Editing Massacre of the Innocents (section)

==Biblical narrative==
The [[Gospel of Matthew]] tells how the [[Biblical Magi|Magi]] visit [[Jerusalem]] to seek guidance as to where the king of the Jews has been born; King Herod directs them to Bethlehem and asks them to return to him and report, but they are warned in a dream that Herod wishes to find the child and kill him, and do not do so. Matthew continues:

{{blockquote|When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.|Matthew 2:16<ref>{{bibleverse|Matthew|2:16}}</ref>}}

This is followed by a reference to and quotation from the [[Book of Jeremiah]] ([[Jeremiah 31:15]]) (Jeremiah 31:14 in the Hebrew Bible): "Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: A voice is heard in [[Ramah in Benjamin|Ramah]], weeping and great mourning, [[Rachel]] weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more." ([[Matthew 2:17]]–[[Matthew 2:18|18]]). The relevance of this to the massacre is not immediately apparent, as Jeremiah's next verses go on to speak of hope and restoration.{{sfn|Clarke|2003|p=23}}