The Magi in the Ancient Sources: A Catalog of Greek, Roman, and Jewish Witnesses
A reference compilation The Magi — the priestly class of the Medes and Persians — are among the most widely attested institutions of the ancient Near East, named across a full millennium of Greek, Roman, and Jewish writing. This catalog gathers the genuine references.
What this resource contributes
A reference compilation The Magi — the priestly class of the Medes and Persians — are among the most widely attested institutions of the ancient Near East, named across a full millennium of Greek, Roman, and Jewish writing. This catalog gathers the genuine references. It is grounded in the standard scholarly treatment, Albert de Jong's Traditions of the Magi: Zoroastrianism in Greek and Latin Literature , which remains the fullest collection of the classical material, supplemented by the Encyclopaedia Iranica.[^1] Three honest notes frame the whole list, and they keep it accurate. First, this is a catalog of the Magi — the priesthood — not a dating of Zarathustra. The prophet's own antiquity rests on the archaic language of his Gathas; these sources establish the standing and reputation of his clergy, which is a separate matter on a separate clock.
Topics and source signals
Primary sources detected
Gathas
Scholars detected
Albert de Jong