Herod “the Great,” the king of Judea, was a deeply controversial figure. His rule was marked by his close ties with the Romans and a lack of religious commitment, factors that made him deeply unpopular among his people. This unpopularity bred insecurity and fear in Herod, making him intensely protective of his power. His reign was characterized by political cunning and extreme brutality. Among his many ruthless acts, he is known for the murder of several members of his own family, including his wife, brother, and the husbands of his sister.

The story of Herod’s most infamous atrocity is recounted in Matthew 2:1-18. When astrologers from the east came searching for the “newborn king of the Jews,” having been guided by a star, Herod was deeply troubled. These astrologers were informed that the Jewish Scriptures pointed to Bethlehem as the birthplace of the Messiah. In a deceitful move, Herod asked them to inform him of the child’s location under the pretense of paying homage. However, the astrologers, having been divinely warned, did not return to Herod. They found Jesus, presented their gifts, and then avoided Herod, allowing Jesus and his family to escape to Egypt.

Enraged by this, Herod ordered a horrific massacre, commanding the killing of all boys in Bethlehem and its surrounding areas who were two years old and under. This tragic event brought immense suffering and grief to the families involved. Matthew 2:18 describes the agony of this moment, drawing a parallel with an earlier tragedy in Jewish history where Rachel, the wife of Jacob, mourned for her children during the Assyrian captivity.

The massacre of the Holy Innocents, as it came to be known, stands out as a particularly brutal episode, even when compared to the genocides and widespread atrocities of our times. The tragedy underscores the immense value of human life, a treasure that, according to Christian belief, is graced by the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Even if the number of innocent lives lost in Bethlehem was small compared to modern tragedies, each life is seen as infinitely precious, a unique person destined for eternity.

Editorial credit: Renata Sedmakova / Shutterstock.com
Love uCATHOLIC?
Get our inspiring content delivered to your inbox every morning - FREE!

21 COMMENTS

  1. THANK YOU SOO MUCH FOR THIS BEAUTIFUL WEBSITE WITH THE BEAUTIFUL PICTURES/ARTWORK THAT ACCOMPANY EACH SAINT OF THE DAY! AND THE READINGS FOR THAT DAY AND EVERY THING ELSE ON THIS WEBSITE!

  2. Like this on Facebook

    Dear Joseph,

    News reports over the weekend made it clear that President Obama is the most pro-abortion President we have ever had. Several states have passed laws to defund Planned Parenthood, but the Obama Administration is using the federal government to force states to give tax dollars to the largest abortion provider in America.
    Stop Obama’s Abortion Agenda

    The ACLJ is aggressively battling against Planned Parenthood, the abortion industry, and pro-abortion ObamaCare in Congress and in state and federal courts across the country. We are actively supporting Texas, New Hampshire, and Indiana as they try to stop millions of our state and federal tax dollars from going to Planned Parenthood.

  3. My children once asked me, but they don’t do this anymore (to babies outside the womb) right Mom? And I said to them, they do this all the time in China. This is the daily horror of the one child policy in China for those unborn and born.

  4. You are not seriously comparing genocide to abortion!?! I am appalled and don’t even know what to say… “Pro Life” sometimes has to be “Pro Life of the Mother”…

  5. Claudia, based on government statistics, there have been over 55 million abortion deaths in the US alone just since Roe vs Wade. In wargaming performed in 1979, a moderate nuclear counterforce attack by the USSR against US military targets would have killed an estimated 8 million. Now surely such an attack would have been deemed genocidal and barbaric. It seems the incredulity of argument lies squarely with your assertion.

  6. Drupal is one of these effective software packages that helps people
    and businesses publish content on their websites.

    You will also need to delegate your domain name to the
    hosting space, details on this are provided by your
    hosting provider. The amount of space required by a website should also be considered while choosing a web host.

  7. THE PRAYER

    O God,
    We remember today,
    the slaughter of the holy innocents of Bethlehem
    by King Herod.
    Receive, we pray,
    into the arms of your mercy
    all innocent victims;
    and by your great might
    frustrate the designs of evil tyrants
    and establish your rule
    of justice, love, and peace;
    through Jesus Christ our Lord,
    who lives and reigns with you,
    in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
    one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

    Book of Common Prayer, 1979, modified

  8. AND. SOME. SAY,,,,,,,,,THERE. IS,,,NO,,,,,HELL !!!!
    IF. YOU. GO. ,,,,,,,,,YOU. WILL. SEE. ,,,HITLER,,,,,,and,,,,,,HEROD, WHO. ……ORDERED…..“”””””KILL ,,,A L L ,,,,the,,,,,,BABY
    BOYS,,,,,,IN,,,,,BETHLEHEM !!!!””””””,,,,,,,HEROD,,,,WAS,,,,,,,,, T H A T ,,,,,,,,,AFRAID,,,,,of,,,,,Jesus Christ !!!

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here