Matthew's Account of the Massacre of the Innocents in Light of its Reception History

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. <br/><br/>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.