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Matthew 2:11 (NLT)
They [the wise men] entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

DRAWING NOTES:

TIME OF DAY:
Daytime, late morning.

LIGHTING NOTES:
The sun is high in the sky to the right (East), casting shadows below & to the left of figures & objects.

CHARACTERS PRESENT:
From right to left: Mary holding Jesus, Joseph indicating Jesus & welcoming the wise men into the coutyard. The wise men bringing gifts to the Messiah (Jesus).

RESEARCH/ADDITIONAL NOTES:
There are two versions of this scene:
01) (Previous page) Matthew 02 – The Nativity SET 02 – Scene 09 – Wise men giving gifts (Baby version). This version shows Jesus as a baby. The wise men are giving their gifts to Mary, Joseph & Jesus in the traditional stable, complete with animals, straw, a stone manger (unseen on the floor), etc.

02) (This page) Matthew 02 – The Nativity SET 02 – Scene 09 – Wise men giving gifts (Toddler version). This version shows Jesus as a toddler of approximately 2 years old.

This picture was requested by a customer, who wanted Jesus depicted as a 2 year old.

I imagine that Mary, Joseph & Jesus were living in Bethlehem for the time between Jesus’ birth & the visit of the wise men & hadn’t gone back to Nazareth, once the census was complete (the reason for their journey in the first place).

Here is the scene without the figures.

Background of Matthew 02 – The Nativity SET 02 – Scene 09 – Wise men giving gifts (Toddler version)

Click on the colour bar below to view/buy this Background:
Background of Matthew 02 – The Nativity SET 02 – Scene 09 – Wise men giving gifts (Toddler version)

I have shown the wise men being invited into the family courtyard, by a confused & bewildered Joseph. Mary is holding Jesus round his middle, steadying him as he learns to walk.

Notice that I have given Jesus a teddy bear as a toy to hold. I doubt whether such things were even invented in the 1st century, but this is my artistic licence coming out!

As with the previous image, the family home is a series of dark, single rooms, which is why people tended to live outside, in the sunshine, in an enclosed courtyard, as shown in my picture.

The Gospel of Matthew records the tragic event of the slaughter of the young boys of Bethlehem as follows: “Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men [because they returned home using a different route & avoided meeting with Herod again], was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. 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’” (2:16-18, NKJV).
Based on this passage in the Bible, some scholars have thought that the wise men may have visited Jesus when he was about two years old, & not at his birth, hence Herod ordering the death of all the boys 2years old & younger, in Bethlehem.