How did the parents whose firstborn children were killed under Herod’s decree treat the Holy Family before the massacre?
By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-10
In understanding the social and spiritual climate of Bethlehem during the infancy of our Lord, we must look at the reality of the Jewish people at that time.
The Holy Scriptures and Coptic tradition do not depict a warm or supportive relationship between the neighbors in Bethlehem and the Holy Family. There are several factors that explain why the treatment they received was likely characterized by suspicion, distance, or indifference before the tragedy of the Massacre of the Innocents occurred.
1. The Suspicion of the Neighbors
St. Mary and St. Joseph were essentially outsiders coming from Nazareth. In the eyes of the people of Bethlehem, St. Mary was a young woman who had conceived a child before her formal marriage ceremony was completed. Despite St. Joseph’s righteousness, the social stigma in a small Jewish village would have been severe. The Jews were often quick to judge and slow to show mercy, as seen throughout the Gospels. Therefore, it is highly likely the other parents in Bethlehem looked upon them with judgment and social exclusion rather than neighborly love.
2. The Lack of Hospitality
The most glaring evidence of how the people of Bethlehem treated the Holy Family is the "inn" mentioned in the Gospel of Luke. While many interpret the "inn" as a commercial hotel, in the culture of the time, it often referred to a guest room in a relative’s or neighbor’s house. The fact that "there was no room for them" indicates a collective refusal by the community to accommodate a woman in labor.
Historically, the Jews of that era were often documented as being ungrateful and hardened of heart—a theme frequently addressed by the Holy Fathers like St. Athanasius and St. Cyril of Alexandria. Their failure to provide for the Virgin and the Child was a precursor to the nation’s later rejection of the Messiah.
3. The Arrival of the Magi
The neighbors likely became even more wary when the Magi arrived. The Magi were foreigners (Gentiles) who came with great pomp, asking for the "King of the Jews." This would have caused significant unrest and fear among the local parents. In a city under the thumb of a paranoid tyrant like Herod, any association with a "rival king" was dangerous. Rather than protecting the Holy Family, the neighbors likely distanced themselves to avoid Herod’s wrath.
4. The Spiritual Blindness of the People
The tragedy of the toddlers who were martyred—whom we honor as the Holy Innocents—was a result of Herod’s demonic malice, but it also highlights the spiritual state of the people. While the shepherds and the Magi worshipped the Child, there is no record of the parents of Bethlehem doing so.
The Holy Family lived in a state of humble poverty. Because they did not have worldly status or wealth, they were disregarded by a society that valued legalism and outward appearances. Therefore, before the decree was even issued, the Holy Family was already living as "strangers and sojourners" among their own people, receiving little more than the cold indifference of a community that failed to recognize the Visitation of God in their midst.