The Census

[Guest]

Did others from Nazareth besides Joseph and Mary travel to Bethlehem to register?

livingink

[Guest]

Did others from Nazareth besides Joseph and Mary travel to Bethlehem to register?

livingink

It is likely. That may be why "there was no room for them in the inn."

Luke 2:1-7 (NASB)
Luk 2:1 Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth.
Luk 2:2 This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria.
Luk 2:3 And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city.
Luk 2:4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David,
Luk 2:5 in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child.
Luk 2:6 While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth.
Luk 2:7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Blessings,
Lazarus43

[Guest]

But did it happen on December 25?

[Guest]

There is actually a program now where you can see the night sky from anywhere in the world at any point in time. If you go back to the time that Jesus was born, you can find where three stars meet up and it looks like this huge star in the sky right above Bethlehem. And the three stars meet up on (if I remember correctly) December 25th. So.... maybe.

http://www.bethlehemstar.net

[Guest]

i just read somewhere that scholars think the birth likely occurred around the time of Rosh Hashanah. i guess it doesnt matter to me- if we cant know exactly then we have to pick a date (if we are going to celebrate the birth of Christ). december 25 is as good as any time is suspect.

TK

[Guest]

But did it happen on December 25?

I doubt it.

Blessings,
Lazarus43

[Guest]

Thanks Laz. Whether it happened Dec. 25 is irrelevant to my question. I'm more interested in whether they traveled with other Natzoreans and whether the various families traveling considered themselves to be shoots from the root of Jesse, i.e. sons and daughters of David, who resettled the area around Nazareth following the Exile. I have a reference book that supports the idea that Jesus' extended family considered themselves the netzer, shoot from the root, and the scripture stating that Jesus would be a Nazarene essentially means the Messiah would come from that family. But, that goes beyond my original question while sticking to the subject. Luke 2:3 does seem supportive of Laz's conclusion.

livingink