Bible Archeology Discoveries

Edict of Gaius Vibius Maximus
Discovered: Egypt
From: (c. AD 104)

An edict of the Prefect of Egypt was found from AD 104. It appears to attest to the policy of requirn g people to migrate to their home districts for census and taxation purposes.

“Seeing that the time has come for the house-to-house census, it is necessary to compel those who for any cause whatsoever are residing out of their home districts to return to their own homes, that they may carry out the regular order of the census, and may also attend diligently to the cultivation of their allotments.”

This document command in Greek from the Prefect Gaius Vibius Maximus for all those in his area of authority to return to their own homes for the purposes of a census illustrates a situation in the time of Trajan analogous to that described by Luke at the time of the birth of Christ (Luke 2-1-4), when Augustus decreed that a census should be taken of the Roman world.

This practice was likely based upon the need to have people present to any area in which they owned property of any kind, and may be the reason for Joseph's travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem. As the Bible states that Mary was from Bethlehem, (but nowhere says that Joseph was as well) it is also possible that Joseph had travelled to Nazareth for his betrothal and returned to Bethlehem for the tax.

"And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David;
to enrol himself with Mary, who was betrothed to him, being great with child."
Luke 2: 4-5

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Notable Finds

Much of what is described in Bible text is lost to history, requiring readers to assume the historicity of the scriptures.

However, many of the places and events described in the Old and New Testaments are periodically corroborated by archeological finds.

Some finds simply help us to better understand things from the ancient world. However, others provide important evidence as to the truth of scripture regarding things about which there had previously been skepticism.

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