The Story of the Other Wise Man

by Henry Van Dyke

"The Story of the Other Wise Man" by Henry Van Dyke is a short novel published in 1895. It expands the Biblical account of the Magi by introducing a fourth wise man, Artaban, who sets out to find the newborn King with precious treasures. Delayed by acts of mercy, he arrives too late in Bethlehem and begins a thirty-three-year search for Jesus. Along his journey, he repeatedly sacrifices his gifts to help those in need, wondering if he will ever fulfill his original quest.