Census of Quirinius: Difference between revisions
Doug Weller (talk | contribs) watching this slow edit war I've decided to step in - it seems pretty obvious to me that this should be the main article for this specific subject & that the nativity of Jesus can have a section on it summarising it - that article is long enough already |
Ok, that makes sense. But in that case, let's use a fuller treatment of the subject adapted from Nativity of Jesus. |
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{{quote|In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called [[Bethlehem]], because he was descended from the house and family of [[David]]. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child.({{bibleref2|Luke|2:1–7|nrsv}})}} |
{{quote|In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called [[Bethlehem]], because he was descended from the house and family of [[David]]. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child.({{bibleref2|Luke|2:1–7|nrsv}})}} |
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This appears to give a precise date, but both Luke and Matthew associate Jesus' birth with the time of King Herod.<ref name="Rahner731"/> Most scholars generally assume a date of birth between 6 and 4 BC.<ref name=JDG324 >{{Cite journal | first = James DG | last = Dunn | title = Jesus Remembered | publisher = Eerdmans Publishing | year = 2003 | page = 324}}</ref> However, the Jewish-Roman chronicler [[Josephus]] describes a census under Quirinius in around 6 AD, ten years after Herod's death.<ref name=Rahner731 /> According to [[Raymond E. Brown]], "most critical scholars acknowledge a confusion and misdating on Luke's part."<ref>[[Raymond E. Brown]], ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=Co8Mh-GliPIC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false An Adult Christ at Christmas: Essays on the Three Biblical Christmas Stories]'', (Liturgical Press, 1988), p. 17.<br>For example, Dunn, James Douglas Grant (2003), ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=G4qpnvoautgC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false Jesus Remembered]'', Eerdmans. p. 344. ISBN 0-8028-3931-2 Similarly, Erich S. Gruen, 'The expansion of the empire under Augustus', in ''The Cambridge ancient history'' Volume 10, p. 157.<br>[[Geza Vermes]], ''The Nativity'', Penguin 2006, p. 96.<br>[[W. D. Davies]] and [[E. P. Sanders]], 'Jesus from the Jewish point of view', in ''The Cambridge History of Judaism'' ed William Horbury, vol 3: the Early Roman Period, 1984<br>Anthony Harvey, ''A Companion to the New Testament'' (Cambridge University Press 2004), p. 221.<br>[[John P. Meier|Meier, John P.]], [[John P. Meier#A Marginal Jew: Rethinking the Historical Jesus|''A Marginal Jew: Rethinking the Historical Jesus'']]. Doubleday, 1991, v. 1, p. 213.<br>[[Raymond E. Brown|Brown, Raymond E.]] ''The Birth of the Messiah: A Commentary on the Infancy Narratives in Matthew and Luke''. London: G. Chapman, 1977, p. 554.<br>[[A. N. Sherwin-White]], pp. 166, 167.<br>[[Fergus Millar]] {{cite conference | first = Fergus | last = Millar | authorlink = Fergus Millar | title = Reflections on the trials of Jesus | booktitle = A Tribute to Geza Vermes: Essays on Jewish and Christian Literature and History (JSOT Suppl. 100) [eds. P.R. Davies and R.T. White] |pages=355–81 |publisher=JSOT Press |year=1990 |location=Sheffield}} repr. in {{citation |last=Millar |first=Fergus |authorlink=Fergus Millar |title=The Greek World, the Jews, and the East |journal= Rome, the Greek World and the East |volume=3 |pages=139–163 |publisher=University of North Carolina Press |year=2006}}</ref> However, some historians and many conservative Christian biblical scholars and commentators believe the two accounts can be harmonised,<ref>{{Cite book | last=Archer | first=Gleason Leonard | authorlink=Gleason Leonard Archer | title=Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties |date=April 1982 | publisher=Zondervan Pub. House | location=Grand Rapids, Mich. | isbn=0-310-43570-6 | page=366}}</ref><ref>Frederick Fyvie Bruce, ''The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable?'' (1943; republished Eerdman, 2003), pp. 87–88.</ref> arguing that the text in Luke can be read as "registration before Quirinius was governor of Syria", which supports Matthew's insistence that Jesus was born prior to Herod's death in 4 BC, or alternately arguing that Roman documents indicate that there were two censuses under Quirinius, including one during an earlier tenure as governor of Syria during the reign of Herod. [[Tertullian]] believed some two centuries after Josephus that a number of censuses were performed throughout the Roman world under Saturninus at the same time.<ref name=CoxEasley289 /><ref name=Vardaman >Nikos Kokkinos, 1998, in ''Chronos, kairos, Christos 2'' by Ray Summers, Jerry Vardaman ISBN 0-86554-582-0 pp. 121–126</ref><ref>C.F. Evans, ''Tertullian's reference to Sentius Saturninus and the Lukan Census'' in the ''Journal of Theological Studies (1973) XXIV(1): 24–39</ref><ref>''The Life of Jesus of Nazareth'' by Rush Rhees 2007 ISBN 1-4068-3848-9 Section 54</ref> |
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This appears to give a precise date, but elsewhere Luke has placed the nativity "in the days of [[Herod the Great|Herod]]" (Luke 1:5 - "In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah..."); as Herod died in 4 BCE and the census was in 6 CE, this means that the gospel is not consistent with the historical evidence.{{sfn|Novak|2001|p=292}} The scenario of Luke 2:1-7 is unrealistic in other ways as well: almost all scholars agree that people would not be required to travel in order to register for tax purposes (it would be the taxation officials who would travel, as they had to link property to its owners), and Joseph, as a resident of [[Galilee]] rather than Judaea, would not have been affected by the census in any case.{{sfn|Sanders|1995|p=no pagination}} |
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Various proposals have been made to resolve the problem - the Gospel text has been mistranslated, the census has been misdated, there were two censuses – but these are rejected by most scholars for reasons set out by [[Raymond E. Brown]] in ''The Birth of the Messiah'' (1977, pp.546-555) and in the ''Anchor Bible Dictionary'', "Chronology".{{sfn|Novak|2001|p=294}} The evangelists were ignorant on many points about the early life of Jesus, as can be seen in the contradictory accounts of Luke and [[Gospel of Matthew|Matthew]] (Matthew says that Mary and Joseph lived in Bethlehem, fled to Egypt, returned to their home in Bethlehem, and finally fled again to Galilee; according to Luke they lived in Galilee, went to Bethlehem only because of the census, and returned immediately to [[Nazareth]]).{{sfn|Davies|Sanders|1984|p=622}} They both place Jesus' birth in Bethlehem because, according to a prophecy in [[Book of Micah|Micah]] 5:2, the [[messiah]] was to come from that town (Matthew quotes Micah, and Luke refers to the birth of the messiah in the "city of David"): "theological needs here create biographical 'facts'."{{sfn|Davies|Sanders|1984|p=622}} |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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Revision as of 17:07, 24 December 2015
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The Census of Quirinius was a census of the Roman provinces of Syria and Judaea taken by Publius Sulpicius Quirinius after the imposition of direct Roman rule. It is one of two historical markers by which the author of the Gospel of Luke dates the birth of Jesus.[1]
As the census took place in 6 CE, and Luke's second marker is the reign of King Herod who died in 4 BCE, the gospel is inconsistent with the historical evidence.[2] Most modern scholars explain this as an error,[3] but the authors of the Gospels were ignorant on many points about the early life of Jesus, and both the Gospel of Luke and Gospel of Matthew put Jesus' birth in Bethlehem in order to match a prophecy in the Book of Micah that the messiah was to come from that place.[4]
Background
The Roman general Pompey sacked Jerusalem in 63 BCE. In the closing years of the 1st century BCE the Romans placed Judaea under the control of Herod the Great, a client king who could be relied on to serve their interests. When Herod died in 4 BCE the kingdom was split among his three sons, but Archelaus, the son who received the Tetrarchy of Judea, proved a brutal and unpopular ruler. In 6 CE he was removed and Judea was declared a province of the Empire, and Publius Sulpicius Quirinius (51 BCE-21 CE), the governor of Roman Syria, was sent to carry out a census for tax purposes.[5] Quirinius is known from a number of sources, including Josephus, Tacitus, Dio Cassius, Suetonius and Florus. As a soldier he distinguished himself in Roman North Africa and in 12 BCE was made Consul, the highest honour available. In 3 CE he married into the Imperial family, and from 6-9 CE he was Imperial Legate for the province of Syria-Cilicia.[6]
The Gospel of Luke
The Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles make up a two-volume work which scholars call Luke–Acts.[7] The traditional attribution to Luke the Evangelist, the companion of Paul, is now rarely put forward.[8] The actual author is not named,[9] but it can be deduced that he was an educated man of means, probably from an urban background.[10] Most experts date the composition of Luke-Acts to around 80-90 CE, although some suggest 90-110,[11] and there is evidence that it was still being substantially revised well into the 2nd century.[12] In chapter 2 the author describes the circumstances surrounding the birth of Jesus:
In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child.(Luke 2:1–7)
This appears to give a precise date, but both Luke and Matthew associate Jesus' birth with the time of King Herod.[13] Most scholars generally assume a date of birth between 6 and 4 BC.[14] However, the Jewish-Roman chronicler Josephus describes a census under Quirinius in around 6 AD, ten years after Herod's death.[13] According to Raymond E. Brown, "most critical scholars acknowledge a confusion and misdating on Luke's part."[15] However, some historians and many conservative Christian biblical scholars and commentators believe the two accounts can be harmonised,[16][17] arguing that the text in Luke can be read as "registration before Quirinius was governor of Syria", which supports Matthew's insistence that Jesus was born prior to Herod's death in 4 BC, or alternately arguing that Roman documents indicate that there were two censuses under Quirinius, including one during an earlier tenure as governor of Syria during the reign of Herod. Tertullian believed some two centuries after Josephus that a number of censuses were performed throughout the Roman world under Saturninus at the same time.[18][19][20][21]
See also
References
Citations
- ^ Vermes 2010, p. no pagination.
- ^ Novak 2001, p. 291-292.
- ^ Novak 2001, p. 293.
- ^ Davies & Sanders 1984, p. 622.
- ^ Freeman 2009, p. 4.
- ^ Blomberg 1995, p. 12.
- ^ Burkett 2002, p. 195.
- ^ Theissen, Merz & 1996 [tr. 1998], p. 32.
- ^ Burkett 2002, p. 196.
- ^ Green 1997, p. 35.
- ^ Charlesworth 2008, p. unpaginated.
- ^ Perkins 2009, p. 250-253.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
Rahner731was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Dunn, James DG (2003). "Jesus Remembered". Eerdmans Publishing: 324.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ Raymond E. Brown, An Adult Christ at Christmas: Essays on the Three Biblical Christmas Stories, (Liturgical Press, 1988), p. 17.
For example, Dunn, James Douglas Grant (2003), Jesus Remembered, Eerdmans. p. 344. ISBN 0-8028-3931-2 Similarly, Erich S. Gruen, 'The expansion of the empire under Augustus', in The Cambridge ancient history Volume 10, p. 157.
Geza Vermes, The Nativity, Penguin 2006, p. 96.
W. D. Davies and E. P. Sanders, 'Jesus from the Jewish point of view', in The Cambridge History of Judaism ed William Horbury, vol 3: the Early Roman Period, 1984
Anthony Harvey, A Companion to the New Testament (Cambridge University Press 2004), p. 221.
Meier, John P., A Marginal Jew: Rethinking the Historical Jesus. Doubleday, 1991, v. 1, p. 213.
Brown, Raymond E. The Birth of the Messiah: A Commentary on the Infancy Narratives in Matthew and Luke. London: G. Chapman, 1977, p. 554.
A. N. Sherwin-White, pp. 166, 167.
Fergus Millar Millar, Fergus (1990). "Reflections on the trials of Jesus". A Tribute to Geza Vermes: Essays on Jewish and Christian Literature and History (JSOT Suppl. 100) [eds. P.R. Davies and R.T. White]. Sheffield: JSOT Press. pp. 355–81.{{cite conference}}: Unknown parameter|booktitle=ignored (|book-title=suggested) (help) repr. in Millar, Fergus (2006), "The Greek World, the Jews, and the East", Rome, the Greek World and the East, 3, University of North Carolina Press: 139–163 - ^ Archer, Gleason Leonard (April 1982). Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan Pub. House. p. 366. ISBN 0-310-43570-6.
- ^ Frederick Fyvie Bruce, The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? (1943; republished Eerdman, 2003), pp. 87–88.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
CoxEasley289was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Nikos Kokkinos, 1998, in Chronos, kairos, Christos 2 by Ray Summers, Jerry Vardaman ISBN 0-86554-582-0 pp. 121–126
- ^ C.F. Evans, Tertullian's reference to Sentius Saturninus and the Lukan Census in the Journal of Theological Studies (1973) XXIV(1): 24–39
- ^ The Life of Jesus of Nazareth by Rush Rhees 2007 ISBN 1-4068-3848-9 Section 54
Bibliography
- Blomberg, C.E. (1995). "Quirinius". In Bromiley, Geoffrey W. (ed.). The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Vol. 4. Eerdmans.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Burkett, Delbert (2002). An introduction to the New Testament and the origins of Christianity. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-00720-7.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Charlesworth, James H. (2008). The Historical Jesus: An Essential Guide. Abingdon Press.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Davies, W. D.; Sanders, E.P. (1984). "Jesus: From the Jewish Point of View". In Finkelstein, Louis; Davies, W. D.; Horbury, William (eds.). The Cambridge History of Judaism. Vol. 3: The Early Roman Period. Cambridge University Press.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Freeman, Charles (2009). A New History of Early Christianity. Yale University Press.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Green, Joel (1997). The Gospel of Luke. Eerdmans.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Novak, Ralph Martin (2001). Christianity and the Roman Empire: background texts. Continuum International.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Perkins, Pheme (2009). Introduction to the Synoptic Gospels. Eerdmans.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Sanders, E.P. (1995). The Historical Figure of Jesus. Penguin UK.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Theissen, Gerd; Merz, Annette (1998). The historical Jesus: a comprehensive guide. Eerdmans.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Vermes, Geza (2010). Jesus: Nativity - Passion - Resurrection. Penguin UK.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help)