Archbishop of Canterbury Dismisses Three Wise Men as 'Legend'

The Archbishop of Canterbury, the spiritual head of the 77 million-strong Anglican Communion, recently dismissed one popular aspect of the Christmas story of the three wise men as "legend."

Dr. Rowan Williams indicated that Scripture does not describe the magi as commonly depicted in nativity stories and scenes.

"Well Matthew's gospel doesn't tell us that there were three of them, doesn't tell us they were kings, doesn't tell us where they came from, it says they're astrologers, wise men, priests from somewhere outside the Roman Empire. That's all we're really told so, yes, 'the three kings with the one from Africa' - that's legend; it works quite well as legend," he said in an interview with BBC Radio Five.

He noted there was no evidence of oxen or donkeys – popular characters in nativity scenes – in the stable and that the chances of snow falling around the stable in Bethlehem were "very unlikely." Additionally, he said he doesn't know if there was a star above where baby Jesus lay. While the gospel of Matthew talks about the rising star and standing still, the Archbishop noted, he said "stars don't behave quite like that."

"There are various scientific theories about what it might have been at around that time and they (wise men) followed that trek; that makes sense to me," he said.