Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.
When Herod realized the wise men had basically ghosted him and weren't coming back to report Jesus's location, he completely lost it. He was so furious that he ordered his soldiers to kill every baby boy in Bethlehem and the surrounding areas, anyone two years old or younger. He based this age range on what the wise men had told him about when they first saw the star.
Herod's jealousy and fear drove him to commit an unthinkable act of violence against innocent children.
📚 Historical Context
In the biblical account of Jesus' birth, King Herod the Great ruled Judea under Roman authority and was notorious for his paranoia and violent efforts to secure his throne. When the wise men from the East visited, seeking the newborn king of the Jews, Herod deceitfully asked for information to locate the child, intending to eliminate any rival to his power. This led him to order the slaughter of all male infants in Bethlehem and its surrounding areas who were two years old and under, based on the timeline provided by the wise men.
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