Scripture Passage
John 1:1-3, 14
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made...And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Final AI Prompt
A nativity scene set in a historical Middle Eastern landscape, focusing on the era of Herod's Temple. In the foreground, Mary, depicted as a Middle Eastern woman in traditional ancient attire, cradles a newborn baby. Joseph, also Middle Eastern and dressed in period-appropriate clothing, stands beside her. In the distant background, Herod's Temple is depicted as a grand, ancient structure, fitting the architectural style of the period, under a starlit sky with a bright star shining directly above the nativity scene.
Process/Reflections
Getting AI to depict the nativity scene was fairly easy. The most difficult element of the image to nail was the temple structure in the background. My original attempts to get AI to render the temple using the word "Jerusalem" were frustrating because it would always include the Dome of the Rock--a mosque with a golden dome which was built centuries later over the site of Herod's temple. I had to abandon the "Jerusalem" angle and go with a more classical Greco-Roman looking structure. I like the line created from the star, to the Temple, to the Christ-child. I also really like the juxtaposition of the grandeur of the temple with the rustic simplicity of the nativity scene.