> .. there would have been no census to bring Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem .. Most historians agree there was no such census, certainly not one that required p

> .. there would have been no census to bring Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem .. Most historians agree there was no such census, certainly not one that required people return to their birthplace. There was a 6CE census (but it certainly would not have required everyone travel to their origin - that would have been as ridiculous then as it sounds now), plus the timing would put it at odds with Herod's death in 4BCE. In any case, it appears to be a literary device employed by the author of Luke to get the main character of the story to the prophecy-mandated location.