Annunciation

{{Short description|Announcement of the conception and birth of Jesus to Mary}} {{Other uses}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}

[[File:Leonardo da Vinci - Annunciazione - Google Art Project.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6|''[[Annunciation (Leonardo da Vinci)|Annunciation]]'' ({{c.|1472{{ndash}}1475}}), [[Uffizi]], is thought to be [[Leonardo da Vinci]]'s earliest complete work.]] The '''Annunciation''' ({{IPAc-en|ə|ˌ|n|ʌ|n|s|i|ˈ|eɪ|ʃ|ə|n}};<ref>{{cite web |title=Annunciation |url=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/annunciation |website=www.collinsdictionary.com |publisher=Collins Dictionary |language=en}}</ref> {{etymology|la|annuntiatio}}; also referred to as the '''Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary''', the '''Annunciation of Our Lady''',<ref>{{cite web |url=http://prayerbook.ca/resources/bcponline/lessons-for-holy-days/ |title=Lessons for Holy Days » The Prayer Book Society of Canada |publisher=Prayerbook.ca |date=2014-03-23 |access-date=2014-03-27 |archive-date=2020-10-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009034117/http://prayerbook.ca/resources/bcponline/lessons-for-holy-days/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> or the '''Annunciation of the Lord'''; {{langx|grc|Ο Ευαγγελισμός της Θεοτόκου}}) is, according to the [[Gospel of Luke]], the announcement made by the archangel [[Gabriel]] to [[Mary, mother of Jesus|Mary]] that she would conceive and bear a son through a [[Virgin birth of Jesus|virgin birth]] and become the mother of [[Jesus Christ]], the [[Messiah]] and [[Son of God (Christianity)|Son of God]], marking the [[Incarnation (Christianity)|Incarnation]].{{sfnp|EB|1878}} [[File:Annunciation from 13th century Armenian Gospel.jpg|thumb|Annunciation by [[Armenian illuminated manuscripts|Armenian manuscript illuminator]] [[Toros Roslin]], 13th century]]

According to {{Bibleref2|Luke|1:26|9}} the Annunciation occurred in the sixth month of [[Elizabeth (Biblical person)|Elizabeth]]'s pregnancy with [[John the Baptist]]. Many Christians observe this event with the [[Feast of the Annunciation]] on 25{{nbsp}}March,{{sfnp|EB|1878}} an approximation of the northern [[March equinox|vernal equinox]] nine full months before [[Christmas]], the traditional birthday of Jesus.

The Annunciation is [[Annunciation in Christian art|a key topic in Christian art]] in general, as well as in [[Marian art in the Catholic Church]], having been especially prominent during the [[Middle Ages]] and [[Renaissance]]. A work of art depicting the Annunciation is sometimes itself called an ''Annunciation''.

==Religious sources== [[Image:Bartolomé Esteban Perez Murillo 023.jpg|thumb|''The Annunciation'' by [[Bartolomé Esteban Perez Murillo|Murillo]], 1655–1660, [[Hermitage Museum]], [[Saint Petersburg]]]] ===Gospel of Luke=== The [[Gospel of Luke]] recounts the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary:

{{blockquote|And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin 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 unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name {{smallcaps|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 said Mary 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 Elisabeth, 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.|source={{Bibleref2|Luke|1:26–38|9}}, [[King James Version|KJV]] }}

Various Bible translations also give Gabriel's salutation as a variation on: "Hail, full of grace" ({{Bibleref2|Luke|1:28|9}}, [[Douay-Rheims Version|DRV]]). In this variation, commonly used by Roman Catholics, the archangel [[Gabriel]]'s greeting to [[Mary, mother of Jesus|Mary]] forms the first part of the prayer [[Hail Mary]]. Mary's response to the archangel also forms the second [[versicle]] and response of the [[Angelus]] prayer. The English word ''fiat'', or permission,<ref>{{cite web |title=fiat |url=https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/fiat |website=Wiktionary, the free dictionary |language=en |date=19 March 2025}}</ref> comes from the Latin ''let it be done'' of Mary's acceptance to the angel.

===Gospel of Matthew=== [[File:The annunciation (Trinity-Serguis Lavra).jpg|thumb|''The Annunciation'', [[Russian icon]], 14th century]] A separate, briefer and different annunciation by an unnamed angel is that given to [[Saint Joseph|Joseph]] in the [[Gospel of Matthew]]:

{{blockquote|But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name {{smallcaps|Jesus}}: for he shall save his people from their sins.|source={{Bibleref2|Matthew|1:20–21|9}}, [[King James Version|KJV]]}}

===Apocryphal Gospel of James=== There is a different version contained in the [[New Testament apocrypha|apocryphal]] [[Gospel of James]], which includes a first appearance of the archangel at the well.{{refn|group=n|For full text of the apocryphal Gospel of James, see for instance [https://www.gospels.net/infancyjames here] under "Chapter 11: The Annunciation".}}

===Manuscript 4Q246=== {{Main|4Q246}} Manuscript [[4Q246]] of the [[Dead Sea Scrolls]] reads:

{{blockquote|[X] shall be great upon the earth. O king, all people shall make peace, and all shall serve him. He shall be called the son of the Great God, and by his name shall he be hailed as the Son of God, and they shall call him Son of the Most High.|Dead Sea scrolls manuscript Q4Q246, translated in "An Unpublished Dead Sea Scroll Text Parallels Luke's Infancy Narrative", Biblical Archaeology Review, April/May 1990<ref>Dead Sea scrolls manuscript Q4Q246, translated in "An Unpublished Dead Sea Scroll Text Parallels Luke's Infancy Narrative", Biblical Archaeology Review, April/May 1990</ref>}}

It has been suggested that the similarity in content is such that Luke's version may in some way be dependent on the Qumran text.<ref>{{cite book |last1=VanderKam |first1=James C. |last2=Flint |first2=Peter W. |title=The meaning of the Dead Sea scrolls: Their significance for understanding the Bible, Judaism, Jesus, and Christianity |page=335 |publisher=Continuum |date=2005 |isbn=0-567-08468-X}}</ref>

==Location== {{Gospel Jesus|background}} Both the [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] and [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodox]] churches hold that the Annunciation took place at [[Nazareth]], but differ slightly as to the precise location. Roman Catholic tradition holds that the Annunciation occurred in Mary's home, while Eastern Orthodox tradition holds that it occurred at the town well, known as [[Mary's Well]]. The [[Basilica of the Annunciation]] marks the site preferred by the former, while the [[Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation]] (around half a mile away) marks that preferred by the latter.

==Feast day== ===Western Christianity=== {{main|Feast of the Annunciation}} The [[Feast of the Annunciation]] is usually held on 25 March.{{sfnp|EB|1878}} It is often translated in the [[Catholic Church]], [[Anglican Communion|Anglican]] and [[Lutheran]] [[liturgical calendar]]s when that date falls during [[Holy Week]] or [[Easter Week]] or on a Sunday.<ref name=CathFeast >{{Cite CE1913 |wstitle=Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary |first=Frederick George |last=Holweck |volume=1}}</ref>

When the calendar system of [[Anno Domini]] was first introduced by [[Dionysius Exiguus]] in AD 525, he assigned the beginning of the new year to 25 March since, according to Christian theology, the era of [[Divine grace|grace]] began with the [[Incarnation of Christ]]. The first certain mentions of the feast are in a [[canon law|canon]] of the 656 [[Councils of Toledo|Council of Toledo]], where it is described as celebrated throughout the church.{{sfnp|EB|1878}} The 692 Council of Constantinople "[[Quinisext Council|in Trullo]]" forbade observance of any festivals during [[Lent]], excepting [[Lord's Day|Sunday]] and the Annunciation. An earlier origin had been claimed for it on the grounds that it appeared in manuscripts of the sermons of [[Athanasius]] and [[Gregory Thaumaturgus]] but they were subsequently discovered to be spurious.{{sfnp|EB|1878}}

Along with Easter, 25 March was historically used as the [[New Year's Day]] in many Christian countries.<ref>{{citation |last=Groves |first=Marsha |title=Manners and Customs of the Middle Ages |date=2005 |page=27}}</ref> The holiday was moved to January 1 in [[Kingdom of France|France]] by [[Charles IX of France|Charles IX]]'s 1564 [[Edict of Roussillon]]. In [[Kingdom of England|England]], the feast of the Annunciation came to be known as [[Lady Day]],{{sfnp|EB|1911b}} and Lady Day marked the beginning of the English [[New Year's Day|new year]] until 1752.{{sfnp|EB|1911b}}

===Eastern Christianity=== {{See also|Eastern Christianity}} [[File:Annunciation to Zechariah British Library Add. MS 59874 Ethiopian Bible.jpg|thumb|''Annunciation to Zechariah'', taken from an Ethiopian Bible ({{c.|1700}}), [[British Library]]]]

{{refimprove section|date=February 2016}} In the [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodox]], [[Eastern Catholic]], and [[Oriental Orthodox]] Churches, the Feast of the Annunciation is one of the twelve "[[Great Feasts]]" of the [[liturgical year]], and is among the eight of them that are counted as "feasts of the Lord". Throughout the Orthodox Church, the feast is celebrated on 25 March. In the churches that use the new-style calendar ([[Revised Julian]] or [[Gregorian calendar|Gregorian]]), this date coincides with 25 March on the civil calendar, while in those churches using the old-style [[Julian calendar]], 25 March is reckoned to fall on 7 April on the civil calendar, and will fall on 8 April starting in the year 2100. [[Celebration of the Greek Revolution|Greek Independence Day]] is celebrated on the feast of the Annunciation and 25 March is also a national holiday in the Lebanon. [[Image:Nazaret Gabrielskirche BW 11.JPG|thumb|[[Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation]], Nazareth]]

The traditional hymn ([[troparion]]) for the feast of the Annunciation goes back to [[Athanasius of Alexandria]]. It runs:<ref>''Speaking the Truth in Love: Theological and Spiritual Exhortations'' by John Chryssavgis, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomu 2010 {{ISBN|978-0-8232-3337-3}} page 85</ref>

{{poemquote|Today is the beginning of our salvation, And the revelation of the eternal mystery! The Son of God becomes the Son of the Virgin As Gabriel announces the coming of Grace. Together with him let us cry to the [[Theotokos]]:{{refn|group=n|In Eastern Orthodoxy, Mary is referred to as [[Theotokos]] ({{langx|grc|Θεοτόκος}}, from {{langx|grc|Θεο|theo-|God|label=none}}, and {{langx|grc|τοκος|tokos|bearer|label=none}}).}} "Rejoice, O Full of Grace, the Lord is with you!"}}

As the action initiating the [[Incarnation (Christianity)|Incarnation of Christ]], the Annunciation has such an important place in Orthodox Christian theology that the festal [[Divine Liturgy]] of [[John Chrysostom]] is always celebrated on the feast, even if it falls on [[Great and Holy Friday]], the day when the [[crucifixion of Jesus]] is remembered. The Divine Liturgy is celebrated on Great and Holy Friday only when the latter coincides with the feast of the Annunciation.{{cn|date=February 2024}} If the Annunciation falls on [[Easter|Pascha]] (Easter Sunday) itself, a coincidence which is called {{transliteration|grc|Kyriopascha}}, then it is celebrated jointly with the Resurrection, which is the focus of Easter. Due to these and similar rules, the rubrics surrounding the celebration of the feast are the most complex of all in Orthodox Christian liturgics.

[[Ephraim the Syrian]] taught that the date of the conception of Jesus Christ fell on 10 [[Nisan]] on the [[Hebrew calendar]], the day in which the Passover lamb was selected according to [[Exodus 12]] (Hymn 4 on the Nativity). In some years, 10 Nisan falls on 25 March, which is the traditional date for the Feast of the Annunciation and is an official holiday in [[Lebanon]].

==In art== {{Main|Annunciation in Christian art}} {{See also|Marian art in the Catholic Church}} {{Roman Catholic Mariology}}

The Annunciation has been one of the most frequent subjects of [[Christian art]].<ref>{{cite book|title=The Oxford Companion to Christian Art and Architecture|first1=Peter|last1=Murray|first2=Linda|last2=Murray|year=1996|ISBN=0-19-866165-7|page=23}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Images of the Mother of God|editor-first1=Maria|editor-last1=Vasilakē|year=2005|ISBN=0-7546-3603-8|pages=158–159}}</ref> Depictions of the Annunciation go back to early Christianity, with the [[Priscilla catacomb]] including the oldest known fresco of the Annunciation, dating to the 4th century.<ref name=Pris>{{cite book |last=LaVerdiere |first=Eugene |title=The Annunciation To Mary |date=2007 |isbn=978-1-56854-557-8 |page=29|publisher=LiturgyTrainingPublications }}</ref> It has been a favorite artistic subject in both the Christian East and as Roman Catholic Marian art, particularly during the [[Middle Ages]] and [[Renaissance]], and figures in the repertoire of almost all of the great masters. The figures of the Virgin Mary and the angel Gabriel, being emblematic of purity and grace, were favorite subjects of Roman Catholic Marian art, where the scene is also used to represent the [[perpetual virginity of Mary]] via the announcement by the angel Gabriel that Mary would conceive a child to be born the [[Son of God (Christianity)|Son of God]].

Works on the subject have been created by artists such as [[Sandro Botticelli]], [[Leonardo da Vinci]], [[Caravaggio]], [[Duccio]], [[Henry Ossawa Tanner]], [[Annunciation (van Eyck, Washington)|Jan van Eyck]], and [[Bartolomé Esteban Murillo|Murillo]] among others. The mosaics of [[Pietro Cavallini]] in [[Santa Maria in Trastevere]] in Rome (1291), the [[fresco]]s of [[Giotto]] in the [[Scrovegni Chapel]] in [[Padua]] (1303), [[Domenico Ghirlandaio]]'s fresco at the church of [[Santa Maria Novella]] in [[Florence]] (1486), and [[Donatello]]'s gilded sculpture at the church of [[Santa Croce, Florence]] (1435) are famous examples.

<gallery widths="200" heights="200"> File:The annunciation, Gladzor.jpg|''The Annunciation'' in Armenian art by Toros Taronetsi, 1323 File:La Anunciación del Maestro Virgo inter Virgines.jpg|''Annunciation with the 1st Duke of Alba'' by the [[Master of the Virgo inter Virgines]], end of the 15th century File:The Annunciation - Johann Christian Schröder - Google Cultural Institute.jpg|''The Annunciation'' by Johann Christian Schröder, {{c.|1690}} File:Paolo de Matteis - The Annunciation.jpg|''The Annunciation'' by [[Paolo de Matteis]], 1712, [[Saint Louis Art Museum]], Saint Louis. The [[Lilium candidum|white lily]] in the angel's hand is symbolic of Mary's purity<ref group=n>Purity is a wider concept than [[virginity]], which is comprised within it, but which relates to a physical aspect only of purity.</ref> in [[Marian art in the Catholic Church|Marian art]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Ross |first=Leslie |title=Medieval Art: A Topical Dictionary |page=16 |date=1996 |publisher=Bloomsbury Academic |isbn=0-313-29329-5}}</ref> </gallery>

=== Music === [[Hans Leo Hassler]] composed a motet ''[[Dixit Maria]]'', setting Mary's consent. [[Johann Sebastian Bach]] and others composed [[cantata]]s for the [[List of church cantatas by liturgical occasion#Annunciation (25 March)|Feast of the Annunciation]] which is still celebrated in the [[Lutheran Church]], such as [[Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern, BWV 1|''Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern'', BWV 1]].

==See also== * [[Angelus]] * [[Annunciade]], religious order * [[Annunciation of Ustyug]] * [[Basilica of the Annunciation]] * [[Chronology of Jesus]] * [[Expectation of the Blessed Virgin Mary]] * [[Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation]], Nazareth * [[Incarnation (Christianity)]] * [[Order of the Most Holy Annunciation]] * [[Roman Catholic Marian art]] * [[Perpetual Virginity of Mary]]

==Notes== {{reflist|group=n}}

==Citations== {{reflist|30em}}

==References== * {{cite EB9 |mode=cs2 |wstitle=Annunciation |volume=2 |ref={{harvid|EB|1878}} |page=90 }} * {{cite EB1911 |mode=cs2 |wstitle=Annunciation |volume=2 |ref={{harvid|EB|1911a}} |page=78 }} * {{cite EB1911 |mode=cs2 |wstitle=Lady Day |volume=16 |ref={{harvid|EB|1911b}} |page=62 }}

==Further reading== *{{cite book|chapter=[[s:Meditations For Every Day In The Year/From Advent to Christmas#69|Monday: Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin.]]|title=Meditations For Every Day In The Year|year=1823|publisher=Benziger Brothers|first=Roger|last=Baxter|author-link=Roger Baxter|location=New York}} *{{cite book|chapter=[[s:A Practical Commentary on Holy Scripture/II. Annunciation of the Birth of Christ|II. Annunciation of the Birth of Christ]]|title=A Practical Commentary on Holy Scripture|year=1910|publisher=B. Herder|first=Friedrich Justus|last=Knecht}}

==External links== {{Wikiquote}} {{Commons category|Annunciation}} {{CE1913 poster|The Annunciation}} * [http://www.icon-art.info/topic.php?lng=en&top_id=11 The Annunciation Icons] * [http://www.arts.magic-nation.co.uk/annunciation1.htm The Annunciation at art-threads]

{{s-start}} {{s-hou|[[Chronology of Jesus|Life of Jesus]]: [[Ministry of Jesus|Ministry]]|||}} {{s-bef|before=[[birth of John the Baptist|Gabriel announces John's birth to Zechariah]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[New Testament]]<br>Events}} {{s-aft|after=[[Visitation (Christianity)|Mary visits]] [[Elizabeth (biblical figure)|Elizabeth]]}} {{s-end}}

[[Category:1st-century BC Christianity]] [[Category:Angelic apparitions in the Bible]] [[Category:Annunciation in Christian art| ]] [[Category:Christian terminology]] [[Category:Gabriel]] [[Category:Gospel of Luke]] [[Category:Joyful Mysteries]] [[Category:Mary, mother of Jesus]] [[Category:Nativity of Jesus in worship and liturgy]] [[Category:New Testament miracles]] [[Category:Vulgate Latin words and phrases]]