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Author: Henry Van Dyke

Henry Van Dyke (1852–1933) was an American writer and minister known for his writings on religion, nature, and philosophy. He graduated from Princeton University in 1873 and went on to Princeton Theological Seminary. Some of his most popular writings include the short stories “The Story of the Other Wise Man” (1896) and “The Ruling Passion” (1901). He wrote the lyrics to the hymn “Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee,” setting them to Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in D minor, “Ode to Joy.” Van Dyke spent several years teaching English at Princeton and helped create the first Presbyterian printed liturgy in 1906. He served as Ambassador to the Netherlands and Luxembourg from 1913–16.

The Story of the Other Wise Man

Henry Van Dyke
In the Gospel of Matthew, three wise men, or the Magi, come from the East to visit the infant Jesus on the night of his birth. This story by educator, author, and clergyman Henry Van Dyke (1852–1933) describes the journey of a fourth wise man, Artaban, who arrives too late in Bethlehem to present his gifts.