The story of Artaban, the fourth Magi, who spends his life looking for Jesus his King.The story of Artaban, the fourth Magi, who spends his life looking for Jesus his King.The story of Artaban, the fourth Magi, who spends his life looking for Jesus his King.
James Farentino
- Jesus
- (voice)
Joe Estevez
- Townsperson
- (as Joe Phelan)
Wesley Bishop
- Roman Soldier
- (as Wesley Grant)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe sets for the towns of Bethlehem, Jerusalem and Alexandria were built at Paramount Ranch, in such a way that walking through an archway in Bethlehem would get you to Jerusalem. Walking around a corner, you'd be in Alexandria. It was like a biblical wormhole.
- Alternate versionsAs currently televised, (c.2001) the film runs one hour instead of 72 minutes.
- ConnectionsVersion of The Other Wise Man (1953)
Featured review
A life of service
A very nice cast was assembled for this fictional story about a fourth Wise Man
who missed the birth of Jesus. Martin Sheen plays the fourth Magi who just
seems to be missing running into the prophesied Messiah.
Some other obligations prevented Sheen as Artaban the fourth Wise Man from making the journey to Bethlehem where the other three Balthazar, Caspar, and Melchior viewed the post birth at the stable. When Sheen goes accompanied by his faithful and grumbling servant Alan Arkin the family just left and in time before the Romans come in on that genocidal mission from Herod to kill all the babies there. Before he leaves Sheen manages to save one of them.
Then its off to Egypt where the holy family is bound for. But as the gospels give scant information about Jesus's growing up we've got a lot of room for fiction. He misses the child again, but instead Sheen helps out a colony of beggars become a self sufficient tribe. And as a Magi he's got some gifts of healing, no miracles to be sure, but the kind of stuff Hippocrates had researched in the ancient world.
This was a life of service and well led. And before the film ends Sheen witnesses the greatest of all miracles and he's told by the highest authorities that it was a life well led.
Sheen and Arkin make quite a pair, a kind of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza kind of relationship. But this Quixote tilts no windmills though he faces some long odds at times.
This is a good religious film, not overly preachy, but it's point about making your life count on earth is well made.
Some other obligations prevented Sheen as Artaban the fourth Wise Man from making the journey to Bethlehem where the other three Balthazar, Caspar, and Melchior viewed the post birth at the stable. When Sheen goes accompanied by his faithful and grumbling servant Alan Arkin the family just left and in time before the Romans come in on that genocidal mission from Herod to kill all the babies there. Before he leaves Sheen manages to save one of them.
Then its off to Egypt where the holy family is bound for. But as the gospels give scant information about Jesus's growing up we've got a lot of room for fiction. He misses the child again, but instead Sheen helps out a colony of beggars become a self sufficient tribe. And as a Magi he's got some gifts of healing, no miracles to be sure, but the kind of stuff Hippocrates had researched in the ancient world.
This was a life of service and well led. And before the film ends Sheen witnesses the greatest of all miracles and he's told by the highest authorities that it was a life well led.
Sheen and Arkin make quite a pair, a kind of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza kind of relationship. But this Quixote tilts no windmills though he faces some long odds at times.
This is a good religious film, not overly preachy, but it's point about making your life count on earth is well made.
helpful•20
- bkoganbing
- Jan 9, 2018
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