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{{Short description|Biblical story about the flight of Joseph, Mary and the infant Jesus}}
{{other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}
[[File:Flight into Egypt - Capella dei Scrovegni - Padua 2016.jpg|thumb|290px|''The Flight into Egypt'' by [[Giotto di Bondone]] (1304–1306, [[Scrovegni Chapel]], [[Padua]])]]
{{Gospel Jesus|expanded=Early life}}
The '''flight into Egypt''' is a story recounted in the [[Gospel of Matthew]] ([[Matthew 2:13]]–[[Matthew 2:23|23]]) and in [[New Testament apocrypha]].  Soon after the [[Biblical Magi|visit by the Magi]], an angel appeared to [[Saint Joseph|Joseph]] in a dream telling him to flee to [[Roman Egypt|Egypt]] with [[Mary (mother of Jesus)|Mary]] and the infant [[Jesus]] since [[Herod the Great|King Herod]] would seek the child to kill him. The episode is frequently shown in art, as the final episode of the [[Nativity of Jesus in art]], and was a common component in cycles of the ''[[Life of the Virgin]]'' as well as the ''[[Life of Jesus in the New Testament|Life of Christ]]''. Within the narrative tradition, iconic representation of the "[[Rest on the Flight into Egypt]]" developed after the 14th century.

==Matthew's gospel account==
[[Image:Fra bartolomeo 10 Rest on the Flight into Egypt.jpg|thumb|right|[[Fra Bartolomeo]], ''Rest on the Flight into Egypt'', c. 1500 ([[Pienza]])]]
[[File:De vlucht naar Egypte.jpg|thumb|Print of the flight into Egypt. Made by Johannes Wierix.<ref>{{Cite web|title=De vlucht naar Egypte|url=https://lib.ugent.be/viewer/archive.ugent.be:416E2300-A6A8-11E6-B1A4-293ED43445F2#?c=&m=&s=&cv=&xywh=-1594,-226,6054,4508|access-date=2 October 2020|website=lib.ugent.be}}</ref>]]

===The flight from Herod===
When the Magi came in search of Jesus, they went to [[Herod the Great]] in Jerusalem to ask where to find the newborn "King of the Jews".  Herod became paranoid that the child would threaten his throne and sought to kill him ({{bibleverse-nb||Matthew|2:1–8|KJV}}).  Herod initiated the [[Massacre of the Innocents]] in hopes of killing the child ([[Matthew 2:16]]). But an [[angel]] appeared to [[St. Joseph's dreams|Joseph in a dream]] and warned him to take Jesus and his mother into Egypt ([[Matthew 2:13]]).

Egypt was a logical place to find refuge, as it was outside the dominions of King Herod, but both Egypt and Judea were part of the [[Roman Empire]], linked by a coastal road known as "[[Via Maris|the way of the sea]]",<ref>{{cite book|first=Victor W.|last=Von Hagen|page=106|title=The Roads that Led to Rome published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson 1967}}</ref> making travel between them easy and relatively safe.

===Return from Egypt===
{{Main|Return of the family of Jesus to Nazareth}}
[[File:Jordaens Return of the Holy Family from Egypt.jpg|thumb|left|240px|''The Return of the Holy Family from Egypt'' by [[Jacob Jordaens]] (c. 1616)]]

After a time, the holy family returned from Egypt. The text states that Herod had died. Herod is believed to have died in 4 BC, and while Matthew does not mention how, the Jewish historian [[Josephus]] vividly relates a gory death.

The land that the holy family return to is identified as ''Judah'', the only place in the entire New Testament where ''Judah'' acts as a geographic description of the whole of [[Kingdom of Judah|Judah]] and [[Galilee]] ([[Matthew 2:20]]), rather than referring to a collection of religious people or the Jewish people in general. It is, however, to Judah that they are described as initially returning, although upon discovering that [[Herod Archelaus|Archelaus]] had become the new king, they went instead to Galilee. Historically, Archelaus was such a violent and aggressive king that in the year 6 AD he was [[deposition (politics)|deposed]] by the Romans, in response to complaints from the population. 

===Prophecy of Hosea===
{{see|Hermeneutics|Pardes (Jewish exegesis)}}
[[Matthew 2:15]] cites [[Hosea]] {{bibleverse-nb||Hosea|11:1|HE}} as prophetically fulfilled in the return of Joseph, Mary and Jesus from Egypt: <blockquote>"... and out of Egypt I called My son".</blockquote>

Matthew's use of Hosea 11:1 has been explained in several ways. A [[sensus plenior]] approach states that the text in [[Book of Hosea|Hosea]] contains a meaning intended by God and acknowledged by Matthew, but unknown to Hosea. A [[Typology (theology)|typological]] reading interprets the fulfillment as found in the national history of Israel and the antitypical fulfillment as found in the personal history of Jesus. Matthew's use of typological interpretation may also be seen in his use of [[Isaiah]] {{bibleverse-nb||Isaiah|7:14|HE}} and {{bibleverse-nb||Isaiah|9:1|HE}}, and [[Jeremiah]] {{bibleverse-nb||Jeremiah|31:15|HE}}. Thus according to the ''Ignatius Catholic Study Bible'', "Hosea 11.1 points back to the Exodus, where God's 'first-born son' (Ex 4:22), Israel, was delivered from slavery under the oppressive Pharaoh. Matthew sees this text also pointing forward, when Jesus, the eternal first-born Son (Rom 8:29), is delivered from the tyrant Herod and later brought out of Egypt (2:21)."<ref>''Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, New Testament'' (2010). San Francisco: Ignatius Press. p. 9. {{ISBN|978-1586174842}}</ref> Likewise, ''The Orthodox Study Bible'' states that the citation of Hosea 11.1 "refers first to Israel being brought out of captivity. In the Old Testament 'son' can refer to the whole nation of Israel. Here Jesus fulfills this calling as the true Son of God by coming out of Egypt.<ref>''The Orthodox Study Bible'' (2008). Nashville: Thomas Nelson. p. 1268. {{ISBN|978-0718003593}}</ref> The Anglican scholar [[N. T. Wright]] has pointed out that "The narrative exhibits several points of contact with exodus and exile traditions where Jesus' infancy recapitulates a ''new exodus'' and the ''end of exile'', marking him out further as the true representative of Israel."<ref>Wright, N. T. and Michael F. Bird (2019). ''The New Testament in its World''. London: SPCK; Grand Rapids: Zondervan Academic. p. 590. {{ISBN|978-0310499305}}</ref>
[[File:Adorazione dei Magi by Gentile da Fabriano - Predella.jpg|thumbnail|388px|''Flight into Egypt'', by [[Gentile da Fabriano]] (1423)]]
Another reading of Hosea's prophetic declaration is that it only recounts God summoning of the nation of Israel out of Egypt during [[the Exodus]], referring to Israel as God's ''son'' in accordance with [[Moses]]' declaration to Pharaoh: <blockquote>"Israel is my first-born son; let my son go, that he may serve me" ({{bibleverse||Exodus|4:22–23|HE}}).</blockquote> The [[Masoretic Text]] reads ''my son'', whereas the [[Septuagint]] reads ''his sons'' or ''his children'';<ref>[http://biblehub.com/sepd/hosea/11.htm Brenton's Septuagint Translation of Hosea 11], accessed 4 December 2016</ref> the Masoretic Text is to be preferred, the singular being both consonant with the other words which are in the singular in Hosea 11:1 and with the reference to Exodus 4:22–23. The Septuagint reading may be explained as having been made to conform to the [[plural]]s of {{bibleverse||Hosea|11:2|HE}}, ''they'' and ''them''.

==Historicity==
The [[Gospel of Luke]] does not recount this story, relating instead that the Holy Family went to the Temple in Jerusalem, and then home to Nazareth.<ref>Luke 2, v 22–40</ref> Followers of the [[Jesus Seminar]] thus conclude that both Luke's and Matthew's birth and infancy accounts are fabrications.<ref name = "ActJMatthew">[[Robert W. Funk|Funk, Robert W.]] and the [[Jesus Seminar]]. ''The acts of Jesus: the search for the authentic deeds of Jesus.'' Harper, San Francisco, 1998. "Matthew," pp. 129–270</ref><ref name = "ActJLuke">[[Robert W. Funk|Funk, Robert W.]] and the [[Jesus Seminar]]. ''The acts of Jesus: the search for the authentic deeds of Jesus.'' Harper, San Francisco. 1998. "Luke", pp. 267–364</ref> A theme of Matthew is likening Jesus to Moses for a Judean audience, and the Flight into Egypt illustrates just that theme.<ref name="Harris Matthew">[[Stephen L Harris|Harris, Stephen L.]], Understanding the Bible. Palo Alto: Mayfield. 1985. "Matthew" pp. 272–285</ref>

Regarding Matthew's infancy narrative, the 20th-century British scholar William Neil has said that "when we look beneath the engaging poetic decor, we come face to face with highly probable history. ... The flight of the Holy Family to nearby Egypt until after Herod's death, and the reason for their settling in Galilee on their return, apart altogether from Luke's information that Nazareth was their home, are also circumstantially probable."<ref>Neil, William (1962). ''Harper's Bible Commentary''. New York: Harper & Row. p. 336.</ref>

In their commentary on Matthew in the [[Anchor Bible Series]], [[W. F. Albright]] and C. S. Mann state that "there is no reason to doubt the historicity of the story of the family's flight into Egypt. The Old Testament abounds in references to individuals and families taking refuge in Egypt, in flight either from persecution or revenge, or in the face of economic pressure."<ref>{{cite book|last1=Albright |first1=W. F. |author-link=William F. Albright |last2=Mann|first2=C. S. |title=Matthew |series=Anchor Bible |volume=26 |year=1971 |page=17 |isbn=978-0-3850-8658-5}}</ref>

British scholar [[R. T. France]] has also argued in support of the historicity of the narrative. "[Joseph's] choice of Egypt as a place of exile ... was in line with the practice of other Palestinians who feared reprisals from the government; as a neighbouring country with a sizeable Jewish population it was an obvious refuge. And his subsequent avoidance of Judea under Archelaus, and expectation of safety in Galilee, accords with the political circumstances as we know them."<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |last= France|first= R. T.|author-link= R. T. France|editor1-last= France|editor1-first= R. T.|editor2-last= Wenham|   editor2-first= David |encyclopedia= Gospel Perspectives: Studies of History and Tradition in the Four Gospels|title= Scripture, Tradition and History in the Infancy Narratives of Matthew|year= 1981|publisher= JSOT Press|series= |volume= 2|location= Sheffield (UK)|id= |isbn= 0-905774-31-0|issn= |oclc= |page=257}}</ref>

==Extra-Biblical accounts==
[[File:Giovanni Battista Lucini - Christ calms the dragons.JPG|thumb|200px|''Christ calms the dragons'' by [[Giovanni Battista Lucini]] (1680–81)]]

===Christian===
The story was much elaborated in the [[infancy gospels]] of the [[New Testament apocrypha]] with, for example, palm trees bowing before the infant Jesus, Jesus taming dragons, the beasts of the desert paying him homage, and an encounter with the two thieves who would later be crucified alongside Jesus.<ref name="InfantGospel">[http://www.interfaith.org/christianity/apocrypha-first-infancy-gospel-of-jesus/ First Infancy Gospel of Jesus. chapter VIII]</ref><ref>[http://www.gnosis.org/library/psudomat.htm The Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew] at The Gnostic Society Library, Christian Apocrypha and Early Christian Literature</ref>  In these later tales the family was joined by [[Salome (disciple)|Salome]] as Jesus' nurse. These stories of the time in Egypt have been especially important to the [[Coptic Orthodox Church]], which is based in Egypt, and throughout Egypt, there are a number of churches and shrines marking places where the family stayed. The most important of these is the [[Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church]], which is claimed to have been built on the place where the family had its home.

One of the most extensive and, in Eastern Christianity, influential accounts of the Flight appears in the perhaps seventh-century ''[[Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew]]'', in which Mary, tired by the heat of the sun, rested beneath a palm tree. The infant Jesus then miraculously has the palm tree bend down to provide Mary with its fruit, and release from its roots a spring to provide her with water.<ref>Mustafa Akyol, ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=3xCxDAAAQBAJ The Islamic Jesus: How the King of the Jews Became a Prophet of the Muslims]'' (New York: St Martin's Press, 2017), pp. 114–15.</ref>

===Muslim===
The [[Quran]] does not include the tradition of the Flight into Egypt, though [[Al-Muʼminun]], 50 could conceivably allude to it: “And we made the [[Jesus in Islam|son of Maryam]] and his [[Mary in Islam|mother]] a sign; and we made them abide in an elevated place, full of quiet and watered with springs”. However, its account of the birth of Jesus is very similar to the account of the Flight in the ''Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew'': Mary gives birth leaning against the trunk of a date palm, which miraculously provides her with dates and a stream. It is therefore thought that one tradition owes something to the other.<ref>A.J. Wensinck and Penelope C. Johnstone, “Maryam”, in ''Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition'', ed. by P. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel, W.P. Heinrichs. Consulted online on 30 September 2018. {{doi|10.1163/1573-3912_islam_COM_0692}}, {{ISBN|9789004161214}}.</ref><ref>Mustafa Akyol, ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=3xCxDAAAQBAJ The Islamic Jesus: How the King of the Jews Became a Prophet of the Muslims]'' (New York: St Martin's Press, 2017), pp. 114–16.</ref>

Numerous later Muslim writers on the life of Jesus did transmit stories about the Flight into Egypt. Prominent examples include [[Abu Ishaq al-Tha'labi]], whose ''ʿArāʾis al-madjālis fī ḳiṣaṣ al-anbiyāʾ'', an account of the lives of the prophets, reports the Flight, followed by a stay in Egypt of twelve years; and [[al-Tabari]]'s ''[[History of the Prophets and Kings]]''.<ref>Oddbjørn Leirvik, ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=IEUdCgAAQBAJ Images of Jesus Christ in Islam]'', 2nd ed. (London: Continuum, 2010), pp. 59, 64.</ref>

==Liturgical commemorations==
The [[Coptic Orthodox Church]] commemorates the "Entry of the Lord into Egypt" on 24 [[Pashons]] (1 June on the [[Gregorian calendar]]). The [[Eastern Orthodox]] Churches and [[Greek Catholic]] Churches commemorate the Flight into Egypt on 26 December. The pre-1962 editions of the [[Roman Missal]] of the [[Catholic Church]] provide a [[Mass in the Catholic Church|Mass]] commemorating the event for 17 February.<ref>{{Cite web |title=СВЯТОЕ СЕМЕЙСТВО – Древо |url=http://drevo-info.ru/articles/13681494.html |access-date=2 October 2023 |website=drevo-info.ru |language=ru}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://fssp.com/the-mass-of-the-flight-into-egypt/|title=The Mass of the Flight into Egypt|first=William|last=Rock|date=17 February 2023|access-date=16 October 2023|publisher=[[Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter]]|website=fssp.com}}</ref> The [[Maronite Catholic Church]] commemorates the Flight into Egypt on 29 December and the "Return from Egypt into Nazareth" on 30 December.

==In art==
[[File:Moone carvings.jpg|thumb|The Flight into Egypt (top), depicted on [[Moone]] High Cross, [[Ireland]] (10th century)]]
The Flight into Egypt was a popular subject in art, showing Mary with the baby on a donkey, led by Joseph, borrowing the older [[iconography]] of the rare Byzantine ''Journey to Bethlehem''.  Nevertheless, Joseph is sometimes holding the child on his shoulders.<ref>Terrier Aliferis, L., "Joseph christophore dans la Fuite en Egypte", ''Zeitschrift für Kunstgeschichte'', 2016</ref> Before about 1525, it usually formed part of a larger cycle, whether of [[Nativity of Jesus in art|the Nativity]], or the ''Life of Christ'' or ''Life of the Virgin''.
[[Image:Icon 01012 Begstvo v Egipet. Nachalo XVII v.jpg|thumb|left|[[Russian icons|Russian]] [[icon]] of the Flight into Egypt; the bottom section shows the [[cult image|idol]]s of Egypt miraculously falling down before Jesus and being smashed (17th century).]]

From the [[Early Netherlandish painting|15th century in the Netherlands]] onwards, the non-Biblical subject of the [[Holy Family]] resting on the journey, the ''[[Rest on the Flight into Egypt]]'' became popular, by the late 16th century perhaps more common than the original traveling family.  The family were often accompanied by angels, and in earlier images sometimes an older boy who may represent [[James the Brother of the Lord]], interpreted as a son of Joseph, by a previous marriage.<ref>The subject only emerges in the second half of the fourteenth century. In some Orthodox traditions the older boy is the one who protects Joseph from the "shepherd-tempter" in the main Nativity scene. G Schiller, ''Iconography of Christian Art, Vol. I'',1971 (English trans from German), Lund Humphries, London, p. 124, {{ISBN|0-85331-270-2}}.</ref>

The background to these scenes usually (until the [[Council of Trent]] tightened up on such additions to scripture) included a number of apocryphal [[miracle]]s, and gave an opportunity for the emerging genre of [[landscape painting]]. In the ''Miracle of the corn'', the pursuing soldiers interrogated peasants, asking when the Holy Family passed by. The peasants truthfully said it was when they were sowing their [[wheat]] seed; however the wheat has miraculously grown to full height. In the ''Miracle of the idol'' a pagan statue fell from its plinth as the infant Jesus passed by, and a spring gushed up from the desert (originally separate, these are often combined). In other less commonly seen legends, a group of robbers abandoned their plan to rob the travelers, and a [[date palm]] tree bent down to allow them to pluck the fruit.<ref>Schiller:117–123. The date palm incident is also in the [[Quran]]. There are two different falling statue legends, one related to the arrival of the family at the Egyptian city of Sotina, and the other usually shown in open country. Sometimes both are shown.</ref>

During the 16th century, as interest in [[landscape art|landscape painting]] grew, the subject became popular as an individual subject for paintings, often with the figures small in a large landscape. The subject was especially popular with [[German art|German Romantic painters]], and later in the 19th century was one of a number of New Testament subjects which lent themselves to [[Orientalism|Orientalist]] treatment. Unusually, the 18th century artist [[Gianbattista Tiepolo]] produced a whole series of [[etchings]] with 24 scenes from the flight, most just showing different views of the Holy Family travelling.<ref>Catalogued as Baudi di Vesme nos 1–27 (with three plates of frontispiece etc.)</ref>
[[File:Flight Into Egypt 1923 Henry Ossawa Tanner.jpg|thumb|''Flight Into Egypt'', by [[Henry Ossawa Tanner]], 1923]]
A subject taking place after the arrival in Egypt is the meeting of the infant Jesus with his cousin, the infant [[John the Baptist]], who, according to legend was rescued from [[Bethlehem]] before the massacre by the [[Archangel Uriel]], and joined the Holy Family in Egypt. This meeting of the two Holy Children was to be painted by many artists during the Renaissance period, after being popularized by [[Leonardo da Vinci]] and then [[Raphael]] with works like Leonardo's [[Virgin of the Rocks]].

The "[[Flight into Egypt (Henry O. Tanner painting, 1899)|Flight into Egypt]]" was a favorite theme of [[Henry Ossawa Tanner]], depicting the Holy Family's clandestine evasion of King Herod's assassins (Matthew 2:12–14). In it Tanner expresses his sensitivity to issues of personal freedom, escape from persecution, and migrations of African-Americans from the South to the North.<ref>[http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/16947 ''Flight into Egypt'', Henry Ossawa Tanner, Metropolitan Museum of Art]</ref>

Two plays of the medieval ''[[Ordo Rachelis]]'' cycle contain an account of the flight into Egypt, and the one found in the [[Fleury Playbook]] contains the only dramatic representation of the return from Egypt.

==In music==
The oratorio ''[[L'enfance du Christ]]'' (1854) by French composer [[Hector Berlioz]] relates the events from Herod's dream and his meeting with the Magi through the angels' warning and the flight into Egypt until the Holy Family arrive at Sais.

Two [[Choral works by Max Bruch|choral works]] by the German composer [[Max Bruch]] take the flight into Egypt as their theme – ''The Flight of the Holy Family'' (1863)<ref>{{cite web |title=Max Bruch |url=http://www.myorchestra.net/composer/max-bruch/ |website=myorchestra.net |publisher=MyOrchestra |access-date=6 December 2022}}</ref> and ''The Flight into Egypt'' (1871).<ref name="MM">{{cite web |last1=Prieser |first1=Marcus |title=Flight of the Holy Family Op. 20 for choir and orchestra/ Flight into Egypt Op. 31, 1 for soprano, choir and orchestra |url=https://repertoire-explorer.musikmph.de/en/product/bruch-max-23/ |website=repertoire-explorer.musikmph.de |publisher=Musikproduktion Hoeflich |access-date=8 December 2022}}</ref>

The German composer [[:de:Valentin Ruckebier|Valentin Ruckebier]] wrote an opera called ''The Flight To Egypt'' which was produced and performed in 2021/22 at [[Teatro Comunale Modena]], [[Linz State Theatre]] and [[Serbian National Theatre]] Novi Sad.<ref>{{Cite web|title=CrossOpera: otherness, fear and discovery|url=https://www.crossopera.eu/|access-date=21 January 2022|website=CrossOpera|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Landestheater Linz detail|url=https://www.landestheater-linz.at/EN/stuecke/detail?EventSetID=3545&ref=3545126211031&spielzeit=2021/22|access-date=21 January 2022|website=www.landestheater-linz.at}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=CrossOpera: Otherness, fear and discovery, Cinque {{!}} Landestheater Linz|url=https://www.operabase.com/productions/crossopera-otherness-fear-and-discovery-130984/de|access-date=21 January 2022|website=Operabase|language=de}}</ref>


[[Image:Die Flucht nach Aegypten (Spitzweg).jpg|thumb|''Die Flucht nach Ägypten'' by [[Carl Spitzweg]], 1875–1879]]
<gallery mode="packed">
File:Bochum Stiepel - Stiepeler Dorfkirche 18 ies.jpg|Simple medieval wall painting in a German church in [[Stiepel|Bochum-Stiepel]]
Image:Melchior Broederlam 003.jpg|''[[Presentation at the Temple]]'' and Flight, with legends of the idol and spring, [[Melchior Broederlam]], [[Burgundy (region)|Burgundy]], c. 1400
Image:Folio 57r - The Flight into Egypt.jpg|The miracles of the palm tree and corn on the Flight, from a [[book of hours]], c. 1400
Image:Joachim Patinir - Landscape with the Flight into Egypt.jpg|[[Joachim Patinir]], 1510s (?), the inventor of the [[world landscape]], painted several versions of the subject. At right the [[miracle of the corn]], at top left the falling idol
Image:Adam Elsheimer - Die Flucht nach Ägypten (Alte Pinakothek) 2.jpg|''[[The Flight into Egypt (Elsheimer)|The Flight into Egypt]]'', [[Adam Elsheimer]], c. 1605, as a night scene
File:Rubens, Peter Paul - Flight into Egypt - 1614.jpg|[[Rubens]], 1614
File:Asselijn Jan - Flight into Egypt.jpg|[[Jan Asselyn]], c. 1640
Image:Philipp Otto Runge 004.jpg|Romantic ''Rest on the Flight'' by [[Philipp Otto Runge]], 1806
Image:Edwin Longsden Long - Anno Domini.jpg|British [[orientalism|Orientalist]] artist [[Edwin Long]], ''Anno Domini'', 1883, shows the arrival in Egypt; the idols seem intact.
File:Flight into Egypt (12 Sinai).jpg|[[Saint Catherine's Monastery]], 12th century
File:Vitrail Notre-Dame de Paris 191208 04 Fuite en Egypte.jpg|''The Flight into Egypt'', stained glass in a choir chapel, [[Notre Dame de Paris]] cathedral, [[Paris]], [[France]]
File:Merson Rest on the Flight into Egypt.jpg|''Rest on the Flight into Egypt'' by [[Luc-Olivier Merson]], 1879, [[Museum of Fine Arts, Boston]]
NIND MuseeL-fuite ISO200.jpg|Statue by Legs F. van Hamme, 17th century
</gallery>

==Nazarenes, Nazareth, and Nazirites==
{{see also|Matthew 2:23}}
[[Image:Nazarene Fountain Reputed to be Mary & Jesus'.jpg|thumb|left|Fountain in [[Nazareth]], reputed to have been used by the [[Holy Family]] (photograph, 1917)]]

While Luke places Jesus' family as being originally from the town of [[Nazareth]], Matthew has the family moving there, fearing [[Herod Archelaus|Archelaus]] who was ruling in Judea in place of his father [[Herod the Great|Herod]]. [[Nazareth]], now a town, is not mentioned by the Old Testament, [[Josephus]] or rabbinical sources,<ref>Perkins, P. (1996).  Nazareth.  In P. J. Achtemeier (Ed.), ''The HarperCollins Bible dictionary'', pp. 741–742.  San Francisco: HarperCollins.  {{ISBN|0-06-060037-3}}.</ref> though many Christian [[Bible archaeologists]], such as the evangelical and [[egyptologist]] [[Kenneth Kitchen]], state that they are fairly sure that a village existed in the area at the time of Jesus.<ref name="Columbia">[http://www.columbia.edu/~rcc20/christianity/galilee.html Galilee] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060509013242/http://www.columbia.edu/~rcc20/christianity/galilee.html |date=9 May 2006 }}.</ref> Clarke notes that the location of Nazareth is just to the north of where the large town [[Sepphoris]] was located.  At the time, Sepphoris had been largely destroyed in the violence following the death of [[Herod the Great]], and was being rebuilt by [[Herod Antipas]], hence Clarke speculates that this could have been seen as a good source of employment by Joseph, a carpenter.

The difficulty with the brief quote ''he will be called a [[Nazarene (title)|Nazarene]]'' is that it occurs nowhere in the Old Testament, or any other extant source. The most similar known passage is [[Book of Judges|Judges]] {{bibleverse-nb||Judges|13:5|HE}} where of [[Samson]] it says ''the child shall be a Nazir'''ite''''', where a [[nazirite]] was a specific type of religious ascetic. That the Nazirite and Nazareth are so similar in name, while Nazareth isn't mentioned in any other source until after the Gospels have been written, and that the passage almost parallels one about the birth of a hero who was a Nazirite, has led many to propose that Matthew originally had Jesus being a Nazirite, but it was changed to Nazarene, inventing a location named ''Nazareth'', when the ascetic requirements fell foul of later religious practices. Biblical scholar [[R. T. France]] rejects this explanation, stating that Jesus was not a Nazirite and claiming that he is never described as one.{{citation needed|date=December 2016}}

Another theory is that it is based on a prophecy at {{bibleref|Isaiah|11:1|HE}}, which states ''there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of [[Jesse (biblical figure)|Jesse]], and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:'' — the [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] for branch is ''נצר (netzer)''. The priestly clan of the "netzerites" possibly settled in the place which became known as Netzereth/ Nazareth. Bargil Pixner<ref>Bargil Pixner</ref> in his work "With Jesus Through Galilee" says that the title Nazarene, given to Jesus, alludes not so much to his town of origin as to his royal descent. While this piece of wordplay is meaningless when translated into [[Greek language|Greek]], Hebrew wordplay is not unknown in Matthew, underlining the opinion that some parts of this gospel were originally written in Hebrew.
[[File:Lucas Cranach der Ältere - Ruhe auf der Flucht nach Ägypten (1504).jpg|thumb|260px|''Rest on the Flight into Egypt'' by [[Lucas Cranach the Elder]] (1504)]]

==Christian traditions associated with the Flight into Egypt==
The Flight into Egypt is one of the listed [[Our Lady of Sorrows|Seven Sorrows of Mary]].

A local French tradition states that [[Saint Aphrodisius]], an Egyptian saint who was venerated as the first [[bishop of Béziers]], was the man who sheltered the Holy Family when they fled into Egypt.<ref>[http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=1485 St. Aphrodisius – Catholic Online<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

In [[Coptic Christianity]], it is also held that the Holy family visited many areas in Egypt, including [[Musturud]] (where there is now the Church of the Virgin Mary), [[Wadi El Natrun]] (which has four large monasteries), and Old Cairo,<ref>J. W. Meri, W. Ende, Nelly van Doorn-Harder, Houari Touati, Abdulaziz Sachedina, Th. Zarcone, M. Gaborieau, R. Seesemann and S. Reese, “Ziyāra”, in ''Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition'', edited by P. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel, W.P. Heinrichs. Consulted online on 30 September 2018 {{doi|10.1163/1573-3912_islam_COM_1390}} {{ISBN|9789004161214}}.</ref> along with [[Farama]], Tel Basta, Samanoud, [[Bilbais]], [[Samalout]], [[Maadi]], [[El Matareya, Dakahlia|Al-Maṭariyyah]],<ref>[http://www.egyptvoyager.com/features_holyfamily_route_pg3.htm Egypt voyager]</ref> [[Deir el-Garnus|Arganus]]<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=1991 |title=Dayr Al-Jarnus |url=https://ccdl.claremont.edu/digital/collection/cce/id/638/ |website=Claremont Coptic Encyclopedia}}</ref> and [[Asiut]] among others.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20020324084755/http://www.st-mary-mons.org/english/holy_family_in_egypt.htm St Mary Mons]</ref> It is likewise tradition that the [[Holy Family]] visited [[Coptic Cairo]] and stayed at the site of [[Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church (Abu Serga)]]<ref name=Egyptology>[http://www.egyptologyonline.com/coptic_cairo.htm Coptic Cairo<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071214060519/http://www.egyptologyonline.com/coptic_cairo.htm |date=14 December 2007 }}</ref> and the place where the [[Church of the Holy Virgin (Babylon El-Darag)]] stands now. At [[El Matareya, Cairo|Al-Maṭariyyah]], then in [[Heliopolis (Ancient Egypt)|Heliopolis]] and now part of Cairo, there is a [[sycamore]] tree (and adjacent chapel) that is a 1672 planting replacing an earlier tree under which Mary was said to have rested, or in some versions hidden from pursuers in the hollow trunk, while pious spiders covered the entrance with dense webs.<ref>[https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Virgin_Mary_tree Commons category]; [http://www.planetware.com/egypt/el-matariya-egy-cai-elm.htm tourist info]</ref>

==Commentary==
[[Cornelius a Lapide]], commenting on the flight into Egypt wrote that, "[[Tropological reading|tropologically]], Christ fled into Egypt that He might teach us to despise [[exile]], and that we, as pilgrims and exiles on the earth, might pant after and strive for heaven as our true country. Whence [[Peter Chrysologus]] says (Serm. 115), “Christ fled that He might make it more tolerable for us, when we have to flee in persecution.” S. [[Gregory the Theologian|Gregory Nazian]]. (Orat. 28) says—“Every land, and no land is my country.” No land was Gregory’s country, because heaven was his country. Again, every land was his country, because he looked upon the whole world as his country. Thus [[Socrates]], when he was asked what countryman he was, replied, “A citizen of the world.”<ref>{{cite book|title=The great commentary of Cornelius à Lapide|url=http://www.catholicapologetics.info/scripture/newtestament/Lapide.htm|author-link=Cornelius a Lapide|first=Cornelius|last=Lapide|translator=Thomas Wimberly Mossman|year=1889}}</ref>

[[Justus Knecht]] notes that the flight shows ''The Omniscience of God'', writing, "God knew that in the morning Herod would send soldiers to Bethlehem, to slay the little boys under two years old; therefore He ordered St. Joseph to flee in the middle of the night. The Lord God knew also the moment of Herod’s death, as well as the evil disposition of his son and successor, Archelaus. He therefore warned St. Joseph not to return to Judaea, but to take up his abode at Nazareth in Galilee."<ref>{{cite book|chapter=[[s:A Practical Commentary on Holy Scripture/IX. The Flight into Egypt|Chapter IX. The Flight into Egypt]]|title=A Practical Commentary on Holy Scripture|year=1910|publisher=B. Herder|first=Friedrich Justus|last=Knecht|author-link=Justus Knecht}}</ref>

[[Roger Baxter]] reflects on the flight in his ''Meditations'' writing, "How different are the thoughts of God from the thoughts of men! Christ was no sooner born, than sent into banishment. The Almighty could easily have rid the world of Herod, or have appeased his anger, or have rendered His divine Son invisible; but He adopted the ordinary means of safety, and His Son must fly. Reflect how derogatory this was to the dignity of the Redeemer, and how full of inconveniences. Thus God always treats those whom He loves best. Are you greater or better than the Son of God? Why, then, do you complain when His providence prepares crosses for you?"<ref>{{cite book|chapter=[[s:Meditations_For_Every_Day_In_The_Year/From_Christmas_to_Septuagesima_Sunday#130|Christ's Flight into Egypt]]|title=Meditations For Every Day In The Year|year=1823|publisher=Benziger Brothers|first=Roger|last=Baxter|author-link=Roger Baxter|location=New York}}</ref>

== See also ==
{{Portal|Bible}}
* [[Chapel of the Milk Grotto]]
* ''[[Exsul Familia]]''
* ''[[L'enfance du Christ]]''
* [[Massacre of the Innocents]]
* [[Rest on the Flight into Egypt (Caravaggio)|''Rest on the Flight into Egypt'' (Caravaggio)]]
* [[Saint Joseph's dreams]]
* [[Biblical Egypt]]
{{clear}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==

*[[William F. Albright|Albright, W.F.]] and C.S. Mann. "Matthew." ''[[The Anchor Bible Series]].'' New York: Doubleday & Company, 1971.
*[[Raymond E. Brown|Brown, Raymond E.]] ''The Birth of the Messiah: A Commentary on the Infancy Narratives in Matthew and Luke''. New York: Doubleday; London: G. Chapman, 1977. Updated ed. 1993.
*Clarke, Howard W. ''The Gospel of Matthew and its Readers: A Historical Introduction to the First Gospel.'' Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2003.
*France, R.T. ''The Gospel According to Matthew: an Introduction and Commentary.'' Leicester: Inter-Varsity, 1985.
*France, R.T. "The Formula Quotations of Matthew 2 and the Problem of Communications." ''New Testament Studies.'' Vol. 27, 1981.
*[[Gawdat Gabra|Gabra, Gawdat]] (ed.). ''Be Thou There: The Holy Family's Journey in Egypt.'' Cairo and New York: The American University in Cairo Press, 2001.
*Goulder, M.D. ''Midrash and Lection in Matthew''. London: SPCK, 1974.
*[[Robert H. Gundry|Gundry, Robert H.]] ''Matthew a Commentary on his Literary and Theological Art.'' Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1982.
*Jones, Alexander. ''The Gospel According to St. Matthew.'' London: Geoffrey Chapman, 1965.
*[[Eduard Schweizer|Schweizer, Eduard]]. ''The Good News According to Matthew.'' Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1975

==External links==
{{commons}}
*[http://www.art-threads.co.uk/ Further reading on the Flight into Egypt in art]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050320223611/http://www.ccel.org/c/calvin/calcom31/htm/ix.xxiv.htm#ix.xxiv John Calvin's commentary] on [[Matthew 2:19]]
*[http://orthodoxwiki.org/The_Holy_Family_in_Egypt Orthodox Wiki article on the Flight into Egypt] Includes map, info and links to various articles and videos on the subject.

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[[Category:Gospel of Matthew]]
[[Category:Saint Joseph (husband of Mary)]]
[[Category:Seven Sorrows of Mary]]