Epiphany I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. Numbers 24:17
Scholars believe the Magi came from Babylon, and were most likely inspired by writings of the prophet Daniel who (centuries earlier) had been a respected scholar and mystic in the Babylonian royal courts. The Star that the Magi followed might have been a supernova, a comet, or a conjunction of Jupiter, Saturn and Regulus. Or, it may have been a supernatural event. Many studies have been done in order to learn what the star was, but no one knows for sure.
It's hard to understand why the Wise Men felt compelled to travel a great distance just because of an odd star. Apparently, they had faith that something very significant was about to happen: and they wanted to be there when it did! The visit from the Wise Men is another startling addition to the Christmas story. These foreign men were so important, they easily gained admittance to King Herod. And, once again the destiny of Jesus Christ was confirmed from unexpected sources. The visit of the Wise Men triggered a string of events; beginning with the flight of the Holy Family to Egypt, and Herod's massacre of all the baby boys in Bethlehem. Eventually Mary and Joseph returned to Nazareth, where Jesus grew "in favor with God and man."
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