Are all the details in the infancy narratives historically true?

Answer 1

Well, they can't be, can they?

In Matthew's Gospel, the home town of Joseph and Mary was Bethlehem. After the birth of Jesus they fled from Bethlehem to Egypt with Jesus, for fear of King Herod, who ordered the slaughter of all the boys under two years old. After the death of Herod, they began to return home but, being warned in a dream, turned aside and travelled Galilee where they settled in a town called Nazareth "that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene (Matthew 2:23)". At least in respect to the visit of the magi, John Shelby Spong (Born of a Woman: A Bishop Rethinks the Birth of Jesus) says that Matthew was clearly writing Christian midrash.
Compare Luke's Gospel, where the home town of Joseph and Mary was Nazareth. Augustus Caesar reportedly ordered a census of the whole empire so that everyone could be taxed - although historians know of no empire-wide census during the time of Augustus. This required Joseph and Mary to travel to Bethlehem, where Jesus was born in a stable. Shortly after the birth of Jesus, he was taken to the Jerusalem Temple, where Jesus seems to have attracted a great deal of attention, and the family then returned peacefully to Nazareth, without attracting any interest from Herod. Moreover, Luke says that Jesus was born during the reign of King Herod, who died in 4 BCE, but also during the time Qurinius was governor of Syria, a position he held after 6 CE. Raymond E. Brown (An Introduction to the New Testament) says that 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.

Answer 2

Before looking at what New Testament scholars say about the infancy narratives in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, have a look at the two account, in parallel if possible. Notice how different the two accounts are:
Difference .................................. Matthew ........................... Luke

Joseph's father ............................ Jacob (1:16) ........................ Heli (3:23)

Angel spoke to: ........................... Joseph only - in a dream .. Mary only - by visitation

Home town before birth ............Bethlehem ......................... Nazareth

Reason for being in Bethlehem Home town ........................ Census under Quirinius

Location in Bethlehem .............. House (2:11) ...................... Stable/manger (2:7,16)

From Bethlehem, went to: ........ Egypt .................................. Jerusalem, then Nazareth (2:22, 39)

Visited by: .................................. Magi, bearing valuable ...... Poor shepherds, who had been told
..................................................... .gifts fit for a king ............... by angels

Jesus spent his early years: ...... In Egypt, until word ........... In Nazareth, travelling with Joseph and

...................................................... that Herod was dead ........ Mary each year for the Passover

Arrived in Nazareth: ................. Years later, because it ....... Weeks after birth (2:39)

..................................................... was still not safe in

..................................................... Bethlehem, and to fulfil a prophecy that Jesus ..................................................... would be called a Nazarene (2:23)

When we look at Luke's account, we find that Jesus was, rather predictably for someone in his prime around 30 CE, born during the reign of King Herod the Great, who died in April 4 BCE, but also at the time of the census of Quirinius in 6 CE, at least ten years later. Raymond E. Brown (An Introduction to the New Testament) explains that Luke likes to set his Christian drama in the context of well known events from antiquity, although sometimes he does so inaccurately.

When we look at Matthew's account, we find that the author was drawing a close parallel between Moses and Jesus. Hence the need for Joseph's father to be named Jacob, just as in the Old Testament.

Burton L. Mack (Who Wrote the New Testament) says that scholars have frequently remarked on these stories of Jesus' birth and infancy, which are seen as incredible, implausible, far-fetched fictions. Raymond E. Brown (An Introduction to the New Testament) says the two accounts are "massively different" and virtually irreconcilable. And in the view of John Shelby Spong (Born of a Woman: A Bishop Rethinks the Birth of Jesus), neither of the nativity stories contains any historical truth. Uta Ranke-Heinemann (Putting Away Childish Things) says that the nativity accounts are, with respect to time, place, and circumstances, a collection of legends. She even says that both Zacharius and Elizabeth were literary creations by the author of Luke's Gospel.

Answer 3

The infancy narratives in The Bible, such as those in the gospels of Matthew and Luke, combine theological truths with historical elements. Different scholars interpret them differently, with some emphasizing their historical accuracy and others focusing on their theological significance. It is ultimately up to individual beliefs and interpretations to determine the level of historical truth in these narratives.