Zwei nestorianische Hymnen über die Magier

From the early poetry of Ephrem to the exegetical writings of Isho’dad of Merv, the Magi who appear at the birth of Jesus are frequent subjects in all strands of the Syriac tradition. Adolf Rücker publishes here the Syriac text and German translation of two poems about the Magi from the “Nestorian” Syriac tradition. In his introduction to these texts, Rücker discusses their unique features and the things they share in common with previous Syriac sources on the topic of the Magi. The first poem is in the form of a dialogue between the Magi and King Herod, and the second recounts the narrative of the Magi’s arrival at the scene of Jesus’ birth.