[The nineteenth century theologian Emil] Schürer interprets Luke 2:1 as describing a single, empire-wide Roman census ordered by Augustus around 6 BCE. There is currently no historical evidence of any such imperial edict.
Current scholarship agrees, however, that Augustus did conduct numerous and varied census activities throughout the empire and its provinces.1 Because of this, scholars on both sides of the discussion suggest Luke was not referring to a general, imperial census as Schürer posits, but to a currently unidentified registration activity2 that affected Judaea in some way.
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Author: Chris Matthiesen
Keywords: Augustus, Caesar, Census, Bethlehem, Roman census, Quirinian census
Bible reference(s): Luke 2:1-5
Source: “A Survey of Schürer’s Challenges to the Lukan Census – 2,” Berea Portal.
Page indexed by: inWORD Bible Software.