Word info

Massacre of the Innocents

Proper noun

Meaning

(Christianity) The incident in the nativity narrative of the Gospel of Matthew (2:16–18) in which Herod the Great, king of Judea, orders the execution of all male children two years old and under in the vicinity of Bethlehem.

(UK, politics, humorous) The abandonment of potentially useful measures at the end of a session in the House of Commons, since there is no time to pass them.

Source: en.wiktionary.org

Examples

Among further traditions not present in the four canonical gospels are the birth of Jesus in a cave, the martyrdom of John the Baptist 's father Zechariah during the Massacre of the Innocents and Joseph's being elderly when Jesus was born. Source: Internet

As Boris exits, the yuródivïy declares that the Mother of God will not allow him to pray for Tsar Herod (see Massacre of the Innocents ). Source: Internet

Lionel Rose quotes Dr Joseph Rogers in Massacre of the Innocents … (1986). Source: Internet

Such a complex disarray of figures was rare in Florentine art, where it would usually only be found in images showing either the Massacre of the Innocents or the Torments of Hell. Source: Internet

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