Massacre of the Innocents
Biblical account of Herod's order to kill male infants near Bethlehem.
According to the Gospel of Matthew (2:16–18), King Herod the Great of Judea ordered the killing of all boys aged two and under in and around Bethlehem. This event, known as the Massacre or Slaughter of the Innocents, appears only in Matthew’s Nativity story. The narrative draws on a first-century expanded version of the Exodus story, in which Pharaoh tries to kill Israelite children. Most modern scholars do not consider Matthew’s account historically reliable.
The story follows the Magi’s visit: after they are warned in a dream not to report back to Herod, he realizes he has been tricked and issues the execution order. Matthew then quotes the prophet Jeremiah (31:15) about Rachel weeping for her children, though the surrounding verses in Jeremiah speak of hope and restoration.
No other gospel mentions the massacre. It is absent from the works of Nicolaus of Damascus, a friend of Herod, and from Josephus’s *Antiquities of the Jews*, which records many of Herod’s cruelties, including the murder of three of his own sons. A fifth-century account by Macrobius—claiming that Emperor Augustus joked it was better to be Herod’s pig than his son—is dismissed as late, possibly influenced by the gospel, and confused.
Lacking independent confirmation, the story is often seen as folklore built on Herod’s reputation. Many scholars treat historicity as secondary, since the gospels are theological documents, not strict histories. The author modeled the episode on the Exodus story: in the expanded version, Pharaoh kills Hebrew children after scribes warn him of a threat to his throne, but Moses’ parents are warned in a dream and save him; later, Moses flees and returns only after his would-be killers are dead. Some conservative scholars, such as Paul L. Maier and Richard T. France, argue for the event’s historicity, but most do not accept this. James Dunn notes the massacre fits Herod’s character; Joan E. Taylor and Anthony Le Donne point out that Herod was harsh and that Jewish refugees often fled to Egypt, suggesting Jesus could have been a refugee.
Numbers of victims vary widely in tradition: Byzantine liturgy says 14,000; an early Syrian list says 64,000; Coptic sources claim 144,000. Frederick George Holweck’s 1910 *Catholic Encyclopedia* entry, assuming the event occurred, estimated Bethlehem’s small size would limit victims to between 6 and 20. France, estimating Be
- source
- Gospel of Matthew (2:16–18)
- figure_ordering
- Herod the Great, king of Judea
- victims
- male children two years old and under in Bethlehem and vicinity
- feast_day_Western
- 28 December (Feast of the Holy Innocents, also called Childermas)
- feast_day_Eastern
- various dates depending on denomination
- traditional_numbers
- Byzantine Rite: 14,000; early Syrian list: 64,000; Coptic: 144,000; modern estimates: 6–20 children
Lore & Background
The Gospel of Matthew tells how the Magi visit Jerusalem to seek guidance as to where the king of the Jews has been 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 wishes to find the child and kill him, and do not do so. Matthew continues: '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.' This is followed by a reference to and quotation from the Book of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 31:15).
Reader's Guide
The historicity of the Matthew account is not accepted by most modern scholars. The story of the massacre is found in no gospel other than Matthew, nor is it mentioned in the surviving works of Nicolaus of Damascus (a personal friend of Herod the Great), nor in Josephus's Antiquities of the Jews, despite his recording many of Herod's misdeeds. In view of the lack of independent confirmation, the story serves as a kind of folklore inspired by Herod's reputation. Many view the discussion of historicity as secondary, given that gospels were primarily written as theological documents rather than chronological timelines. The author appears to have modeled the episode on the biblical story of Pharaoh's attempt to kill the Israelite children in the Book of Exodus, as told in an expanded version that was current in the 1st century. Some conservative scholars have offered arguments in favour of historicity, though these arguments are not accepted by most scholars. The subject has provided artists of many nationalities with opportunities to compose complicated depictions of massed bodies in violent action, and it appears in medieval liturgical drama, paintings by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Guido Reni, Peter Paul Rubens, and Nicolas Poussin, and in music such as the Coventry Carol and Marc-Antoine Charpentier's oratorio Caedes sanctorum innocentium.
Did You Know?
- The Feast of the Holy Innocents is celebrated in Western Christian Churches on 28 December, the fourth day of Christmastide.
- The early 5th-century account of Macrobius—that Augustus said 'It's better to be Herod's pig than his son'—has been discounted as extra-biblical evidence due to later authorship and possible influence of the gospel narra
- The Coventry Carol, dating from the 16th century, is a mother's lament for her doomed child and was performed as part of a mystery play in Coventry, England.
- Coptic sources assert 144,000 Holy Innocents and that the event took place on 29 December.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Massacre of the Innocents?
It is a narrative found exclusively in the Gospel of Matthew (chapter 2, verses 16–18) in which a ruling authority orders the execution of young male children in a specific region. The event is also commonly called the Slaughter of the Innocents and sits within the broader Nativity storyline.
Who ordered the Massacre of the Innocents and why?
Herod the Great, the Roman-appointed king of Judea, issued the decree after discovering that the visiting Magi had deceived him by not returning to report the newborn king's location. Fearing for his throne, he commanded the killing of all boys in Bethlehem and surrounding areas who were two years old or younger.
How many children were killed in the Massacre of the Innocents?
The biblical text itself gives no specific number, but various Christian traditions have assigned figures over the centuries—ranging from 14,000 in the Byzantine tradition to 144,000 in the Coptic tradition. Modern demographic estimates for first-century Bethlehem suggest the actual number of infants in that age range would have been roughly six to twenty.
What is the connection between the Massacre of the Innocents and the Exodus story?
Matthew's narrative deliberately echoes the earlier account of Pharaoh ordering the death of Hebrew male infants, framing Herod as a parallel tyrant figure. This typological link positions Jesus's birth within the broader pattern of God delivering his people from a persecuting ruler.
How do Christians commemorate the Massacre of the Innocents?
In the Western Church, the Feast of the Holy Innocents (also known as Childermas) is observed on December 28, while Eastern denominations celebrate the event on varying dates throughout the liturgical year. The commemoration honors the children as the first martyrs for Christ.
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