Introduction
Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the ancient birthplace of his distant ancestor King David. He would have been born in Nazareth, had Joseph not been summoned to Bethlehem to swear loyalty to the Roman Emperor.
Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace,
good will toward men.
(Luke 2:14)
SHORTLY before the death of Herod the Great, the Roman Emperor Augustus invited all the loyal inhabitants of the Empire to sign an ‘assurance of goodwill’ toward him and his government. This poll later inspired his fulsome Senate to declare him the ‘Father of Rome’.
In Israel, six thousand Pharisees refused to sign,* and were punished by a fine, which was kindly paid for them by Herod’s sister-in-law, mindful perhaps of the King’s declining health, and of her family’s prospects after he was gone.
Luke records that Joseph and Mary were both in Bethlehem, the birthplace of the iconic King David, signing some kind of register at just this time.* As a direct descendant of David, Joseph’s loyalties would be under scrutiny.
How appropriate, then, that as men around the world assured the Father of Rome of their ‘goodwill’ toward him, angels were assuring some shepherds of our Father in Heaven’s ‘goodwill’ toward men.
The events are described by the near-contemporary historian, Josephus. See Antiquities XVII.2.
See Luke 2:2. The Authorised Version makes some uncharacteristic errors here, translating ‘απογραφή’ as ‘tax’ when it should be the more neutral ‘registration’, and asserting that ‘this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria’. This is a problem because Quirinius (Cyrenius), who conducted an infamous census that provoked a revolt and imprinted itself on the collective memory of the Jewish people, did not become Governor until AD 6, ten years after Herod died. The translation should read ‘This registration took place prior to [πρώτη ἐγένετο, cf. John 1:15] Cyrenius’s governorship of Syria’.
Précis
Just before Herod died in 4 BC, the Roman Emperor, Augustus, called on loyal inhabitants of his Empire to register their goodwill towards him. Six thousand Pharisees refused, but Luke tells us that about this time Joseph went to Bethlehem with Mary to put his name to a register, and that their son Jesus was born. (56 / 60 words)
Just before Herod died in 4 BC, the Roman Emperor, Augustus, called on loyal inhabitants of his Empire to register their goodwill towards him. Six thousand Pharisees refused, but Luke tells us that about this time Joseph went to Bethlehem with Mary to put his name to a register, and that their son Jesus was born.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 60 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 50 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: besides, despite, if, may, otherwise, ought, whether, who.
Archive
Word Games
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Direct. Invite. Refuse.
2 Loyal. Prospect. Under.
3 Death. Go. Law.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Homonyms Find in Think and Speak
Each of the words below has more than one possible meaning. Compose your own sentences to show what those different meanings are.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1. Kind. 2. Fine. 3. Refuse. 4. Just. 5. Sign. 6. Man.
Opposites Find in Think and Speak
Suggest words or phrases that seem opposite in meaning to each of the words below. We have suggested some possible answers; see if you can find any others.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
Variations: 1.instead of opposites, suggest words of similar meaning (synonyms). 2.use a word and its opposite in the same sentence. 3.suggest any 5 opposites formed by adding im-.
Add Vowels Find in Think and Speak
Make words by adding vowels to each group of consonants below. You may add as many vowels as you like before, between or after the consonants, but you may not add any consonants or change the order of those you have been given. See if you can beat our target of common words.
sgs (5+1)
sagas. sages. sags. sieges. usages.
segues.
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