gnostic
The Lost One
Yes, I am well aware of the theory that Herod may have died at 1 BCE, instead of 4 BCE, but that’s old news, presented by W. E. Filmer in JTS article, 1966. Filmer went on and on and on, about how Herod died shortly after the lunar eclipse, and how it is the one in 1 BCE, but in that year, there were 3 eclipses. But he is ignoring that was a lunar eclipse on 4 BCE.
But this article has since been refuted by 2 years later by T. D. Barnes, who wrote another article in the very same journal (JTS, 19, 204).
Sources:
W. E. Filmer, The Journals Of Theological Studies, volume XVII, issue 2, “The Chronology of the Reign of Herod the Great”, 1966, 283 ff.
T. D. Barnes, The Journals Of Theological Studies, volume XIX, “Date Of Herod’s Death”, 1968, 204 ff.
T. D. Barnes, The Journals Of Theological Studies, volume XIX, “Date Of Herod’s Death”, 1968, 204 ff.
Again, I have come across this argument too, and it is another old news, which have been refuted on the basis that it relied on too much speculations on a literary evidences.
This evidence is found in the town of Tibur (later called Tivoli), Latium, Italy, some inscriptions written in marble, except that there are no name as to who this mystery governor of Syria was.
But Christians using this evidences as evidence for Quirinius being governor twice in Syria, are baseless assumptions since there are no name attach to this inscription.
A group of people claimed this must be Quirinius, except Quirinius was already serving in Galatia at that time.
Second, just because there were no governor in 4 to 1 BCE, doesn’t mean that it was Quirinius. Beside that I have said in my earlier reply that Quirinius was governor serving in Galatia, but you seemed to be ignoring this.
Quirinius first governorship was as a propraetor at Crete and Cyrenaica (now Libya) where he won great victory over the Garamantes in 15 BCE, and earned the name or title - Cyrenaicus.
And that victory won him a consulship in 12 BCE, and earned him a governorship (as a legatus) in 12 BCE at Galatia and Pamphylia, that didn’t end till 1 CE.
And while he governor of Galatia, there were insurrections among the Homanades in the mountains of Galatia and Cilicia, which lasted 3 years, from 5 BCE to 3 BCE.
And when this governorship ended 1 CE, Augustus appointed Quirinius as mentor (rector) to his grandson, Gaius Caesar, who became the commander of the eastern army at Armenia. At that time, Rome was facing the army of Parthian empire.
There were no census in 1 BCE, because Herod have been Dead, and Archelaus was the current ruler of Judaea, and the client king towards Rome.
It doesn't matter when Herod died, because there were no census being carried out while he was still alive, because the census only took place when Archelaus lost Judaea in 6 CE, and Augustus turned Judaea into Roman province.
Quirinius life in 4 BCE to 1 BCE is accounted for, and he wasn’t in Syria then.
Both the 1966 article about Herod dying in 1 BCE, and the interpretation of Tibur inscriptions of Quirinius serving as governor of Syria, have been debunked decades ago.
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