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    in consequence of which every one went to his own city to be enrolled ; but in the second verse he expressly states , that the enrolment itself was first carried into effect when Cyrenius was governor of Syria . This we know was when Archclaus was banished and

    Judaea made a Roman province , viz . about A D . 7 . The second verse may be rendered literally , " The enrolment itself ( or this enrolment ) was first made ( or carried into effect ) when Cyrenius was

    governor of Syria ; " Avt >? y cnroypacprj Trpcorr ) eyevsTQ ^ yt ^ ovtvovroq ty } <; ^ Evpia < Jtvpqviov : and so far from presenting any chronological difficulty , I regard it as indicating that accuracy of detail which distinguishes the writings of St . Luke . He informs us that the decree

    of Augustus set all Palestine in motion ; but he also gives us to understand , that the enrolment was not actually executed till a certain definite period which he specifies . In other words , that , from some cause or other , which it did not fall within his province to explain , the complete execution of the decree was suspended .

    If the enrolment were merely ordered , and the execution of it afterwards suspended , it is less surprising that no notice of it should be found in Josephus . Still as it must , in ordinary circumstances , have been very obnoxious to the Jews . —as the decree

    must have been caused by some severe displeasure on the part of Augustus against the Jewish sovereign , —and as Josephus is very full in his account of events which took place

    during-Herod's reign , yet gives no intimation that such a decree was issued by Augustus , —it is not probable that the events recorded at the beginning of Luke ii . should have taken place before the death of Herod .

    The history of Josephus , for some time after the death of Herod , is obviously very defective ; and till it is shewn that the facts he records are inconsistent with the statements of St . Luke ' s Introduction , as above explained , I cannot consider his silence as any

    objection to the authenticity of those statements . So far , however , from any such inconsistency existing , the circumstances which Josephus records as occurring shortl y after the death of Herod , well accord with the facts stated in Luke ' s Introduction respecting

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    the decreeing of the Census , and the subsequent suspension of it . In the volume of the Mon . Repos . for 1811 , p . 15 , I have stated those circumstances ; but as that may not be accessible to many of your present readers , I beg your permission , Mr . Editor , to state the substance of them

    in this place . On the death of Herod , Archelaus went to Rome , to obtain the emperor ' s confirmation of his father ' s appointment of him to the sovereignty of Judaea and Samaria ; but before he set out , a disturbance among the Jews led him to call out his soldiers , who

    killed 2000 of them . Some of his relations went at the same time to Rome , who were unfavourable to the division in Herod ' s will , and wished , if possible , to have Judsea made a Roman

    province . At the first hearing of the case , Augustus determined nothing ; though he treated Archelaus with kindness , and appeared inclined to decide in his favour . While matters

    remained in this suspense , fifty ambassadors came from Judaea , by the consent of Varus , the Syrian president , to solict that their country might be made a Roman province ; and soon after , news came from Varus , of great disturbances in Judsea , and of a revolt so serious , that at the termination of

    it , he put 2000 to death by crucifixion . Another hearing took place before the emperor ; and the ambassadors pleaded their cause against Archelaus : but Augustus dissolved the assembly without having decided the question . Not long after , however , he determined to give Archelaus the sovereignty of Judrea and Samaria , with the title of

    Etbnarch instead of King . . So far we have the clear testimony of Josephus ; and at this period , ( according perfectly with the date already assigned , from St . Luke ' s own data , fur the birth of our Lord , ) it appears highly probable that Augustus , influenced by the strong representations ot the Jews , issued a decree that all the

    land should be enrolled , with a view to taxation , and as the first step towards making it a Roman province . From St . Luke we learn , that tnc Census was not actually made tiH ^ r renius was governor of Syria ; an may therefore conclude , that Arc j laus made such promises a 3 irKltl . the emperor to suspend the execu

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    348 Dr . Carpenter on the Introductory Chapter * to Luke ' s Gospel

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), June 2, 1822, page 348, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2513/page/28/