Cyrenius taxing?

From a message by a Curious Questioner--
>CQ> Subject: "in the days of Herod"

>>>CQ> Oh, and, btw, when was Jesus born, during the reign of Herod (Matt. 2:1) or during the rule of Qurinius in Syria (Luke 2:1-5)?

>>RC> The statement in Matthew 2 indicates that the Lord Jesus was born in Bethlehem IN THE DAYS OF HEROD the king in Judæa.

>>RC> The statement in Luke 2 mentions Cyrenius in relation to when the "taxing was first made", and that statement was prior to the record of the journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. The text does not state whether he was ruling in Syria when the Lord came into the world.

>CQ> So you admit that according to Luke, Jesus was born after Cyrenius had been made governor in Syria, since the journey to Bethlehem is subsequent to that event.

The journey to Bethlehem was subsequent to Caesar's tax decree.
(Luke's statement about Cyrenius was a parenthetical statement. :)

>CQ> If this is the case than either Matthew or Luke is wrong. Because Herod died years before Cyrenius became governor.

Cyrenius is reported to have governed Syria from 10 B.C. to 6 B.C. The decree of Augustus was around 8 B.C. The tax registration began in the 33rd year of Herod's reign, and everyone went to their own city. However, Herod reportedly was able to persuade Caesar to suspend the collection due to an uprising. (Ref: Wycliffe Bib.Ency. "Taxing", Josephus' "Antiquities".)

Herod died in 4 B.C. and his son Archelaus reigned in his stead. Archelaus was deposed about 6 A.D. Cyrenius and Coponius were sent to Syria and Judæa to rule. Cyrenius himself came into Judæa to supervise the taxing and dispose of Archelaus' estate. The Jews this time mostly went along with the taxing, except for Judas of Galilee and those that followed him in their tax revolt. (Ref: Tacitus' "Annals" and Josephus, "Antiquities", B.17 & 18)

Both Matthew and Luke mention "the days of Herod" (Mt.2:1p; Lk.1:5p) in association with the birth of the Lord Jesus in Bethlehem. Mary (the mother of Jesus) had made an earlier trip into Judæa in Lk.1:39 and stayed with Elisabeth for nearly three months, and then John (Baptist) was born of Elisabeth. Mary yet had about six months to go in her pregnancy, and THOSE are the days where Luke begins chapter two by saying: "And it came to pass in those days..."

Those days is a reference to days after Mary departed from Elisabeth before she and Joseph journeyed to Bethlehem, where Jesus was born (Sep/Oct) by the road side (where Rachel died), and was wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a "manger" (cattle feeding trough. :)

Luke further mentions "the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar" in association with the time when "Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age." That would put his birth the year before the death of Herod prior to the Passover of 4 B.C. Don't be so quick to sit in judgment on the word of God. Remember that Jesus is the Lord and Saviour. Grace be unto you. Amen. --Richard