Lonely planet books for The Magi may have secured the gold, frankincense, and myrrh in their homeland or purchased them en route to Judea. In view of their mission, they would not have wished to arrive in Judea without having gifts fit for the newborn King. The Thwarting of Herod’s Scheme According to Matthew , And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they [the Magi departed to their own country by another way. It is clear from this verse that the Magi had been completely fooled by Herod. They were evidently fully intent on reporting back to him concerning their successful mission to ind the holy child. They were oblivious to the fact that the evil tyrant would seek to use that information to execute the one they had just journeyed ? days to worship. We may presume that the Magi kept their agreement with Herod to themselves or, at any rate, that anyone to whom they passed this information shared their conviction that Herod had good motives. Lonely planet books 2016.