Paranoia of Herod

Herod the Great was called great for the cities and buildings he built during his reign. History remembers him as the great builder of Roman-era Palestine. He rebuilt the city of Jerusalem, including the temple as well as Caesarea, Masada, and this - the Herodion in Bethlehem.

Herod the Great was also a paranoid monster. Caesar Augustus said of Herod, “I would rather be Herod’s pig than his son.” since Herod followed Jewish law and would not eat pork but killed his wife and three of his own sons. It was also clear from the design of his palaces that he was determined to protect himself at all costs. These retreats offered him all the conveniences of the times and featured levels of guards and soldiers before anyone could have access to the King.

Herod is infamous for his order to kill all Bethlehem children under the age of three. This is known as the Massacre of the Innocents and while we were in Bethlehem we had a rare opportunity to visit the tomb of these children.

Before our trip, Dean got put into contact with a member of the Church living in Bethlehem and he offered to take us around to see the sights. The guy grew up in this relatively small town and knew everyone. At one point he went over and talked to a monk who unlocked some gates and led us down into some caves below the Church of the Nativity.

I can't find any reference to this anywhere, but they told us that these are the remains of the children killed by Herod's murderous decree. History also says that there were probably 20-30 children of this age in Bethlehem at the time, and that's about how many small skulls are piled here. Thinking about the anguish that the murder of each of these kids would have caused was one of the most moving moments of the trip. These children are considered by the Catholic Church to be the first Christian martyrs.