(November 27, 2009 at 2:49 pm)Minimalist Wrote:Quote:Luke (2:2) however, says that Jesus was born at the time of the census when Quirinius was Governor of Syria - and the historical record shows that this occurred in 6AD.
Very true, but there was no world-wide census for the purpose of taxation even then. In fact, direct taxes on Roman citizens in Italy had been discontinued in the middle of the second century BC, so "Luke" is clearly made up bullshit.
In Josephus' Antiquities, he refers to the exile of Archelaus which is usually dated to 6AD, and he goes on to say that the territory subject to Archelaus was added to Syria, and Quirinius was charged with taking a census of the property in Syria and selling the estate of Archelaus.
You're right about Luke's story being bullshit (no census was ever conducted in the way he describes) but if we take the bare bones of his story (Quirinius/Syria/Census) we get a Nativity in 6AD - which directly contradicts the guesses made by other New Testament authors.
