In his book Mystery of the Magi, Dwight Longenecker develops a case for the Magi of Matthew 2 being courtiers from the kingdom of Nabatea.

Longenecker writes:

‘At the time of Jesus’ birth, the city of Petra was the thriving capital of the Nabatean kingdom, a major power in the Middle East. Covering most of the Sinai Peninsula and extending halfway along the eastern coast of the Red Sea, the Nabatean kingdom, at its height, spread across northern Arabia and present-day Jordan to Damascus in Syria.’ Originally nomadic, the Nabateans had settled around Petra, developing highly sophisticated ways of controlling the water supply, and cornering the market in frankincense, myrrh and other products.

It seems likely that the Nabateans shared a common history with the Jews.  Indeed, it is possible that they are to be linked to Nebiaoth, and grandson of Abraham through Ishmael (Gen 28:9).  Nebiaoth’s descendants are represented in the OT as the most important of the Arabian tribes.

There is also a link with Moses:

‘When Moses fled from Egypt after murdering an Egyptian slave driver, he took refuge among the Midianites in northwest Arabia. This was the territory in which the Hebrews lived as nomads before entering the Promised Land, and today’s visitor to the area around Petra can visit the purported site of the tomb of Moses’ brother Aaron.’

And there was a yet later Jewish influence:

‘When Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem in 586 BC, he did not transport all the Jews to Babylon. Poor farmers remained on the land in Judea, and Josephus records that some of the scattered Jews escaped to Arabia.’

Indeed, it is thought that of the many Jewish colonies around Arabia, the one that formed in Northern Arabia is thought to have been the largest.  Some of those who settled brought with them traditions and wisdom rooted in Abrahamic faith and which pre-dated Solomon’s temple.

The image of Yahweh as a ‘rock’ is prominent in OT teaching.  It is noteworthy that the earlier forms of Nabatean religion did not feature idols.  Rather, their gods were represented by standing stones.  The parallel with the Jewish prohibition of graven images is striking.  Also striking is the resonance with the story of Jacob who, after wrestling with an angel set up a standing stone and called the place ‘Bethel’ (‘house of God’).  The Nabatean standing stones are called ‘betyls’.

The Nabatean religion has a further similarity with ancient Judaism by expressing a form of emergent monotheism (henotheism).

There would, then, be ample reasons for the Nabateans to be interested in a newborn king in neighbouring Judea.

Nabatean civilisation was something of a melting pot.  In addition to the strong Jewish influence, the Nabateans were open to Persian, Greek and Roman ideas and influences.

The Nabateans were connected to Persia by trade, politics and language (Aramaic being the common tongue).  Babylon, too, was cosmopolitan, with Phoenicians, Syrians, Elamites, Egptians and Jews all rubbing shoulders.

Arabian, Jewish and Babylonians influences were found in the northern Arabian oasis town of Tayma,

‘a city important for our story because of the intriguing character who settled there, a man who embodied the blend of Babylonian and Jewish influences—the last king of the Babylonians, Nabonidus.’

Concerning this king:

‘In 1994, in the ancient Edomite hill fort of Sela, just north of Petra, archaeologists discovered a relief carving of a figure in a long Babylonian royal robe and pointed cap. The figure holds a scepter in his right hand, and his left is raised toward a crescent moon, a winged sun, and a seven-pointed star representing the planet Venus. Most scholars believe the carving portrays Nabonidus, the last king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, who died in 539 BC.’

Nabonidus had invaded northern Arabia and, instead of returning to Babylon established an alternative capital in Tayma, in the heart of what would become Nabatean territory.

So we have in Tayma a strong Jewish presence, along with a strong Babylonian influence.  It has been conjectured that the book of Job, and portions of Isaiah, might have originated among the Jewish exiles in Tayma.

It is notable that Nabonidus set about revitalising the worship of the god Sin, the centres of which were Ur, Harran and Tayma.  We know that Abraham came from Ur and Harran, and also that Tayma was the name of his grandson (son of Ishmael).

It is quite possible the Nabonidus set about unifying the worship of Sin with that of Yahweh (soe scholars believing that the first was actually a precusor of the second).

The Nabateans were also influenced by Greek philosophy, with Cicero recording that Pythagoras and Democritus visited the magi in Arabia.

There are several reasons why the Nabateans would have been interested in the birth of a new king in Israel.  They were, for instance, close neighbours.  Moreover, they had strong ancestral links and links to Abrahamic religion.

But were there magi in the region of Nabatea?  Nabonidus is known to been a strongly religious king, and the relief carving referred to above has a number of religious symbols:

‘[It] is portrayed with astral signs, including the crescent moon, the sign of the god Sin; Venus, a star that often stood for Zoroaster; and the winged sun, which is a symbol of the Zoroastrian god Ahura Mazda, might the  mysterious figure be a magian priest from Babylon?’

It is possible, then, that Nabonidus was not only a king, but a star-gazing priest.  A magian, no less.

Aside from these reasonable inferences, there is achaeological evidence of Babylonian magi in Arabia:

‘The tombs and temples in Petra echo the earlier royal tombs in Persia, and a carved head of a priest was uncovered in Petra showing the same high headgear and Babylonian-style facial hair that are found in the carvings of King Nabonidus and in the wall carvings of Persian priests in Persopolis.’

Just as some Jews had fled from Nebuchadnezzar to Arabia in 586BC, so Babylonian magi, who had been suppressed by the Persian conqueror, Darius, also fled to Arabia, some 60 years later.  But historians know that Persian magi, too, all over the Middle East.  These Persian magi were skilled in mathematics and astrology, and were regarded as the ‘scientists’ of their day.  By the time of Christ, their influence was less in Persia, and they would have had little reasons to undertake a long journey to find a new Jewish king.

But the Nabatean magi, on the other hand:

‘had deep roots in Abrahamic religion, had absorbed later Jewish cultural influences, were steeped in the magian lore of Babylon, and, by the time of Christ’s birth, had absorbed elements of Greek religion and philosophy. It was natural that such men should have a deep interest in a newborn king of the Jews.’

In Isaiah 60:4-7, it is Jews from North Arabia – the land of the Nabateans – who lead the way back from exile to Jerusalem:

‘“Ephah” is the son of Midian, one of Abraham’s sons (Genesis 25:4). Ephah gives his name to another northern Arabian tribe, famous for using camel caravans for the frankincense trade. “Sheba” refers to Jews from Yemen or the kingdom of Saba in southern Arabia,22 while the “flocks of Kedar” refer to the northern Arabian tribe of Qedarites who merged with the Nabateans. The “Nebaioth,” as we saw in chapter five, are the tribe many believe are the ancestors of the Nabateans.’

At the time of Christ’s birth, Qumran was occupied by the Essene community.  They evidently had a high regard for the book of Isaiah.  Indeed, it is possible that the later portions of Isaiah originated among the Jewish exiles in one of the Nabatean colonies.  It is known, too, that the Essenes had a strong interest in astrology.  This interest may have fed into the decision of Matthew’s Magi to seek the new-born king of the Jews.

Summarising the argument so far:

‘The Nabatean civilization developed out of the melting pot of northern Arabian tribes, exiled Jews, and Neo-Babylonians. The prophecies of Isaiah originated in the Nabatean territory, where they were treasured and preserved. Second Isaiah spoke of a coming savior who would bring justice and open the way for the whole world to worship the one true God, and the Nabatean Jews would be the ones who led the way.’

Turning now to Herod, we find that he was the son of a Nabatean princess and was brought up at the court of the Nabatean royal family.  Around 32BC Herod attacked the Nabuteans in a (successful) bid to ingratiate himself to Octavian, who triumphed in the Battle of Actium.  Herod proceeded to control the end-points of the Nabatean trade routes, levying heavy taxes on the goods as they passed through.  The Nabateans responded by supporting raids on Herod’s northeastern borders.

By 14BC the Nabateans were making diplomatic overtures to Herod.  A Nabatean courtier named Syllaeus formed an alliance with Herod by proposing to marry his sister Salome.  Herod agreed, providing Syllaeus would convert to Judaism.  Skirmishes between Herod and Syllaeus ensued, with Rome siding with the latter.

In 9BC, before Syllaeus could claim the crown in Petra, another courtier seized power, taking the name Aretas IV and offering gifts to Caesar.  The emperor was enraged however, and Herod and the new Nabatean king found themselves on the same side: ‘they were both enemies of Syllaeus, who was still in favor with Augustus in Rome, and they both suffered the disfavor of the emperor.’

In 7BC sent trusted enjoys to Rome, pleading his case against Syllaeus, and the latter was executed the following year.

We have now reached 6BC, the year of Jesus’ birth.  At this time:

• Aretas IV had a somewhat insecure hold on the Nabatean throne.
• He and Herod had reason to be on good terms with one another.  The Nabateans were natural allies, and Herod had been brought up in the Nabatean court.  They also had shared religious ties.
• Herod was now in favour with Rome, and Aretas would do well to take advantage of this.
• Herod was by now old and dying.  If a new prince was born to the Herodian dynasty, the Nabateans would do well to be the first to pay homage.
• Herod controlled his borders with Nabatea, and so the interests of commerce made this a good time to build bridges.

Indeed,

‘We know that Aretas IV and Herod were forging an alliance at the time of Christ’s birth because soon after Herod’s death two years later, his heir, Herod Antipas, married Aretas IV’s daughter Phasaelis.’

Aretas IV had every reason, then, to send envoys to Herod’s court.

The very gifts they brought – gold, frankincense and myrrh – were precisely the costly commodities associated with that region of the Middle East.  Arabian mines yielded fabulous quantities of pure gold.  Frankincense came only from trees grown in southern Arabia and certain areas in Eastern Africa.  Myrrh came from a wider area in southern Arabia.  The Nabateans traded many different goods, but gold frankincense and myrrh were their own produce.  And it was the custom of the time for one country to pay tribute to another with such precious gifts.

So:

‘In 6 BC the political situation between the Nabatean King Aretas IV and Herod the Great was exactly what you would expect for tribute gifts to be made. Aretas’s claim to the throne was shaky. Herod had just worked with the lawyers in Aretas’s court to persuade the emperor Augustus that their joint enemy Syllaeus was a scoundrel. Aretas had already sent tribute gifts to Caesar, who grudgingly accepted the gifts and gave his approval to Aretas IV’s claims. Aretas sent sweeteners to Caesar it makes sense that he would do the same for Herod when the proper opportunity arose.’

The Nabatean Magi would have used well-trodden and familiar trade routes to reach Jerusalem.  They did not need a star to guide them.  Moreover, their knowledge of the area would have enabled them to return from Bethlehem by another route, and Matthew records.  At the time of Jesus’ birth Herod and Aretas were forging a new alliance.  Herod’s fury at the news of the birth of the new king would have put the Magi in danger with both of them.  It is quite possible that their new route took them to Damascus, again, by a familiar trade route.

We should not suppose that the Magi undertook a journey of several months using camels.  Rather, they would have travelled on horseback (the Nabateans became famous for their horses, and Arabian horses are celebrated even today).  They would have covered the journey of a few hundred miles in just a few days.

When the Magi arrived in Bethlehem, they paid homage (‘worshipped’ is not quite the right word) as to a newborn king.  However, we do not need to deny a religious aspect either.