Zarath

Zarath, neutr. indecl., Stadt in Mauretania Caesar., Apul. apol. 24 extr. – Dav. Zarathēnsis, e, zarathensisch, bei Zarath, agellus (Gütchen), Apul. apol. 23.

μάγος, οὑ, ὁ (s. μαγεία, μαγεύω)

① a Magus, a (Persian [SNyberg, D. Rel. d. alten Iran ’38], then also Babylonian) wise man and priest, who was expert in astrology, interpretation of dreams and various other occult arts (so Hdt.+; Jos., Ant. 20, 142; s. Da 2:2, 10; in still other pass. in Da, Theod.; Tat. 28, 1. Beside φιλόσοφος of Apollonius of Tyana: Orig., C. Cels. 6, 41, 13). After Jesus’ birth μάγοι Magi Mt 2:7 (cp. Jos., Ant. 10, 216), 16a (=GJs 22:1); vs. 16b; GJs 21:1, 3 (apart fr. the pap text, μάγοι appears in codd. of GJs twice in 21:2; once in vs. 3), or more definitely μάγοι ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν (ἀπὸ Ἀρραβίας Just., D. 77, 4; ἀπὸ ἀνάτολῆς Orig., C. Cels. 1, 40, 20) Magi from the east Mt 2:1 came to Palestine and declared that they had read in the stars of the birth of the Messianic King. Diog. L. 2, 45 φησὶ δʼ Ἀριστοτέλης μάγον τινὰ ἐλθόντα ἐκ Συρίας εἰς Ἀθήνας in order to announce to Socrates that he would come to a violent end.—ADieterich, ZNW 3, 1902, 1–14; FSteinmetzer, D. Gesch. der Geburt u. Kindheit Christi 1910; GFrenken, Wunder u. Taten der Heiligen 1929, 186–93; KBornhäuser, D. Geburts-u. Kindheitsgesch. Jesu 1930. FCumont, L’Adoration des Mages: Memorie della Pontif. Acc. Rom. di Archeol. 3, ’32, 81–105. EHodous, CBQ 6, ’44, 71–74; 77–83.—On the Magi HMeyboom, Magiërs: TT ’39, 1905, 40–70; GMessina, D. Ursprung der Magier u. d. zarath. Rel., diss. Berl. 1930, I Magi a Betlemme e una predizione di Zoroastro ’33 (against him GHartmann, Scholastik 7, ’32, 403–14); RPettazzoni, RHR 103, ’31, 144–50; Goodsp., Probs. 14f.—On the star of the Magi HKritzinger, Der Stern der Weisen 1911; HGVoigt, Die Geschichte Jesu u. d. Astrologie 1911; OGerhardt, Der Stern des Messias 1922; DFrövig, D. Stern Bethlehems in der theol. Forschung: TK 2, ’31, 127–62; CSSmith, CQR 114, ’32, 212–27; WVischer, D. Ev. von den Weisen aus dem Morgenlande: EVischer Festschr. ’35, 7–20; ELohmeyer, D. Stern d. Weisen: ThBl 17, ’38, 288–99; GHartmann, Stimmen d. Zeit 138, ’41, 234–38; JSchaumberger, Ein neues Keilschriftfragment über d. angebl. Stern der Weisen: Biblica 24, ’43, 162–69, but s. ASachs and CWalker, Kepler’s View of the Star of Bethlehem and the Babylonian Almanac for 7/6 B.C.: Iraq 46/1, ’84, 43–55. Cp. ποιμήν 1.

② magician (Trag. et al.; Aeschin. 3, 137 [μάγος=πονηρός]; Diod S 5, 55, 3; 34 + 35 Fgm. 2, 5 τὶς … ἄνθρωπος μάγος, a false prophet, who πολλοὺς ἐξηπάτα; Vett. Val. 74, 17; Philo, Spec. Leg. 3, 93; TestReub 4:9) of Barjesus=Elymas on Cyprus Ac 13:6, 8. Cp. Hm 11:2 v.l.—On the history of the word ANock, Beginn. I 5, ’33, 164–88=Essays I 308–30; HKippenberg, Garizim u. Synagoge ’71, 122–24 on Ac 8:10; MMeyer/PMirecki, edd., Ancient Magic and Ritual Power ’95. M-LThomsen, Zauberdiagnose und Schwarze Magie in Mesopotamien (CNI Publikations 2) n.d.: ancient Mesopotamian background. S. also MSmith, Clement of Alexandria and a Secret Gospel of Mark ’73, esp. 220–78 for ancient sources and 423–44 for bibl. (for caution about media hype and fantastic hypotheses relating to this work s. JFitzmyer, How to Exploit a Secret Gospel: America, June 23, ’73, 570–72). FGraf, La magie dans l’ antiquité Gréco-Romaine, ’95.—B. 1494f. Renehan ’82 s.v. DELG. M-M. TW.