Report from Bethlehem

Maybe it could have been this way...

Jerusalem: December 13
Small villages all across Judah are experiencing larger than normal visitors. This reporter is in Bethlehem, a small village about 6 miles south of Jerusalem. The reason for this is the imperial edict of a new census. Mathais, the person in charge, for the Roman government said, "the census will give the government a more accurate number of the people living in Judah and will be the basis of the amount of taxes due each year to Rome."

Tax collectors say that the census effort will continue through the rest of the month, and people are required to register in their tribal homeland/villages. For people who have moved from their tribal areas, it will mean, in many cases, long distance travel and trying to find lodging while completing the census procedure. Census travelers are urged to contact their relatives for living space while in Bethlehem.