Matthew’s Account of the Massacre of the Innocents in Light of its Reception History (The Library of New Testament Studies,Scriptural Traces)

Sung Cho addresses the seeming contradiction of Herod the Great's massacre in Matthew 2:16-18, questioning why such a tragedy had to occur, why it was included in the good news of Jesus, and what connection it has to ancient prophecies. In creating a reception history of the Massacre of the Innocents, Cho progresses through two millennia worth of interpretation and depiction to highlight key works for discussion. Beginning with a close reading of Matthew 2:16-18, Cho moves to analyse depictions of the tragedy in the Early Patristic Tradition, from the sixth century to the early modern period, and thus to the present day; complete with an examination of visual interpretations of the massacre. Cho's examination provides a positive step to understanding the depths of human suffering with the help of many diverse perspectives.