love, and with truth, with pure water, and the birth of the Holy Spirit,215 and you shall be for me by love brothers and believers, like infants in whom there are no blemishes of evil,216 from now until forever. 21:11Therefore, joy, and praise, and thanksgiving he217 will cause to go up from you in the heavenly heights from you through me, since I am his will. And joy, and redemption, and the fellowship of the Spirit, and eternal life shall be given to you through me, since everything is in agreement without division. As from the beginning under the wings218 of the Father will it be, his power, and his wisdom, and his righteous will sanctifying and having mercy upon you forever and ever.” 21:12And again, a voice from on high, and from every direction, and from inside the earth was heard, which answered and said, “Amen! The will of complete salvation, joy and peace to all the worlds!”219
22. THE MAGI MEET MARY AND JOSEPH
22:1And when we received from him the commandments of salvation, we went forth from his presence in great joy,and much exultation, and with praise, our hearts being filled with great hope, to come to our land. 22:2And Joseph and Mary, honored and blessed people, went out with us,220 they who were deemed worthy and entrusted to be called by the name parents and to be upbringers for the offspring of the voice of virgin hearing221 and upbringers for the perfect will of complete mercy. Mary became the gate for the great light that entered the world in grace to banish the darkness. 22:3And she became the way of salvation for God giving birth to himself,222 who appeared in the bodily form of a human being.223 And there will be for her a name, and a memory, and a blessing forever and ever.224 22:4And they lifted up their eyes and they saw the light that was born by his mercy in their house,225 which is with us and accompanies us. 22:5And they said to us: “We were not pleased by your coming to us. You have led away the light and the great hope of the whole world, and you have gone away [with him] and [have deprived us] of him. We were deemed worthy by great grace to be trusted to be attendants for it, for the upbringing of the body that appeared in our house,226 and now, behold, we have seen him going away with you.”
23. THE MAGI’S REVELATION TO MARY
23:1We said to her: “O woman blessed among women,227 O blessed Mary, who was deemed worthy by mercy toreceive the conception of the Spirit by your pure obedience and to bring forth the child of salvation of the eternal word, you were trusted and deemed worthy to be called mother for him. 23:2And now, behold, your glorious child is inside of you,228 and behold, he awaits you in the house, even while he is not separated from us, as he said to us, because he is the great gift of salvation that by your child was given to all the worlds. 23:3And the mystery that was hidden from the beginning in the Father of all has been revealed to us in your child. And the treasure of salvation has appeared which had been kept for all generations. This great gift and light of salvation is not yours alone, but is (for) all the heavenly and lower worlds. 23:4And lift up your eyes and see that he is in the entire creation and enlightens it all, and it is full of his glorious mysteries. And now he has appeared in the world in a body, and the forms with him are seen in every land, because he has been sent by his229 majesty for the salvation and redemption of every human being.”230
24. MARY SPEAKS TO CHRIST
24:1And when Joseph and Mary turned back, rejoicing about all these things that they had heard about the holy child, they went away to their house.231 24:2And Mary entered and found the child of light laughing232 about and glorifying all his great and amazing mysteries, proclaimed in the entire world from [ancient times,] and behold, all of them are fulfilled in his appearance today. And he glorified and gave thanks to his Father who sent him for the redemption of his worlds. 24:3And Mary and Joseph worshiped him, and she said to him: “I have rejoiced that I have seen the treasury of salvation, and my light, and the holy child, who is the obedience of my ears.233 24:4And O opener of my womb by [your] holy mercy, O Lord of my holy virginity, I have greatly rejoiced that I have found my great treasure in my house where I gave birth and my great light, which exists forever. I had thought, O my beloved, that the Easterners were taking you, with your great love for them, in exchange for the gifts they offered to you from your own, since I saw your holy form going along with them.”234
