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"And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus." Luke 1:26-31 KJV <p>Illustration of the Virgin Mary praying at an altar in her room as the archangel Gabriel approaches her to tell her she will give birth to Jesus. Gabriel is knelt on a cloud, his left arm raised. He is holding an olive branch. Above Mary's head, a dove is flying out of a cloud and a shaft of light glows down on Mary's head. A vase with lilies in it sits on the floor.

The Annunciation - the Angel Gabriel Approaches Mary while She is Praying

"And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,…

"Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary." Luke 1:26-27 ASV <p>Detail of New Testament illustration showing the angel Gabriel appearing to Mary. Gabriel holds a lily, a symbol of the Virgin Mary.

The Annunciation, Detail View

"Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,…

"Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And he came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee. But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this might be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." Luke 1:26-33 ASV <p>Illustration shows the angel Gabriel appearing to Mary. Gabriel floats above the floor. He has large winds and hold a lily, the traditional symbol for Mary. Gabriel raises his right hand in blessing. Mary kneels on the floor, her hands pressed together and head downward.

The Annunciation, Gabriel Appears to Mary

"Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,…

An angel appears to Mary while she is sitting with a book.

The Annunciation

An angel appears to Mary while she is sitting with a book.

"The religious Order of the Heavenly Annunciation, or of the Nuns of the Annunciation of Mary, was instituted by Victoria Fornare at Genoa in 1682, after the rule of St. Augustine. All the convents of the order in France, Germany, and the Netherlands have disappeared since the French Revolution. Some still exist in Italy." &mdash; Chambers' Encyclopedia, 1875

Order of the Annunciation

"The religious Order of the Heavenly Annunciation, or of the Nuns of the Annunciation of Mary, was instituted…