200 LIEUT.-COLONEL G. MACKINLAY_, THE DATE 



fourteen years. The first one took place in Syria in 8 B.C. 

 Mr. Kenyon and Mr. Bell* have recently found an old order 

 from the Prefect in Egypt dated a.d. 104, commandiug all 

 persons living at a distance to return to their homes for the then 

 approaching census. The analogy with Luke ii, 1-3, is obvious. 



The Time of Year. 



Not only is it possible to fix the year of the Nativity but 

 the month ; even the day of the month can be determined 

 with a high degree of probability. 



A definite time in the year had evidently been fixed for the 

 enrolment by the authorities, as the condition of the Virgin Mary 

 proves that the choice of the day was not left to individuals. 



(e) The Nativity was in warm iccather, not in the luintcr. 



Lewinf well wrote : " The ISTativity could not have been, as 

 commonly supposed, in the winter for several reasons : (1) The 

 shepherds and their flocks would not be in the open air during 

 a winter's night. According to the Talmud cattle in Judsea 

 were usually turned out at the Passover and brought back in 

 October| ; (2) Mary, in an advanced state of pregnancy, would 

 not have travelled with Joseph so far as from Nazareth to 

 Bethlehem in the winter ; (3) it is highly improbable that a 

 census, which obliged persons to take distant journeys, should 

 have been fixed for a winter month ; a more natural time 

 would be after harvest." We must remember that snow often 

 lies heavily on the uplands of Judaea in the winter. In 1886 

 the son of Dr. Jessup of Beyrut was snowed up at Bethel as 

 late in the year as the 10th April. 



(/) The first Enrolment, which fixes the date of the Nativity, 

 was hetween August and Octoher for the sake of convenience. 



Sir W. M. Eamsay points out that the authorities woula 

 select some time of year after the harvest and vintage had 

 been gathered in, and before the time of ploughing, so that the 

 people might be at leisure to come to the enrolment. 



Luhe the Physician, 1908, p. 244, Sir W. M. Eamsay, who quotes 

 B. Museum, Papyri III, p. 24, and The Expository Times, Oct., 1907, p. 41. 

 Prof. J. H. Moulton. 



+ Fasti Sacri, 1865, p. 115. 



I Sheep will not feed during the heat of the day in summer, and sO' 

 they must be left to graze in the open fields at night. In winter they 

 will feed by day and they are folded at night in Palestine for protection. 



