Did you know the Three Kings were religious scholars known as the Magi - revered Persian astronomers and astrologists?

They studied the stars and planets, interpreting the meaning behind cosmic events. The earliest and most credible report on The Three Kings is written in the second chapter of the Gospel of Matthew 2:12, in the context of the story of the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem. It tells the story of the veneration of the new-born by the Magicians from the East (Μάγοι ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν, in Greek, Mágoi apὸ anatolôn). It says: "After Jesus was born in Bethlehem at the time of King Herod, The Three Magicians from the East led by the Star of Bethlehem came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the new-born, the new King of the Jews? We saw his star rise and have come to pay homage to him.”

“And then they entered the house, fell down and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented him gifts: such as gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”

The word Magi is the plural of Latin word magus, borrowed from Greek μάγος (magos), as used in the original Greek text of the Gospel of Matthew (in the plural: μάγοι, magoi). Greek magos itself is derived from Old Persian maguŝ from the Avestan magâunô, i.e., the religious caste into which Zoroaster was born (see Yasna 33.7: "ýâ sruyê parê magâunô" = "so I can be heard beyond Magi"). The term refers to the Persian priestly caste of Zoroastrianism. As part of their religion, these priests paid particular attention to the stars and gained an international reputation for Astrology, which at that time was highly regarded as a Science.

This and 1000 more stories about Persia in my book.

Did you know the first caravanserai was built over 2500 years ago in Iran/Persia?

The first caravanserais were reported 2,500 years ago, when Persia was ruled by the Achaemenid Empire. During the Safavid period in Iran, caravanserais were established at convenient sites at a distance of every 20 to 30 miles along the trade routes across the country.

The caravanserai is one of the 999 such hostels built to promote trade. An entry fee was charged along with a daily fee for an 8 ft-square room. The rooms were fitted with a fireplace, and servants had a separate place in which to stay. The caretaker of the caravanserai was legally authorized to collect sales tax and oversee all transactions. It was incumbent on the caretakers to provide security to the merchants and their goods against theft.

Here are images of Zeinodin Caravanserai (is not Starship Enterprise but even more amazing):

This Caravanserai is situated on the Silk Road which was, until 1500, the main trade route between Europe and Asia. In earlier centuries, it was reached after a two-day camel ride from south of Yazd, about 60 kilometres (37 mi) on the main road to Kerman.

Images by Fulvio Spada from Italy and Adam Jones Canada under the copyright CC BY-SA 2.0