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Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem so that their baby,(Jesus Christ), could be born. Luke 2 1And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. 2(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.4And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)5To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 6And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
Luke: "Because he was of the house and lineage of David," and Bethlehem was the "city of David" (ii, 4).
Even though at one time the evidence may have been lacking to support the reason given in Luke, namely the census, this is no longer the case and the evidence is on record. In a way similar to many other discoveries 'absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.' So the account of Luke was correct even before there was any evidence that there were regular censuses taken or the evidence regarding Quirinius. Quite simply, the Gospel account is correct. There was a census which is why they journeyed to Bethlehem.
Answer
According to Luke 2:1 "And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed."
There was no such decree issued by Ceasar Augustus.
According to Luke 2:4 ""Because he (Joseph) was of the house and lineage of David," and Bethlehem was the "city of David."
If there was such a census, it will be done at the city were Joseph resides not in Bethlehem.
According to Luke 2:5. "To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child."
If ever there was a decree (there was none) that all lineage of David should go to Bethlehem to be counted, Mary will be excluded because she was not a "lineage of David."
The anonymous author/s of Matthew and Luke were clearly ignorant of Roman customs of that time.
KJV Luke 2:1 states that "And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed"
Answer
The word taxed comes from the greek word "apographo" which literally means to "write off". Some older versions of The Bible use the word tax from the latin word taxare which means to estimate, another definition of the word taxed is "A contribution for the support of a government required of persons, groups, or businesses within the domain of that government", not necessarily money as we think of taxed in todays terms. A better word that comes from the greek "apographo" is enroll which is were the term census comes from. Some times the different versions of the bible sound contradictory but when in doubt go back to the original greek and Hebrew the true meaning never contradicts itself.
Upon Research one will find that the writer, Luke was a Doctor and maybe because of this is more detailed oriented. In the first few verses of Luke one will read that he went out and did specific research to form an orderly account of the life and times of Christ. It is not the case where Matthew is inapt in his writing rather like every person he has his opion and finds certain things like Jesus' mission on earth of more spiritual value than the details of His birth
Answer
According to Luke's Gospel, the young couple travelled to Bethlehem to take part in the census under Qurinius. However, historians have established that Quirinius was not governor of Syria, nor in any senior position in the province at the time Herod ruled Judea. There have been no archaeological finds that would dispute this. Raymond E. Brown (An Introduction to the New Testament) says there never was a census of the whole Empire under Augustus (but a number of local censuses) and the census of Judea under Quirinius, the governor of Syria, took place in 6-7 CE, probably at least ten years too late for the birth of Jesus. He says, "The best explanation is that, although Luke likes to set his Christian drama in the context of well-known events from antiquity, sometimes he does so inaccurately." If indeed Mary and Joseph did travel from Nazareth to Galilee, it could not have been for a census.
Joseph and Mary traveled to Bethlehem , as it was told to go to their respective hometowns for the census.
yesbie
a person
Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem to be counted in a census so they could be taxed.
Mary and Joseph went to Bethlehem for the census because it was a requirement by the government for all residents to return to their ancestral hometowns to be counted.
Mary traveled to Bethlehem by riding on a donkey with Joseph.
Joseph's ancestral home was Bethlehem. However, at the time he took Mary as his wife he was living in Nazareth.
Bethlehem
She traveled there with her husband Joseph, whose family was from Bethlehem.
Mary and Joseph were obliged to go to Bethlehem for the census by the Roman authorities. In a sense you could also say God led them, since it was ordained that Christ would be born in Bethlehem.
Matthew's Gospel indicates that Mary and Joseph were from Bethlehem in Judea. While returning from Egypt, they were warned in a dream to turn aside and go to Nazareth in Galilee, instead. Luke's Gospel says that Mary and Joseph were from Nazareth in Galilee. They travelled to Bethlehem for a census, then returned to Nazareth.
a census