Christmas mystery: where the wise men came?

We all remember the gospel story of the birth of Jesus Christ.
We know that this happened in the city of Bethlehem, in the cave where they kept cattle.
Also read in the Gospel of the three wise men:

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, the wise men came to Jerusalem from the east and say where that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east and have come to worship him. Upon hearing this, King Herod was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born? And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet: 
And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are not least among the rulers of Judah, for out of you will come a ruler who upaset my people Israel. 
Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them what time the star appeared, and he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the child, and when you find it, let me know, so that I may come and worship him. They had heard the king, they departed. And lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy, and went into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him; and opening their treasures, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed into another by their country. Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 2

Based on this text, we can assume that the wise men came to the King who was born in Bethlehem. Traditionally, and depict this event:

We see that those who drew these pictures, no doubt: the wise men came to Bethlehem, and even on the same night when Christ was born. Shows a cave, animals, baby in a manger ... Although it is written that the wise men came to the house.
But read on:

When they were gone, - an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. He got up, took the child and his mother by night and departed into Egypt: And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son. Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent and slew all the male children in Bethlehem and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had ascertained from the wise men.   Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 2
Question: why Herod ordered the destruction of babies in Bethlehem from two years old? The answer here: time which he had ascertained from the wise men.  

Hence, Herod did not know exactly when he was born his rival, the new King of the Jews. He only knew that the birth was going to happen in Bethlehem, and the time when the star appeared in the sky, behind which were the wise men. Therefore, he admitted that the star, the news of the birth of the new King, maybe even two years ago. What did the the wise men two years - it is clear - they were in the way, followed the star from afar, from the East (as the researchers believe - from Persia). But it is clear that the Holy Family might not be as much time in the cave with the animals. Yes, and a child aged two years, does not require a finding in a manger :)
Here we have to remember why and how Mary and Joseph were in Bethlehem? They came from Nazareth in the census because of their race comes out of this town. Of course, after the census and the birth of a child, they had to go back to Nazareth. Not immediately - because according to the law of Moses on the eighth day of a newborn baby boy should be cut off, and after days of purification to come to the temple:

And when eight days were fulfilled to circumcise the child, gave him the name Jesus, named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb. 
And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 
as prescribed in the law of the Lord, Every male that opens the womb, to the Lord; 
And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons. The Gospel of Luke, chapter 2

After Jerusalem Joseph and Mary was no more need to go back to Bethlehem, so they are back to where they came from:

And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth. The Gospel of Luke, chapter 2

So Herod was wrong in thinking that the new King of the Jews still is still in Bethlehem, but the wise men and more followed the star that led them exactly to the child, that is - in the home of Joseph and Mary in Nazareth!

LEBANON. Tyr: the prophecy has come true!

It is time to talk about the Bible prophecies were fulfilled in the fate of nations and peoples, cities and civilizations.
Here's a riddle: the city of Tyre. In ancient times, was the largest commercial city in the Mediterranean. The Bible mentions many times. And now he is in Lebanon, on the beach. Many ruins remained around there, what to see, but ... it ruins the later, Roman buildings.

Roman ruins in Tyre

And the biblical Tyre left no stone unturned, literally. In its place now - smooth rock. How could this happen?
It was like:

In the eleventh year, on the first day of the first month, the word of the Lord to me: 
Son of man, because Tyre said concerning Jerusalem, "and! well! he crushed - the gates of the peoples; He appeals to me; Fill; He is devastated, "- for thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I will - on you, O Tyre, and will raise up against you many nations, as the sea causeth his waves to come. 
And they shall destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers; I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her a bare rock. Place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea will be; for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD: and it shall become a spoil to the nations. And her daughters which are in the field shall be slain by the sword, and they shall know that I am the LORD. For thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I will bring against Tyre from the north Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, king of kings, with horses and chariots, and with horsemen, and his army, and much people. Thy daughters he beat a sword and want a fort against thee, and against thee nasyplet shaft and put shields against you; and thy walls pridvinet battering rams and your towers will destroy their axes. From the set of his horses their dust shall cover thee, and the noise of the horsemen and chariots wheels thy walls shall shake, when he shall enter into thy gates, as men enter into a broken city. Hoofs of his horses he istopchet all your street, and your people will break the sword, and thy down to the ground. 

And plunder your riches, and make a prey of thy merchandise, and destroy thy walls, and break thy pleasant houses: and thy stones and thy timber and thy will be thrown into the water. 
And the noise of thy songs, and the sound of your harps will not be heard. I will make you a bare rock, you'll place to spread nets upon; thou shalt be built no more: for I the LORD have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD. 
Ezekiel, Chapter 26

The first part of Ezekiel speaks specifically about the Babylonian king.
And turned it in 586 BC (about a year). But by the time of Nebuchadnezzar troops entered the city, the inhabitants of Tyre fled with all the goodness of the island, which was not far from the shore. It saved them because Nebuchadnezzar had no ships to cross - he was advancing on dry land.

Further, for 240 years, the city of Tyre remained destruction, and its residents continued to live on the island. And in 333 BC granted to them ... Alexander the Great! But, having come to the place of glory of Tyre, he found there only ruins. On the island, he also could not attack -
residents were warned about his offense and built a powerful underwater barriers (artificial reefs), these fences were so arranged that the tides could not bring them with sand. Alexander understood - when you try to attack from the sea, ships, he would lose the fleet. Here residents relax, they say, it worked! Had passed! But they underestimated the resourcefulness of Alexander:
for the first time in the history of military sieges and he came up with an original way to get them, to build a road between the mainland and the island, and to make her army to the island to get to the treasure.
But, imagine, in those days, when there was no mining trucks and mining machines, which take as much Fabric? Very simple: Fabric ... they took out of the city of Tyre, lay in ruins.
Alexander sent to this business all his huge army, and they, stone by stone, brick by brick, timber for log, all carried and thrown into the sea. And it still was not enough! Then they scraped the whole earth, to hard rock, and also thrown into the sea.
So exactly, in fine detail, the prophecy of Ezekiel! At the site of Tyre remained bare rock.
Think about it: the prophet, who lived long before these events, could not by itself come up with such a story. This God has determined in advance and announced, to teach a lesson to those who gloats over the suffering of others and even tries to extract from it the benefit:
because Tyre said concerning Jerusalem, "and! well! he crushed - the gates of the peoples; He appeals to me; Fill; for it is spoiled. "..
Так его жители, наследники славы Тира, пали от меча Александра и его войска, а все их сокровища, накопленные за много столетий торговли и процветания, достались завоевателям.

So its inhabitants, the heirs of glory of Tyre, with the sword of Alexander and his army, and all their treasures accumulated over many centuries of trade and prosperity, went to the conquerors.

So Alexander forever changed the geography of the Mediterranean coast of Lebanon: the island turned into a peninsula :)

That is on the peninsula and is a modern small Lebanese city of Tyre. But this place used to be just an island and not a place of ancient Tyre. So the prophecy that Tyre will be no more built up, also celebrated. At the site of the ancient Thira no nothing, just rock on which now, as in the prophecy was written, the fishermen dried network.

Apostle Andrew - founder of Kyiv?

There is a famous legend about the founders of Kiev: according to her they were brothers Kyi, Schek and Horeb. And also mentioned their sister Lybid. But if we consider the facts impartially, it turns out that no evidence of the real existence of these brothers do not. A Lybid - and at the name of the river that runs through Kiev ...

So if Kyi, Schek and Horeb - a legend, what it stands for and how it was really the case? Is there information?

But there is a story related to the Apostle Andrew (the First Called) - that he is the founder, in my opinion, though in his time the city was not yet - he speaks only of the mountains and the city of the future. And this is the 1st century BC In contrast to the fairy tale about three brothers and sister, Andrew - a real historical person. And his journey has left its mark on the whole route - and in the Crimea, and the top on the Dnieper River, in the place where now Kiev, as well as to compare notes - where Novgorod and ... famous ancient monastic cloister.

Of course, there are various historical data on travel of the Apostle Andrew, but absolutely exclude his stay in the Crimea, Ukraine and northern Russia did not. He sowed in these lands Word and it sprouted! Of course, if you believe in the spontaneous generation of life on earth, for you it's not an argument, but for everyone else it is clear that if there's something grown, somebody planted it :) If there is a church - and this is not architecture and the people who believed in Jesus Christ, and only then built temples - somebody they paid. Chronicles say that this "someone" - the Apostle Andrew, the brother of Simon (Peter).

There is a version that the story of three brothers - a product of the transformation of the symbolic message of the Apostle Andrew, spoken near the hills on which later came my city.
Andrei was his style handwriting. Before Jesus called him, Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist. And John the Baptist, as you know, came in the spirit and power of Elijah. What was characteristic of Elijah? He was an Old Testament prophet, he was a staff and the mantle, which he then left to Elisha. Part of his ministry was associated with Mount Sinai, where Moses spoke with God and received the commandments of the law. This is the mountain where there was the presence of God, where there was a burning bush. This mountain smoked and trembled from it also came the thunder.
We now consider several elements in detail.

1 Staff. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me Ps. 22: 4.
Staff was Elijah and John the Baptist. Staff was also at St. Andrew.
(Below I will mention from the chronicles and legends about a staff Andrew)

About wand and a staff of the Apostle Andrew. 
In the story of the monk Epiphanius (end of the 8th - early 9th century) 

"... not once mention the" iron rod with the image of the Holy Cross, which the apostle has always relied. "Not far from Nicaea in Bithynia" Blessed Apostle. Andrew, having overthrown the infamous statue of Artemis, put there life-giving image saving Cross. "Further to the east, in Paphlagonia" he chose a place of prayer, easy to build an altar, and sanctified it by erecting a sign of the Holy Cross. "

We must understand that Epiphanius tried to justify icons and crosses as objects of worship, as in his time on the admissibility of this debate was in full swing.
I think that the Apostle Andrew could not walk with the cross and hoisting crosses - in the 1st century on crosses crucified on the cross, crucified Lord Jesus Christ himself, as well as many of his first disciples. Even stranger was the faith of the Jews the idea of ​​deification items. Another thing - the rod and staff. Shepherd of the sheep went with staffs, Moses had a staff, by which God showed his power. Prophets also had staffs, as a lot of go. The kings had a wand, which meant their power.
And if still in the 9th century continued debate about the crosses and icons, in the 1st and they did not exist :)
In fact the rod and staff - are one and the same. But there is in Russian language (even in his Old Church Slavonic version) is another word that means the same thing as the rod or staff. The word is:

KYI ! ! ! 

Of course, today it is associated more with a game of billiards than a shepherd or a king :) 
But in the past, long before the advent of billiards: 

KYI - m. Old. SOUTH. Rec. stick, walking sticks, staffs, wands; crutch komlyastaya stick, blackjack, mace; sowing. sib. Dolbnya, pusher ... Pool cue, pusher, ... (Dictionary Dahl)

in Ukrainian: 

1) stick, mace; (Staff) obsolete. cue 
2) (for a game of pool) cue

Now once again read the chronicle:
"getting up in the morning," he Decrees of his disciples on the mountain near laying predicts about having to be here Veliko and many churches, climbs mountains, bless them, and to put an end, and then continues its way to Novgorod... 

About crosses I wrote above, this is impossible. What could actually deliver (hoist) St. Andrew? He put his staff, his staff, his cue. And on the mountain, where it happened, and later built a fortification, and eventually the city of Kiev!

So, cue - it is not the elder brother of the three, and the cue (stick, rod) Andrew, with whom he went to the prophet Elijah. And he symbolically hoisting where founded and proclaimed anything meaningful. In this case - spiritually founded the city of Kiev, the city of Christians, the city where God's grace shone and the city, where there was a lot of churches.
What does Cheeks and Horeb?
With Horiv easier. Horeb - she Sinai - the mountain of God, which God of the burning bush spoke to Moses, to whom he gave the Ten Commandments, because even this mountain symbolizes God's law. Apostle Andrew, Peter's brother, before he called Jesus, was a disciple of John the Baptist, who came in the spirit and power of Elijah. Elijah is to know the Lord as at Horeb, where he revealed to him in a quiet trends:

And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD, and behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord is not in the earthquake; after the earthquake a fire, but not in the fire the Lord; and after the fire a still small voice. 3 Kings 19

In the Middle East, and came from Andrew, pastors from childhood go with staffs. Also, in general, all the prophets and pilgrims. Staff was also a symbol of power (and scepter originates from the staff).
Recently re-read a certain book about ancient Kyiv, which was published in 1983. Author - Professor PP Talochka (now Academician), in Soviet times was considered a specialist in the history of Kiev. Its main value - lots of pictures :) Also presented research predecessors. How many were there? Yes hundred typed. All and sundry, starting with Nestor, and in the west and in the east, put forward their own, original hypothesis on the basis of Kiev. But the stories have very little. Half tried to procrastinate the names of three brothers, guessing from what they are first-people, the other half is stupid deduced founders of their ethnic group (the Huns, Gotti, Vikings, Sarmatians, etc.) The mystery remains. More or less established fact that Kiev was founded no earlier than the 1st century AD and after the 5th. In the 80 years anniversary of the celebrated 1500 book of the same date and was timed. But even Nestor relied only on two stories: the Apostle Andrew, and three brothers.

So Horeb - not brother Kyi and no man, but the name of the mountain (which is the Sinai or Mosaic Mountain). This mountain is Horeb is thought from the 4th century, on the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt. Not far from the foot is probably the oldest Christian monastery - St. Catherine. It among other things contains a unique manuscripts of the biblical texts. Pilgrims at night back to the mountain to meet at the top of the dawn. If at sunrise is absolutely clear that is not often, the pilgrims expect to see about what he saw Moses, when God promised to show him the Promised Land from afar (Israel), to which he will not go down.

However, it is not easy to see for another reason - it may not be that mountain. For example, Paul writes that Mount Sinai is in Arabia. Some also believe that it is in Jordan.

But the most important in the history of the mountain - the presence of God or the Shekinah (Heb. Dwelling).
Presence in the form of goryaschekgo bush, in the form of a pillar of fire and of the cloud, in the form of an angel, which Moses had even seen one from the back! Shekinah at Horeb familiar and Elijah ...

It turned out there is a version similar to the one to which I am inclined, but Cheeks it is interpreted as a snake:

Today, most historians refuse to see in Kie, Cheek and Horeb founders of Kyiv. Mindful of the fact that Kiev is going on in the image and likeness of Jerusalem, the researchers point to the biblical origin of a number of names of Kiev, in particular, mountain Horivitsy. 
Remember: "Moses was tending the flock of Jethro, father in law, the priest Maliamskogo. 
Once he led the flock behind the wilderness, and came to the mountain of God, Horeb "(Exodus) 
God revealed himself to Moses and said, "I will be with you here's the sign that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people (My) of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain." 
Moses, wanting to make sure that God is really in front of him, asked to reveal the miracle. 
And the Lord said to him: "What is that in your hand?" 
He replied: Wand. 
The Lord said, Cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent. 
  One of the values ​​named Kiya - Wand, staff. 
Cheeks in Old Church Slavonic - the serpent, the dragon. 
In other words, and Horeb (g.Horiv) and Cheek (serpent) and McDermott (Rod), argue in favor of such an interpretation of the legend of three brothers. 
  Creation of Kiev, as a second Jerusalem, or rather in his biblical image, perhaps was the reason for naming one of Kiev's mountain Horeb, and other Scheck (in memory of turning the rod in the serpent). 
The very name of Kiev, could be perceived as a sign, a hint, a sign from above. 
Wand, staff - a symbol, a sign. 
Over time, Mount Horeb turned into Horivitsu, Cheeks in Schekavitse, and gave its name to the river LYBID sister three founders of the city..
In general, the idea is the same, the only difference is in the interpretation of cheek.

Shekinah - God's presence (at Horeb) - here, in my opinion, the possible significance of the name Cheeks. If Cheek - the name of Prince, then to the question whether it would meet the mountains: Mount Shchekina.
A Shchekina very consonant with the word Shekinah.
Wand (Kyi), mountain (Horeb) and God (the presence of).

Lybed do not cause a lot of questions - is the name of the river, and now it is there, but has become so small that the partially imprisoned in tonel and partially extends over the surface (near the railway station) in the form of a small stream. River respectively. feminine, and therefore became a legend as the name of his sister.

Thus the prophecy of the Apostle Andrew the future great city was transformed into the legend of Kia, Cheek and Horeb, which preserved the essence of his message.
What is this message? It is referred to in the chronicles:

Dnepr same in Pontus sea flowing three mouths, and that sea reputed Rusko, as taught by his holy Apostle Andrew, Peter's brother, as a tale. Andrew, teaching in Sinope, came in Korsun [Crimean Chersonesos] and saw that near the mouth of the Dnieper thereof, would go forth to Rome, and came to the mouth of the Dnieper, and from there went up along the Dnieper and on the occasion was under the mountains on the banks. Morning as he stood up and said to his disciples: 
"You see these mountains and only knows how to still shine mountains grace of God, there is a great degree, and many of the church was erected." 
Having ascended a mountain these things, blessed them, and prayed to God with tears. 
These same mountains are where then built Kiev. From there, Andrew went to Rome itself.

The prophecy was fulfilled exactly the Apostle: already 1,500 years the city of Kiev, it is revealed God's grace and erected many churches!

Father Frost or Santa Claus?

Father Frost - the favorite of the kids and the character of many tales, an essential attribute of the New Year celebration in the post-Soviet space.


So, Santa Claus - its western equivalent?
It turns out that this is not so zovsem. After all, Santa Claus - is St. Nicholas. He, unlike Father Frost, the mythical and very real character. However, he lived far away from the north, in a fairly warm latitudes.
Nicholas lived in 3-4 century a.d. and was Bishop of Lycia, an ancient state, which in his time was the capital in the city of Myra (Demre). (see my last review Demre - Santa Claus) Then it was a Roman province in Asia Minor, today - part of the Turkish province of Antalya, famous for its resorts and hotels.

So, who is dearer to you: Father Frost or Santa Claus?