Bible 101

Lesson 6: Archaeological Proof: Are the Stories we read about in the NT true?

In the previous lesson we discovered some fascinating archaeological facts about the OT. We have come to see that there is proof that the OT stories are not fancy stories but grounded in reality and history. The same is true for the NT. Please note that this is not an exhaustive preponderance of the evidence, but simply a few examples to “whet your appetite” for further study.

Caesar Augustus’ Census

Luke 2:1-3 states that

In those days, Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.

Archaeological discoveries have proven that Augustus did in fact decree censuses (1) every fourteen years. The first census was in 23-22 BC. The second was in 9-8 BC. Being in the far reaches of the empire, the census may not have reached Palestine until seven or six BC, the latter being a probable date for the birth of Jesus. In addition to the foregoing, an inscription was found in Antioch ascribed to Quirinius the governorship of Syria in 7 BC. Apparently, Quirinius had two tours of duty in Syria, one from 12 to 6 BC as governor, the other after 6 AD as an imperial legate.

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