In English the term 'magi' refers to the wise men from the East who visited and worshiped our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ at his birth and offered him precious gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. We read of this in the Gospel according to St. Matthew Chapter 2, verse 11:
11And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.
Since the magi offered three gifts it is traditionally believed that they were three in number.
The Greeks considered Zoroaster to be the founder and the figurehead of the magi. The magi were considered to be 'wise' because they specialized in both astronomy and astrology and were able to foretell the future.
In Matthew Ch:2 verse 2 the magi (singular: 'magus') visit King Herod thinking that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was born in the king's palace and ask King Herod,
Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
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