. . . [The Magi] were Zoroastrian priests, astrologers, magicians, ancient shamans from the courts of ancient Persia. They were the equivalent of Merlin of Britain. They were sorcerers, high-ranking officials, but not kings – definitely not kings. But quite possibly, they were queens. We’ve always pictured them with elaborate, exotic, unusual clothing – quite festive, highly decorated and accessorized! . . . Also, the wise eunuchs, shamans, holy men were the only ones who had the forethought to go shopping before they visited the baby Jesus!
They also have shamanistic dreams. They deceive evil King Herod and actually play the precise role that many other prominent eunuchs play in the Bible: they rescue the prophet, this time the Messiah of God, and foil the evil royal plot against God’s anointed.
– Nancy Wilson
Excerpted from Our Tribe: Queer Folks, God, Jesus, and the Bible
Harper Collins, 1995
Excerpted from Our Tribe: Queer Folks, God, Jesus, and the Bible
Harper Collins, 1995
Recommended Off-site Links:
Epiphany: Queer Eye for the Magi – Kittredge Cherry (Jesus in Live Blog, January 6, 2012).
Three Queers from the East – Terence Weldon (Queering the Church, January 6, 2012).
The Sex Lives of Eunuchs – The Closet Professor (July 15, 2010)
See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
What We Can Learn from the Story of the Magi
Feast of the Epiphany
A Story of Searching and Discovery
Image: Modern day eunuchs in India. Photographer unknown.
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