Not that I care about religion and it's trappings so much as I find the archaeological aspect interesting.

As an author, I struggle to come up with titles that capture what my work is about. I so appreciate the creativity that went into this one.

I'm struggling now with the subtitle. Hope I can nail it by fall when I'm supposed to be finished.

ascended into heaven where God made it into the rings around Saturn - hell, everyone knows that.

If that was the REAL one. There were 30 more claimants. Enough to become an embarrassment to the Catholic Church. (Imagine that.) The last one was stolen in 1983 from this church in Calcutta. I think the Golam took it. It became the real "precious." That's my theory anyway.

DNA test reveal that the bones weren't human.

"Respectively"? As in both orders the same. What "both" orders? I assume the wise men's names had been mentioned just before the quoted material. Then I got really confused because Google tells me, "There is an Armenian tradition identifying the 'Magi of Bethlehem' as Balthasar of Arabia, Melchior of Persia, and Gaspar of India." All in Asia. What's that you say? Why, no, I'm not very busy today at all. How'd you know?

in the original quote the three names are there. I butchered it, by trying to shorten it for post. But no, they did not all hail from Asia. At least that's not what my research says. ( 14th century cleric John of Hildesheim ) "Research," however, on this stuff, may be taken with a grain, or whole shaker, of salt. I'll check on the Armenian version, tho. Thanks!

Then there is the Asia Minor bit.

Excellent!

Chapter covers relics in various religions. and indulgences, a business model that puts all the sharks in the tank to shame.

Thanks!

that was me who asked in my OP.
Now I know. Three guys traveled vast distances to see God born and then went home.
At no time in the next 33 years did they ask, "Hey, I wonder what God is doing?"
Then they have a reunion and die.

Helena was such a easy mark. Amazing Christians take any of the supposed holy sites in Israel seriously.
The biggest joke is the Holy Sepulcher. As if there was a Tomb for some itenerent preacher that people could point to 300 years later.

But I'm told the nativity story isn't silly and how dare I piss on people's beliefs.

Atheists are so arrogant.

already titled "Prophets for Profit" which covers the megachurch, and televangelists (the pro wrestlers of religion), and some of history's biggest religious phonies. Maybe I'll use the Latin as a subtitle in that one. Thanks!

I was pretty pleased with the alliteration, tho.

...reason, the first answer to your question of "What happened to the Three Wise Men?" that popped into my mind is a line from the "Bye, Bye, Miss American Pie" song -

They took the last train to the coast.

Procul Harum took to the coast? or was that a different coast ?

Last edited Wed Jan 3, 2018, 09:26 AM - Edit history (1)

Now look what you've done. I've had to go off chasing the real number of real virgins. You think there were 16. Plutarch said there were only two. Listserve (Item 8) says there could only be 6.

https://listverse.com/2016/06/21/10-fascinating-facts-about-romes-vestal-virgins/


The truth is [probably not] out there.

I should have gone with the Classics.

... to the Transylvania Twist?