Did the Massacre of Innocent Babies Targeting Jesus Really Happen?

“Massacre of Innocent Babies” by Rubens

The Massacre of the Innocents is a biblical event described in the Gospel of Matthew in which King Herod orders the execution of all male children in Bethlehem under the age of two, in an attempt to kill the newborn Jesus.

The Gospel of Matthew tells how the wise men come to Jerusalem to find out where the king of the Jews was born. King Herod directs them to Bethlehem and asks them to return to him and report. But they are warned in a dream that Herod wants to find the child and kill him, and they do not do it. Matthew continues. When Herod realized that the Magi had outwitted him, he became enraged and gave the order to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or younger, according to the time he had learned from the Magi.

According to historical accounts, Herod the Great was the regional king of Judea, which included the cities of Bethlehem and Jerusalem. He reigned from about 37 BC. e. until his death in 4 AD. e., when Judea was still under Roman influence. Most scholars believe that Jesus was born between 6 and 4 BC. e. – during the reign of Herod, as stated in the Gospel of Matthew.

Herod’s reign was marked by political intrigue and social unrest. He was characterized by a ruthless pursuit of power and paranoia about potential threats to his rule. Against this backdrop, the biblical narrative of the massacre of the innocent unfolds, depicting Herod’s brutal reaction to the news of the birth of a potential rival king.

Painting by Jacopo Tintoretto “Massacre of Innocent Babies”. Public domain

The Greek liturgy speaks of 14,000 holy innocents, and the early Syrian list of saints speaks of 64,000. Coptic sources state that there are 144,000, and that this occurred on December 29. The 1907-1912 Catholic Encyclopedia, recognizing that Bethlehem was too small a city for such figures, reduced the number of victims to six to twenty children in the city and another dozen or so in the surrounding area.

However, there is no historical evidence to suggest that the massacre of innocents took place. This story is found only in the Gospel of Matthew, and there is no independent corroboration from other historical sources.

Given the lack of independent corroboration, many scholars consider it to be folklore inspired by Herod’s reputation. New Testament scholar Richard T. France believes that if this was a historical incident, it is not surprising that it was not recorded by other historical sources. It is more likely that the story of the massacre of the innocents is a literary device that Matthew used to emphasize the significance of Jesus’ birth.

By portraying Herod as a ruthless tyrant who murdered innocent children, Matthew creates a sharp contrast between Jesus, the innocent child destined to save the world, and Herod, the evil king doomed to destruction.

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