158 EEV. p. p. FLOUPv^'OY^ D.D.^ OX BEARING OF AKCHi:OLOGICAL 



and referred to in the other hooks, just as a reader opening the 

 Xew Testament at the hegiuniug and reading through it ^vould 

 come to them, and see whether there is consistency, or incon- 

 sistency, with other historical records, and archaeological finds. 



(2) ExEOLME>>'T. — The first case to meet us is one which has 

 given rise to much discussion. The time of the hirth of Christ 

 is stated (Luke ii, 1) as being "in those days" when "there 

 went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world 

 should be enrolled." Then the statement is added, " This was 

 the first enrolment made when Quirinus was governor of Syria." 

 lS[o small difficulty has been experienced in reconciling this 

 statement with the historical fact that Quirinus was governor of 

 Syria from 6 to 9 a.d. Abbot Sanclemente and Zumpt made 

 discoveries which led some scholars to think they had made it 

 clear that Quirinus was ticice governor, and that the first enrol- 

 ment took place during his earlier occupancy of this position. 

 But Tertullian had stated that Sentius Saturninus was governor 

 at that time (Ag. Marcion, bk. lY, ch. xix.) 



Now the matter is made plain. Saturninus was the civil 

 governor but Quirinus was commander of the forces in Syria 

 and Cilicia before the birth of Christ ; and Sir AVm. M. Eamsay 

 has proved that it was " the Eoman custom for a general engaged 

 in a frontier wai', as the direct representative of the Emperor, to 

 rank superior to the ordinary governor, who carried on his civil 

 duties as usual."* {Was Christ horn in BctMchcrn I p. 241.) 



The fact is now thoroughly established that Augustus ordered 

 a periodic census, or enrolment, to be taken all over the empire 

 every fourteen years, and here we find an instance of such 

 census — taking in Luke's account of the nativity. History 

 shows us plainly that this was no invention of Luke's to get 

 Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem, but rather a fully-established fact. 



It has been denied that there was any requirement to go to 

 one's " own city " to be enrolled. But, when we remember the 

 tribal organization of the Jewish nation, and the policy of the 

 Lomaii administration to allow races to adhere to their age-long 

 customs as far as possible, the probability of Joseph and Mary's 

 going to Bethlehem to be enrolled is clear. Moreover, it is 



It should he noted here that it is not stated (in the Greek) that 

 Quirinus was "governor" — rjyffMcov. Ihe words are Tj-yefiovevovTos rfjs 

 2vpLas Kvprjplov. The verb means priraarily ''to lead, especially an 

 army, hence to rule, command.'' See Liddell and Scott's Greek Lexicon. 

 Naturally, it came also to mean to command or rule in a city, so that this 

 is a secondary, while the former is more in accordance with the primary, 

 signification of the verb " to lead." 



