Speaker: Christopher Bradley
1 December 2015
The Adoration of the Magi was one of the most popular religious subjects for the great artists and we follow their work over nine centuries.
The term Magi refers to the Zoroastrian priest/sages who were anonymous wise men who specialised in medicine, religion and astronomy.
We investigate how they travelled from The East which has been identified as any country from Arabia to Persia. Tradition has placed the number of Magi at three, relating to gold, frankincense and myrrh, with Melchior, Caspar and Balthasar becoming universal symbols and representations.
Profile
Christopher Bradley is an expert in the history and culture of the Middle East and North Africa. As a professional tour guide and lecturer he has led groups throughout the Middle East and Asia.
He has written extensively on Arabia and is the author of The Discovery Guide to Yemen, Insight Guide to the Silk Road and Berlitz Guides to Libya; The Red Sea; Cairo; Abu Dhabi and Nile Cruising. He has a broad range of lecturing experience, including to the Royal Geographical Society and the Royal Institute of British Architects.
As a photographer Christopher has pictures included in four photographic libraries and, as a film producer and cameraman, he has made documentaries for the BBC, National Geographic TV and Channel 4.