User:Jorge Stolfi/Names of the Magi

'''Draft of new section "names" in the Biblical Magi article.

Names
Traditions identify a variety of different names for the Magi. In the Western Christian church they have been commonly known as These names apparently derive from a Greek chronicle probably composed in in Alexandria around 500 A.D., and which survives today only as a poor Latin translation by a Merovingian monk with the title Excerpta Latina Barbari. Another Greek document from the 8th century, atributed to the Irish monk Beda and translated into Latin with the title Collectanea et Flores, continues the tradition of three kings and their names as well as their age, apearance and clothing. In 1170, French author Petrus Komestor gave the names as "Apellus, Amerus, Damasius in Hebrew; Galgalat, Magalath, Sarachim in Greek; Baltassar, Gaspar, Melchior in Latin". (Kehrer:68:ref5 = MSL 198, page 1542.) Zacharia of Besançon gave the names "Apellius, Amerus, Damascus in Greek; Magalath, Galgalath, Saracin in Hebrew", and the translations as "faithful", "humble", etc. (Kehrer:68:ref6 = MSL 186, page 83)  melchior is often translated from hebrew as "King of Light". Balthasar is a Chaldea (Babylonian) name, a son of Nabucodonosor
 * Caspar or Gaspar (and several other Greek or Latin variants such as Gathaspa, Jaspar, Jaspas, etc.).
 * Melchior (Melichior, Melchyor)
 * Balthasar (Bithisarea, Balthassar).

Grek manuscripts which apparently were related to the Excerpta Latina Barbari from the end of the tenth entury (Coxed Ambrosianus Q 74, Supl. folio 20) has Βαθησαρσαί BathesarsAI, Μελχιώρ MelchiOr, Γαθασπά GathaspA. In another manuscript Codex Vaticanus Ottobonianus folio 475 Βαθισαρσέ, Μελχιώρ, Γαθασπᾶ.

Other versions are Gaspar, Beltheser, Melceson (Three Kings "schauspiel" of Toulon (1333)) Melchior, Caspar, Patissa from the 13th century Casper, Paltaser, Moelhior Jaspar, Melcior, Baltazar Balthasar, Melchyor, Jaspas; Melchius, Pabtizar, Caspar; Melchior, Patisar, Caspar; Baltassar, Caspar, Melchior; Baldasar, Gasbar, Melchior; Melchar, Gaspar, Patifarsat; Melcisar, Balcisar, Hiespar; Malcus, Patifaxat, Casper;

In Britain the names Dyonisius, Rusticus, Eleuterius have been popular, since Gottifredo da Bussero (13th century).

In the Ethiopian text Life of Adam the names are given as "The king of Persia, Basanâter, the King of Saba and Karsudan, and the king of the West". (Kehrer:66:ref8)  Other names are Kẽsad, Albetar, Aunoson (Kehrer:66:ref4 = J. Ludolf (1661), Lexicon Aethiopico-Latinum London.) or Minsuram, Badsiba, Likon (Kehrer:66:ref5 = A. Ant. d'Abbadie (1859), calatogue Raisoné de Manuscripts Éthiopiens. Paris.); Mensor, Saïr, Theokeno (Kehrer:66:ref6 = E. Nestle, page 71). In Persian they were called Beh-âmed, Zûd-âmed, Durust-âmed. (Kehrer:66:ref7 = Th. Hyde page 378; F. Justi, page 688) A Georgian manuscript from the 10th century has Wiskara, Melikona, Walastar.(Kehrer:66:ref8 M. Brosset (1859), Notice sur un manuscript géorgien palimpseste, appartenant à M. Sreznevki.  In Mélanges Asiatiques, St. Petersburg, volume III, page 670.)

Caspar is also sometimes given as Gaspar or Jaspar. One candidate for the origin of the name Caspar appears in the Acts of Thomas as Gondophares (AD 21 – c.AD 47), in the original tongue V`iñdafrâ or V`iñdafranâ, from which 'GathaspA', 'Gaspar' and then 'Caspar' might derive. This Gondophares,declared independence from the Arsacids to become the first Indo-Parthian king and who was allegedly visited by Thomas the Apostle. Christian legend may have chosen Gondophares (Gondofarr, Gundaphara, Gudaphara, Gundaphorus, Godaphar, Gudapharasa) simply because he was an eastern king living in the right time period.

In contrast, the Syrian Christians name the Magi Larvandad, Gushnasaph, and Hormisdas. These names have a far greater likelihood of being originally Persian, though that does not, of course, guarantee their authenticity.

In the Eastern churches, Ethiopian Christianity, for instance, has Hor, Karsudan, and Basanater, while the Armenians have Kagpha, Badadakharida and Badadilma. Many Chinese Christians believe that one of the magi came from China. This final idea is used by Christopher Moore in his novel Lamb.

Armenians also Matathilata, Thesba, Salahotatha ((Kehrer:74:ref2 = Chačatur 13th century) ; Melchon, king of Persia, Gaspar, King of India, and Baldasar, King of Arabia.