Merry Christmas: Coin of the Magi: Silver Drachm of King Azes

Having achieved a ministry degree, I collect only artifacts relevant to the Bible and early Church now for use in educating others.

"Coin of the Magi"

Silver Drachm, minted from 35 BC to 5 AD for King Azes 2.

Azes 2 was the last of the Indo-Scythians ruling over the Bactrian empire that is now India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. Astrologers of his kingdom saw a unique "star", possibly a supernova, in the sky and followed it to Bethlehem to worship the one for whom it was created. One of them, whom tradition calls Gaspar, may have been the king's direct representative hand-chosen by Azes. This coin could possibly have been one brought with them on their 2,500 mile journey, and it may even have been an addition to the expensive gifts bestowed to Joseph, Mary, and baby Jesus as they huddled in a manger one cold desert night.

The traditionally described three gifts were gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Gold represents a gift fit for a king as it reflects high status with its brilliant shine. Frankincense represents a deity as it was burned by the magi in worship of their gods; yet as they beheld God incarnate, they gave it to Him. Myrrh represents mortality, as it was used to perfume bodies for burial, which reflects how Lord Jesus was fully a man as He, too, would one day die. Together, the three traditional gifts represent a mortal king who is also a god— the God, in fact, Whose Word spoke the world into motion. Jesus, the Word at the beginning, now in the flesh as mortal man: A king, yet born in a dirty stable among animals and muck. Even the distant and regal magi, who had traveled 2,500 miles over the course of months, knew the King of Kings when they beheld His humble and vulnerable form. So they, likely in glorious colorful attire, humbly bowed before an infant wrapped up in rags— an infant whose family was just one of many peasant families with nothing to their name except the blessing of God.

The magi, whose number is traditionally set at three, first stopped at Herod's palace-fortress outside of Bethlehem before they continued their search for the infant king. It is very possible that Mary and Joseph could see Herod's hillside palace blazing with torch-light in the distance. In dramatic irony, the false king Herod was set up in splendid, comfortable, earthly safety; and the true king was set up in a dirty, drafty, exposed stable. The pangs the parents must have felt! Yet might they have known that Herod would not inherit anything but disgrace and a bad reputation, and that Jesus would inherit the minds and hearts of millions through the ages?

Herod was well-known to be fearful of a coup d'état and even had members of his own family murdered due to his paranoia. Craftily, he told the magi to report back to him where the infant king lay, that he might also "come and worship Him." Herod then fell upon his advisors and queried where the Messiah would be. The Scriptures foretold that Bethlehem in Judea would be the birthplace of the Savior. When the magi, divinely warned that Herod was out for blood and not admiration of the King, failed to report back to Herod, Herod then had all the male children under two slaughtered in Bethlehem— for the "star" had been in the sky for up to two years. Mary and Joseph, also divinely warned, fled to Egypt— the same place the Hebrews had fled from when God delivered them through Moses who himself escaped the slaughter of infants by a pharaoh. When the blessed family heard that Herod had died, they returned to Nazareth where Mary was first told she would have the Christ-child and where she had married Joseph.