The Magi

There are few stories in the scriptures as familiar to our imaginations, as the story of the wise men. We sing about them in Christmas carols like "We Three Kings." We set them up each year with our nativity scenes. However, given how the story is talked about and portrayed, one has to wonder if we know it as well as we think we do. Were there just three of them? Were they in fact kings? Were they actually there at the birth of Christ? What is this story even about and why did Matthew include it?