Christmas is our most important holiday, and its literature is correspondingly rich. Yet until now no adequate bundle of Christmas treasures in poetry and prose has found its way onto the Internet for Winter, Christmas, the birth of Christ, Santa Claus, and so much more..Kings and Wisemen
The high priest reported to the palace of King Herod and relayed the news. The sovereign was insane. He was a dark, bearded man with wild, rolling eyes and he had been dying of a wasting disease for a year. Herod listened to the news on a couch and ordered the high priest to summon the Magi. He asked their interpretation of the meaning of the big star, and they told him that it should be a joy and comfort to a king so ill to know that, in all probability, God had sent a savior to take his place.
Herod offered some grapes and figs and asked many questions. He appeared to have an academic interest in the new king-if there was a new king-and he hoped that if the Persian philosophers found the baby, they would do him the courtesy of informing him, so that the king could offer his own tribute to the new majesty. By the way, he said, if the star first appeared when the baby was born we should be able to tell the age of the new king by knowing how long the star has been in the sky.
Melchior shook his head. We saw the star recently, he said, but it was possible that it had been in the sky-perhaps on another path-for many months. We would doubt this, but it was possible.
The three wise men exchanged gifts with Herod and left. At once, the mad king called in the council of the nation-the high priests and the scribes-and he demanded that they interpret the symbolism of the new star, and do something about it at once. He assured them that if, for example, the star was over Bethlehem and some unknown infant was there, the stupid people of the streets would spread the news all over Judea and would desert the temple and, worst of all, their lawful king, in favor of a squalling, whimpering infant.
Some of the high priests favored sending spies to follow the Magi, but Herod was opposed to this. No, he said, I have asked them as a courtesy to return to me with whatever news they may have. I will deal with that situation later. At the moment, I expect you to show some gratitude to the person who rebuilt your temple-me. Spread the news among the faithful that, when the messiah comes, he will come fully grown, on a cloud, attended by legions of trumpeting angels, and he will come directly to the earthly home of his Father-the temple.
No one smiled, but some of the priests must have been tempted.
They were acquainted with Herod’s record. He was the cruelest of all kings and, in their opinion, the furthest removed from God and his works. The people had not chosen him as their king. Thirty-five years ago, a Roman emperor had appointed Herod the Great and, for three years, the people of Israel were in rebellion.
Now he had to contend with an unknown baby. After thirty-five years of sovereignty, Herod was dying slowly and dyspeptically, and he could not even undergo that with serenity. A baby intruded. Well, he would await the return of the Magi, and he would deal with the baby in a manner Herod considered to be direct.
