Three Kings: A Christmas Poem

American poet and educator, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882), wrote many poems that went on to become quite well known. My favorite is "Three Kings" which tells the Bible story of King Herod's search for the King, the one prophesied about in the Old Testament, the one who would become known as Jesus. Of course, we do not know how many "wise men" or kings there actually were who came seeking the Child. People often associate the number "three" with this story because there were three gifts mentioned in the Scriptures: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. In any case, Longfellow accurately and beautifully captures the hatred directed toward the would-be King and the way in which He would be protected. 

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