Bible Figure

Melchior

Male
one of the Biblical Magi; in 16th-century paintings generally portrayed as an old man with white hair kneeling at the feet of the Madonna & Child
A Visit With Jesus
Melchior is a traditional name assigned to one of the Magi who visited Jesus; Matthew does not name the Magi or say there were exactly three.
Melchior

Biography

Matthew 2 describes Magi from the east who came seeking the newborn king of the Jews, followed the star, worshiped Jesus, and presented gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The names Melchior, Caspar, and Balthazar arose in later Christian tradition, as did many details concerning their number, ages, and origins. These names do not appear in Matthew.

Biblical Significance

For a canonical Bible-figures database, Melchior should be marked as later Christian tradition rather than presented as a named New Testament person. The biblical figures are the unnamed Magi collectively.