Since the divine oracle had not been fulfilled, the high priest returned to the oratory to consult the Lord. Shortly afterward, the same voice as before was heard, and it said: “The one who has not placed his cane on the altar is the one predestined to marry the maiden.” Then Joseph, feeling directly addressed, placed his cane upon the altar of sacrifice. Immediately, the cane stood upright, blossomed, and everyone saw how a dove descended from above and perched on the fresh flower that had bloomed at the top of the rod. In this way, God publicly revealed that Joseph, the owner of the blossoming cane, was the one He had chosen to marry the Virgin. Once the betrothal of Mary and Joseph had been celebrated, Joseph returned to his city of Bethlehem, where he lived, and began preparing what was necessary for the wedding. Mary, for her part, left Jerusalem and went to Nazareth, to her parents’ home, accompanied by seven maidens of the same age who had entered the Temple around the same time as she did. (The Golden Legend by Jacobus de Voragine)

According to the the Apocryphal texts, Mary is presented to the temple at the age of three; there she would serve until the age of 12 or 14, when the priests of Jerusalem had to find her a husband. All the unmarried and widowed men of Judah were asked to bring a cane and place it on the altar to identify the chosen one, that is, the man from whose cane a dove would emerge. Iconography later replaced the dove with flowers, and this became the prevailing representation. According to these narratives, Joseph was an old man, but by the end of the Middle Ages, several theologians and scholars would speak of a virile and youthful Joseph. The depiction of the betrothal is of particular interest, especially since the Bible provides no details about it; we know that marriage among the Jews was a civil contract carried out outside the temple or synagogue. However, the depiction was adapted to the Christian tradition, including, as in this case, the figures of the priest and the acolyte.