Luke 2 records: "And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius [Quirinius] was governor of Syria. And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child." However the Jewish historian Josephus records that it happens 6 AD and that Quirinius was not governor of Syria when Jesus was born. Some scholars argue that there is no historical evidence to support the idea that a census took place during the reign of Herod the Great. The accusations suggest that Luke had a craving for a historical setting to his story, but lacked a true historical knowledge. It is suggested that Luke deliberately or through ignorance transferred the census to a wrong time and invented the statement that Augustus ordered a census of the whole empire to be made, which is deemed a calculated falsehood. According to this theory, Luke manipulated and misrepresented the circumstances and manner of a Roman census to make it appear that Joseph and Mary had to go to Bethlehem to be counted, even though there was no need for Mary to do so. The theory suggests that Luke added that the census was universal for the Roman world, and that the decree ordering a universal census was issued by the Emperor, to explain why and how Jesus, who was known to be from Nazareth, was born in Bethlehem. Some scholars argue that even if Luke was wrong about some details such as Quirinius being governor, it is unreasonable to reject the whole story as fiction, and Luke's main facts could still be correct ([Alfred Plummer](https://paperpile.com/app/p/94baf76b-8125-0481-9cb3-f74fd66ae782 'A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel According to S. Luke')) ## In support of Luke ### Luke knew about the other census, This is why he said "And this taxing was first made when" as he is implying that there was more following this one. There was regular census on a rotating basis ([Ronald Mellor](https://paperpile.com/app/p/dd7e5409-629d-0595-ae71-6d16b498f4ab 'Tacitus Annals'), [Dio Cassius, Cassius Dio Cocceianus](https://paperpile.com/app/p/f004fc01-41ac-0bc2-b954-4ffa86978969 'Dio�s Roman History')). ### This wasn't the only census The Romans frequently conducted censuses in vassal kingdoms across the empire, including Syria, Gaul, Cyrene, Sicily, and Spain ([William F. Albright, Jack Finegan](https://paperpile.com/app/p/d7c038bb-d876-0a45-997d-c41a4e0c465d 'Handbook of biblical chronology: Principles of time reckoning in the ancient world and problems of chronology in the bible'), [Paul L. Maier et al.](https://paperpile.com/app/p/016fbcf0-a960-084b-aa8e-839dfab65484 'The Date of the Nativity and the Chronology of Jesus� Life')). This was not the only censuses that was conducted and Luke is not implying that there was only one decreed for the entire empire. ([Harold W. Hoehner](https://paperpile.com/app/p/788de729-89b4-0769-9c64-a8e944a02d22 'Chronological Aspects of the Life of Christ'), [Sir William Mitchell Ramsay](https://paperpile.com/app/p/13815599-5b74-0fcd-bd36-4de3928c85f4 'Was Christ Born at Bethlehem?: A Study on the Credibility of St. Luke'), [Darrell L. Bock](https://paperpile.com/app/p/5d522143-968c-05ff-8cae-62f09e6d6ae9 'Luke 1:1-9:50 (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament)') ) These were counted regulatory even as far as Eygpt ([John Elder](https://paperpile.com/app/p/11fe94c2-647a-0e71-973f-2090500afd6b 'Prophets, Idols, and Diggers: Scientific Proof of Bible History'), [Ronald Mellor](https://paperpile.com/app/p/dd7e5409-629d-0595-ae71-6d16b498f4ab 'Tacitus Annals'), [Terry G. Wilfong et al.](https://paperpile.com/app/p/68692428-f0cd-0b48-9b8f-b5d9c9fea649 'The demography of Roman Egypt')) and in independent city states ([William F. Albright, Jack Finegan](https://paperpile.com/app/p/d7c038bb-d876-0a45-997d-c41a4e0c465d 'Handbook of biblical chronology: Principles of time reckoning in the ancient world and problems of chronology in the bible')). ### Augustus say himself in that he ordered censuses: > "As consul for the fifth time, by order of the people and the Senate I increased the number of the patricians. Three times I revised the roll of the Senate. In my sixth consulship, with Marcus Agrippa as my colleague, I made a census of the people. I performed the lustrum after an interval of forty-one years, In this lustration 4,063,000 Roman citizens were entered on the census roll, A second time, in the consulship of Gaius Censorinus and Gaius Asinius, I again performed the lustrum alone, with the consular imperium, In this lustrum 4,233,000 Roman citizens were entered on the census roll. A third time, with the consular imperium, and with my son Tiberius Caesar as my colleague, I performed the lustrum in the consulship of Sextus Pompeius and Sextus Apuleius. In this lustrum 4,937,OOO Roman citizens were entered on the census roll."<p style='text-align;right:'>[R. S. Hess et al.](https://paperpile.com/app/p/7a8f3492-6745-0448-97f2-10ff235e5551 'He Swore an Oath, Second Edition: Biblical Themes from Genesis 12-50')</p> ### Rome allowed local regions to operate according to their own customs. However all of Herod's subjects were subject to Augustus and had to swear an oath to him in 6BC ([Sabine R. Huebner](https://paperpile.com/app/p/123f5b01-57b4-09b4-86d9-2de4bf5b8a03 'Papyri and the Social World of the New Testament'), [Brook W. R. Pearson](https://paperpile.com/app/p/cea2f1ab-b8c7-0c85-900c-3efc25c4f37d 'The Lucan Censuses, Revisited'), [Flavius Josephus](https://paperpile.com/app/p/491dedf0-8f6d-067f-a0a4-41f2f099a3d6 'The Antiquities of the Jews'), [Larry Overstreet 2019](https://paperpile.com/app/p/45eea7d4-d3ee-02ed-a9cc-1ba0b463a745 'Roman law and the trial of Christ'), [The Embassy to Gaius. General Indexes](https://paperpile.com/app/p/b37184b3-9eef-0f09-8539-3e32d4861af5 'Philo: On the Embassy to Gaius; General Index')) Notes that there was Roman practices in the land of Judea during Herod's rule, it would be strange to have Roman involvement in the architectural, military, religious, recreational techniques, models, and practices, but would reject their incredibly efficient administrative systems. Additionally, it seems that the practice of census taking was being used in Judea prior to Roman Rule ([Flavius Josephus](https://paperpile.com/app/p/491dedf0-8f6d-067f-a0a4-41f2f099a3d6 'The Antiquities of the Jews')). ### Quirinius actually served as an high official during the first census: > [Critics] challenged the Bible's claim that Quirinius [the Latin spelling of Cyrenius] was governor of Syria at the time. He was governor at the time of the census fourteen years later, in AD 6, but, it turns out that he was also a high official in central Asia Minor in 8 BC, actually being in charge of the Army in Syria. It appears that he was able to repulse a local uprising that probably delayed the implementation of the poll tax in Syria for some time' <p style='text-align;right:'>[Clifford A. Wilson](https://paperpile.com/app/p/bad3ba9f-480d-07c3-ba43-a9f65ce7f2cd 'Rocks, relics and biblical reliability').</p> Also some scholars are of the opinion that Quirinius governed Syria twice, the second occasion being in A.D. 6-7 [Augustus (Emperor of Rome)](https://paperpile.com/app/p/d58140e2-9226-0d25-8ebd-36f692694c00 'Res gestae divi Augusti: ex monumentis Ancyrano et Apolloniensi'), it's also possible that Quirinius governed Syria part of the year, and was succeeded by Sentius. This would make the church father Tertullian correct in saying that Quirinius was the governor as Luke has said ([Hermann Tr�nkle](https://paperpile.com/app/p/79815e01-8b4c-0fbb-aa93-e51f9c35e728 'Tertulliani Adversus Marcionem')), but this needs more evidence as Quirinius would have been leading the armies at this time. The Greek word that Luke uses is *"hegemon of Syria"* in English. *"Hegemon"* means ***"leader"*** or *"ruler"*, and *"Syria"* refers to the country in the Middle East. The full phrase in Greek, **"(????????????? ??? ??????)"**, is in the genitive case, which is used to show possession or association. Therefore, the phrase could be understood as "the leader or ruler of Syria" or "associated with the leadership or rule of Syria"." which would apply to this position of High Official as well as governor ([Jared M. Compton](https://paperpile.com/app/p/91740e8e-9538-0638-bb84-3342e519b5b2 'Once More: Quirinius�s Census')). ### Every one into his own city Josheph would have had to leave to his hometown to be registered, census's were conducted over a period of time and required the head of the family ([Emil Schurer, John MacPherson](https://paperpile.com/app/p/34ff79f4-59dd-0fad-a050-2703e9d30e74 'The history of the Jewish people in the age of Jesus Christ (175 BC-AD 135)')). [Raymond E. Brown](https://paperpile.com/app/p/9cfb7a7e-2777-0e7e-baca-c14a62bc0d2d 'The birth of the messiah') and [Harold W. Hoehner](https://paperpile.com/app/p/788de729-89b4-0769-9c64-a8e944a02d22 'Chronological Aspects of the Life of Christ') argue that it is not unlikely that Mary was also required to register for the census, particularly if it was a poll tax rather than a property tax. In the case of a poll tax, both men and women were liable to pay, which is consistent with what is known about taxation practices of the time. If Luke's intention was merely to indicate that Mary accompanied Joseph, rather than to suggest that she was also required to pay taxes, then this detail would be even less problematic. Additionally, Joseph�s journey to Bethlehem coincides with the time period of Herod the Great�s reign. For if this census occurred in AD 6, Joseph never would have left Herod Antipas� territory (Nazareth) to Archelaus� territory (Bethlehem). A journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem for registration purposes only makes sense during an era when both towns were part of one jurisdiction. After Herod died, these territories were split up. According to Jared M Compton, Joseph would have had to leave to go to Bethlehem: > Early in the twentieth century, a papyrus was discovered which contained an edict by G. Vibius Maximus, the Roman governor of Egypt, stating: > > > Since the enrollment by households is approaching, it is necessary to command all who for any reason are out of their own district to return to their own home, in order to perform the usual business of the taxation�<p style="text-align;right:">([Camden Mccormack Cobern](https://paperpile.com/app/p/144908a7-7422-0116-944e-16a1514947cb 'The New Archeological Discoveries and Their Bearing Upon the New Testament and Upon the Life and Times of the Primitive Church'))</p> > > The same papyrus also confirms Luke's assertion that a man had to bring his family with him when he traveled to his place of ancestry in order to be properly counted by the Roman authorities (Lk. 2:5). The document reads: > > > I register Pakebkis, the son born to me and my wife, Taas�ies and Taopis in the 10th year of Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus Imperator [Emperor], and request that the name of my aforesaid son Pakeb[k]is be entered on the list' <p style='text-align;right:'>([Robert T. Boyd](https://paperpile.com/app/p/9901757f-65f9-0fca-9d82-afbe89703be0 'Worlds Bible Handbook')).</p> > > > This sheds light on why Joseph had to bring his highly pregnant wife along with him when he went to Bethle�hem. Such discoveries caused the late George A. Barton, Ph.D., Professor of Biblical Literature and Semitic Languages at Bryn Mawr and former Director of the American School of Oriental Research in Jerusalem, to comment: > > > Luke's statement, that Joseph went up from Nazareth to Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to enroll himself with Mary (Luke 2:4, 5), turns out to be in exact accord with the governmental regulations as we now know them from the papyri. <p style='text-align;right:'>([George Aaron Barton](https://paperpile.com/app/p/f3c24a9a-da7c-0703-aa9a-66b7d850b918 'Archeology and the Bible')).</p> > > An additional point is the fact that the word 'enrollment' in the edict of G. Vibius Maximus is apographe in Greek (the universal language of the eastern half of the Roman Empire). This is exactly the word used in Lk. 2:2, translated 'taxing,' not in the sense of taxation but in the sense of enrolling or registering for taxation (Unger 1962: 64, n. 17). <p style='text-align;right:'>[Jared M. Compton](https://paperpile.com/app/p/0d3a95de-efa4-0c00-b60d-e39201e096ce 'A Brief Comment on the Census in Luke 2 - Associates for Biblical Research')</p> ### Josephus is not 100% reliable Josephus, while a great source for extra-biblical studies has been shown to sometimes get events and dates wrong ([Daniel R. Schwartz](https://paperpile.com/app/p/f50063da-9dab-0413-9e8d-ee8bf683e2a0 'Studies in the Jewish Background of Christianity')). Josephus�s use of his sources (even for relatively recent events) was on occasion erratic and not consistent with dating, it is plausible that he was the one that got the date wrong, not Luke[John H. Rhoads](https://paperpile.com/app/p/95dee227-7daa-059f-b263-9e8918e42c3a 'Josephus misdated the census of Quirinius') Michael Jones makes a list in of some of these in his video ['Did Luke Misdate the Census of Quirinius?](https://paperpile.com/app/p/558304cf-6111-0abc-8bdb-777d4510957a 'Did Luke Misdate the Census of Quirinius?') - He misplaced some dates in regards to the chronology of event after Herod's Death - Josephus misdates the construction of the Samaritan temple ([Reinhard Pummer](https://paperpile.com/app/p/87685ea4-b33c-0af2-af06-ce441b0ba20f 'The Samaritans in Flavius Josephus')). - He places the Tobiad saga in the 1st century BCE Most scholars sav this took place in the 3rd century BCE ([Menahem Mor et al.](https://paperpile.com/app/p/b77c2f51-6ae6-0a0e-b99e-243c3bbba8a4 'Flavius Josephus: Interpretation and History')). - Josephus says Herod the Great was 15 when he was given the territory of Galilee, but he was most likely off by ten years ([Emil Schurer, John MacPherson](https://paperpile.com/app/p/34ff79f4-59dd-0fad-a050-2703e9d30e74 'The history of the Jewish people in the age of Jesus Christ (175 BC-AD 135)')) . [John H. Rhoads](https://paperpile.com/app/p/95dee227-7daa-059f-b263-9e8918e42c3a 'Josephus misdated the census of Quirinius') has the following to say near the end of his article about the accuracy of Josephus vs Luke: > Admittedly, some readers may still 2nd the standard reading more plausible. These readers may acknowledge that Josephus was susceptible to mistaking numbers or changing dates but insist that he did not err with the date > of the census....To these readers, this study has sought to respond, �Really?� ...It has argued that this reconstruction of the underlying history is more plausible than the standard reading. A source-critical solution that accounts for anomalies rather than ignoring them in favor of a fideistic reading of a fallible source is correct: Josephus misdated the census of Quirinius The debate over the accuracy of Luke's account of the census in the Bible revolves around several historical details, including the timing of the census, who ordered it, and whether Joseph and Mary would have had to travel to Bethlehem to be counted. Luke 2:1-5 describes a census that occurred at the time of Jesus' birth, stating that "all the world should be taxed." Some scholars have challenged the historical accuracy of this account, pointing out that there is no record of a census of the entire Roman Empire during this period. However, other scholars have argued that Luke's account is historically plausible. They point out that the Roman Empire did conduct censuses regularly, and that there is evidence of censuses being taken in vassal kingdoms, including Syria, where the events of Luke 2 take place. In addition, some scholars have suggested that the census described in Luke 2 may have been a local census, rather than a census of the entire Roman Empire. They argue that the Greek word used in Luke's account, "apographo," can refer to a local registration, rather than a census of the entire population. Also the the Roman Empire may have required people to return to their ancestral homes to be counted, which would explain why Joseph and Mary traveled to Bethlehem.