Catholics in the area on Tuesday marked the Feast of the Holy Innocents, a Christian feast marked by the Diocese of Orlando in remembrance of the massacre of young children in Bethlehem by King Herod the Great in his effort to kill the baby Jesus, according to Britannica. 

The story of King Herod the Great is recounted in the Bible, and according to Learnreligions.com, at about the time of the birth of Jesus, Herod had learned that a “king of the Jews” had been born. The website noted that Herod had urged the Wise Men to return to him with the location of the baby Jesus. The Wise Men, according to the website, were warned against trusting Herod, and after the king learned the Wise Men had misled him, Herod ordered all of the young boys under the age of two in Bethlehem to be killed According to Britannica, the slain children were considered by the church to be the first martyrs. 

“Join us in praying the Rosary for the innocents – the unborn, infants and young children – like the Holy Innocents put to death by King Herod,” the Diocese of Orlando said on its Facebook page. 

The angel warned Joseph of Herod’s intentions, according to learnreligions.com, and Joseph fled Bethlehem with Mary and the baby Jesus to Egypt, only to return to Israel after King Herod had died.  

The reign of Herod had several positive achievements that benefitted the people, according to World History Encyclopedia, which noted during his 33 years in power, Herod was responsible for the completion of many projects, including the reconstruction of the Temple of Jerusalem, the Herodium fortress and several aqueducts. 

Herod’s Biblical infamy likely is his lasting legacy, but his rule had other dark periods, according to the website. Herod, who is believed to have lived from about 75 to 4 BCE, put his wife to death after suspecting that she had been unfaithful, according to World History Encyclopedia. When he later believed that three of his sons had been disloyal to him, he also had them executed, according to the website.