← THIS IS HISTORY — A DYNASTY TO DIE FOR
THIS IS HISTORY — A DYNASTY TO DIE FOR
3. A Nativity to Die For — Gold, Frankincense... and Murder
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Well friends, you're about to hear the crescendo of our three part Nativity series. Yes, King Herod beckons, but just a gentle reminder that if you want to delve deeper into the history behind this story, where I take a little bit of creative license, you can catch my bonus episode with Helen Bond, a scholar of early Christianity. This week we're looking at the Old Testament's echoes in Matthew's Gospel. As it turns out, the story of Moses has a lot in common with the Nativity. Plus, we've got the inside scoop about why King Herod got such a bad write up. So to hear that bonus episode ad free Join this is History's holy family@patreon.com thisishistory now to Jerusalem after this short break. When I was a little boy in.
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The Middle Ages, I loved window shopping at the market. The sharp clink of the blacksmith making the day's most fashionable armour plates. But the next week, the stall disappeared. I was devastated. If only I had a magic portal to help me retrace my steps. Thankfully, Shopify does just that. If you've ever found yourself scrolling an online store with that purple shop button glowing in the corner, that's Shopify. It's an online commerce platform that makes buying and selling super easy. Shopify gives everyone that extra push to make that first final purchase with one magic button. It saves all of those last minute details like payment and shipping information so you don't have to plug them in every time. So if you want fewer people abandoning your cart, give Shopify a try. Sign up for your pound one per month trial and start selling today at shopify.co.uk thisishistory Go to shopify.co.uk thisISHistory that's shopify.co.uk thisIShistory.
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The Persian astrologers have tied up their camels and their servants are pitching their camp for the night. Ornate fabrics are being pulled tight on poles and guy ropes are pegged in place as the tents go up and the animals settle down. The stargazers sit around their fire, warming their hands as they look up at the heavens. It's a clear night, which means the air is crisp and the view of the galaxy is staggering. An infinity of stars glimmer pinpricks of light that's traveled for thousands of years to get to Earth and seems to pulse and wobble in the atmosphere. To an astrologer, every one of those stars and constellations can reveal some mystery of life. One of the astrologer's servants uncorks a flask and everyone takes a drink. Then they go back to looking at the stars. Or rather, to looking at one star. It's been weeks since this strange heavenly body arose and began making its steady journey across the sky. In that time, these guys have been following it intensely. They've thought, talked, even dreamed about nothing else. Unlike most of the celestial spheres, which follow predictable routes year after year, this new star has been on a course all of its own. And after much consultation with their astrological textbooks, the Persians have concluded that it heralds a great political event. From studying old prophecies, they reckon this star has risen and to announce the birth of a new king of the Jews. And from the path it's charting, they think it's inviting them to follow it to the place where this king can be found. That's why they're on the road now. They're hanging onto the star's tail and they're nearly at their destination. The star is hanging over a large city sitting amid the hills and valleys of a place they gather is known as Judea. The city is Jerusalem. Tomorrow, these wise men plan to go down into Jerusalem and start asking around, putting the feelers out about their mission, seeing if they can find out where this king might be resting at. They come very much in peace to offer him gifts and give him their formal respects. Little do they know they're getting themselves into way more than they bargained for, because there is indeed a king of the Jews in Jerusalem. But it's not the one they're looking for. Before they find the chosen one, these constellation botherers are going to run into one of the most formidable and dangerous tyrants in the whole region. He's Herod, the great Jewish client king of Roman Jerusalem. Herod is the very definition of mad, bad and dangerous to know. And what the Persian astrologers don't know is that their quest is going to trigger one of the most notorious killing sprees in history. I'm dan jones and from sony music entertainment. This is history. A nativity to die for. Episode 3 Gold, Frankincense and Murder. When I was a child, my dad used to sing a comic rehash of a famous Christmas carol. It was a Bastardization of an 1857 Carol written by a Pennsylvanian journalist turned clergyman called John Henry Hopkins Jr. The Carol was originally called Three Kings of Orient or the Quest of the Magi. Today it's most commonly known after its first words, We Three Kings. Now, Hopkins wrote this carol for a pageant to be held at a seminary in New York City. It turned out to be wildly successful. The first great Christmas carol to be written in America. Anyway, my dad's version went like this. We three Kings of Orient are one in a taxi, one in a car, one on a scooter blowing his hooter, smoking a wet cigar. Now, little me thought this brand of super mild blasphemy was about as funny as funny got. And honestly, now I look back on it, a lot of the rest of my life and career starts to make sense. Anyway, I'm telling you this because We3Kings is the third and final bit of the Nativity story which we're going to follow in this episode. And this time we're taking in the Nativity as told by the gospel writer Matthew. As we heard in episode one, Matthew's Nativity is a whole different beast to Luke's. Whereas Luke's first Christmas is all about setting the stage for Christ, the friend of the down and outs, Matthew wants something different. He wants us to know that Christ was not some do gooder working in a soup kitchen. Jesus was a lineal descendant of King David. He was a human and the prophesied Messiah who would go on to become the King of Heaven and save mankind through the light of his grace rather than the humility of his example. That's why Matthew doesn't waste our time padding out his Nativity with mangers and smelly old shepherd. He starts his gospel with a long recitation of Joseph's royal descent. He places his story in David's royal city of Bethlehem from the outset. Then he makes his story an exciting high political thriller in which exotic aristocratic visitors from miles away bring the baby Jesus fabulous gifts, accidentally revealing his presence to a homicidal maniac. Then, well, no spoilers just yet. Before we get to Herod, let's start by figuring out who these three astrologers from the east actually are now. In Hopkins Christmas Carol, they're the titular three Kings. Elsewhere, we often hear them described as three wise men. Sometimes they even have names. Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar. Though these are medieval inventions, Matthew doesn't tell us any of that. What he says is, in the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem, asking, where is the child who has been born King of the Jews? For we observed his star in the east and have come to pay him homage. Now, one word in that should leap out at us. Magi. It's an English adoption of the plural form of the Latin magus, which is in turn borrowed from the ancient Greek magos, which is in turn a borrowing out of old Persian. Capiche? Don't worry. All you really need to know is that we're talking about members of an ancient Persian priestly caste. These guys, or guys like them, were significant in the development of the Zoroastrian religion that emerged in Iran late in the Bronze Age. And for several hundred years, Magi have also been involved in ritual, sorcery and astrology. Were there really three of them? Not so far. As Matthew says. We're deducing that from the fact that he mentions three gifts. I think that's an okay supposition and it's certainly a neat number, but just for clarity, let's accept there could have been more. Maybe the others only brought novelty socks and a Roblox gift card, so didn't get a mention. Anyway, I don't want to get sidetracked here. To return to the story, around the time Mary falls pregnant, these Magi start following a moving star all the way from Persia to Jerusalem. What the moving star was, no one has yet figured out. Halley's Comet appeared in 12 B.C. perhaps Matthew has that in mind. In 7 B.C. it was a conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter. Perhaps he means that. Or maybe the star is just a macguffin, a clunky device you used to move plot along as historically fishy as Luke's weird Roman census that meant everyone had to go to a different town to be counted. Despite this being obviously mental, the point is, there's a star. The Magi follow it, and eventually they get to Jerusalem, hit the bustling streets of the old city and start asking questions. Not very subtle questions either. Never mind discreet inquiries. These guys blunder right in and start going, yo, any new kings of the Jews here? Hit us up. And soon enough, Matthew tells us someone does hit them up. Because at this time, King Herod the Great resides in Jerusalem. Herod rules Judea and the Jews there by gracious permission of the Roman emperor Augustus. And he's left several big marks on Jerusalem during his reign. One of his big Marks is on the Jewish second Temple in the heart of Jerusalem, which Herod has massively renovated. The western wall we see today is the remnant of that building project. But Herod isn't just a builder. He's also an utterly ruthless, maniacally jealous sociopath. He's killed his own wife, Mariamne I, on charges that boil down to her being too beautiful for him to bear. He's assassinated Mariamne's brother because he had a gut feeling, a hunch, not much more, that he might be a political threat. Oh, and he's executed three of his own sons for treason. Not surprisingly, Herod goes about with an army of 2,000 bodyguards. And even less surprisingly, this turns out not to be the guy to give the big reveal. When the Magi start asking awkward questions and word gets around, Herod consults his own priests. They check the prophecies and confirm. Oh, yeah, actually, it does say here that in Bethlehem the Messiah is due to be born any day now. Herod is well and truly shook. He hauls the Magi into his court and asks them to talk him through exactly, exactly what this star business is all about. When they break it down for him, Herod comes up with a plan. It's not a subtle plan, but Herod doesn't really do political angles. Matthew says that after Herod has questioned the Magi, he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, go and search diligently for the child, and when you've found him, bring me word so that I may also. So go and pay him homage. Pay him homage. Sounds like a nice thing to do. But if anyone knows anything about Herod, pay him. Homage means one thing and one thing only. Little baby Jesus is in big, big trouble.
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Phew.
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The star that's been leading the Magi on their long journey west settles over the roof of a little house in Bethlehem. When they see it come to rest there, the Magi are ecstatic. After trundling all the way from Persia, they've reached their extraordinary journey's end. It's time to celebrate. They break out a few back slaps and fist bumps, then start rooting through their luggage for their presents. For Mary and Joseph. Inside the house, things are looking pretty good as well. For a start, they're no longer sitting around a manger in a cave or stable or wherever Luke had them hanging out. They've got a roof over their head. What kind of house they're in, we don't know, but it sure does beat the alternative. What's more, little baby Jesus, he's in great shape. Does he look like his mother or his. Well, the less said about that, the better. The point is, it's now been 12 or 13 days since the baby was born and he's healthy and happy. In accordance with tradition, the baby has now been circumcised. Luke says that happens eight days after his birth. He also says that this is the point where the child is officially named Jesus, as the angel instructed Mary nine months ago. Oh, and side note, since you asked, in the Middle Ages, the circumcision of Jesus celebrated on January 1 becomes super important, especially to those interested in holy relics. That's because the holy foreskin was the only piece of Jesus body said to have been left on earth after he ascended to heaven. Quite a few alleged holy foreskins survived. Obviously not all, if any the real thing, but they were considered very effective in helping women survive childbirth. To give one example, in 1421, the English king Henry V has the holy foreskin shipped from France to England to assist his wife Catherine de Valois, with birthing the future Henry vi. Go back and listen to season eight of A Dynasty to Die for if you want the lowdown on that whole scenario. Anyway, I digress. A few days after Jesus circumcision and naming Mary and Joseph hear the Magi's camel train coming through the streets of Bethlehem. When they look out and see a hullabaloo of servants, animals and peculiar Zoroastrians, they realize something special is going on. When the Magi stop before their front door, they're invited in with open arms, and the Magi react with impeccable propriety. Matthew says on entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they knelt down and paid him homage, which is quite a snapshot when you think about it. As usual, there's a bit of mild foreshadowing at play. We're asked to accept a preview of Christ's fame spreading across the world even before he's old enough to cut a tooth. Be that as it may, this is an irresistible scene. It's no wonder that it captivated artists for hundreds of years. For a good Wise Men visitation scene, you can really take your pick of any of the medieval and early modern greats. Giotto, Rocky, van der Weyden, Dirkbouts, Da Vinci, Botticelli, Durer, Rubens, Rembrandt. For what it's worth, my favorite is the one by Hieronymus Bosch in Prado in Madrid, where you have shepherds sitting on the roof of the stable as magi of all manner of backgrounds break out the presence, as Matthew puts it. Opening their treasure chests, they offered Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Now, to any kids listening, I want to make it plain that this is all happening in the era before Lego, Death Stars and iPhone 17s. But more importantly, all three of these gifts are highly symbolic. Gold recognizes that Jesus is born to a royal line and will grow up to be the King of Heaven. Frankincense is a fragrant tree resin which is used in perfumery and religious ceremonies. It's a sign that Jesus has a sacred ministry. He's a priest as well as a king. And then there's myrrh. Useless starter word in wordle, but another important aromatic resin. This one, however, is associated with embalming the dead. Mer's inclusion in the gifts presented to Christ is another good example of the Nativity story being retrofitted around the circumstances of Christ's ministry and passion. Matthew is not very subtly reminding us what will happen to Christ at the end of his life. Just as Luke had the baby in the manger, wrapped in grave like swaddling cloths, so Matthew is placing his end right there in his beginning. As the real hymn We3Kings puts it, Myrrh is mine. Its bitter perfume breathes a life of gathering gloom, sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying, sealed in the stone cold tomb. The trouble is, that end might be looming a lot closer than anyone realizes. Because although the Magi are being exceptionally generous with their gifts, Mary and Joseph don't know that just days earlier, these Persians struck a deal with King Herod, promising to go back to Jerusalem, let him know the exact address where he can find the young family. Once the gift giving ceremony is done, the Magi decide to stay in Bethlehem overnight before starting back out for Jerusalem. If they go there, the next visitors Jesus receives will be coming to kill him.
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It's peaceful in the house where the Magi are resting before they set out on their long trip back to Persia via Jerusalem to tell everyone about their visit to the new king of the Jews. Everyone is fast asleep. But as they sleep, one of the Magi starts tossing and turning. He's having a strange dream. Exactly what he sees we don't know. But after a fitful night, he sits up, absolutely convinced of something. He tells the other Magi they need to change their plans. He's like, there's something very fishy about that Herod geyser we met in Jerusalem. I don't know if he's on the up and up. His dream has left him in no doubt. They should avoid crossing Herod's path again at all costs. Fortunately, being Magi interpreting dreams is very much in these guys wheelhouse. And so says Matthew's gospel, they left for their own country by another road. Which is just as well for Mary, Joseph and Jesus. The Magi giving Herod the big swerve has brought them precious time. Only now there's another problem. They don't know they've been bought time. Which means it's time for Matthew to break out another MacGuffin. It's oh yeah, the same trick again. Matthew says that after the Magi have a dream telling them to steer clear of the homicidal maniac who murders anyone who's even the slightest threat to his authority. Now Joseph has a dream and this one says, hold on. Oh yeah, this one says pretty much the same thing. An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, get up. Take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt and remain there until I tell you. For Herod is about to search for the child to destroy him. You've got to hand it to the angels. They really micromanage old Joseph. First the dream that told him not to divorce. Divorce Mary when she was up the duff by God, and now this. But Joseph is nothing if not suggestible. As soon as he wakes up, he grabs Mary and Jesus and tells them they're leaving Bethlehem not for Nazareth, but for Egypt, where Herod's writ does not run. How long are they going to stay there? As long as it takes. Which means, says Matthew, until Herod dies. So the young family up sticks and heads south to the land of the pharaohs. And it's just as well they do, because when Herod finds out what's happened, he goes absolutely ballistic. Matthew says Herod realizes the magi have tricked him, although that seems like a harsh interpretation of ghosted him. Either way, what Herod does next is nothing short of horrific. He killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were 2 years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the magi. At least that's what Matthew tells us. For once. It's quite comforting to say that there's no other corroborating evidence for what becomes known as the Massacre of the innocents. Luke says nothing about it. In his version, there's no escape to Egypt at all. Jesus is taken to the temple and presented to a wise man called Simeon, who says nice things about him. The only deaths that occur are of a pair of turtle doves, which are sacrificed in accordance with a religious tradition which holds that this is what you do when your first son is born. After that, says Luke, the little family go home to Nazareth, where Jesus grew and became strong and filled with wisdom, so the favor of God was upon him. Matthew, on the other hand, says they hang out in Egypt until Herod is dead. Needless to say, Joseph hears about that in a dream. But whatever, they go back to Judea, and Joseph made his home in a town called Nazareth so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled. He will be called a Nazarene. That's a bit of a change in emphasis. Less humble homecoming to the carpenter's shed where Jesus can learn a bit of woodwork and more fulfillment of great prophecy by moving into write Postcode. But be that as it may, by magi's hook or shepherd's crook, our two evangelists, Matthew and Luke, get us to the same place by different routes. They all live happily ever after until. Well, we'll leave Easter for another time. And with that, our nativity play has come hurtling towards its end. If you want to hear more about the story behind this incredible, malleable, mysterious, occasionally perplexing story, do please listen to this week's subscriber episode, where I'll be talking to Professor Helen Bond, an expert in all things early Christianity. But if you're off to your kids school Nativity play or just a massacre, a few mugs of holy mulled wine, this is me signing off. Thank you all for listening to a Nativity to die for, as well as everything else we've done this year. Wherever you are and however you celebrate, have a very merry Christmas. We'll see you in the new year for a brand new season of this is History. Well, friends, you know we can't leave things here while this chapter closes on our special Nativity miniseries. We've got one more favor to ask our royal family favorites. What is your favorite Christmas movie? Helen Bond, our resident Nativity expert is dying to know. Join the discussion at patreon.com forward/thisishistory.