Who was Quirinius?

Quirinius (51 BC – AD 21) is mentioned in the Bible as someone who governed Syria around the time that Jesus was born (Luke 2:2). Historians state that he governed Syria in 6 AD. However, this date conflicts with what Matthew says about the birth of Jesus. If you recall, Herod was the king who was visited by the magi (Matt. 2:1-12) after Jesus’ birth. He later ordered the murder of all baby boys near Bethlehem (Matt. 2:16-18) to keep the newborn from usurping his throne. Here is the supposed contradiction. Historians say that Herod died in AD 4 … before Quirinius governed Syria. This has led some to say that Luke made an error in mentioning Quirinius as the governor during Caesar Augustus’ census. How could Jesus have been born during the rule of Qurinius (AD 6) and also before the death of Herod in AD 4?

Before you start questioning the accuracy of the Bible, consider that Luke wrote his gospel shortly after the events had taken place. Archaeologists are dealing with these events thousands of years after the events took place. So, it would be wise to not jump to rapid conclusions. Do you think that God inspired the writers of Scripture and then allowed them to write down error? That doesn’t make sense. When Luke wrote these statements about the birth of Christ, they were meant to point out when it happened by mentioning people and events that his original readers would have been familiar with. So, let’s give Luke the benefit of the doubt and look for solutions to this supposed contradiction.

While thinking through this topic, I came across an online article entitled, Quirinius: An Archaeological Biography. The author quotes a number of historical sources which mention Quirinius and then gives good advice about how to approach this supposed contradiction. Although I am unfamiliar with him or his group, I appreciate his research and conclusions. I also found a good response from Norval Geldenhuys in his commentary, The Gospel of Luke, pp. 104-06. Perhaps you will find these to be helpful as well.