King Herod Research Paper

Words: 672
Pages: 3
Open Document
Herod was a cruel King who went to great lengths to keep his throne to himself, even when his god had conflicting plans. After the birth of Jesus, three wise men from the east met with Herod in an attempt to find the one “born the king of the Jews.” They claimed to have seen his star in the east, and wanted to find him and show their deference to the Messiah (Matthew 2:1-8). Herod, the current king of the Jews, was perturbed at the concept of a new king and, more importantly, the loss of his throne, so his religious leaders and scribes in an endeavor to find Jesus. The assembled council claimed that Jesus would be in Bethlehem, according to Micah 5:2 (Ross). Armed with this new information, Herod sent out the three wise men to find “the born King” to pay their respects. Herod told these wise men to send back their locations when they found Jesus, so he could presumably pay his respects. Herod, however, had different plans. The three wise men, or magi, followed the guiding star to Bethlehem where Jesus, the King of the Jews, lay. They presented their gift for him, and that night, while sleeping, all three magi had the same dream. In their shared dream, they were warned that King Herod’s intentions were malicious, and Herod planned to kill the newly born Jesus, threat …show more content…
When Herod brutally murdered all boys ages two and under in Bethlehem, he caused great pain among families. The event had such a large effect on the population of Bethlehem that people started calling it the “massacre of the innocents,” because children are seen as innocent in God’s eyes (Baker). The expression “massacre of the innocents” is used in literature because it amplifies the horrific qualities of an event. If one event is compared to the slaughter of all the boys in a town two and under, the event will seem devastatingly abhorrent. By alluding to Herod’s immorality, an author will change the reader’s view of an
Show More

Related Documents: King Herod Research Paper

The Dead Sea Scrolls Essay

Autumn Long Research Paper November 7, 2012 The Dead Sea Scrolls The Dead Sea Scrolls have been touted as one of the most important Biblical finds of all time. They were discovered in 1947 on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea, from which the scrolls get their name. The Dead Sea itself has been a very important site for thousands of years. Biblically, it was a place of refuge for King David. It was one of the world’s first health resorts for Herod the Great. It has been the supplier of a variety…

Words 3908 - Pages 16