Gain a Greater Appreciation for the Wise Men

Charlene Rack reviews a book based on an ancient manuscript that sheds light on the journey of the Magi to Bethlehem, and offers related resources about Epiphany.

Revelation of the Magi: The Lost Tale of the Wise Men's Journey to Bethlehem

By Brent Landau

Publisher: HarperOne

I've never really given Epiphany a whole lot of attention — only what the Church asks of me. It's kind of hard to think come up with special activities, considering how very little we know of them, with just a few short verses written in the Scriptures regarding them and their interaction with Herod and then their arrival at the Holy family’s dwelling, along with the gifts they brought (which also have rich symbolism connected to them.)

I’ve had a desire for quite some time to find out more about those Wise Men, and was surprised to discover some awesome, fairly new, reading material that really sheds light (no pun intended!) on those three, brave, faithful, and generous Wise Men (and their community) that will bring them to life for your family.  

So little is said about the Magi in the Bible, but an ancient manuscript, the only copy of which was collecting dust in the Vatican archives for many long years, has finally been translated into English by author Brent Landau. I listened to an audio version of this translation, published as Revelation of the Magi (from my local library, using the Hoopla App which allows you to check out a wide variety of ebooks, audiobooks, and movies). 

What I learned from this book 

The story is truly uplifting. I really enjoyed it. It shares much of the journey of the Wise Men, things we've never heard before, what they saw and experienced. For example, they came to realize that the star was actually Jesus, appearing in different forms, the stable. Sometimes they could see his face and form, and sometimes just a very bright pillar of light. It did not seem far-fetched to me at all. We understand so little of the amazing mind and power of God! But Mr. Landau was not making any of this up. This is the actual saga that was hidden away in the archives, told as a story that Adam passed down to Seth, who then told his sons to pass it down to the generations still to come, until the age would arrive for the long-awaited star to appear. 

The more I heard/read, the more amazing and miraculous it all became, and it made me think, “Would I have joined in their long and dangerous trek; would I have had the courage and the love to seek the babe in the manger?" What joy and love and courage and hope they must have experienced on their journey. The story also lifts up the Blessed Mother for her part in God’s plan, and Saint. Joseph, too. I highly recommend the audio version of the book over the actual book, which gets a bit tedious explaining the difficult work of translating an ancient language into modern English. The audio version will be much better for children. (However, if you’re interested in the whole story, it’s a good read for grown-ups.)  

I was actually quite old when someone told me that the gifts from the Wise Men were the ticket to the family’s travel and survival, during their “hidden days” in Egypt, providing for all their material needs at that time. That makes so much sense! At any rate, I suggest getting ahold of a copy of this book, one way or another, and sharing and discussing it with your family on the Feast of the Epiphany.

More recommended resources about the Epiphany

Also, look for the Baby Jesus and the Three Wise Men coloring book (under $8). Those might be a good gift option for the little ones in your family.  

After I made my way through Landau's book, another piece showed up in my searching, a beautiful poem by T.S. Eliot, in which he details the long and difficult journey as the way it must have been. That was totally new to me, too. I found “The Journey of the Magi” on All Poetry.com and was able to print out a copy for myself. Both the book and the poem are lovely reads. 

However, the book and the poem are at odds about the difficulty of the journey, with Landau’s book suggesting it was an easy journey, and T.S. Eliot making it seem a long and arduous pilgrimage. I appreciated both outlooks, and decided that the actual odyssey was somewhere in between the two extremes.   

With these two resources together, read by parents, shared with their children, the Epiphany story comes to life, and the Three wise men “made real. You’ll have a better understanding of their incredible faithful tenacity over many, many years, as each generation watched and waited for the rising of the promised star, and the new king to come into His reign.  

They had more than a bit part in the story, and deserve more attention than they’ve been given. This January, let’s shine a light on those amazing sojourners, and say a word of thanks for God’s greatness and incredible story-telling by bringing the Old and new Testaments together by linking the Wise Men to Adam and Seth. (And also for Brent Landau, for making this ancient story accessible to the masses!)   

Is this a book you'd like to read? Share your thoughts with the Catholic Mom community! You'll find the comment box below the author's bio and list of recommended articles.

Copyright 2025 Charlene Rack
Images: Canva