The Massacre of the Innocents was an episode of infanticide by Herod the Great, the king of Iudaea Province. According to the Gospel of Matthew Herod ordered the execution of all young male children in the village of Bethlehem, so as to avoid the loss of his throne to a newborn King of the Jews whose birth had been announced to him by the Magi. The incident, like others in Matthew, is described as the fulfillment of a passage in the Old Testament read as prophecy, in this case a reading of Jeremiah: "Then was fulfilled that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet, saying, A voice was heard in Ramah, Weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children."

The infants, known as the Holy Innocents, have been claimed as the first Christian martyrs. The number of infants killed is not stated, with modern scholars disputing earlier accounts. The historicity of the episode is disputed: it is "an open question that probably can never be definitively decided", however according to Paul Maier "most recent biographers of Herod ... deny it entirely".

Michael Shrieve (born July 6, 1949, in San Francisco) is an American drummer, percussionist, and later, an electronic music composer. He is best known as the drummer in Carlos Santana's eponymous band, playing on their first eight albums from 1969 through 1974. His performance at the 1969 Woodstock festival, when he was just 20 years old, made him one of the youngest musicians to perform at the festival. Shrieve's drum solo during an extended version of "Soul Sacrifice" in the Woodstock film has been described as "electrifying".

Shrieve's first full-time band was called Glass Menagerie, followed by experience in the house band of an R&B club, backing touring musicians including B.B. King and Etta James. At 16, he played in a jam session at the Fillmore Auditorium, where he attracted the attention of Santana's manager, Stan Marcum. When he was 19, Shrieve jammed with Santana at a recording studio and was invited to join that day. The 2004 two-disc Legacy release of Santana features additional tracks recorded before Shrieve joined the band.