The Nativity Story is a 2006 drama film starring Keisha Castle-Hughes and Shohreh Aghdashloo. Filming began on May 1, 2006 in Matera, Italy and in Morocco. New Line Cinema released it on December 1, 2006 in the United States and one week later on December 8 in the European Union. The film made history as being the first film ever to stage its world premiere in the Vatican The movie begins with the portrayal of the Massacre of the Innocents. The remainder of the movie portrays the annunciation (conception) and nativity (birth) of Jesus Christ to explain why King Herod (Ciarán Hinds) ordered the brutality.
Teenage Mary (Keisha Castle-Hughes), betrothed to marry Joseph of Judea (Oscar Isaac), is spoken to by God and told that she is to deliver His child and call him Jesus. Mary then goes to stay with her cousin Elizabeth for the harvest, when she witnesses the birth of John the Baptist to Elizabeth (Shohreh Aghdashloo), who is past menopause, and her husband Zachariah (Stanley Townsend). Mary returns from the visit pregnant, to the disappointment of Joseph and her parents. Mary is accused of fornication, for which, if she is found guilty, she could be stoned to death in a public execution. At first Joseph does not believe Mary's explanation that she was visited by an angel, and that she has broken no vow of chastity. He resolves to quietly divorce her, but before he acts on this plan, he is visited by the very same angel. Joseph then believes Mary, and promises to marry her. Meanwhile, King Herod has demanded that every man and his family must return to his place of birth for the annual census. Mary decides to go with Joseph on his journey to Bethlehem, the City of David, and the place of his birth.
The two fight against the wrath of Mother Nature (including an encounter with a water snake), camping out along the way, as Mary's pregnancy becomes more advanced. When they reach Bethlehem, Mary goes into labor, at which point a single man offers his stable for shelter.
In the meantime, Herod has been informed by three Magi that a King of the Jews has been born; Herod considers himself to be King of the Jews. He asks the Magi, Gaspar, Melchior and Balthasar, to journey to the East and pay a visit to the newborn Jesus. Unbeknownst to Mary and Joseph, the Magi had previously discovered that three planets will align to form a great star. This Star of Bethlehem appears before the Magi, after a visit by the angel, Gabriel. They show up at the stable in which Mary, Joseph and Jesus are staying, and present the baby with gifts. For fear that they would be punished, the Magi do not return to Herod, but instead continue on their journey.
King Herod, realizing that the wise men have defied him, demands the murder of every boy in Bethlehem up to the age of two. Joseph is warned in a dream of the danger and flees with Mary and the child to Egypt.
