The Census

Rome Wants to Know

The Roman government liked to know who lived where and what they owned. One way to find out was a census.

That meant recording names, families, homes, and property. Somebody had to ask the questions, somebody had to write down the answers, and somebody had to keep the records. A census involved a surprising amount of ancient paperwork.

For people in Judaea, a census was more than filling out a form. It fed taxes and Roman administration, so it wasn’t always welcome.

Joseph and Mary were sent to Bethlehem for a Roman census, which makes it a familiar part of the Christmas story.

So if a Roman official asks for your name, where you live, and what you own, congratulations — you may have just discovered ancient paperwork.