Part 3/9:
At the time of Jesus' birth, Israel was under the oppressive rule of the Roman Empire, with Herod the Great acting as the king. The Jewish people lived in desperation, longing for a savior prophesied by their ancestors. When the Magi’s question reached Herod, it set off alarm bells; the current king was deeply threatened by the idea of a rival claiming his throne. In a brutal decree, Herod ordered the execution of all male infants in Bethlehem, an act of desperation to eliminate any potential challengers.