Met Home  
Met Home The Christmas Story
Explore Home
The Christmas Story
The Annunciation
The Visitation
The Nativity
The Adoration of the Shepherds
The Presentation
The Adoration of the Magi
The Flight into Egypt
Epilogue
Christmas Home
enlarge enlarge audio previous next next
     
  Flight into Egypt  
Scenes from the Life of the Virgin, triptych (detail), after 1521. Adriaen Isenbrant. Frederick C. Hewitt Fund, 1913 (13.32a–c).
Flight into Egypt

Behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him." When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt.

Then Herod?put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under...Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:

"A voice was heard in Ramah,
Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children,
Refusing to be comforted,
Because they are no more."

[Matthew 2:13–18]


[Reading by Philippe de Montebello, director emeritus of The Metropolitan Museum of Art]
Home | Works of Art | Curatorial Departments | Collection Database | Features | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | Explore & Learn | The Met Store | Membership | Ways to Give | Plan Your Visit | Calendar | The Cloisters | Concerts & Lectures | Study & Research | Events & Programs | FAQs | Special Exhibitions | My Met Museum | Press Room | Met Podcast | Met Share | Site Index | Now at the Met | MuseumKids

Photograph Credits

Copyright © 2000–2009 The Metropolitan Museum of Art. All rights reserved.  Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy.