Chapter 16

1Herod enraged, orders the infants in Bethlehem to be slain. 2 Mary puts her infant in an ox manger. 3 Elizabeth flees with her son John to the mountains. 6 A mountain miraculously divides and receives them. 9 Herod incensed at the escape of John, causes Zacharias to be murdered at the altar, 23 the roofs of the temple rent, the body miraculously conveyed, and the blood petrified. 25 Israel mourns for him. 27 Simeon chosen his successor by lot . THEN Herod perceiving that e he was mocked by the wise men, and being very angry, commanded certain men to go and to kill all the children that were in Bethlehem, from two years old and under.
2But Mary hearing that the children were to be killed, being under much fear, took the child, and wrapped him up in swaddling clothes, and laid him in an ox-manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
3Elizabeth also, hearing that her son John was about to be searched for, took him and went up unto the mountains, and looked around for a place to hide him;
4And there was no secret place to be found.
5Then she groaned within herself, and said, O mountain of the Lord, receive the mother with the child.
6For Elizabeth could not climb up.
7And instantly the mountain was divided and received them.
8And there appeared to them an angel of the Lord, to preserve them.
9But Herod made search after John, and sent servants to Zacharias, when he was (ministering) at the altar, and said unto him, Where hast thou hid thy son?
10He replied to them, I am a minister of God, and a servant at the altar; how should I know where my son is?
11So the servants went back, and told Herod the whole; at which he was incensed, and said, Is not this son of his like to be king in Israel?
12He sent therefore again his servants to Zacharias, saying, Tell us the truth, where is thy son, for you know that your life is in my hand.
13So the servants went and told him all this:
14But Zacharias replied to them, I am a martyr for God, and if he shed my blood, the Lord will receive my soul.
15Besides know that ye shed innocent blood.
16However Zacharias was murdered in the entrance of the temple and altar, and about the partition;
17But the children of Israel knew not when he was killed.
18Then at the hour of salutation the priests went into the temple, but Zacharias did not according to custom meet them and bless them;
19Yet they still continued waiting for him to salute them;
20And when they found he did not in a long time come, one of them ventured into the holy place where the altar was, and he saw blood lying upon the ground congealed;
21When, behold, a voice from heaven said, Zacharias is murdered, and his blood shall not be wiped away, until the revenger of his blood come.
22But when he heard this, he was afraid, and went forth and told the priests what he had seen and heard; and they all went in, and saw the fact.
23Then the roofs of the temple howled, and were rent from the top to the bottom:
24And they could not find the body, but only blood made hard like stone.
25And they went awry, and told the people, that Zacharias was murdered, and all the tribes of Israel heard thereof, and mourned for him, and lamented three days.
26Then the priests took counsel together concerning a person to succeed him.
27And Simeon and the other priests cast lots, and the lot fell upon Simeon.
28For he had been assured by the Holy Spirit, that he should not die, till he had seen Christ come in the flesh. I James wrote this History in Jerusalem: and when the disturbance was I retired into a desert place, until the death of Herod. And the disturbance ceased at Jerusalem. That which remains is, that I glorify God that he hall; given me such wisdom to write unto you who are spiritual, and who love God: to whom (be ascribed) glory and dominion for ever and ever, Amen . Footnotes 24:1 That is, gave as much more as he was obliged to give. 25:1 In imitation of the forty days and nights fast of Moses, recorded Exod. xxiv. 11, xxxiv. 28; Deut. ix. 9; of Elijah, 1 Kings xix. 8; and Christ's, Matt. iv. 2. 25:2 Gen. xxi. 2. 27:1 Such an instrument God had appointed the high-priest to wear for such discoveries. See Exod. xxviii. 36, &c., and Spencer de Urim et Thummim. 27:2 Compare 1 Sam. ii., &c., with Luke i. 46. 28:1 See Exod. xxviii. 22, &c. 29:1 Luke i. 28, &c. 30:1 Luke ii. 39, &c. 31:1 See Matt. i. 18. 32:1 Num. v. 18. 32:2 Luke ii. 1. 34:1 Matt. ii. 1, &c. 35:1 Matt. ii. 16. 35:2 Luke ii. 7 is alluded to, though misapplied as to time. 36:1 There is a story both in the Jerusalem and Babylonish Talmud very similar to this. It is cited by Dr. Lightfoot, Talmud, Hierosol, in Taannith , fol. 69; and Talmud, Babyl. in Sanhedr ., fol. 96. "Rabbi Jochanan said Eighty thousand priests were slain for the blood of Zacharias. Rabbi Judas asked Rabbi Achan, Where did they kill Zacharias? Was it in the woman's court, or in the court of Israel? He answered: Neither in the court of Israel, nor in the court of women, but in the court of the priests; and they did not treat his blood in the same manner as they were wont to treat the blood of a ram or a young goat. For of these it is written, He shall pour out his blood, and cover it with dust. But it is written here, The blood is in the midst of her: she set it upon the top of the rock; she poured it not upon the ground. (Ezek. xxiv. 7.) But why was this? That it might cause fury to come up to take vengeance: I have set his blood upon the top of a rock, that it should not be covered. They committed seven evils that day: they murdered a priest, a prophet, and a king; they shed the blood of the innocent: they polluted the court: that day was the Sabbath: and the day of expiation. When therefore Nebuzaradan came there (viz. Jerusalem), he saw his blood bubbling, and said to them, What meaneth this? They answered It is the blood of calves, lambs, and rams, which we have offered upon the altar. He commanded then, that they should bring calves, and lambs, and rams, and said I will try whether this be their blood: accordingly they brought and slew them, but the blood of (Zacharias) still bubbled, but the blood of these did not bubble. Then he said, Declare to me the truth of the matter, or else I will comb your flesh with iron combs. Then said they to him, He was a priest, prophet, and judge, who prophesied to Israel all these calamities which we have suffered from you; but we arose against him, and slew him. Then, said he, I will appease him: then he took the rabbins and slew them upon his (viz. Zacharias's) blood, and he was not yet appeased. Next he took the young boys from the schools, and slew them upon his blood, and yet it bubbled. Then he brought the young priests and slew them in the same place, and yet it still bubbled. So he slew at length ninety-four thousand persons upon his blood, and it did not as yet cease bubbling. Then he drew near to it, and said, O Zacharias, Zacharias, thou hast occasioned the death of the chief of thy countrymen; shall I slay them all? then the blood ceased, and did bubble no more." 37:1 Luke ii. 26. Next: The First Gospel of the Infancy of Jesus Christ