Rest on the Flight into Egypt

This scene is based on a body of tales/legends that had evolved in the early Middle Ages. The Bible story of the Holy Family fleeing into Egypt tells of Joseph, Mary and the Baby Jesus’ escape to Egypt seeking refuge after being warned by an angel to flee as Herod the Great was seeking to kill the Christ Child. According to the legend, Joseph and Mary paused on their flight in a grove of trees. The Holy Child ordered the trees to bend down so that Joseph could take fruit from them, and then ordered a spring of water to gush forth from the roots so that his parents could quench their thirst. This basic story changed and expanded with additional elaborations in its telling over the centuries.