The Jewish Roots of the Biblical Wise Men

By Leonard Salvig

Imagine yourself on the edge of an immense desert. Then accept the task of identifying a group of men who traveled through that dust-swept expanse about 2000 years ago. All that you have to guide you are 12 verses from a trusty document and a new piece of untested “evidence”, which is 8 words total. That’s all that author Len Salvig had when he started his personal odyssey in 1977 to identify the Wise Men. “Without that 8-word beacon I would have floundered from day 1”, he admits. He does not know the personal names of the Magi, yet he is convinced that he knows the city in which they practiced astronomy. Their near-identity - and why no one will know their names for sure - makes for fascinating reading. Partway through his odyssey while questioning experts in Israel to determine if any Christian author had delved into the mystery of the Wise Men, he was directed to Dr. W. E. Nunnally, Professor of Early Judaism and Christian Origins at Evangel University, Springfield, MO. Nunnally had written a scholarly treatise for his master’s degree at the University of Mississippi. Salvig incorporates the treatise as Part II, which is not included in this eBook version, but is available elsewhere.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Leonard Salvig
• Release date: Dec 24, 2016
• ISBN: 9781370476473

Leonard Salvig

Rev. Leonard (Len) Salvig currently is semi-retired as a minister with the Assemblies of God, During a 22-year period, he pastored three congregations. He is active part time now in his solar photovoltaic (PV) business under the company name RE Powered Inc. Three times he was a speaker at Dr. David A. Lewis’s annual International Prophecy Conferences in the early 1990s in Springfield, MO. In the past few years, he conducted 14 Faith and Science Mini-Conferences. He was a workshop speaker at the 2011 and 2014 national Faith and Science Conferences sponsored by the Assemblies of God in Springfield, MO. In 2015, he was a workshop speaker at a regional Truth Conference in Peoria, IL, with Josh McDowell. He plans to continue publishing articles, presentations and books on subjects involving Christianity and nature through his company Perspectus Publishing. Professional Information AA in Science, San Joaquin Delta College, ('57); BA in Life Sciences, University of California at Berkeley, (’59); BA in Bible, North Central University, (’63): BA in Journalism, University of Minnesota, (’64)

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The Jewish Roots of The Biblical Wise Men

An odyssey about discovering the origin of the Wise Men

Copyright 2004

Leonard Salvig

Published by Perspectus Publishing, Garden Prairie, IL

eBook by Smashwords

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The Cornerstone for This Book

I did not realize in the Fall of 1977 that I would be given an 8-word clue that would open a window of understanding about the origin of the Wise Men.

When our Sunday School Superintendent, Joyce Virden, of Alliance First Assembly of God, Alliance, Ohio, told me that she knew where the Wise Men came from, I thought she was joking. I totally misread the direction in which she was heading. Then she opened up and shared the clue that pierced through the shroud of mystique surrounding the origin of the Wise Men.

Whenever anyone states that they have heard from God, I am dubious. A friend of mine who was a youth pastor became disgusted with the people who were applying for funding and made that claim. After a formal study and by keeping records, he found that only about 15% of the claimants truly had heard from God.

We know that our faith is based on Jesus Christ as the cornerstone and on the sure foundation of the apostles and prophets (Eph. 2:20). We can be certain of our salvation with Jesus as the cornerstone, and we can rely on everything extending out from that foundation.

I do not place the 8-word clue on the same high level of inspiration equal to that for the Bible. However, I can attest that the clue shared by Joyce Virden was an honest statement by a true believer who heard the audible voice of God, which is the cornerstone for this book.

Cover design by Mark Hill, Hill Graphics, Boulder, CO. Authorized, paid for, and copyrighted by Rev. Leonard Salvig

Cartoons by Kathy Dougherty, Marengo, IL

Published by:

Perspectus Publishing

8323 Grange Hall Rd

Garden Prairie, IL 61038

ISBN (Assigned by Smashwords)

To Dee,

My wife and the Love of my life

Acknowledgements

First, I must express my appreciation – posthumously - to Joyce Virden for entrusting me with her intimate personal experience about hearing the audible voice of God. After I had made some headway with my research in August, 2002, I tried to call her repeatedly. Finally I called a mutual friend who gave me the belated news, Joyce died a few weeks ago. You can imagine my sadness because I called just a little too late.

If Pastor R.T. Sandbach had not given me the opportunity to share about the Wise Men on WQFL, Rockford, in 1978, I would not have started on my odyssey.

I am deeply grateful to the late Dr. David A. Lewis of Springfield, Missouri, for sharing all his personal contacts in Israel. Without him I would not have met Halvor Ronning, who directed me to Dr. W. E. Nunnally.

Dr. Nunnally has provided the academic and scriptural support for the thesis that the Wise Men could have been Important Ones who were messianic Jews.

Dr. William Mienert gave me insight into the reason for NOT identifying the Wise Men.

The late Rev. Kevin Johnson directed me to an authoritative source about the messianic remnant.

The late Chronologist Eugene Faulstich was an excellent proofreader, and he made detailed comments about Seleucid contributions to Jewish astronomy.

Astronomer/physicist Dr. F. Duane Ingram opened up the heavens for me with his knowledge of the stars and incredible grasp of facts about astronomy.

Kathy Dougherty added a pleasing touch of visual spice to the book with her inked cartoons.

To my family and friends – Larry Opie, in particular - who proofread my rough drafts, thanks so much for your tweakings. They steered me away from much potential personal embarrassment.

Foreword

When referring to the birth of Jesus Christ, St. Paul described the event with elegant brevity in Galatians 4:4: But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, . . .

Whether it’s the birth of the King of the Jews or the harvesting of fruit when it is fully ripe, there is a point in time when any activity should be brought to a natural completion. My reason for publishing at this time is:

The Lord spoke and said, The time to share the story is - NOW!.

What new information have I gleaned?

I have made every effort possible to get back to these simple truths that were known by first-century Christians.

1. First and foremost, the Wise Men were NOT