How did the census of the Roman empire set the stage for the Nativity of Christ?
The border between the two Testaments became the day that changed the whole life of Mary. However, the real line between the Old and the New would lie along the river of Jordan. Christ says: “Before John there is the Law of Moses and the Prophets”. He himself kept silent until the moment the voice of His Forerunner had sounded.
The rabbis were
right saying that the messiah would not be recognized for a long time. Jesus
Christ remained out of sight for 30 years. However, not everything was the same in that process of
preparation. The knowledge we got from the first Christians tells almost
nothing about the first years of the Messiah’s life in Nazareth. At the same
time, the story of his birth abounds with dramatic events. This contrast can
hardly be accidental.
The Kingdom of
God grew on earth “imperceptibly”, but the very first moment of the appearance
of God could not happen unnoticed at all. When the Heavenly Stone, which had
been foreseen by Prophet Daniel, touched the top of our history, he caused
rings on its surface. Someone must have responded, felt the mysterious sense of
the event, happening in predawn darkness.
The Nativity
story by Apostle Luke begins with an epic phrase: “It came to pass in those
days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world
should be taxed.” By the “entire world” the Romans referred to their empire, which
they were proud to call the “Ecumene” – the Universe. The three censes held by
Emperor Octavian were a sum up of his reign lasting for more than
25 years. Analyzing the results of the census he could observe all his lands
and tribes with a single look.
It seems, the
Evangelist was talking about the census held in 8 B.C. However, it concerned
only those people, who were the citizens of the Roman Empire; but
according to Tacitus, later Augustus began to keep record of the enrtire population
in all the provinces and satellite states. The latter included Judea as well. As a vassal monarch, Herod had to take care about fulfilling the will of his
patron.
Apostle Luke
continues: “And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.” Such type of
registration would make a lot of people flock to the biggest cities. On these grounds the critics hurried to call the Evangelist’s story a fictional one.
First of all, they obviously exaggerated the difficulty of the affair. At that time
Palestine was a small land with a small number of people, which allowed the
Jews to come to Jerusalem each year on Easter. Secondly, it could be that King
Herod did not dare to hold the registration by the Roman example, being afraid
of uprisings. At that time people reacted aggressively on such measures, as
they could lead to new taxes. It would be easier for the king to do it according to
the style that people in the East were more accustomed to, which meant gathering reminaing donations collected during the fest of Easter. Another way was to check the books of genealogy, which meant
that people had to come to their cities, where those books were kept.
There is a
papyrus stating: “Gaius Vibius Maximus, the ruler of Egypt, orders: as far as
we are going to register the population, all the people who live outside their
homeland have to come back to their native districts to join the census in the
usual manner.” It seems that something
of that kind happened in Judea between the years 7 and 6 A.D.
There is only unresolved question remined: how is Roman Emperor Quirinius, mentioned by Apostle
Luke, connected with these events? The Evangelist calls the census as the first, perhaps, to differ it from
another one, organized in Palestine by Quirinius 12 years later, when King
Herod was already dead. It is unclear what position Quirinius had in 7 A.D.,
but he certainly could be responsible for the affairs in the Herod’s kingdom.
Anyway, according to the Romans’ point of view, those censes were insignificant.
While preparing for a trip to Bethlehem, Joseph could hardly think about the
affairs and plans of the great ones of the world. He had his own worries.
Thus we may see
that the Holy History and the Roman politics did not come into contact. But we
cannot imagine an event which could become a more suitable background for the
Nativity, than the census, which reached all over the largest state of the
world. The opposition and connection between two kingdoms – the kingdom of
Ceasar and the kingdom of Messiah – is significant by itself. The One, Who was
going to announce the brotherhood of people, was born at the time, when the
dream of uniting the whole world seemed almost fulfilled. Both kingdoms
have the same goal – humanity, which is born from different nations. However, this similarity
is shallow. In fact, the “gospel” of Augustus will be an antagonist for the
Gospel of Christ forever.
“And Joseph
also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth,
into Judaea,
unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem;
(because he was
of the house and lineage of David:),
To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great
with child.” (Luke, 2:4-5)
To expose a
woman to have such a trip right before labor meant to take a huge risk. What is more, only
men were registered in the lists, and Mary could have stayed in Nazareth. It seems,
there were some other reasons which made Joseph come there with his wife. Anyway,
Joseph left Nazareth and went on the road, “ascending” to Judea, as it was
common to say there.
It was hard for
Mary to endure the week-long trip. The years of Her challenges began with that self-exile,
in which She shared the fate of all the rejected people. She was ready for this while remaining true to her vow: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me
according to thy word…”
The wayfarers
were on their way. During their trip they would have to alternate between coming down the valley ascending the steep hills of the region. They had to get
around hostile Samaria, called Sebaste at that time, to pass noisy Jerusalem,
until they finally saw Bethlehem – the fatherland of King David - surrounded by gardens and fields.
It is
said that Joseph asked the innkeeper for a place to stay. However, it could be
that the word “kataluma” used by
Apostle Luke meant a cenacle. Perhaps, the travelers could have stayed with Joseph’s
relatives.
“And so it was,
that, while they were there,
the days were
accomplished that she should be delivered.
And she brought
forth her firstborn son,
and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in
a manger.” (Luke, 2:6-7)
A manger – a
feeder for cattle covered with hay… It was in the cave carved in the rock near
the house. It was usually used for keeping sheeps and goats or hitching baggage
animals.
It was there,
in the darkness of the cave, where a Child, “looking just like all the other
children on earth”, saw the world.
Who could
expect on that? Who could
think that God would appear through His creation so quietly and imperceptible?
The Messiah becomes the brother of the deprived people since the first minutes
of His life. No Christmas lights and decorations can make us forget this
picture: the Mother in exile, deprived of a normal house, is sitting in the crib
with the Child on Her hands. There was no place for Him, for “He came unto his
own, and his own received him not.” That was how the life of the Son of Man
began. That was the beginning of His fight, His sufferings and His victory.
The Divine Love
came to the world torn by passions, to the kingdom of spiritual and physical
slavery, a place of lies and demagogy, of lechery and inhumanity. The Bethlehem Star
appeared in the sky at the time when the civilization was destroying itself
again. And it was a real miracle that people did not lose their hope.
They asked:
when would He come? They were waiting for a punishing sword of the Avenging
God, but found an Infant in the cave. There were no disasters and no scorching
fire when He came. Instead of that, Love came under cover of a Bethlehem night,
like a shy guest and a homeless wanderer. Its magnificence turned out to be the
defenselessness of a Child, and its majesty - simplified. The Theophany was not about violence
caused by people, but it announced about the mystery of freedom and God’s patience…
An excerpt from
“History of the Religion, Book 6”
