One  objection  to  this  theory  is  that  from  other  sources  QosephuSi
Antiquities y  XVI,  x,  8;  xi,  3),  it  appears  that  Sentius  Satuminus  was
governor  of  Syria  at  this  time,  i.  e.,  from  9-7  B.  c,  just  at  the  time
when,  according  to  the  papyri,  the  census  should  occur.  This  is
supported  by  a  statement  of  Tertullian,  that  Jesus  was  bom  when
Satuminus  was  governor  of  Syria.  To  meet  this  objection,  Ramsay
supposes  either  that  the  autiiority  of  Quirinius  and  of  Satuminus
overlapped,  the  former  being  military  commander  and  the  latter
dvil  governor,  or  that  Quirinius  ruled  imtil  about  July  1st  of  the
year  8,  the  census  year,  and  Satiuninus  then  took  office.  These
are,  however,  mere  possibilities.  We  have  not  yet  clear  information
concerning  these  points.
Later,  in  6  a.  d.  ,  Quirinius  was  sent  out  to  Ssrria  again  (see  Tacitus,
AimaUSf  HI,  48),  and  took  over  as  governor  of  Syria  the  kingdom  of
Judah  on  the  deposition  of  Archelaus,  and  conducted  the  census
there  of  6-7  a.  d.  (See  Josephus,  Antiquities^  XVlIl,  L)  Many
scholars  have  held  that  Luke  confused  this  govemorship  with  earlier
events  and  was  accordingly  in  error  as  to  his  chronology  by  at  least
ten  years,  but  the  archaeological  facts  here  collected  tend  to  cor-
roborate Luke's  accuracy  on  this  point.  It  should  be  added  that
Luke  knew  that  Quirinius  had  charge  of  the  census  in  Palestine  in
6  A.  D.,  as  Josephus  states,  for  he  says:  "This  was  the  first  enrolment
made  when  Quirinius  w^as  govemorof  Syria."

8.  Conclusions.
