The Flight to Egypt

One of the challenges of writing this novel in the Joseph trilogy was that, while I knew the ending in broad terms, I did not fully understand where the story would lead me.

I knew part of it would involve the family’s escape into Egypt, but I did not yet grasp the significance that flight would take on in the story. I knew how Joseph and Mary would meet and come together, and I was eager to bring that part of the narrative together. I also knew the pregnancy would create turmoil within the family, especially for Joseph’s mother, whose pain and anger would have to be addressed.

What I did not expect was how much of the story would unfold in Egypt.

What ultimately brought that section into focus for me was a very human realization: when armed men break into a home and hold a knife over a child, a mother will say anything to keep them from choosing her baby. No matter how close, small, or tight-knit the community of Bethlehem may have been, a mother in that moment would plead for her child’s life. She might say, “It is not us. You have the wrong house.” Or, “It is them, and they left a few days ago.” Anything to stop the danger in front of her.

That understanding, the desperation, the pleading, and the begging, is what helped shape my vision of why the details of the flight into Egypt became necessary in the story.

The whole idea made me think more deeply about Bethlehem, fear, family, and survival. I hope this book invites readers to do the same, to reconsider what they think they know about Bethlehem, and to come to know Joseph more fully.