Depictions of the Nativity, or birth of Jesus, date back to the 4th century. The story, taken from the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, has been a subject to many artists over the years. In the book of Luke, Joseph and Mary, as part of a census, travel to Bethlehem, where Jesus is born to the virgin mother and laid in a manger because there was no space that the inn. Angels from heaven proclaim him a savior for all people, and shepherds come in from the fields to adore him. In Matthew, wise men follow a star to Bethlehem to bring gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to Jesus, born the King of the Jews. King Herod massacres all the toddler boys in Bethlehem in an attempt to kill Jesus, however, the holy family flees to Egypt and later settles in Nazareth. Here is a look at the Nativity through the artists of deviantART.com
