Letter to the editor: Mary and Joseph traveled for census, not taxation

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https://triblive.com/opinion/letter-to-the-editor-mary-and-joseph-traveled-for-census-not-taxation/

Letter to the editor: Mary and Joseph traveled for census, not taxation

Tribune-Review | Thursday, December 11, 2025 9:00 a.m.

Regarding the letter “The real Christmas story” (Dec. 3, TribLive): First, Mary and Joseph didn’t travel to Bethlehem to be taxed; it was a “census” that the Roman government conducted every five years. This information is taken from the Office for National Statistics and also from Ask Historians.

They traveled to Bethlehem for a census, not taxation; that being said, no response to the remainder of the letter is necessary. I think it was probably an AI answer, which can have anybody giving answers not using historical data.

Notice I did not say “the Bible says so,” but I do believe in God’s word as truth.

Harry Barbus

Latrobe

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