View source for Tree of Jesse

==Origins==
Depictions of the Jesse Tree are based on a passage from the [[Book of Isaiah]].  
:"And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots" ([[King James Version]]).

From the Latin [[Vulgate]] Bible used in the Middle Ages:
:''et egredietur virga de radice Iesse et flos de radice eius ascendet'' ([[Isaiah 11:1]] VULGATE). 

''Flos'', pl ''flores'' is Latin for flower. ''Virga'' is a "green twig", "rod" or "broom", as well as a convenient near-pun with ''Virgo'' or Virgin, which undoubtedly influenced the development of the image. Thus Jesus is the ''Virga Jesse'' or "stem of Jesse".

In the [[New Testament]] the heavenly and earthly lineage of Jesus is traced by two of the [[Gospel]] writers, [[Matthew the Evangelist|Matthew]] in descending order, and [[Luke the Evangelist|Luke]] in ascending order. [[Gospel of Luke|Luke's Gospel's]] description in chapter 3 begins with Jesus himself and is traced  all the way back, via [[Nathan (son of David)|Nathan]] to [[David]] and then on to "[[Adam (Bible)|Adam]], which was ''[the son]'' of God.". ([[Luke 3:23]]-[[Luke 3:38|38]]) [[Matthew's Gospel]] opens with the words: "The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham." ([[Matthew 1:1]]) With this beginning, Matthew shows the Abrahamic and royal descent, passing through [[David]], but then through [[Solomon]].

See [[Genealogy of Jesus]] for more explanation of the differences, but both lineages permit the interpretation that Jesus is the "stem of Jesse" by his descent from Jesse's son, [[David]].