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by mistrial9 1474 days ago
> The word “magi” is plural for “magus” which means “astrologer”

congratulations for this reductionist review of words without references !

3 comments

It’s a very brief summary. Rather than complaining you would do better to elaborate and and educate.

From the encyclopaedia Britanica it says:

> magus, plural Magi, member of an ancient Persian clan specializing in cultic activities. The name is the Latinized form of magoi (e.g., in Herodotus 1:101), the ancient Greek transliteration of the Iranian original. From it the word magic is derived.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Magus

But I’d love to hear more.

The Biblical “magi” are not the same as the “Persian clan” referenced in your source. The Biblical word is simply a generic term for “astrologers” or “magicians” but which is rooted in the Persian meaning. In fact, the singular “magus” is used in reference to a Jew who practiced some form of magic in Acts 13:6-8.
I don’t understand. You can literally just look it up in any dictionary. What exactly do you think my explanation was lacking?