Endnote 6 – Bethlehem…Of Course

Nevertheless, I disagree with Mason’s reading of both accounts. In both instances Mason’s approach is decidedly unsophisticated. He is oblivious to the distinction between source and redaction in Matthew 2:1–12 and fails to appreciate the real import of Matthew 2:16–18, which is revealed by the “fulfillment” quotation of Jeremiah 31:15. This citation focuses on Ramah, which for Jeremiah (40:1) was the place where the Jews to be deported to Babylon were assembled. The slaughter of the babies has much more to do with the flight into Egypt than with Bethlehem itself.