A tradition to remember
Everyone has heard of the three kings and they are still very present today: for example, in the form of the carol singers who ring doorbells every year, collect donations and leave a blessing in return; in Cologne Cathedral, where the majestic golden shrine with the relics of the three wise men attracts thousands of pilgrims every year; and in some federal states, where employees can enjoy a day off work on Epiphany.
Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar - these were the Magi who, according to biblical accounts, set out from the East to greet the baby Jesus in Bethlehem. They were not given their names until the 6th century, and it is not entirely clear whether they were actually traveling in threes or in an even larger group. However, the trio known to us prevailed.
Apparently, the three men had observed a special phenomenon in the sky - a comet, a nova or a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn? According to the understanding of the time, this would have indicated an imminent event of historic proportions - which the three men probably wanted to investigate. They came from Babylon, the stronghold of astrology at the time, from where they set off for Judea. They traveled over rough mountains, through the Syrian desert and on to Damascus. From there, caravans regularly made their way to Jerusalem, one of which they probably joined, having to cross the Jordan Rift Valley. From Jerusalem it was finally only a few kilometers to Bethlehem, where the three wanderers finally met the Holy Family. Jesus must have been around ten months old at the time.
So the three wise men had covered around a thousand kilometers, walking for several months over unpaved paths and through desolate terrain. Has anyone ever thought about what kind of shoes you could wear on such a forced march? In ancient times, it would have been open sandals with leather soles, perhaps even closed shoes padded with hay. We can count ourselves lucky to be able to fall back on the latest BÄR hiking boots: stable, comfortable, soothing, well-padded! You will find a perfect selection of hiking and sports shoes in our range.
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We wish you a good journey into the new year!