Difference between revisions of "Holy innocents"
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These are all the male children aged 2 and under that were murdered because [[Herod]] sought the life of the Infant [[Jesus]]. | These are all the male children aged 2 and under that were murdered because [[Herod]] sought the life of the Infant [[Jesus]]. | ||
| − | The massacre of the innocents is not recorded in any of the other Gospels or in contemporary secular accounts. However, that does not mean that it did not happen. As explained by Gordon Franz on the site of the Associates for Biblical Research:<ref>[http://www.biblearchaeology.org/post/2009/12/09/the-slaughter-of-the-innocents-historical-fact-or-legendary-fiction.aspx#Article The Slaughter of the Innocents: Historical Fact or Legendary Fiction?]</ref><blockquote>The slaughter of the innocents is unattested in secular records, but the historical plausibility of this event happening is consistent with the character and actions of Herod the Great. Besides killing his enemies, he had no qualms in killing family members and friends as well.</blockquote> | + | The massacre of the innocents is not recorded in any of the other Gospels or in contemporary secular accounts. However, that does not mean that it did not happen. As explained by Gordon Franz on the site of the Associates for Biblical Research:<ref>[http://www.biblearchaeology.org/post/2009/12/09/the-slaughter-of-the-innocents-historical-fact-or-legendary-fiction.aspx#Article The Slaughter of the Innocents: Historical Fact or Legendary Fiction?]</ref><blockquote>The slaughter of the innocents is unattested in secular records, but the historical plausibility of this event happening is consistent with the character and actions of Herod the Great. Besides killing his enemies, he had no qualms in killing family members and friends as well.</blockquote>However [[Flavius Josephus]], who documented all the instances of Herod killing people, failed to mention this alleged massacre, which Herod's Roman masters would never have allowed him to conduct anyway. After all the babies he killed would have been future Roman [[taxpayer]]s. |
==References== | ==References== | ||
<references/> | <references/> | ||
[[category:Bible Study]] | [[category:Bible Study]] | ||
Revision as of 06:02, March 2, 2012
Holy innocents is a term that refers to the children talked about in Matthew, Chapter 2, verses 16-18.
When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled.
"A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more." (Quoted from Jeremiah 31:15)
These are all the male children aged 2 and under that were murdered because Herod sought the life of the Infant Jesus.
The massacre of the innocents is not recorded in any of the other Gospels or in contemporary secular accounts. However, that does not mean that it did not happen. As explained by Gordon Franz on the site of the Associates for Biblical Research:[1]
The slaughter of the innocents is unattested in secular records, but the historical plausibility of this event happening is consistent with the character and actions of Herod the Great. Besides killing his enemies, he had no qualms in killing family members and friends as well.
However Flavius Josephus, who documented all the instances of Herod killing people, failed to mention this alleged massacre, which Herod's Roman masters would never have allowed him to conduct anyway. After all the babies he killed would have been future Roman taxpayers.