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

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    Posted 2 years ago

    SpiritBear
    (813 items)

    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.

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    Comments

    1. Newfld Newfld, 2 years ago
      Merry Christmas SpiritBear, wonderful coin and history
    2. dav2no1 dav2no1, 2 years ago
      Merry Christmas. Great detailed explanation. I have an odd piece .not sure if someone fabricated it. Maybe you can take a look and see if you have an opinion on it?

      https://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/287318-bank-of-paran--100-bank-note
    3. Falcon61, 2 years ago
      During the Christmas season as you think about the star of Bethlehem that pointed mankind to the First Coming of the Messiah, keep in mind that Jesus will soon return as the bright morning star (Revelation 22:16).
    4. keramikos, 2 years ago
      Wow, SpiritBear. :-)

      Long time, no read. Congratulations on your degree, and Merry Christmas.

      Here's a little mood music:

      Harry Simeone Chorale "Little Drummer Boy" on The Ed Sullivan Show on December 20, 1959.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpvXQjnMI48

      A text excerpt from another YouTube video of the tune:

      *snip*

      "The Little Drummer Boy" is a popular Christmas song, with words and music by Katherine K. Davis. Henry Onorati and Harry Simeone have been credited with writing the song, even though they were only the arrangers for their recordings of it.

      The lyrics tell the apocryphal story of a poor young boy who, unable to afford a gift for the infant Jesus, plays his drum for the newborn with the Virgin Mary's approval. Miraculously, the baby, although a newborn, seems to understand and smiles at the boy in gratitude. The story is somewhat similar to an old twelfth-century legend retold by Anatole France as Le jongleur de Notre-Dame (The Juggler of Notre Dame), which was adapted into an opera in 1902 by Jules Massenet. In the French legend, however, a juggler juggles before the statue of the Virgin Mary, and the statue, according to which version of the legend one reads, either smiles at him or throws him a rose (or both, as in the 1984 made-for-television film).

      Performers: The Harry Simeone Chorale
      Period: 20th Century
      Written: 1941; USA

      *snip*

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DT1fA59oH7Q

      To the song background provided above, I would add only that there is an older film version of the juggler story, starring Edmund Gwenn:

      The Greatest Gift (1942)

      https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0829182/
    5. Trey Trey, 2 years ago
      Merry Christmas :)

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