The “3 kings” most people mean are the Three Wise Men or Magi from the Christian Christmas story: traditionally named Caspar (or Gaspar), Melchior, and Balthasar, who visited the newborn Jesus with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Basic answer

  • In Christian tradition, the 3 kings are wise men from the East who followed a special star to find the baby Jesus.
  • They are commonly given the names Caspar , Melchior , and Balthasar , though these names come from later tradition, not the Bible text itself.
  • Their three famous gifts are gold, frankincense, and myrrh , which is why people assume there were three of them.

What the Bible actually says

  • The story appears in the Gospel of Matthew and calls them “wise men” or “Magi,” not kings, and never states how many there were.
  • The text describes them as learned foreigners (astronomers/astrologers or court scholars) who saw a star, traveled to Judea, met King Herod, and then found Jesus and his mother Mary.
  • After presenting their gifts, they returned home by another route after a dream warning them not to go back to Herod.

Why people say “three” and “kings”

  • The number “three” comes from the three gifts mentioned: gold, frankincense, and myrrh; Christian art and tradition later turned that into three persons.
  • Over centuries, Western Christian tradition began calling them kings and assigning them names and even different ages and ethnic backgrounds, to symbolize the nations of the world honoring Jesus.
  • In some legends, they are later described as bishops or missionaries whose relics were eventually venerated in Cologne Cathedral in Germany.

Different cultural takes

  • In many Spanish‑speaking and European countries, “Three Kings Day” (Epiphany, around January 6) is a major celebration with parades and gift‑giving in honor of the Magi.
  • Modern writers and preachers sometimes reinterpret the Magi as diplomats or envoys from neighboring kingdoms, emphasizing political as well as spiritual symbolism.
  • Online forums and recent articles around each Christmas often revisit who the Magi “really” were, but most scholars agree their precise identities and number are not historically certain.

Fast recap (TL;DR)

  • “Who are the 3 kings?” → The Three Wise Men/Magi who visit baby Jesus.
  • Traditional names → Caspar, Melchior, Balthasar (later tradition).
  • Historical/biblical core → Unspecified number of wise men from the East, bringing gold, frankincense, and myrrh, following a star to honor Jesus.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.