Book contents
- Papyri and the Social World of the New Testament
- Papyri and the Social World of the New Testament
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Illustrations
- Acknowledgments
- Maps
- Chapter I Egypt and the Social World of the New Testament
- Chapter II The Social Milieu of Early Christians in Egypt
- Chapter III “In those days a decree went out …”
- Chapter IV “But these words seemed to them an idle tale”
- Chapter V “The Carpenter’s Son”
- Chapter VI “In those days Mary set out …”
- Chapter VII “In that region there were shepherds living in the fields …”
- Chapter VIII Afterword
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index Locorum
- General Index
Chapter III - “In those days a decree went out …”
The Herodian Kingdom and the Augustan Provincial Census System
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 08 July 2019
- Papyri and the Social World of the New Testament
- Papyri and the Social World of the New Testament
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Illustrations
- Acknowledgments
- Maps
- Chapter I Egypt and the Social World of the New Testament
- Chapter II The Social Milieu of Early Christians in Egypt
- Chapter III “In those days a decree went out …”
- Chapter IV “But these words seemed to them an idle tale”
- Chapter V “The Carpenter’s Son”
- Chapter VI “In those days Mary set out …”
- Chapter VII “In that region there were shepherds living in the fields …”
- Chapter VIII Afterword
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index Locorum
- General Index
Summary
Chapter III focuses on the Augustan census mentioned in Luke’s Gospel, which forced Mary and Joseph to travel the 200 kilometers from their home in Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem in Judaea. After years of civil war and internal strife, Augustus, as self-proclaimed restorer of the Republic, reestablished the Republican instrument of the census, both as an aid to military recruitment and as a basis for taxation. The census also impressed upon its subject peoples the level of organization and efficiency of Roman dominion. Several questions arise regarding the Roman census mentioned in the Gospel of Luke. What population did this census set out to record? How did it proceed? When was it held? Dating the birth of the historical Jesus depends on the dating of this census. Information gathered from the papyri about the function of the Roman provincial census provide clues to this puzzle.
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- Papyri and the Social World of the New Testament , pp. 31 - 50Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2019