The Annunciation

The story of the Annunciation, when the Archangel Gabriel announces to Mary that she is to bear the incarnate son of God, is told in the Gospel of Luke, 1, 26–38:

And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

To a virgin who was espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.

And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.

And the angel said said unto her, fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shall bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus.

He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

Then Mary said unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man ?

And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

And, behold, thy cousin Elizabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.

For with God nothing shall be impossible.

And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

This miraculous event was taken as a fulfilment of a prophecy found in the Old Testament Book of Isaiah, 7, 14: 'Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel.'

In some Annunciation scenes, Mary is shown reading a Bible, open at a page bearing these words.