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Bill Heroman said...
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4/01/2007 3:31 AM
Bill Heroman said...

1) For a longer review of World History & Israel since the Old Testament, see Bonus Section #1.


2) The Greek version of Luke 2:1 says “a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the oikoumene should be registered.” Now, it’s clear oikoumene doesn’t mean “the whole world” since Caesar can’t make laws over lands he doesn’t rule. In fact, oikoumene has a very specific meaning. It’s usually translated as “the inhabited world”, and here it means “the inhabited world ruled (directly) by Rome”.

So Israel wasn’t part of Caesar’s decree right away, but Luke still mentions it. Here’s why: the decree of 27 BC stayed active while the Provinces kept taking refresher censuses (usually every 10 to 14 years). When Caesar decided to “register” Israel, too, he simply added them onto the original decree. (See the 9 BC Year Book.)


3) The census was not new to Italy, and taxes were not new to the Provinces. Before Augustus, many Governors used to over-tax their Provinces and steal the extra amount.

The decree of 27 BC was one of several things Augustus did to reform the system and protect the people… and to prevent revolt! But the people Caesar needed to protect in 27 BC were only in the Provinces. He just wasn’t focused on individuals in the Independent, Tribute paying Kingdoms… yet.

For the record, other “Client Kingdoms” controlled by Rome that also were not “registered” right away in 27 BC include the Kingdoms of Thrace, Cappadocia, Mauritania, Nabatea, and others, such as the Kingdom of Zenodorus.


4) Judea, Samaria & Idumea are going to begin paying Roman taxes after 6 AD. But Galilee and the rest of Herod’s kingdom will stay “Independent” until 44 AD.


5) The Roman Senate voted in 40 BC to help Herod become King of Israel. Herod actually took control in 37, but chose to count his own years of rule from the vote in 40… and so did the history books.


6) The census was a punishment to Herod because it took away a measure of his direct control over Israel. Mainly, it was also a way for Caesar to “audit” Herod’s recent Tributes – to see if he was sending a fair amount. But in the grand scheme, Herod knew it could prove to be the beginning of further direct control by Rome. (As, in fact, it was.)

Herod knew how the Empire grew. That is - by this time in history – Rome seldom conquered a place outright. (At least, not in the East.) More often, they slowly increased their influence over the rulers, over time and by degrees, until they could simply take over. Israel from 65 BC to 44 AD is a prime example, but far from the only one.

The point is – Herod knew the census was one more step towards direct Roman rule.


7) This is the only possible explanation for Luke 2:1, because 27 BC is the only time Caesar established a registration for the entire “world” under his rule. None of Caesar’s actions or laws passed in later years had the same broad effect as the decree of 27 AD.

So then, most translations of Luke 2:1 are fine – it’s just figuring out what Luke actually meant that was tricky… until now!

The only thing we still need to explain is which event would cause Augustus to add Israel to that original decree. And so we will!

The Story goes on…

4/15/2007 2:23 AM

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