The gifts of the magi

And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.
- Matthew 2:11

The gifts the wisemen* brought the Christ child symbolized key aspects of the Jerusalem temple and kingship theology. The gold was used to symbolize the glorious nature of God himself and the temple where he dwelt in the heavens. All of the vessels and furnishings in the Jerusalem temple were made of gold to symbolize this. Frankincense was the key ingredient in the special incense blend used in the Holy of Holies, and was also used in the gift meal offerings described in Leviticus. Myrrh was the primary component in the holy anointing oil used in the temple.

*In the original greek, the word used is "magi", which was the name used to refer to Zoroastrian priests, a religion in Persia.

Source: The Ancient Tradition #48