Forget about the idea of three old guys on camels.
The Magi were the upper house of the Parthian Empire, called Magistranes. We get our word "magistrate" from that. They served to elect the Parthian kings. Many of them were taught in the school that Daniel had founded, and believed the Jewish Scripture. They were expecting a Messiah, but like everyone else, they were expecting an earthly king. Well, even the disciples, after Jesus' resurrection, asked Him if He was finally going to restore the kingdom to Israel. So the Magi can't be blamed if they thought the same thing.
They were expecting an earthly prince, in a palace, being raised to be a king - The King. They were expecting a future king who would conquer all empires, their included. As the Borg say, "Resistance is futile." But they were also expecting that, as the Scriptures predicted, He would rule with Wisdom and with Justice. They were happily looking forward to Him, even if they had the understanding just a bit off. So when the star proclaimed His birth, they decided it was time to surrender the Parthian Empire to Jesus. Well, surrendering to Jesus is a good thing.
So they send an official diplomatic delegation to do just that. Now for such an important mission one does NOT send the Junior Undersecretary of the Committee for the Improvement of Irrigation Canal Designs. They would have sent their top leadership. Likely the team would have been about a dozen Magi. Those guys would have traveled with their staff. That would make the total team about fifty members, all highly placed in the Parthian gov't.
They would have needed security from the bandit tribes as they crossed the desert. After all, the leadership of the Parthian Empire could command a high ransom, and they are carrying treasure too. It would have been impossible to keep secret who they were, or their route. Bandit tribes often numbered in the hundreds that attacked caravans. Estimates are that the escort was about 1,000 cavalry. At that time, the Parthian Empire fielded the world's best cavalry. They had even developed special cavalry tactics that no other nation could do. In three previous wars, they have beaten the Romans. The troops picked for the escort would have been the absolute cream of the best cavalry in the world.
And the Magi rode horses. Camels were for baggage. Everybody on that trip would have been riding a fine Arabian war horse. Read the Bible's description of war horses.
Since they were expecting an earthly prince, naturally they went to Jerusalem and asked at the palace.
Imagine Herod, who was a paranoid freak about his throne, as he gets the news. There were always rumors of messiahs going around Jerusalem. Herod's staff would not have bothered to tell him about three old geezers asking at the temple for a baby messiah. But instead, Herod was likely doing some paperwork, taking a sip of wine, when one of his staff approached, "Sir, I have news."
"Speak."
"Sir. There is a delegation from Parthia here with 1,000 cavalry. They say that a new king has been born and they are here to pledge the allegiance of the Parthian Empire to him."
Wine sprays all over the paperwork.
He understands that to mean that as soon as the baby is old enough, the Parthian Empire will support the new king in his bid for the throne. It amounts up to a delayed-action declaration of war.
The Bible says that Herod was troubled, as was all of Jerusalem. Of course, if Herod had been godly, he would have understood the great blessing that it was. But he full of the spirit of Satan, so he didn't.
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