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Sources: |
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Artwork: The Nativity, Illustrated in Dore Bible Illustrations (1891) Artist: Gustave Dore, Publisher: Bedford Clarke Publishers. |
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Antiquities of the Jews - The Historian Flavius Josephus. |
Book 17 Chapter 2: Account of pharisees refusing to take an oath of good will to Caesar and to that of Herods government which was required of all Israel. |
Book 17 Chapters 6-8: Account of Herods last days and death. |
Book 17 Chapter 13: Cyrenius sent by Caesar to confiscate the property of Archelaus and to take account of peoples belongings in Syria. |
Book 18 Chapter 1: Quirinius came into Syria with a few others to administer that nation, Cyrenius also came into Judea to take account of their substance as well of to dispose of the estate of Archelaus. Archelaus (Matthew 2:22) ruled for 10 years according to Josephus in Antiquities Book 17, So if Herod died in 1 B.C. this would be 9 A.D., If he died in 4 B.C. this would have been 6 A.D. |
Book 18 Chapter 2: The Jewish revolt against the taxation by Quirinius. This taxation is dated between 6-9 A.D. as Josephus states this taxation was held 37 years since Octavians victory over Antony at Actium believed to be in the fall of 31 B.C., but the war with Antony didnt end until 30 B.C. |
Also Quirinius appoints Annas as High Priest at the end of this taxation. Coponius, who was sent along with Cyrenius, was exercising the office of procurator of Judea at this time. |
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Josephus The Essential Writings, Author: Paul L. Maier, ISBN 0-8254-2964-1 Pg.260,262 (Quirinius governor of Syria). |
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The Best of Josh McDowell, Author: Josh McDowell, ISBN 0-89840-281-6. Pg.109 (Inscription found with the name Quirinius placing him in Syria at 7 B.C.) |
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Archaeology and Bible History, Author: J.P. Free, ISBN 0-310-47961-4 |
Pg.242-243 (Quirinius background). |
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Halley's Bible Handbook, ISBN 0-310-25720-4, Pg.490 (Census information). |
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Radio Ministry: Hope for Today, Speaker: David Hocking. |
Cassette Luke 2:1-14 #2025 & #SP294 ("Quirinius was governing the affairs of Syria under Varus though he was not named officially as governor until later.") |
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Smiths Bible Dictionary, Author: William Smith, ISBN 0-8407-5542-2, Pg.132 (Quirinius full name: Publius Sulpicius Quirinius.) (Cyrenius was the Greek form of the name Quirinius). |
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The Deeds of Augustus: |
Res Gestae 10: Quirinius consul in 12 B.C. |
Res Gestae 8: Augustus held three census to count Roman citizens in 28 B.C., 8 B.C. and 14 B.C. It is important to note that in these census counts they were not counting non Romans as citizens, such as those in Judea. So these dates in all likelihood had nothing to do with the Biblical census. |
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Tacitus Annals: |
Book 3 Chapter 48: Account of Quirinius as advisor to Caius Caesar as well as a messenger of Rome to Tiberius who was exiled at Rhodes. Earlier was consul under Augustus and garnered fame by capturing the Homonadensian strongholds beyond the Cilician frontier earning the insignia of triumph. Also mentioned as being an active servant and intrepid soldier. |
Book 2 Chapter 4: Account of Gaius Caesar appointment to Armenia. |
Book 1 Chapter 3: Account of Gaius wounded in Armenia . |
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Notes and sources for the date of the Biblical registration: |
Bible: Luke 3:1 States John the Baptist began his ministry in the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar (27-28 A.D.). Luke 3:23 states that at this time Jesus began his ministry when he was about thirty, If He was 30 this would place the date of his birth in 2 B.C. and would mean that Herod would have died in the spring of 1 B.C. right before Passover in that year according to Josephus. But one must be cautious because the Bible uses the phrase about thirty which could mean that he could have been anywhere between his late twenties and early thirties. |
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Article: When was Jesus Born December 2006 Author: David Hocking |
Evidence for Jesus born in 2 B.C. |
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DVD: The Star of Bethlehem - Rick Larson. States the earliest copies of Josephus before 1544 A.D. infer a date of 1 B.C. for the date of Herods death. |
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Josephus Re-Examined: Unraveling the Twenty-Second Year of Tiberius, in Chronos, Kairos, Christos II, Author: David W. Beyer, edited by E. Jerry Vardaman, Macon: Mercer University Press, 1998, ISBN 0-86554-582-0 pg. 85 Argument for 1 B.C. date of Herods Death as well as 2 B.C. date for Christs birth as held by the church historians Tertullian, Origen and Eusibius as well inferred by Josephus. According to his research, most Josephus manuscripts dated prior to 1544 A.D. In Jewish Antiquities chapter 18 Section 106, have Phillip (Herods son) dying in the 22nd year of Tiberius, which would be 35/36 A.D. and he ruled for 37 years. Thus giving a date of 1 B.C. or 2 B.C. as for when he was appointed Tetrarch right after Herods death. |
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The Star that Astonished the world, Author Ernest L. Martin. Chapter 8 makes the case for a Lunar Eclipse account recorded in Josephus Antiquities Book 17 Chapter 6 that occurred some time before Herods death as most likely the total lunar Eclipse that occurred in mid January of 1 B.C. allowing time for the events of Herods illness, death and funeral before the Passover that year. |
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Josephus Book 17 chapter 9 also mentions that when a dispute over who should rule the deceased King Herods territories. One of the people he sought an opinion from was his adopted son Caius Caesar who would became legate in Syria in 1 B.C. or 1 A.D. If Herod died in 1 B.C. it would correspond with Caius being installed as legate to that region. |
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In 2 B.C. Caesar wrote that "while I was administering my thirteenth consulship the Senate and the equestrian order and the entire Roman people gave me the title Father of my country and decreed that this title should be inscribed upon the vestibule of my house and in the senate-house and in the Forum Augustum beneath the quadriga erected in my honour by decree of the senate. (Res Gestae, VI.35) |
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Suetonius, Life of Augustus, 58, also mentions this title Father of thy country given to Augustus. In 59-60 it states: Many of the provinces, in addition to temples and altars, established quinquennial games (games every five years) in his honour in almost every one of their towns. His friends and allies among the kings each in his own realm founded a city called Caesarea.This event in 2 B.C. may have led Herod to place a large Roman Golden Eagle on a gate of the Temple in Jerusalem to honor Caesar right before his death which probably early in 1 B.C. This is recorded by Josephus in Antiquities Book 17 Chapter 6. It also goes hand in hand with Josephus stating that his allies, one being Phillip, who renamed the city of Panias to Caesarea Phillipi shortly after Herod Death. (Note: Herod the Great earlier built another Caesarea, Caesarea Maritime which would later become the Roman governing center of Judea. |
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(Res Gestae. The deeds of the Divine Augustus,.22: Consul for the thirteenth time (2 B.C.), I (Augustus) celebrated the first games of Mas, which after that time thereafter in following years, by a senate decree and a law, the consuls were to celebrate. (Note: Herod the Great began celebrating games for the 192nd Olympiad in 9/10 B.C. at Caesarea Maritime. So there was probably games held there as to Caesars decree in 2 B.C. as well.) |
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