Leaving Bethlehem

After seeing the baby Jesus in Bethlehem, the Magi visited Herod and told him about the birth of the "King of the Jews." This caused Herod to become fearful for his throne. The Gospel of Matthew recounts that Joseph had a dream where an angel warned him to take the Child and his mother and flee to Egypt to escape Herod. Herod subsequently ordered the slaughter of all male children in Bethlehem who were two years old and under, an event known as the Massacre of the Innocents. After Herod's death, they returned to the land of Israel and settled in the town of Nazareth in Galilee, fulfilling the words of the prophets that the Messiah would be called a Nazarene.

This is the second of a trilogy of paintings Yongsung Kim is creating on the story of the Holy Family, The third will feature their arrival in Egypt.

Reproduced from the artist's original artwork of Oil on Canvas. Created 2024.