Queen and Three Kings
AM Psalm 119:49-72 • PM Psalm 49, [53]
1 Kings 17:1-24 • Phil. 2:1-11 • Matt. 2:1-12
This Epiphany gospel has given rise to some clear historical misconceptions and three true if still strange connections with the 1970s-1980s British rock group Queen.
Despite the Christmas carol “We Three Kings,” there is absolutely no modern scholarly support for their being royalty. While the actual number of these pilgrims is still up for debate, there is now a consensus that they were Zoroastrian priests and/or astronomers. Their constantly expressed tripartite mantra “Good thoughts, Good words, Good deeds,” may well have given rise to the “three” theme. Their growing priesthood took over the famous Babylonian astronomical observatory and archives, the most complete of ancient times. Since Zoroastrians believed in a benevolent God of Light, their interest in the illuminated bodies in the night sky made sense, particularly since the appearance of a new or brighter than usual planet or star was thought to announce the birth of a new prophet. And indeed, backwards calculations of the movement of planets were published in December 1976, within the world’s foremost scientific journal, Nature, with the conclusion that “The Star of Bethlehem was probably a triple conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter in the constellation of Pisces, the significance of which was only obvious to the Magi of Babylonia. This occurred in 7 BC and events indicate that Jesus Christ was probably born in the Autumn of that year, around October, 7 BC..”
How does this tie in with “Queen?” First, Freddie Mercury, its famous lead singer was raised as a Zoroastrian. Second, Brian May, the lead guitar player, had actually earned a Ph.D. in Astronomy and Astrophysics from the Imperial College in London, with a dissertation on the movement of planetary dust clouds within the solar system. And while May was not royalty, he was in fact, named a Commander of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth in 2005. Third, while Queen did not bring gold, frankincense, or myrrh to the baby Jesus in Bethlehem, their 20 minute performance at the LiveAid concert 36 years ago brought in 360,000 pounds sterling to feed the starving children in Ethiopia.
Written by Tony Stankus
Tony Stankus became the first librarian at the U of A promoted to the rank of Distinguished Professor. Now 70, he became an Episcopalian at age 66, because he could no longer resist neither the transcendent liturgies, nor the warmth of its priests and people.