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"And lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. And when they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy." Matthew 2:9-10 ASV <p>The illustration depicts three magi or wise men following a star in search of the Christ child.

Journey of the Magi

"And lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the…

"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 KJV

Wise Men of the East Presenting Their Gifts

"And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down,…

"And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger." Luke 2: 15-16 KJV <p>Illustration of the shepherds arriving at the stable where Jesus is lying in a manger. Mary kneels next to him and Joseph stands at the manger's side. A bull and calf are curled up in the foreground. The shepherds, young and old, arrive through an opening in a low wall and kneel before the manger. One shepherd has removed his hat and laid down his staff.

The Shepherds Arrive to Worship the Baby Jesus

"And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to…

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." Luke 2:8-14 KJV <p>Illustration of shepherds with their families, camping in the fields with their sheep. Angels appear in a cloud in the sky. One angel looks down at the shepherds and announces Jesus' birth. Two shepherds bow and shield their faces. Another shepherd huddles with a small child. A tent is set up behind them.

The Annunciation - The Angels Tell Shepherds in the Fields about the Birth of Jesus

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by…

"And it came to pass, when the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing that is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found both Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in the manger." Luke 2:15-16 ASV <p>Illustration of the shepherds' arrival soon after Jesus' birth. One kneels, one bows, and one stands in the background with a sheep over his shoulders. Angels are depicted overhead, along with the Star of Bethlehem.

The Adoration of the Shepherds at the Birth of Jesus

"And it came to pass, when the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another,…

Bethlehem, pictured as it was in 1833. Bethlehem is a city with a great deal of religious significance. Its economy is primarily tourist-driven.

Bethlehem

Bethlehem, pictured as it was in 1833. Bethlehem is a city with a great deal of religious significance.…

View of Bethlehem as seen from the surrounding countryside.

Panoramic View of Bethlehem

View of Bethlehem as seen from the surrounding countryside.

View of Bethlehem from outside the town.

View of Bethlehem

View of Bethlehem from outside the town.

"Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah." 1 Samuel 16:13 KJV

Samuel Anointed David at Bethlehem

"Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of…

"So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah." I Samuel 16:13 ASV <p>lllustration of Samuel pouring oil on David's head, anointing him king instead of Saul. David's head is bowed and he holds a small staff. His mother and his father, Jesse, kneel behind Samuel. David's brothers and other townspeople stand around. A goat is pictured roasting just outside the door.

David is Anointed King by Samuel

"So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day…

"Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men." Matthew 2:16 KJV

Killing the Male Children under the Age of Two

"Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and…

"Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the Wise-men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the male children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the borders thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had exactly learned of the Wise-men." Matthew 2:16 ASV <p>Illustration of Herod's soldiers murdering baby boys as their mothers weep. One soldier wrenches a boy away from his mother as a young girl tries to stop him. Mothers cry over and hold their murdered babies. The city walls and stairways are visible in the background.

The Slaughter of the Innocents - Herod Has All of the Baby Boys Killed

"Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the Wise-men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and…

"And she went, and came and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on the portion of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech. And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, Jehovah be with you. And they answered him, Jehovah bless thee. Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this? And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, It is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab:" Ruth 2:3-6 ASV <p>Illustration of Ruth gleaning grain in the fields of Boaz. She is on her knees at the feet of Boaz, who walks with a staff and a dog behind him. His servant tells him about Ruth. Four men and women, also gleaning, watch in the background. A small town and some trees are pictured in the background.

Ruth Meets Boaz While Gleaning in the Fields

"And she went, and came and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on the…

"Star of Bethlehem, or Ornithogalum, a genus of bulbous plants belonging to the order Liliacae."&mdash;Finley, 1917

Star of Bethlehem

"Star of Bethlehem, or Ornithogalum, a genus of bulbous plants belonging to the order Liliacae."—Finley,…

Pistil of a Star of Bethlehem.

Star of Bethlehem, pistil of

Pistil of a Star of Bethlehem.

Stamen of a Star of Bethlehem.

Stamen of Star of Bethlehem

Stamen of a Star of Bethlehem.