In the Gospel of Luke, Joseph and a very pregnant Mary travel to Bethlehem because Caesar Augustus has ordered a census of the entire Roman Empire. But does Jesus's birth story in Luke align with what we know about censuses in the ancient world? How were people counted? Who conducted these censuses? And did people really need to travel back to their ancestral homes to register with Rome?

For this special holiday episode, Helen and Dave are joined by Andrew Whitby, a data scientist and author of The Sum of the People: How the Census Has Shaped Nations from the Ancient World to the Modern Age. 

GIVE (& RECEIVE) THE GIFT OF BIBLICAL TIME MACHINE

Dave's mom has a Hanukkah gift for all of our listeners! The first 5 people to email us will receive a free, 2-month subscription to the Time Travelers Club. And if you're looking for the perfect gift for a Bible history nerd, you can buy them a membership with a Biblical Time Machine Gift Card.

SUPPORT BIBLICAL TIME MACHINE

If you like the podcast, please consider supporting the show through the Time Travelers Club, our Patreon. We love making the show, but since we don't run ads we rely on listener contributions to cover our costs. Please help us continue to showcase high-quality biblical scholarship with a $5/month subscription.

DOWNLOAD OUR STUDY GUIDE: MARK AS ANCIENT BIOGRAPHY

Check out our 4-part audio study guide called "The Gospel of Mark as an Ancient Biography." While you're there, get yourself a handsome Biblical Time Machine mug or a cool sticker for your water bottle.


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Theme music written and performed by Dave Roos

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