To Whom did Herod Sacrifice the Babies and Toddlers of Bethlehem?

The Bible says Herod the Great was so infuriated by the Magi refusing to cooperate with his wicked schemes, that he caused mass infanticide in the general region. The Magi had nothing to do with Herod's infanticide.

The Magi were highly educated pagan astrologers from the region of Babylonia, whom God used in fulfilment of prophecies about the birth of Christ. (Micah 5:2 Jer 31:15 Hos 11:1) Both Jews and Zoroastrians believed that a Messiah would descend from heaven to start God's kingdom on earth. Jupiter was considered by them to be a star and it was 'the royal star'. Coming together with Saturn, (as happened in a rare triple conjunction in 7 B.C.E. Herod did not die till 4 BC.) this would involve Israel. Their astronomical knowledge was here combined with their astrological ideas. Interestingly, they were spot on, even though astrology is condemned in the Bible. This episode shows that God is sovereign, and he over-rules in the affairs of men to carry out his divine purposes (as he also did using Babylon, then Cyrus the Persian).

The first conjunction happened in May and they would calculate when the next two would happen; the second one would be due in September and, as Israel was involved, they had time to make the 500 mile trip west, via the Fertile Crescent. From the Magi's point of view, the star stopped over Jerusalem in September, after which they arrived in the city and conferred with Herod, wrongly thinking he would already know where the child was. They were also obliged to see Herod because they had entered his jurisdiction and did not want to be accused of spying. It was a sort of politically expedient courtesy call. Herod did know about such celestial signs and was rightly worried that his 'star' was in the descent. That is why he insisted that the Magi come back to tell him where the new-born King was. If the Magi had not agreed, they would likely be imprisoned (or worse.) Then they saw the 3rd alignment in November over the house in which Mary and the child resided. When we realise from the Bible that the Magi didn't arrive in Jerusalem until after Christ was born, that could make Jesus' birth September and the arrival of the Magi at the house in November.

The whole district of Bethlehem was affected by the massacre of the innocents because Herod, like the Magi, did not know in September where, exactly this new King would be born. Once the Magi knew the location, they disappeared, taking that knowledge with them. The Bible shows that God simply had to 'speak' to the Magi in a dream for them to thwart Herod’s (and thus, Satan's) evil plans. Herod only knew that the King could not be more than two years old so that's why all baby boys under two were killed - sacrificed on Herod's altar of ego and political power. It could well be that Jesus was only two months old.

God set the celestial bodies in their orbits, to move as they do, timing the birth of Christ to precisely that year, that month. Is it the Magi's adoration and worship of the Christ child that offends? Is it the fact that Christ was born as King that goes against some peoples' theology? How tragic that they - like Herod - should acknowledge Jesus' miraculous birth, yet refuse to acclaim the King from heaven in worship. The Magi knew better than they do.

Herod ordered the slaughter because he feared that the child would be the one take his throne away from him. Herod had some mental/emotional issues. And misunderstood that Jesus was to be king of a spiritual kingdom , and not a political one. This was also a fullfillment of yet another prophecy that points to Jesus as the Messiah.

I believe Harod killing the children was a political and self preserving move. Or at least he thought it was. The Jews look for a great king. And indeed Jesus is a great king. Just not a king of this world presently.

Jesus had to fulfill a lot of prophecy. If he had been killed as a child that wouldn't have happened.

I have another question to ask - would Jesus' sacrifice as a child provide salvation - but that really is another question.

I believe the answer for this question is no because if Jesus hadn't grown up, hadn't been tested to sin He couldn't provide salvation for all of us, and as we all know He remained sinless! And because of that accomplishment, He gained the right to offer for all mankind salvation! And through His sacrifice and love for us we all have a chance to make it to heaven! To make it right next to God!

Just realizing the capasity of His love and His sacrifice for us you ought to give it a try and come close to Him and be perfect like Him!

Herod was dead four years before jesus birth based on when the Roman census was conducted which had mary and joe go to ole bethy town in the first place.

so the new testi starts with a provable lie.

King Herod was trying to protect his power. He heard a King was born to the House of Daid. So he ordered his soldiers to kill all the infants in that area.

The only source for the story of the murder of the infants is the bible, which makes it very questionable. No outside sources record this event.

They all had to die for Jesus so he could die (well...pretend to die) for us.

Yeah, sick story. There's no record of it anywhere else, so it is pretty obvious it never happened. But sick.

himself